ive ▁spell ings ▁for ▁common ▁names . ▁ ▁Even ▁with ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁cre ative ▁names , ▁it ▁is ▁also ▁still ▁common ▁for ▁African ▁Americans ▁to ▁use ▁bib lic al , ▁historic , ▁or ▁European ▁names . ▁ ▁Family ▁When ▁sla very ▁was ▁pract iced ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁it ▁was ▁common ▁for ▁families ▁to ▁be ▁separated ▁through ▁sale . ▁Even ▁during ▁sla very , ▁however , ▁many ▁African - American ▁families ▁managed ▁to ▁maintain ▁strong ▁famil ial ▁b onds . ▁Free ▁African ▁men ▁and ▁women , ▁who ▁managed ▁to ▁buy ▁their ▁own ▁freedom ▁by ▁being ▁h ired ▁out , ▁who ▁were ▁em an cip ated , ▁or ▁who ▁had ▁escaped ▁their ▁master s , ▁often ▁worked ▁long ▁and ▁hard ▁to ▁buy ▁the ▁members ▁of ▁their ▁families ▁who ▁remained ▁in ▁bond age ▁and ▁send ▁for ▁them . ▁ ▁O thers , ▁separated ▁from ▁blood ▁kin , ▁formed ▁close ▁b onds ▁based ▁on ▁fict ive ▁kin ; ▁play ▁relations , ▁play ▁a un ts , ▁c ous ins , ▁and ▁the ▁like . ▁This ▁practice , ▁a ▁hold over ▁from ▁African ▁or al ▁trad itions ▁such ▁as ▁san ank ou ya , ▁surv ived ▁E man cip ation , ▁with ▁non - blo od ▁family ▁friends ▁commonly ▁accord ed ▁the ▁status ▁and ▁titles ▁of ▁blood ▁relations . ▁This ▁bro ader , ▁more ▁African ▁concept ▁of ▁what ▁constit utes ▁family ▁and ▁community , ▁and ▁the ▁deeply ▁root ed ▁respect ▁for ▁el ders ▁that ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁African ▁traditional ▁soci eties , ▁may ▁be ▁the