Stepping and its Potential as a Liberatory Praxis

Abstract

Stepping has been a practice in the African American community for decades both in communal spaces and on college campuses. The intent behind this study is to put into academic terms the power and lineage stepping has as it is culmination of different African cultures practices. In African cultures, dance is essential for everything from learning basic skills and worship, to resisting colonial powers and creating new cultural norms. Stepping has the potential to assist African Americans in the United States to engage in a practice that has deep ancestral roots and ties to our homeland. Utilizing a Phenomenological approach, I interviewed members of different historically Black Greek Lettered Organizations to gain their perspectives as each organization has different styles and techniques of stepping. In this study I go on to discuss the numerous different dances in African countries such as the Gumboot dances, the Toyi-Toyi, Capoeira, and many others that have assisted in creating social movements of resistance. I then discuss the capacity stepping has with imparting and connecting African American youth to their roots and creating programs where they present themselves to the community similar to a coming-of-age ceremony.