Life
Fact or fiction? 6 myths black people believe about themselves
theGRIO REPORT – There are some within the black community that are believed and continuously passed down. Read to see of these six are fact and which are fiction…
Black people are born with natural rhythm
When one sees the prevalence of African-Americans in the music and dance industries, it can easily appear as though black people do have natural rhythm. In a nightclub or simply while listening to music, it is common to find people of African descent moving to the beat of the music in a way that appears innate. If a black person does not have rhythm, it is a cause for shame or, potentially, a reference to “dancing like a white person.”
Is it fact or fiction?
It depends
If black people have innate rhythm, it is likely because of environment, not birth, says Dr. Andrée Grau, professor of the anthropology of dance at the University of Roehampton in London.
Children are often exposed to music and rhythm unknowingly. A child carried by his or her mother, as an infant, while she works around the house, or dances and sings to herself will have an experience different from a child who is not, says Grau. In certain cultures, this exposure continues at events such as parties, church services and theatrical events.
In cultures of Sub-Saharan African descent, the music is often polyrhythmic, forcing different body parts to move uniquely to different rhythms in dance.
It is also known that children who have early access to dance and music are more likely to be better at both later in life than those who wait until adolescence.
This is in line with the debated concept that race is cultural rather than biological.
British psychologist Richard Lynn argues that the stereotype is fiction altogether. In his 2006 book, Race Differences in Intelligence, Lynn compares the IQs of African-Americans to those of European descent with respect to musicality, tone, pitch, music memory, chord analysis, as well as rhythm.
African-Americans scored higher on the rhythm portions compared to musicality, but there was no difference in rhythm IQs between them and the Europeans tested. This suggests that both cultures have the same capacity for rhythm.
However, studies of identical and fraternal twins suggest that musical ability has a genetic component, raising the question of whether rhythm is also affected by genetics.
Grau is still not convinced it’s genetic. “It is easy for people to assume that because participating in dance is not a choice in many African societies and often an unavoidable social duty, and as a result, everyone is at least an adequate performer, these people must have dance ‘in the blood,’ especially when compared to some ‘two left-footed’ Europeans!”
She adds that even in ballet, usually dominated by non-blacks, certain techniques require fast footwork and body isolation similar to polyrhythmic dance. Yet, they are able to master those exercises without difficulty, despite not being of Sub-Saharan descent.
Conclusion: There are more sound explanations for why rhythm is a learned skill rather genetically based. The verdict is still out, but this seems to be more on the side of fiction.
