▁main stream ▁American ▁culture . ▁This ▁process ▁of ▁mut ual ▁cre ative ▁exchange ▁is ▁called ▁cre ol ization . ▁Over ▁time , ▁the ▁culture ▁of ▁African ▁slaves ▁and ▁their ▁descend ants ▁has ▁been ▁u bi quit ous ▁in ▁its ▁impact ▁on ▁not ▁only ▁the ▁dominant ▁American ▁culture , ▁but ▁on ▁world ▁culture ▁as ▁well . ▁ ▁Or al ▁tradition ▁S lave hold ers ▁limited ▁or ▁prohib ited ▁education ▁of ▁ens la ved ▁African - Amer icans ▁because ▁they ▁fe ared ▁it ▁might ▁emp ower ▁their ▁ch att el ▁and ▁insp ire ▁or ▁enable ▁em anci pat ory ▁amb itions . ▁In ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁the ▁legisl ation ▁that ▁denied ▁slaves ▁formal ▁education ▁likely ▁contributed ▁to ▁their ▁maintain ing ▁a ▁strong ▁or al ▁tradition , ▁a ▁common ▁feature ▁of ▁ind igen ous ▁African ▁cult ures . ▁African - based ▁or al ▁trad itions ▁became ▁the ▁primary ▁means ▁of ▁pres erving ▁history , ▁m ores , ▁and ▁other ▁cultural ▁information ▁among ▁the ▁people . ▁This ▁was ▁consistent ▁with ▁the ▁g ri ot ▁practices ▁of ▁or al ▁history ▁in ▁many ▁African ▁and ▁other ▁cult ures ▁that ▁did ▁not ▁rely ▁on ▁the ▁written ▁word . ▁Many ▁of ▁these ▁cultural ▁elements ▁have ▁been ▁passed ▁from ▁generation ▁to ▁generation ▁through ▁story t elling . ▁The ▁fol kt ales ▁provided ▁African - Amer icans ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁insp ire ▁and ▁educ ate ▁one ▁another . ▁ ▁Ex amples ▁of ▁African - American ▁fol kt ales ▁include ▁trick ster ▁tales ▁of ▁Br ' er ▁Rab bit ▁and ▁hero ic ▁tales