In this book, America's foremost scholar of African-Americanfolklife revolutionizes our understanding of Afro-American material culture.Bringing to the essays his extensive research into the written, oral, and materialsources of Afro-American culture as well as his impressive scholarly knowledge offolklife, social history, anthropology, and art history, Vlach presents the evidenceof African influence on black American folklife, both past andpresent.