, ▁there ▁has ▁been ▁no ▁major ▁legal ▁challenge ▁to ▁their ▁right ▁to ▁function ▁as ▁they ▁see ▁fit . ▁ ▁Ir rel ig ious ▁belief s ▁In ▁a ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁P ew ▁Forum ▁survey , ▁ 1 2 % ▁of ▁African ▁Americans ▁described ▁themselves ▁as ▁nothing ▁in ▁particular ▁( 1 1 % ), ▁ag nost ic ▁( 1 % ), ▁or ▁at he ist ▁( < 0 . 5 %). ▁ ▁Life ▁events ▁For ▁most ▁African ▁Americans , ▁the ▁observ ance ▁of ▁life ▁events ▁follows ▁the ▁pattern ▁of ▁main stream ▁American ▁culture . ▁While ▁African ▁Americans ▁and ▁whites ▁often ▁lived ▁to ▁themselves ▁for ▁much ▁of ▁American ▁history , ▁both ▁groups ▁generally ▁had ▁the ▁same ▁perspective ▁on ▁American ▁culture . ▁There ▁are ▁some ▁trad itions ▁that ▁are ▁unique ▁to ▁African ▁Americans . ▁ ▁Some ▁African ▁Americans ▁have ▁created ▁new ▁r ites ▁of ▁passage ▁that ▁are ▁linked ▁to ▁African ▁trad itions . ▁Some ▁pre - teen ▁and ▁te en age ▁boys ▁and ▁girls ▁take ▁classes ▁to ▁prepare ▁them ▁for ▁ad ul th ood . ▁These ▁classes ▁tend ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁spiritual ity , ▁responsibility , ▁and ▁leadership . ▁Many ▁of ▁these ▁programs ▁are ▁mode led ▁after ▁traditional ▁African ▁cer emon ies , ▁with ▁the ▁focus ▁largely ▁on ▁emb rac ing ▁African ▁cult ures . ▁ ▁To ▁this ▁day , ▁some ▁African - American ▁cou ples ▁choose ▁to ▁" j ump ▁the ▁bro om " ▁as ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁their ▁wed ding ▁ceremony . ▁S ources ▁claim ▁that ▁this ▁practice ▁can ▁be ▁trac ed