ANTHEMS IN A MINOR KEY: Another unusual feature of American life is the way in which minorities–most noticeably blacks–have shaped American culture. It’s not just the “greats”–Frederick Douglass, Invisible Man, Charles Drew. It’s the whole texture of American life, from spirituals to “Shaft” to “I Have a Dream,” from hairstyles to Coltrane. Harriet Tubman is an American hero; there’s just no point in even saying the words “American music” if you won’t talk about black people. There’s a fascinating book (despite its heavy-handed “all African cultures are wonderful in every way! They’re deep! They’re metaphysical!” tone) called Flash of the Spirit that details African echoes in the U.S., South America, and the Caribbean. I took a course from the author, and even though he’s just as heavy-handed in person (he made us read Marcuse for Pete’s sake), the footage of African and American dances, houses, gravesites, and religious objects were incredible. The cultural richness of black America–and, crucially, the fact that black American culture can’t be separated from the mainstream, it’s too intermixed–is startling when you think about the small percent of the population (about 13% in 2000) we’re talking about here. A strange and hopeful fact about our country.