For the roots of most African American folklore visit the library and seek out African folklore. That is their source and then stretch back to the dawn of time.

Many of the "classics" African American folktales are updated, revised versions of those tales of wisdom, courage, honor, strength, and purpose.

The uses of thoses tales within the African American community historically were telling tales of the tricksters who outwitted another ( you can read into this the struggle to survive as a whole person within the slave/master paradigm).

Suggested by many researchers, but unproven, are the uses of these tales as coded texts for the purpose of escape.