Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Black or African-American
I am just going to jump into this since I have been gone for so long. Barack Obama is now the Democratic nominee. This fits loosely into a conversation that I was having about a month or so ago. I was at a meeting for MSO(Minority Student Organization) and a question came about first it was about should the black community in America help out Africa more. I said that before we help Africa we need to help ourselves here in our own Black community. The Black community in America is in Chaos. Death tolls in some places are as high as war zones. EVERYONE WAS AGAINST ME. That was a short discussion it quickly changed to do you prefer to be called Black or African American. I said that I rather be called Black, seeing that I am not African, I have no close relatives in Africa nor do we share the same culture. This is what made them explode. I was quickly vilified for my beliefs. We went back and forth. I tried to explain that I have so much more in common with black people here in America than I will ever have with Africans. I was continually attacked no one came to my aid. Some people too this WAY TOO persona. I was asked why I joined United African American Men,and why I joined my fraternity.I was offended, but I didn't get too upset. I tried to explain to them that I joined because of what they stand for, and my respect for my heritage. Then I was attacked with "that is the same thing" I then tried to explain to them that it is not the same thing. Heritage is where you come from and culture is the customs and traditions of the society that you live in. We argued for a good five minutes while someone looked up the definition and I was proven correct. I later told one of my closest friends about the situation and he agreed. He also gave me a new insight. These people are SO Pro Black that they are blinding themselves can't see the forest for the trees. You have to take care of home first. If you child is starving and so is the little boy down the street, you only have money to feed one who are you going to choose? So I ask you African-American/Black people what do you prefer to be called. Non-African-American People what do you prefer to call people of that Persuasion?
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12 comments:
I thought of Tupac's song Ghetto Gospel or even Kanye West's Jesus Walks-
Tupac: "before we find world peace, we gotta find peace in the war in the streets"
Kanye: "Most of all, we're at war with ourselves."
I actually have a lot to say, but it will not come out right. Let's just say I totally see your point. I guess I've just seen too much violence here in our cities; I just don't like how we can go over to other countries to "save" them, when we won't do it here.But in truth, we don't do much for Africa either. Think of the AIDS epidemic and the slow pace of sending doctors and medicine and other aid. It became clear to me a long time ago who mattered and who didn't in terms of America; this is where community based work is needed; we have to serve each other, because we just can't wait for the government or some benevolent billionare.
Good to see you.
To your first point, I would suggest that Angela Davis' perspective of the international African diaspora is appropriate. A lot of African Americans fail to realize that a lot of the strides they made during the 1960s came about because of international pressure. While we have to be concerned about "war on the streets," we really need to pay attention and give voice to the struggles of black people internationally--whether they accept us as brothers or not (some actually don't). I don't see these two things (the domestic struggle and the international one) as mutually exclusive, but rather two vital sides of the same coin.
That your colleagues decided to attack you was a bad move on their part. To try to get you into "the party line," without reason is short-sighted, counter-productive, and perhaps a bit self-righteous. After all, the war in the streets is a critical issue, which if resolved would make US black international initiatives that more powerful. So, if you wanted to concentrate on that, there's room for it. At the same time, I would never say that we take care of us first and them second, because, in a real way, them is us. In other words, the problem is larger than simply fighting over a little piece of street.
As to your seond point, it would seem that both your colleagues and you don't yet know much about Afican American acculturation in the New World. Whereas in such places as Cuba or Brazil the retentions of African culture are far more pronounced, in the US they're far more subtle. Part of this stems from the difference between Spanish/Portuguese colonization of the New World and British colonization. Because of the Puritanical bent in US history, there was less tolerance for customs and practices that weren't really subversive or anti-Christian, but rather seemed so (with some exceptions, mostly in your neck of the woods, incidentally--Louisiana was more tolerant than other US states). Thus, US blacks began to adapt African practices, principals and mores in a way that flew under the radar of the dominant white culture. The technical term for this is 'syncreation.'
Your colleagues apparently didn't know enough to tell you that the African retentions in the US were highly mutated, but nevertheless quite present. Thus, it's hard to see the relationship between here, and what's going on in Western Africa (it's just as hard, sometimes, for Africans to identify US blacks as part of the diaspora). But if you know what you're looking at, this becomes clearer.
If you want an introduction to this topic, I would suggest Mellville Herskovits' The Myth of the Negro Past.
This was a very intriguing post.
In my opinion, blacks that are in the United States because of slavery should refer to themselves as black. Yes, our ancestry does lie in Africa but look at it this way:
A German immigrant today comes over with his German customs and to some degree, begins to assimilate into American culture, still naturally holding on to much of his German customs. As does an Indian immigrant and a Chinese immigrant, so on and so forth. "Black" people have none of this. What little knowledge we did have of our past customs has long been destroyed, causing a new 'culture' to develop, which is why I seperate "blacks" from "African-Americans". I don't know if I'm making any sense, lol. . .
But yeah. . .I think it's unfortunate that you were attacked. Calling ourselves "black" doesn't removes us from our past. . . I guess that's a hard concept for some. . . but I'm rambling. . .lol
I'll keep it short in saying that I like the debate you mentioned between being called black and African American. Very enlightening to know a person's preference on what so many consider to be such a racially sensitive subject.
( I cam back and took my comment down- I don't want to interrupt a good discussion here...)
Funny I should read your post.
I just came back from my vacation in Indonesia... and it clicked.
There, we have the Malay race too like me and the rest in my country Singapore. The cultures are vastly different though the religion is the same.
I am supporting you not because you are my friend, but your argument and stand are the same as mine.
We support and help the unfortunate people around your first. Starting with ourselves, our families, our neighbors, our countrymen, then the rest.
Black is not derogatory, nor is African-American pretentious. It is distinctive when you want to make it to be.
As long as you are proud of your heritage, you will help the people around you and then extend your generous hands to the rest... at the core of it all, doing it for the right reasons is ultimate.
Well done, my friend. You are a young inspiration to many old school.
Very interesting post it all about thinking and embracing the world and one race the human race but your view is a great one. love you keep writing I'm sure someone will write a book soon or later.
318-613-0786
Dude, Black Americans haven't been Africans for over 200 years. The muslim community in America should be having this discussion more than the Black Americans should because a lot of North Africa is Islamic Extremists, Taliban gets fighters there. That place is a forest fire and my advice is to stay the heck out of there and let it burn itself out, it seems to react very sensitively to foreign intervention. Let the waters still because a Democratic Africa is causing mass death and ancestral bloodshed.
If you are living in the United States, and you are a citizen, you are an American!! No more, and no less than any other person with heritage from other countries, but while here, you are an American. There is plenty of room for discussion of your (possibly) African roots, just as there is Italians, Germans, Poles, etc. But they all became Americans, and so did you, if born here or you passed a citizenship test.
The idiocy you encountered in your group was Political Correctness, and it is more hideous and destructive than AIDS!
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http://afropunk.ning.com/forum/topics/why-are-we-called-african?commentId=2059274:Comment:322672
http://afropunk.ning.com/forum/topics/why-are-we-called-african?commentId=2059274:Comment:322890
THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN (AA) ETHNIC GROUP
http://afropunk.ning.com/forum/topics/why-are-we-called-african?commentId=2059274:Comment:322890
http://community.afropunk.com/forum/topics/why-are-we-called-african?commentId=2059274:Comment:334007
http://www.afropunk.com/forum/topics/why-are-we-called-african?commentId=2059274:Comment:322225
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Al5eeK2CFwcv4rD5U5qzvEfty6IX?qid=20070527201834AAIhzhM&show=7#profile-info-CiC2JY9Maa
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AiebDu.tSshJzQ0wS5fMp7jty6IX?qid=20070623205206AANUzPN&show=7#profile-info-q1hdwifgaa
http://afropunk.ning.com/forum/topics/why-are-we-called-african?commentId=2059274:Comment:322672
THE MIXED-RACE LINEAGE OF ‘MANY’OF
THE PEOPLE OF THE AA ETHNIC GROUP
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1034
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/3331
http://www.jstor.org/pss/1290008?cookieSet=1
THE HISTORY OF THE VERY RACIST /
PRO-EUGENICIST ‘ONE-DROP RULE’
http://boards.mulatto.org/post/show_single_post?pid=35284580&postcount=4
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1399
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AjwuxYj8agKY7yGgqaJ7i.Xty6IX?qid=20070704121228AA7ZMsA&show=7#profile-info-ezQwEaJLaa
RELATED LINKS ON THE TOPICS NOTED ABOVE:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Generation-Mixed/message/1400
http://www.mgmix.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=410:why-do-blacks-want-dominicans-and-puerto-ricans-to-be-black-&catid=66:commentary#comment-1282
http://www.ourfilmspace.com/forum/topics/2045657:Topic:42413?commentId=2045657:Comment:246405
http://diverseeducation.com/article/7469/1.php
http://mgmix.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=561:why-do-biracials-and-blacks-look-similar-&catid=45:commentary-essays-articles-writings#comment-1479
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