Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part IV of a four part pancocojams series on American hand gestures. Part IV of this series focuses on dap (handshakes).
Each of the posts in this series focus on hand gestures that were either created by African Americans or have been most closely associated with African Americans.
For Part I of this series (Five On The Black Hand Side handshakes), click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/five-on-black-hand-side-handshake.html.
For Part II of this series (High Fives),
click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/high-five-handshake-videos.html
For Part III of this series click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/fist-bump-pound-handshakes.html.
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
The copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those quoted in this post, and to all those who are featured in these videos. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
-snip-
Most of this pancocojams post was originally published in May 2012. http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/giving-daps-intricate-handshakes.html.
The 2012 post has a section that isn't included in this post: how many African American women greet other African American women & AA men and the way that African American men often greet African American women. That way of greeting is to lightly hug each other. Sometimes women give air kiss near each of the cheeks of the person being greeted.
This 2020 post features one different video than the 2012 post.
****
PANCOCOJAMS POST
Daps are usually done by males. Read my comment above about how African American women often greet each other and how we often greet African American men.
****
PART IV
GENERAL OVERVIEW OF DAP HANDSHAKES
From http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-dap-greeting.htm
"A dap greeting is a series of arranged gestures exchanged between two individuals. Although a dap greeting can be exchanged upon meeting someone, it can also be used to indicate agreement, celebration or fellowship at any time. A dap greeting can include slapping hands, bumping fists in any direction, snapping, wiggling fingers and other forms of contact, and it can last anywhere from a few seconds to more than a minute. Dap greetings originated in the black community and have since spread to other racial groups, with many subcultures and groups of friends developing their own very specific dap greetings...
Origins
This type of greeting typically is non-verbal, and it is exchanged as a gesture of affection and solidarity. Dap greetings are believed to have originated in Africa, where people from different tribes might exchange such greetings upon meeting each other to indicate peaceful and friendly intentions. Blacks who emigrated to other parts of the world — including those forcefully transported as slaves — developed their own dap greetings...
Meaning of "Dap"
Some people believe that “dap” is an acronym for “dignity and pride,” reflecting the adoption of the dap greeting by the black power movement. Others suggest that “dignity and pride” is merely what is sometimes called a "backronym"— an acronym thought up after a word already existed. "Dap" also might be a shortening of another word or an onomatopoeia — a word that imitates the noise produced by this type of greeting; some dap greetings create a sound much like “dap,” which is produced by pulling the slightly cupped hands of the participants against each other."
**
From http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Shake-That--The-Right-Way/3669693
Shake That! The Right Way By: liss
"[In] Benin [West Africa], young men snap fingers while shaking hands. In Botswana [South Africa], people touch hands with a slight grazing of the palms and fingers. In Singapore [Asia], after you handshake its customary to place the other persons hand over your heart. Among Scandinavian [Europe] teens, exchanging spit by means of a handshake seals a deal...
Jamaicans complain that Americans are distant and Americans complain that Germans are cold and unfriendly. Sure, when you first meet them, Jamaicans dont shake hands with you. But once you get acquainted, they expect a casual lock and fly or a one harmed hug or a shug or a bro grab or a hetero-hug or whatever its known as in your country" ...
**
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dap_greeting:
"Though it can refer to many kinds of greetings involving hand contact, dap is best known as a complicated routine of shakes, slaps, snaps, and other contact that must be known completely by both parties involved. Dap greeting sometimes include a pound hug."
****
DAPS: EXCERPT FROM THE AFRICAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE IN VIETNAM: BROTHERS IN ARMS
*ADDED SECTION [February 25, 2018] : The African American Experience in Vietnam: Brothers in Arms
By James E. Westheider
https://books.google.com/books?id=VHEL34ALzO4C&pg=PA76&lpg=PA76&dq=fist+pounding+heart+handshake&source=bl&ots=McVvUG2DxW&sig=AnQNKfKkpEk2V9WQZ0wUecSa-VA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwin19vV7MHZAhXIUt8KHdCYB9w4ChDoAQgvMAE#v=onepage&q=fist%20pounding%20heart%20handshake&f=false
page 76
..."African Americans who remained in the armed services often reacted to racism by seeking comfort and safety in racial solidarity and by establishing their own sub-culture within the military. They called each other “brother”, “soul brother”, or “bloods”, and they were proud of being black. Two popular methods of greeting fellow black soldiers and demonstrating racial solidarity were the black power salute, a clenched fist in the air, and the “dab”, which developed in Vietnam, probably among inmates of the notorious Long Binh stockade. Dap is a corruption of the word “dep” Vietnamese slang for something beautiful. The dap, also known as “checking in”, was an intricate ritualized handshake, involving numerous gestures and movements. There was no standard dap, but there were many common gestures. There were countless variations of dap, and some of the more common greetings could go on for five or more minutes. Each move had a specific meaning: Pounding on the heart with a clenched fist, for example, symbolized brotherly love and solidarity; clenching fingers together and then touching the backside of the hand meant “My brother, I’m with you”. Most of the gestures signified solidarity, respect, and pride, but a few had darker meanings. A slicing movement across the throat symbolized cutting the throats of white MPs, never a favorite group among black recruits."...
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Video #1: lebrons Pre-game handshakes
Uploaded by nlnodoubt on Dec 20, 2009
lebron james secret handshakes with his Cleveland cavaliers teammates, He is truly an incredible talent.
-snip-
Actually, I don't think these handshakes are secret. "Personalized" is probably a better word to describe them, as Lebron appears to have a different dap handshake for each person.
****
Video #2: Monta Ellis' Amazing Handshake
Uploaded by SciFientology on Jan 14, 2010
-snip-
WARNING! A number of viewers of this video connected the handshake shown in this video with the Gangster Disciple Nation (GDN or GD).
Certain handshakes are associated with specific gangs. Those handshakes absolutely should NOT be done by people who aren’t members of those gangs.
[This prohibition against non-members doing this handshake doesn't apply to the high five that followed it.]
-snip-
In this clip, Monta Ellis said "I told ya I'd warm that thang up." (referring to the basketball shots that he made.]
****
Video #3: Ebony & Ivory Handshake - The Bert Show
Uploaded by q100atlanta on Jun 19, 2011
****
Video #4: Everybody Hates Chris and Albert Hand Shake
Sly Cooper, Aug 3, 2012
from season Season 3 Episode 9 of Everbody Hates Chris
-snip-
From
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everybody_Hates_Chris
"This television show is inspired by the teenage experiences of comedian Chris Rock (who is also the narrator). The show is set from 1982 to 1987; however, Rock himself was a teenager during years 1978-1983."
****
Video #5: Fresh Prince - Will Jazz Handshake Compilation
Jibb's Compilations, Published on May 7, 2014
****
Video #6 Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Carlton playing gangster in Compton.flv
Anmol Warsi, Jan 22, 2011
-snip-
Pancocojams Editor's Note: This television clip from an episode of the early 1990s to mid 1990s American television show, The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air contains several examples of dap handshakes.
1:27-1:28 - an agreement handshake
2:02-2:03 - a departure handshake
2:09 - 2:10 - a handshake as a sign of approval
2:34 - a handshake as a sign of approval
-snip-
This episode also includes an example of the vertical fist bump [1:41-1:42]
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fresh_Prince_of_Bel-Air for information about that television show.
****
Video #7: Dignity and Pride Communicated by a Handshake
Great Big Story, Feb 5, 2018
The dap is more than just a handshake, it’s a symbol of solidarity, one with a long and proud history behind it. The origins of this greeting trace back to young Black American soldiers stationed abroad during the Vietnam War. With racism prevalent in the military and a new Black consciousness emerging during the civil rights movement, the young soldiers developed a physical language as a gesture of unity. Thus was born the dap, an acronym for “Dignity and Pride.” Photographer LaMont Hamilton has been studying the historical impact of the dap in his series “Five on the Black Hand Side,” telling the story of how the handshake came to hold such a profound place in Black culture.
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This is Part IV of a four part pancocojams series on American hand gestures. Part IV of this series focuses on dap (handshakes).
Each of the posts in this series focus on hand gestures that were either created by African Americans or have been most closely associated with African Americans.
For Part I of this series (Five On The Black Hand Side handshakes), click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/five-on-black-hand-side-handshake.html.
For Part II of this series (High Fives),
click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/high-five-handshake-videos.html
For Part III of this series click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/fist-bump-pound-handshakes.html.
The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
The copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those quoted in this post, and to all those who are featured in these videos. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
-snip-
Most of this pancocojams post was originally published in May 2012. http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/05/giving-daps-intricate-handshakes.html.
The 2012 post has a section that isn't included in this post: how many African American women greet other African American women & AA men and the way that African American men often greet African American women. That way of greeting is to lightly hug each other. Sometimes women give air kiss near each of the cheeks of the person being greeted.
This 2020 post features one different video than the 2012 post.
****
PANCOCOJAMS POST
Daps are usually done by males. Read my comment above about how African American women often greet each other and how we often greet African American men.
****
PART IV
GENERAL OVERVIEW OF DAP HANDSHAKES
From http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-dap-greeting.htm
"A dap greeting is a series of arranged gestures exchanged between two individuals. Although a dap greeting can be exchanged upon meeting someone, it can also be used to indicate agreement, celebration or fellowship at any time. A dap greeting can include slapping hands, bumping fists in any direction, snapping, wiggling fingers and other forms of contact, and it can last anywhere from a few seconds to more than a minute. Dap greetings originated in the black community and have since spread to other racial groups, with many subcultures and groups of friends developing their own very specific dap greetings...
Origins
This type of greeting typically is non-verbal, and it is exchanged as a gesture of affection and solidarity. Dap greetings are believed to have originated in Africa, where people from different tribes might exchange such greetings upon meeting each other to indicate peaceful and friendly intentions. Blacks who emigrated to other parts of the world — including those forcefully transported as slaves — developed their own dap greetings...
Meaning of "Dap"
Some people believe that “dap” is an acronym for “dignity and pride,” reflecting the adoption of the dap greeting by the black power movement. Others suggest that “dignity and pride” is merely what is sometimes called a "backronym"— an acronym thought up after a word already existed. "Dap" also might be a shortening of another word or an onomatopoeia — a word that imitates the noise produced by this type of greeting; some dap greetings create a sound much like “dap,” which is produced by pulling the slightly cupped hands of the participants against each other."
**
From http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Shake-That--The-Right-Way/3669693
Shake That! The Right Way By: liss
"[In] Benin [West Africa], young men snap fingers while shaking hands. In Botswana [South Africa], people touch hands with a slight grazing of the palms and fingers. In Singapore [Asia], after you handshake its customary to place the other persons hand over your heart. Among Scandinavian [Europe] teens, exchanging spit by means of a handshake seals a deal...
Jamaicans complain that Americans are distant and Americans complain that Germans are cold and unfriendly. Sure, when you first meet them, Jamaicans dont shake hands with you. But once you get acquainted, they expect a casual lock and fly or a one harmed hug or a shug or a bro grab or a hetero-hug or whatever its known as in your country" ...
**
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dap_greeting:
"Though it can refer to many kinds of greetings involving hand contact, dap is best known as a complicated routine of shakes, slaps, snaps, and other contact that must be known completely by both parties involved. Dap greeting sometimes include a pound hug."
****
DAPS: EXCERPT FROM THE AFRICAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE IN VIETNAM: BROTHERS IN ARMS
*ADDED SECTION [February 25, 2018] : The African American Experience in Vietnam: Brothers in Arms
By James E. Westheider
https://books.google.com/books?id=VHEL34ALzO4C&pg=PA76&lpg=PA76&dq=fist+pounding+heart+handshake&source=bl&ots=McVvUG2DxW&sig=AnQNKfKkpEk2V9WQZ0wUecSa-VA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwin19vV7MHZAhXIUt8KHdCYB9w4ChDoAQgvMAE#v=onepage&q=fist%20pounding%20heart%20handshake&f=false
page 76
..."African Americans who remained in the armed services often reacted to racism by seeking comfort and safety in racial solidarity and by establishing their own sub-culture within the military. They called each other “brother”, “soul brother”, or “bloods”, and they were proud of being black. Two popular methods of greeting fellow black soldiers and demonstrating racial solidarity were the black power salute, a clenched fist in the air, and the “dab”, which developed in Vietnam, probably among inmates of the notorious Long Binh stockade. Dap is a corruption of the word “dep” Vietnamese slang for something beautiful. The dap, also known as “checking in”, was an intricate ritualized handshake, involving numerous gestures and movements. There was no standard dap, but there were many common gestures. There were countless variations of dap, and some of the more common greetings could go on for five or more minutes. Each move had a specific meaning: Pounding on the heart with a clenched fist, for example, symbolized brotherly love and solidarity; clenching fingers together and then touching the backside of the hand meant “My brother, I’m with you”. Most of the gestures signified solidarity, respect, and pride, but a few had darker meanings. A slicing movement across the throat symbolized cutting the throats of white MPs, never a favorite group among black recruits."...
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Video #1: lebrons Pre-game handshakes
Uploaded by nlnodoubt on Dec 20, 2009
lebron james secret handshakes with his Cleveland cavaliers teammates, He is truly an incredible talent.
-snip-
Actually, I don't think these handshakes are secret. "Personalized" is probably a better word to describe them, as Lebron appears to have a different dap handshake for each person.
****
Video #2: Monta Ellis' Amazing Handshake
Uploaded by SciFientology on Jan 14, 2010
-snip-
WARNING! A number of viewers of this video connected the handshake shown in this video with the Gangster Disciple Nation (GDN or GD).
Certain handshakes are associated with specific gangs. Those handshakes absolutely should NOT be done by people who aren’t members of those gangs.
[This prohibition against non-members doing this handshake doesn't apply to the high five that followed it.]
-snip-
In this clip, Monta Ellis said "I told ya I'd warm that thang up." (referring to the basketball shots that he made.]
****
Video #3: Ebony & Ivory Handshake - The Bert Show
Uploaded by q100atlanta on Jun 19, 2011
****
Video #4: Everybody Hates Chris and Albert Hand Shake
Sly Cooper, Aug 3, 2012
from season Season 3 Episode 9 of Everbody Hates Chris
-snip-
From
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everybody_Hates_Chris
"This television show is inspired by the teenage experiences of comedian Chris Rock (who is also the narrator). The show is set from 1982 to 1987; however, Rock himself was a teenager during years 1978-1983."
****
Video #5: Fresh Prince - Will Jazz Handshake Compilation
Jibb's Compilations, Published on May 7, 2014
****
Video #6 Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Carlton playing gangster in Compton.flv
Anmol Warsi, Jan 22, 2011
-snip-
Pancocojams Editor's Note: This television clip from an episode of the early 1990s to mid 1990s American television show, The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air contains several examples of dap handshakes.
1:27-1:28 - an agreement handshake
2:02-2:03 - a departure handshake
2:09 - 2:10 - a handshake as a sign of approval
2:34 - a handshake as a sign of approval
-snip-
This episode also includes an example of the vertical fist bump [1:41-1:42]
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fresh_Prince_of_Bel-Air for information about that television show.
****
Video #7: Dignity and Pride Communicated by a Handshake
Great Big Story, Feb 5, 2018
The dap is more than just a handshake, it’s a symbol of solidarity, one with a long and proud history behind it. The origins of this greeting trace back to young Black American soldiers stationed abroad during the Vietnam War. With racism prevalent in the military and a new Black consciousness emerging during the civil rights movement, the young soldiers developed a physical language as a gesture of unity. Thus was born the dap, an acronym for “Dignity and Pride.” Photographer LaMont Hamilton has been studying the historical impact of the dap in his series “Five on the Black Hand Side,” telling the story of how the handshake came to hold such a profound place in Black culture.
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.