Book excerpt: Tradition and modernity as they relate to African and diasporic cultures do not exist within a vacuum. They reflect the constantly changing relations and factors that define daily life in Africa and beyond. For example, one cannot consider Congolese fabric in the mid-twentieth century without thinking about the immense impact of the Second World War on ideas about French colonialism and trade relations within the French empire. African cultures are immensely significant in the larger histories and microhistories of Africa and the African diaspora because they often reflect the important nuances of race, class, and gender and how these factors intersect with politics and society on local, regional, national, and global levels. This book thus examines the important connections between African cultures and social and political movements in the African diaspora--from Brazil to the United States.