A lot of what we think of as “soul food” has very clear African origins. Stewed greens are a staple in the parts of West Africa where most slaves came from. Black eyed peas are also a big part of the diet. Where I lived they were added to greens or pounded into a steamed cake. Okra is important (and it’s outright called “gumbo”), as is fried chicken and fish. Even heavily sweetened tea is common. Although there are a lot of influences in soul food, I think you’d be surprised at how much of African-American culture you see in Africa.
Constant low-level exposure to malaria will provide a very limited immunity to local strains. In sub-Saharan Africa, basically everyone has one life-threatening crisis with malaria as a baby or a toddler. If you survive that, you will probably be able to handle subsequent infections relatively well. In Cameroon “I’ve got malaria” was pretty much the same as “I’ve got the flu.” It rarely presented a serious risk to healthy adults (though it kills children, the elderly, and HIV positive people in droves.)
But that same strain of malaria can easily be fatal to a foreigner. I know of many, many, many foreigners who died or ended up seriously ill for the same malaria that barely affects their neighbors. We had the immune systems of small children and so our first bout with malaria is going to be that “this could kill you” one.
There is some speculation that increased mobility and access to medicine has been a part of the increase of malaria infection (along with developing previously undeveloped areas.) Basically some people are missing out on that first childhood bout and the limited immunity it provides, or they are losing their limited immunity by moving to areas with different strains.