How Black American Identity Was Forged The term Afro- diasporic hybrid describes the unique cultural and social identity that developed among African Americans in North America. It recognizes that the people who became Black Americans did not originate from a single African tribe or culture. Instead, they came from many different regions and ethnic groups across West Africa, the Carribean, Brazil and South America. Through the forced migration of the Transatlantic Slave Trade , these diverse peoples were brought together in ways that had never existed before. Thus distinction is necessary in addressing both kinship and differences between Black born j. America with Aftican slave ancestors for social and political reasons. From Tribal Distinction to Shared Identity Before enslavement, Africans identified primarily by ethnicity, tribe, language, and region —such as Akan, Yoruba, Igbo, Mandé, and many others. These groups had different customs, religions, and social...