▁such ▁as ▁that ▁of ▁John ▁Henry . ▁The ▁Uncle ▁Rem us ▁stories ▁by ▁Jo el ▁Ch and ler ▁Harris ▁helped ▁to ▁bring ▁African - American ▁folk ▁tales ▁into ▁main stream ▁ad option . ▁Harris ▁did ▁not ▁appreciate ▁the ▁complexity ▁of ▁the ▁stories ▁nor ▁their ▁potential ▁for ▁a ▁last ing ▁impact ▁on ▁society . ▁Other ▁narr atives ▁that ▁appear ▁as ▁important , ▁rec urr ing ▁mot ifs ▁in ▁African - American ▁culture ▁are ▁the ▁" Sign ifying ▁Mon key ", ▁" The ▁Ball ad ▁of ▁Sh ine ", ▁and ▁the ▁legend ▁of ▁St agger ▁Lee . ▁ ▁The ▁legacy ▁of ▁the ▁African - American ▁or al ▁tradition ▁manifest s ▁in ▁diverse ▁forms . ▁African - American ▁pre ach ers ▁tend ▁to ▁perform ▁rather ▁than ▁simply ▁speak . ▁The ▁em otion ▁of ▁the ▁subject ▁is ▁carried ▁through ▁the ▁speaker ' s ▁tone , ▁volume , ▁and ▁cad ence , ▁which ▁tend ▁to ▁mirror ▁the ▁rising ▁action , ▁clim ax , ▁and ▁desc ending ▁action ▁of ▁the ▁ser mon . ▁The ▁meaning ▁of ▁this ▁manner ▁of ▁pre aching ▁is ▁not ▁easily ▁understood ▁by ▁Euro - Amer icans ▁or ▁others ▁of ▁non - A fr ican ▁origin . ▁O ften ▁song , ▁dance , ▁verse , ▁and ▁struct ured ▁p aus es ▁are ▁placed ▁throughout ▁the ▁ser mon . ▁Call ▁and ▁response ▁is ▁another ▁per vas ive ▁element ▁of ▁the ▁African - American ▁or al ▁tradition . ▁It ▁manifest s ▁in ▁worship ▁in ▁what ▁is ▁commonly ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁" amen ▁corner ". ▁In ▁direct ▁contrast