▁to ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁African - American ▁lives , ▁police ▁brut ality , ▁and ▁race ▁relations ▁in ▁Oak land , ▁California . ▁The ▁dance ▁is ▁an ▁expression ▁of ▁Black ness , ▁and ▁one ▁that ▁integr ates ▁concepts ▁of ▁solid ar ity , ▁social ▁support , ▁peace , ▁and ▁the ▁disc ourse ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁black ▁people ▁in ▁our ▁current ▁social ▁structures . ▁ ▁T wer king ▁is ▁an ▁African - American ▁dance ▁similar ▁to ▁d ances ▁from ▁Africa ▁in ▁C ote ▁d ’ I vo ire , ▁Sen eg al , ▁Som alia ▁and ▁the ▁Congo . ▁ ▁Art ▁ ▁From ▁its ▁early ▁orig ins ▁in ▁slave ▁communities , ▁through ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁African - American ▁art ▁has ▁made ▁a ▁vital ▁contribution ▁to ▁the ▁art ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁During ▁the ▁period ▁between ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century ▁and ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁art ▁took ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁small ▁drums , ▁qu il ts , ▁wr ought - ir on ▁figures , ▁and ▁cer am ic ▁vessels ▁in ▁the ▁southern ▁United ▁States . ▁These ▁artifact s ▁have ▁similar ities ▁with ▁compar able ▁craft s ▁in ▁West ▁and ▁Central ▁Africa . ▁In ▁contrast , ▁African - American ▁art is ans ▁like ▁the ▁New ▁England – based ▁eng ra ver ▁Sci pio ▁Mo or head ▁and ▁the ▁Baltimore ▁portrait ▁painter ▁Josh ua ▁Johnson ▁created ▁art ▁that ▁was ▁conce ived ▁in ▁a ▁thoroughly ▁western ▁European ▁fashion . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1