Understanding Cultural Identity and Heritage

The speaker reflects on their upbringing in Plymouth, Massachusetts, highlighting the unique blend of African and Yankee cultural influences. They discuss the term 'Afro Saxon' and how it describes their identity, shaped by a strong sense of race and family expectations. The speaker's education in New England further reinforced these cultural values. They also explore the influence of their mother, a preacher's daughter, and the complex relationship with the church, aiming to redeem its past disappointments.

What term does the speaker use to describe their cultural identity?

• New Englander

• Afro Saxon

• Yankee African

• Puritan Black

How did the speaker's mother influence their perception of race?

• She discouraged any racial pride.

• She emphasized their royal African heritage.

• She ignored racial identity.

• She focused on American identity only.

What did the speaker's mother believe about their ancestry?

• They had no notable ancestry.

• They were descended from European royalty.

• They were related to American presidents.

• They were descended from African kings.

What cultural influence did the speaker absorb during their education?

• Midwestern farming culture

• Southern African-American culture

• Western cowboy culture

• Yankee New England culture

Where did the speaker spend their career?

• University of California

• Harvard College

• New York University

• Oxford University

What values did the speaker inherit from their mother?

• Eastern philosophical values

• Traditional Southern values

• Modern liberal values

• Victorian virtues

What was the speaker's mother's expectation for them?

• To become a famous artist

• To fulfill great expectations

• To travel the world

• To live a simple life

What was the speaker's mother's view on the church?

• She was indifferent to religious matters.

• She had an ambiguous relationship with it.

• She was deeply religious and supportive.

• She was a staunch critic of all religions.

How did the speaker view their role in relation to the church?

• To criticize it openly

• To become a church leader

• To redeem it for their mother

• To ignore its influence

What was the speaker's mother's relationship with her father?

• She never knew him.

• She was devoted to him.

• She was indifferent to him.

• She disliked him.