The title is pretty self explanatory. I would like to have your opinions on this issue. What are the factors that divides/unites Africans, Black-Caribbeans and African-Americans?
First off I am a white female from the u.s. and would like to share my thoughts on this subject: One thing that unites the two is the reference to their African heritages but in fact the real African actually has lived the lifestyle of his ancestors when the u.s. blacks use their ancestors as an excuse for poor treatment in the states and like to blame the white man for his lot in life. The African is head and toes above u.s. people of color, the African is respectful of GOD, you are raised with ethics and morals, you have tradition and respect it, you eat natural foods, you respect the smallest of gift or gesture from another and these are just a few of the positive about the African. American people of color generally drop out of school before they graduate, get involved in gangs, get pregnant before graduating, get on welfare and the gov't support them, the black male tends to want a white woman because it is a "status" to be with one, it doesn't matter if she ways 500 lb.s and her hair color comes out of a bottle. The African is kept powerless by those in control more so than the u.s., Nigeria needs to be marketed in a completely different way and there needs to be a new image that is exciting instead of the scammer capital of the world. Truth be told the u.s. is the scammer capital of the world because there is a tremendous amount of white collar crime, crimes by the people and a lot of drugs. The two biggest problems that I see with Nigeria are the roads because they suitable for the farmer to travel his products to the market, and housing. I can build a house in Nigeria for less than $3000.00, yes I know this sounds like a lie but it is true I have the knowledge to provide low housing and I am going to be selling tickets so anyone can win a new home but must supply the property to build it on. No this is not going to be something that can be controlled, the winner will be picked in public by a random chosen person. I am currently working on the project now and hope to kick it off April 1, 2011 notification will be at the church's and businesses. Quite a few of Nigeria's problems can be resolved very easy as I have looked at your countries potential and I am so astounded that so few do see it. One thing that people have to remember is someone has to pay for the advancements such as roads. I would so much enjoy the opportunity to speak to gov't officials and help them help you but I am a foreigner, a woman and I am white and intelligent and all of these things make me to scary for the average man to handle. Men like the woman to follow behind and I will walk next to you but never behind you.
she said caribbeans, african americans and africans. . .not fagg0ts.
@ topic here is an interesting video. there are 7 parts i believe. these two mostly speak on the points of view pertaining to the AAs vs. Caribbeans but i THINK there are references to africa(ns) too.
First off I am a white female from the u.s. and would like to share my thoughts on this subject: One thing that unites the two is the reference to their African heritages but in fact the real African actually has lived the lifestyle of his ancestors when the u.s. blacks use their ancestors as an excuse for poor treatment in the states and like to blame the white man for his lot in life. The African is head and toes above u.s. people of color, the African is respectful of GOD, you are raised with ethics and morals, you have tradition and respect it, you eat natural foods, you respect the smallest of gift or gesture from another and these are just a few of the positive about the African. American people of color generally drop out of school before they graduate, get involved in gangs, get pregnant before graduating, get on welfare and the gov't support them, the black male tends to want a white woman because it is a "status" to be with one, it doesn't matter if she ways 500 lb.s and her hair color comes out of a bottle. The African is kept powerless by those in control more so than the u.s., Nigeria needs to be marketed in a completely different way and there needs to be a new image that is exciting instead of the scammer capital of the world. Truth be told the u.s. is the scammer capital of the world because there is a tremendous amount of white collar crime, crimes by the people and a lot of drugs. The two biggest problems that I see with Nigeria are the roads because they suitable for the farmer to travel his products to the market, and housing. I can build a house in Nigeria for less than $3000.00, yes I know this sounds like a lie but it is true I have the knowledge to provide low housing and I am going to be selling tickets so anyone can win a new home but must supply the property to build it on. No this is not going to be something that can be controlled, the winner will be picked in public by a random chosen person. I am currently working on the project now and hope to kick it off April 1, 2011 notification will be at the church's and businesses. Quite a few of Nigeria's problems can be resolved very easy as I have looked at your countries potential and I am so astounded that so few do see it. One thing that people have to remember is someone has to pay for the advancements such as roads. I would so much enjoy the opportunity to speak to gov't officials and help them help you but I am a foreigner, a woman and I am white and intelligent and all of these things make me to scary for the average man to handle. Men like the woman to follow behind and I will walk next to you but never behind you.
thanks for your opinion. Though I do not agree with alot of the points you made, I understand that they're your opinion, and that you're entitled, and appreciate that you shared them. I think that Africans and Black Americans are different in alot of ways. Most, if not all of these reasons stems from slavery. Matter of fact, the fact that they are so different should be a vivid evidence that slavery did not just end when it was abolished. Its effects are seen in us, even today. The reason why Black Africans are "generally drop out of school before they graduate, get involved in gangs, get pregnant before graduating, get on welfare and the gov't support them " is because they have not been able to overcome slavery's effects. Yes, it is taking them a very long time. I totally agree with that. BUT that is not due to lack of strength or trying. You cannot possibly expect a bird to fly, when its wings have been clipped. You would have to first, reconstruct those wings, would you not? If not, how is it suppose to ever fly?
Another important fact to note is that slavery may have ended a long time ago, but segregation and discrimination still abounds till today, and these are things that can impede people's advancements.
I hate to tell you, but it isnt only Black Americans who date White people for status. Africans, Asians, and others do. People from oppressed groups do that, because they believe that White people are better than them, and to them, White people signify higher status and class. If anything, I'd say that Africans do this more than any other group. However, my view may be skewed because I know more Africans than I do people of other cultures, so,
An interesting thing to note however, is that I have met alot of White women who date Black men, not because they're particularly their types, but for the mere fact that they're black. I find this disturbing, because they get involved with the race, and not the actual person. These are thesame women who also tend to gravitate towards me, just because am black, even when we dont have anything in common. Its a shame, really, but in their cases, it is because the media has managed to convince them that Black people are "cool" (yes, I know this sounds MEGA silly, but this is the absolute truth), and so, these people strive to gain my friendship, in order to gain some status. Silly? I agree. Disgusting? You betcha!
I can only hope that you have been successful in your plan. It sounds to me like a great one. Good luck, and please, do let me know how it is going.
TESTIFY!!!!!! the guy in the yellow shirt!!! oooweeeee! big ups!!!!!
whoooooooooooooooooooey! Homegurl was pissed! I dont blame her though. When the dude in yellow spoke and he got applauded, I thought to myself "hmm, I wonder if he would've been applauded if he had a higher number of Black Americans in the audience" and then next thing I knew, Ms Lady in red spoke up. Mr. Yellow sounded good, and I do understand what he was trying to say, but he could have said it in a better way. I too, felt that he was putting Black Africans down, to be honest. Nevertheless, everytime i see clips like these, I wish I lived in the States, because we dont really have congregations like those here where I live (or maybe am just unaware of them).
I also wish that they had more Africans there speaking up. Its interesting to know that Black Caribbeans are also marginalized too. I didnt think that they were. Here in Ontario, they really arent, because we dont have as high number of Black Canadians (in Ontario) as they do Black Americans in the States.
Again, thanks for sharing.
BTW, I just went through your blog. You're taking a break eh? I sure do hope you post again soon.
our skin color is what unites us. but culturally we are different. A lot of people talk about Jamaicans not wanting to be called African or African American but it's just the over all mentality of diaspora blacks to want to have an identity of their own to claim.
For example Let's look at trinis:
Trinbagonian versus African Descent Published on July 19, 2011 in Africa, General T&T, Race and Identity and Racism Watch. 20 Comments Tags: africa, african, emancipation, kwame nantambu.
Emancipation Day Special: Part 1
By Dr. Kwame Nantambu July 19, 2011
As T&T celebrates the United Nations-sponsored “International Year for People of African Descent,” it is a sine qua non to analyze/investigate the crucial reality of being Trinbagonian versus, albeit compared to, being of African descent in this Euro-centric environment.
The stark reality is that the ordinary Trinbagonian of African descent does not regard himself or herself as African. He/she is Trinbagonian, period.
Moreover, he/she would prefer to be called “Afro” or even “Negro”— call them everything else but African.
This unconscionable historical dislocation of Trinbagonians of African descent is shamefully reflected/propagated in headline articles in a local newspaper dated 17 July, 2011, titled “Afro Trinis earning more” and “Caribbean Americans and Afro-Americans”.
The stark reality is that the label “Afro” has been expunged from the societal jargon/lexicon of the United States since 1988; ergo, now is the time for Trinbagonians of all descents “to get with the program.”
The fact of the matter is that Barack Obama is America’s first African-American/ Black President. He is not America’s first Afro-American President. And it would be a total insult and the zenith of disrespect to refer to him as such.
In addition, Mrs. Beatrice Welters is the African-American Ambassador to T&T. She is not the Afro-American Ambassador to T&T. And it would also be a total insult and the zenith of diplomatic disrespect to refer to her as such.
Indeed, there exists an overt, tragic dichotomy between being a Trinbagonian versus being an African. The truism is that 99.9 percent of Trinbagonians of African descent consider T&T as their Home as in Mother Country; they do not consider themselves as belonging to Mother Africa.
The fact of the matter is that this historical-ancestral umbilical cord was severed centuries ago and it has not yet been re-constructed as of this writing.
It must be clearly understood that being an African is an inside job wherein one internalizes one’s Africanness. Celebrating one’s African heritage does not an African make. Dressing in very expensive African outfits does not an African make. Adopting an African name and being fluent/knowledgeable about African history does not an African make. In fact, the reverse may be true and that’s the real situation in T&T today.
The reality is that the vast majority of Trinbagonians of African descent are simply outward and/or “one-ah-Day” Africans— annually on 1st August: so-called Emancipation Day.
To this vast majority, being African is a feeling-good exercise on that day; it is certainly not a liberating, consciousness-elevating exercise.
Inwardly, this vast majority is “Trini to D Bone”, 24-7-365. Ergo, their celebration of “People of African Descent” is being celebrated as Trinbagonians, not as Africans.
As such, this celebration only tantamounts to nothing more than one more full year of carnival mentality.
This Euro-centric feeling-good mindset speaks volumes as to the mental slavery that now afflicts and affects this vast majority of Trinbagonians of African descent.
As deceased founder of the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) during the Apartheid era in South Africa, Steve Biko once remarked: “The most potent weapon of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.”
Put another way, Emancipation Day celebration in T&T only serves to physically free Trinbagonians of African descent; however, in this celebrative year, these Trinbagonians have not yet emancipated themselves from mental/psychical slavery. This is real.
Maybe, Trinbagonians of African descent have not yet read nor internalize Bob Marley’s memo titled:
“Emancipate yourself from mental slavery None but ourselves can free our minds”.
Indeed, this year-long celebration will do absolutely nothing whatsoever to transform the ordinary Trinbagonian of African descent into a true internalized African. He/she will still be permanently cemented in his/her Euro-centric Trinbagonian mind-set as at 31 December, 2011.
And this is the endemic problem with the approach to African history in T&T— it is from a Euro-centric, feeling-good perspective rather than an Afri-centric perspective. The Afri-centric perspective utilizes African history as a potent, effective change agent.
From the Afri-centric perspective, T&T represents the Destination of Trinbagonians of African descent while Africa represents their Home as in Mother Land. Africans came from Africa to T&T and not the other way around—- that approach is totally ahistorical and Euro-centric, period. We were all Africans first and then we all became Trinbagonians, Brazilians, Cubans, Jamaicans, etc.
Indeed, it is totally insane, ridiculous and also laughable for any one to be ‘African’ only on 1st August but a Trinbagonian from 2nd August to 31st July annually. Nevertheless, that’s the current and recurrent dysfunctional Euro-centric mind-set among Trinbagonians of African descent.
And the powers-that-be in the Emancipation Support Committee (ESC) have done absolutely nothing nor will the celebration of the ” International Year for People of African Descent” also do anything whatsoever to change this Euro-centric mind-set among Trinbagonians of African descent.
Indeed, it is important for Trinbagonians of African descent to be cognizant of the adage: “Knowledge is power. Information is valuable. A people who are ignorant of their past will defile the present and destroy the future.”
And as the erudite , Afri-centric, African-American scholar Dr. Marimba Ani admonishes:
“You’re not an African because you’re born in Africa. You’re an African because Africa is born in you. It’s in your genes… your DNA… your entire biological make-up. Whether you like it or not, that’s the way it is. However, if you were to embrace this truth with open arms … my, my, my…what a wonderful thing.”
Translation—Mother Africa is born in us; it’s in our genes, our DNA. T&T is just an accident of birth, albeit an indictment /imposition, from Father Europe per colonialism and slavery.
Or as Dr. Hollis “Chalkdust” Liverpool opines in song in relation to the liberation consciousness of Trinbagonians of African descent :”Dey aint see Africa yet, ah lie?”
In the final analysis, the fundamental question/outcome is that as at 31 December, 2011, would Trinbagonians who attended the year-long celebration activities consider and/or refer to themselves as Africans “To D Bone” or would they continue “to run from their race?”
We keep mixing up nationality and race/ethnicity. The South Africans are Africans (of European descent). Obama is American of African and Irish descent. Tiger Woods – American of African, N.Amican and Thai descent. I am American of Trinidadian & Tobagonian, West Indian, and East Indian descent. Should I ditch the “Mother Trinidad” then? Should I abhor all things Trinidadian and embrace America fully? Yeah, give up cricket & soccer for baseball and football? Acording to your logic – yes! Then I won’t be going to Caribana in Toronto and Labor Day in Brooklyn. All those carnivals in Canada, US and UK should be banned as Caribbean immigrants should cut ties to Mother Trinidad” and other Mother Caribbean countries. I should not be reading the Trinidad Express & Guardian. Forget the Soca & Chutney, pelau, roti, callalloo etc etc.
mamoo July 19, 2011 at 3:30 pm And as the erudite , Afri-centric, African-American scholar Dr. Marimba Ani admonishes:
“You’re not an African because you’re born in Africa. You’re an African because Africa is born in you. It’s in your genes… your DNA… your entire biological make-up. Whether you like it or not, that’s the way it is. However, if you were to embrace this truth with open arms … my, my, my…what a wonderful thing.”
I have met Africans from Africa and Africans from the Caribbean. They are two different type of set of people. No different than Indians from the Caribbean and Indians from India. Why? Because the African experience in the Caribbean and North America is different from the African experience in Africa. The Africans I have met from Africa are more refined and more family oriented. They tend to be married and enjoy living a life like any other proud cultures of the world. The African from the Caribbean is unfortunately psychologically damaged. He does not stay with his woman and I have seen too many single parenting models for my liking. Africans from Africa care about their image and are more likely to disassociate from the Africans from the Caribbean.
Now I have come to this conclusion experientially, if you read the media messages or visit Africa it may be diffrent. I dont know.
Al July 20, 2011 at 10:27 am Wait, wait, wait, having lived in many different countries in Africa and to the ordinary African I was never an African. I was a West Indian and a Trinidadian but not an African. As a matter of fact they don’t consider themselves as African, they are Nigerian and then only secondly. Primarily a Yuroba man/woman or a Ebo man/woman. The higher up the hierachy one starts to hear muffed tones of diaspora but only as so far as how the interconnectivity would be broached. The diaspora would be better able to interlink with the external forces to facilitate the internal politik. Once, in Senegal, someone selling the slave trade in tourism tried to explain to me how the captured were held and sold to the European traders. When I questioned him further on the capturing he referred me to the status of king and princes deciding who was to be captured and which level of society was disposable and for sale. So we can celebrate the year but we should not lose track and aspire to something that we would never be allowed to be. There are people of the African diaspora in Africa fighting to remain there and be part of the great Mother African and their greatest hinderance is presented by Africans who see them as interlopers and johnny come latelys. Lets celebrate and learn, but keep our feet on the ground.
its interesting. there are also comments defending the idea that we should all view ourselves as one. you can read more here:
personally I used to push that line but now I feel our similarity is mostly in our skin tones. some African customs such as love for family, music, rhythm and recitation of proverbs for everything lol can be found where there are black people but I think it's safe to say we are still different.
whoooooooooooooooooooey!