Dismemberment Lecture- Princess Jenkins-Simlin

Dismemberment is a thought that subtly pervades the minds of those of African American descent. Some scholars define dismemberment as when historical narratives of newness combine African and European lifestyles while developing a eurocentric point of view. Having been cut off from their original culture, African American people have been forced to adopt a new way of life. In a sense, they were empty and are now being forcefully filled with whatever is around them. In this case, it is the dominant white culture of the United States. This means that unless African American people strictly define their own culture, as White America has, they will constantly be "filled" by white culture.

Robert Farris Thompson's text, Flash of the Spirit, concerning Re-Africanized Christianity transformed the idea that Christianity was originally a white concept. This in itself is powerful knowledge for African Americans because they were generally forced by the dominant culture at one point to adopt Christianity.