ABSTRACT
Historically, whites have applied phrases to African-Americans and Native Americans that involved words such as savages, as in the notions of black savages and red savages. This same white-racist framing often portrays white Americans as white saviors civilizing these and other Americans of color. African American musicians have contributed to classical music traditions, especially in the area of opera and concert singing. Minstrel shows were the first distinctively American theatrical performances and did introduce much black music, musicality, dance, and folklore to millions of whites, and represented the first widespread white recognition of the importance of black-generated cultural innovations. African medical practitioners also introduced the practice of vaccinating people against smallpox, thereby helping the European colonists to deal with smallpox epidemics and assisting fundamentally in the development of this persisting type of important medical practice. The Africans who were enslaved in the North American colonies brought much that has been significant and positive to North American culture and society.
