Towards An International Black Identity
Diaspora: “The movement, migration, or scattering of a people away from an established or ancestral homeland; the place where these people live.” – Merriam-Webster.com
When the first Africans migrated from the mother continent against their wills through slavery, this event was similar to the action of a star that goes supernova. When a star explodes, the riches that have been created through intense reactions within its core over billions of years are ejected through the darkness of space in a rich dust. This dust is the source of most minerals in the universe, including silver and gold. The abduction of millions of Africans from their communities was a similar act of violence on an analogous cosmic scale. And just as an erupting star sends the building blocks of new solar systems into circulation, so did this dispersal of Africans into new parts of the world seed the human race for even better and more amazing developments.
The silver and gold of African peoples fertilized cultural and capitalistic enterprises from the very first infusions of our ancestors on new shores. The innovations that occurred due to this African inoculation cannot be documented here in depth. The contributions are too numerous. Just as numerous have been our trials in the nations that became our homes. But at this time in history, as our contributions are beginning to get recognized and more blacks achieve meaningful power, a deeper issue grows more prominent — the need for African peoples across the globe to come together again as one.
As a black American, I am used to thinking of my experience as the one that defines blackness everywhere, but that is not the case. When the supernova of slavery tore us apart, Africans were sent in larger numbers to South America. Africans also survived then thrived in the Caribbean. Colonialism in Africa created ties that widened our Diaspora to include members in France, Italy and more. Recent trade has even brought us to China. Africans there have mixed with natives to create a bold new group. While active in their society, they are often ostracized for not being fully Chinese — but they will always be fully welcomed into Mother Africa’s loving arms.
No matter where we go, the children of Africa blend with societies that are fertilized by our riches, yet we are kept apart. We understand the churning caused by migration leading to new genetic and cultural permutations. Our rhythms, flavors and mannerisms add that something special to everything we produce in the lands we adopt. So even though our cultural variations are multifarious, at the core our international history is almost identical.
These experiences of transplantation, adaptation, expression and rejection by the mainstream are followed by fighting for our rights and healing from our wounds to become something revolutionary – the liberated group, the ground-breaking artist, the venerated leader. These experiences are even shared by native Africans who never left through colonialism.
Transplantation, assimilation, expression, rejection and redemption. This has been our history.
Unity is our future.
American blacks, blacks from Africa, blacks within Africa, Caribbean blacks, French blacks and more: We have thought of ourselves as separate for too long. This thinking has brought war at its worst and a waste of our richness as a group on an ongoing basis. As children of Africa we cannot remain divided, preventing cultural gold and intellectual silver that could be circulated for powerful growth from flowing because of the misconception that we are different. We must redeem our sense of unity to move ahead, because no one is going to help us, but us.
We are used to fighting to achieve our goals. But our final battle for oneness will be ironically be won only through the power of love. This story can help us make the much-needed switch in approach.
The first female president of an African nation, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, was elected president of Liberia in 2005. At the time of her election, Sirleaf was a seasoned politician, but it was not her track record that got her elected. Sirleaf’s rise was fueled by the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace, which unified a country that had been divided by civil war for 14 years. This small group of women sat in the middle of a war zone and refused to move until the warring sides put down their guns. Simple and successful, their movement put a woman in their nation’s top spot without throwing a grenade. President Sirleaf has used this power to rebuild her homeland based on the principles of truth and humanity. This amazing feat shows the power of the black woman’s spirit to heal and unite. The power of love to redeem old wounds and create oneness.
Self-value in our oneness as a people will help us recognize and purposefully utilize the African riches that have built up other countries for ourselves. No matter where we are on the globe, we are called by that familiar “Afro-“ or “African” preceding the nation where our ancestors landed — an eternal umbilical cord connecting us all to an immortal mother. No mother likes to see her children fight. Mother Africa wants to see us united and strong. We must see that no group of blacks is better than, less than, or immune to each others’ problems. We are seen as one, and we can achieve as one. We are one and we must unite.
The tools used by Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace are used by black women and men everywhere within their nations to create peace: love, steady action and healthy sacrifice. Now is the time for the black women of the world, and the men brave enough to engage their female energies, to use these means to join us all across nations. When this unification occurs, we will be able to use our massive assets to permanently solve our problems as we celebrate a new international black identity.
Do we have the courage to fully unite now through love?
55 Comments – Add Yours
Latest Articles
Most Popular This Week
Recent Comments
-
grateful on
Meagan Good Tells Life & Style She & Her Fiancée Are Waiting For Their Wedding Night
this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-
grateful on
Pregnancy Weight Loss and the Public’s Betrayal
you're making a whole lotta sense...
-
H on
Bravo! 3 African-Americans Earn Doctorates In Chemistry, Set Univ. of Mississippi Record
This is very good news .....and sad. I hope we can get to the point one day where we don't have to celebrate things like this. It will just...
-
ruggie on
Honor Student Suing NYPD for Racial Profiling, False Arrest
When I worked in a clothing store years ago, every time a shoplifter was caught, the store would take an instant photo of the shoplifter...
Excellent post!!!!!
Until Black people worldwide understand that Blacks from other countries are the same as themselves, unification cannot be achieved. You have so many Black Americans who believe the term “Black” only refers to Black people in America excluding all other Blacks from around the world. Absurd!
The questions now is …HOW?!
This is a great post, thank you for writing it!
I’ve always wondered this, as a first generation African American. I grew up being teased as being a “different” black. Yet, other races don’t view me as such…growing up in the South, I still experienced many instances of racism like my peers.
I think it begins with conversations among all black communities to find and strengthen unifying themes, struggles and triumphs.
Unfortunately, this will be hard, given that we as a people are even divided right down to our skin tone. :-/
@ Whit
Yes how ?!
Interesting.
i dont think i fully understand my feelings towards this article yet, but i am a bit perplexed when ( and correct me if im wrong) you speak of creating a new black identity, is it not then treating black people of various backgrounds as a monolithic group? whilst i appreciate the fact that the author wants to explore racial identity outside of her country and promote greater understanding between cultures,the reality is that all black peole are not the same and we do not all have the same experiences. personally i think if you want to solve the problems of the black community in america, it has to be incremental and start at grassroots level. that starts with education.
agreed.
this article is lacking fundamental consideration of ethnic variances amongst people of color. the author also seems to be suggesting that the color of one’s skin should be the primary defining characteristic of one’s cultural identity, which simply isnt true.
come to think of it, this article reminds me of close-minded white folks who like to stereotype and group all black people together as being all the same simply by virtue of being brown in skin tone. no, all black people not all the same.
Chiffon–you hit the nail on the head. I agree, this article does suggest that just because we are black we are all the same. This is one of my biggest issues with most people…they refuse to see us (Blacks) as individuals and then sterotype us all as being one way, or acting one way, or thinking one way. Amazingly we do this to ourselves too.
Also, I kinda disagree with this article. It seems to only want to promote solidairty amongst only blacks around the world and no other race. If Mother Africa is our defining connection, then wouldn’t that include all people. The oldest humanoid remains have all been found in Africa, suggesting that we all (all races) stem from this continent. Instead of only focusing on unitying only blacks, should we try to unite all people?
Let me say this, I am in China right now and I am African American. I have been here for three months and before that I was in France for months and I visited Spain and Italy as well. We as people of African decent are doing ourselves a great disservice if we do not recognize each other. It may come as a cliche, but from someone else looking in, we all look the same so why not stand united against all of the nonsense that comes with being of African decent, and revel in all of the goodness as well. I think it will help African Americans particularly if we start seeing ourselves as part of a bigger picture instead of getting caught up in our history in the USA. I am not saying, we should get it, we should use it to launch ourselves into becoming global citizens.
as someone who is a british born second generation ghanain, it appears to me that you are assuming that just because you face racial discrimination in america that this is how the global community sees the entirety of black people. i am not refuting that racism exists as i have also been a victim of it. but i do not subscribe to unifying with my race simply on the basis of colour, its reinforcing the stereotype of being a monolithic group. also does the global black community have a say in this. im all for cultural exchange, but instead of a global exchange based on race how about one based on an appreciation of all aspects of humanity not just black people. i would also like to note that though the majority are black, there are non-blacks who inhabit africa i.e algeria
Wow. This really hurts. I am in no way trying to say that all black people are the same. I am talking about taking pride in our blackness and developing a sense of unity. I see this in other groups of people, and they don’t see it as far as I know as a way of erasing individual identity, or differences in culture.
I personally think it’s strange that a black person in America and a black person from Africa, from my observations, tend to react to each other as though we have nothing in common, when we have a lot in common and a lot to share. In addition, race and nationality are social constructs that have an impact on us as a group in similar ways because of what we look like and the types of resources our histories tend to give us access to at this time. Because of this, internationally we would do better working together in ways that are mutually beneficial. You see Koreans, Arabs, Jewish people, and many other groups do this world-wide with great benefit for their groups, while of course they have internal differences and problems.
I am alarmed at the complete lack of unity of black people around the world, when I believe there are many spaces of common ground for us to work together. Plus, the discrimination that we face in various ways around the world is motivated by race, and I am hoping that by working together internationally we can reduce the effects of racism through mutual beneficial support.
This has very little to do with some of the accusations here. This in no way requires being seen as monolithic or denying cultural differences. Love requires uniting while acknowledging all our differences. That is part of the potential richness of international sharing. I think it’s quite beautiful.
maybe its because i have a different perspectiveing but i see nothing of this lack of unity amongst black people globally that you speak of. i am not an african american so i can’t speak from the black american persepctive but as a second generation generation ghanaian when i go back i am treated differently but this does not translate to lack of unity, but a difference i culture and upbringing. i doubt that someone who is a second generation, korean, chinese or polish would have a disimilar experince to me. they are no more unified than any other ethnic group from my vantage point.
you also stated that you found it funny when a black person from america and a black person from africa react to each other like they have nothing in common. why would they have something in common? i am not saying that they do not but why would you assume that they do simply based on race. my point is i think all people of all races can have things in common. i mean a poor polish women from an isolated village may have more in common with a black women in a remote village in uganda, than an african american from wherever. i hope you are not offended but this article just seems as though its written for african americans to reclaim their past, which is not a bad thing but you shouldnt be surprised if you dont get the reaction you want from the black global community.
This is an interesting perspective. It’s hard to explain the unity that I see is there, without explaining how this does not mean that I believe people are the same somehow because they are black. I more than anyone I know have a feeling of distinctness from my own black community in America for different reasons, yet at the same time there is a visceral tie to the black community here that I can’t deny. More than anything, I am treated by my society in such a way that working together positively with other black people is actually essential for me to get ahead on a practical level.
For that reason alone, black people world wide and countries with large black populations have a lot to gain from working together, because regardless of how we feel, we are treated in similar ways because we are black wherever we go. In a way, it is an opportunity to act “as if” race were not a factor in our lives, ironically, because by interacting at a deeper level with each other, race would actually be taken out of the equation on basic levels. At least that has been my experience in America. With other blacks, you can “be yourself,” but in other communities your race makes you stick out and defines you more. Being with black people can give you the mental feeling of being “race free” which is liberating. I have to think that would have benefits to black people in different nations who by coming together can overcome the stigma attached to blackness in many quarters while within our unified group.
Speaking of stigmas, I know for instance that in many African countries, there can be a veneration of the culture of the former colonizer over your own culture for various reasons. This is something that black people experience in America, as well, where there is a subconscious feeling of being inferior to other races created by racism that I think persists. Things like this are emotionally analogous. I think that the African in Africa who throws off the colonized mind, and the black person in America who overcomes a sense of being inferior, is engaging in the same act with the same emotional underpinnings. I think that recognizing this similarity can help people of both groups achieve the goal of overcoming the veneration of the oppressors’ world view that the oppression created, because we can support each other in this.
Sure, both black groups could do so alone in their own countries and communities. I just think that having friends tell you that you are great, beautiful etc., friends who understand what you have gone through, helps one to overcome negativity more than just going it alone. This is the type of help that I think blacks the world over can give, because of these types of similar experiences.
you would not be wrong to state in some cases that there is a veneration of the former colonizer over their own cultures as i myself have experienced this, as earnest as your intentions maybe i do not think this problem will specifically be helped through closer ties with the international black community. sure and african and an african american share a race, and the race boundary may be broken there, but then the socio-economic boundary will still be there, the language barrier will still be there and also the cultural barrier. personally i think ones appreciation for their culture has to start within their own community and then perhaps it can spread. the seed has to be planted from someone in that specific community. it has to be grassroots to take effect.
i agree wholeheartedly with michelle’s comments. spot on.
I particularly like the following statement: “sure and african and an african american share a race, and the race boundary may be broken there, but then the socio-economic boundary will still be there, the language barrier will still be there and also the cultural barrier. personally i think ones appreciation for their culture has to start within their own community and then perhaps it can spread. the seed has to be planted from someone in that specific community. it has to be grassroots to take effect.”
quite frankly the notion of an international black community is both impractical and beyond romanticized. as an african american that has lived abroad, has a british-jamaican best friend and an nigerian ex-fiancee, I cant tell you how much it irks me when people underestimate the value of nationality and socioeconomic status when evaluating racial interactions– specifically as related to various social issues related to AAs. Just like other ethnicities (nigerians, ghanians, haitians, brazilians, etc) we have an individual culture that is distinct to us.
To be honest, the only time I have been anywhere close to experiencing mutual understanding of the struggle in regards to blackness in both physical interaction and verbal dialogue amongst non-american blacks has been on american soil when a racially-motivated experience happens to them and they experience firsthand a slight taste of what it is like to be an AA living in the United States . Other than that, sure we are all black but thats it.
hmmm, I wonder how Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, and other predominantly asian cultures would react if someone suggested they all needed to become unified as one for simply because they all have slanted eyes…. *side eye*
@ chiffon kisses, nice to know i am not alone. Nonetheless it was a good topic to debate on. please excuse the typos my brain sometimes travels faster than my hands :)
And thank you all for sharing all your comments, both critical and positive. Let’s get the dialogue going.
I’m going to have to side with everybody in this discussion board who thinks that “its reinforcing the stereotype of being a monolithic group”.
I don’t think you can use the Jewish or Arab communities as examples. The truth remains that an American Jew doesn’t view a black Jew the same way much like a Lebanese man doesn’t view a Jordanian the same way and depending which religious doctrine he adheres to, he probably hates him.
Lets be honest, the experience of an African American and a black Frenchmen is not the same. To some extent, both groups experience some sort of racism within the western world but the truth remains, the African American was dragged to America by force while the black Frenchmen (typically) went to France by his own will. I argue that the Frenchmen is aware of where the mother land is and his children will know where it is too…the African American can point to it, but doesn’t understand it and has no recollection of it. From that point on, their realities are detached.
I read recently that Black Afghani have it worse than African Americans and to some extent Africans. We are talking about no jobs, no homes and consistent beatings from Arab Afghani.
I get what you are saying and I strongly believe that at the end of the day, we do recognize each other as black and we are somewhat unified. But much like the Jews and the Arabs, we only unify when someone attacks us. When all is calm, we notice our differences.
In the late 1960s my father, a Ugandan, travelled to the US for postgraduate study at Yale. When asked to describe this experience (which was life changing from a professional and personal point of view) he always says ‘I never knew I was black, until I went to America). Fast-forward some 30 years later and I have been fortunate to have the same experience. Unlike my father at the time, I’m a lot more internationally exposed – born in South Africa, raised in Australia, lived and worked in the UK and Kenya and travelled widely through Asia, Europe and Africa. And yet I agree with my father, I never knew I was ‘black’ until I went to America.
Before anyone accuses me of assimilating, can I just add that I come from a very rich, vibrant and strong Ugandan culture. There are no identity issues – I’m very comfortable having one foot in the ‘African’ world and the other in the ‘West’. But I agree with other comments above, there is no such thing as an ‘international black identity’. My experience (and that of many of my black friends) is that I have very little in common with African Americans. I really resented having an American notion of ‘blackness’ imposed on me (by both white and black people).
I empathise with the situation that African Americans have faced and with the issues that they continue to struggle with. But I’ve always felt that this is not my struggle and it is certainly not my story. The fact that I am black as well, does not inspire some automatic kinship. Maybe this is because I’ve been fortunate enough to live in places where the majority of the population is black; you realise very quickly that not every woman is your sister and not every man is your brother.
Sad but true.
Nevertheless, I appreciate the spirit in which this article was written. Definitely thought-provoking!
ditto
YES.
Even though I am black American, the more I study the African diaspora, the more I realize that our shared pigmentation is less tenuous than culture, language, religion, and socio-economic status. Because of my upbringing I’ve had more in common (socially) with black immigrants from the Caribbean and Africa, but when I went the homes of my Liberian or Nigerian or Jamaican friends, I realized that they were still completely different than I was. For all the unity desired between the African diaspora, you never realize how wide the bridge is between a black American or a black African or black European or black West Indian until they interact with one another and so many cultural references and languages are incomprehensible.
For one thing, as Kuluda and Michelle stated above, the black American experience is overwhelmingly shaped by slavery, racism, and Jim Crow. Colonialism wasn’t a great experience, but it was completely different than what we in the US faced, which formed our outlook on life. But I do think that black Americans grasp for unity between the African diaspora because we don’t know where we come from or understand who we are and what we can be. Also, non-Americans of African descent have largely come from countries where they are the majority, and have a completely different mindset on issues of supremacy and glass-ceilings, etc, and I don’t think they have to deal with the “double-consciousness” that comes with being a (formerly oppressed) minority in a forcibly adopted home country.
I have to say that to hear people from other countries state that they don’t see black identity as unifying is eye-opening.
Is an international black identity a romantic notion? Yes it is. But, the fact is that all race, class, country identities, etc. are all social constructions that happened by chance dependent on countless factors that occurred over time during the course of the development of the human race. At one point in time, every country was created, national identities were forged, tribes developed into existence, and “race” and “blackness” as many have pointed out, (even “whiteness”) were concepts that appeared at certain points in history in response to a combination of social, economic, spiritual, and other factors.
These ideas and concepts of selfhood and nationhood will always change. How someone sees their own identity comes very much from the accident of birth of where they are born — but it cannot be denied that as your grow older your identity becomes partly a matter of choice, and also a matter of how society treats you because of the way you are viewed.
I say all this to say that *developing* a sense of international black identity is what this article is about. I am not saying it exists. Clearly it doesn’t, as these comments show. I do believe that there are certainly parallels in our experiences that can be a basis for developing this identity, and that the benefits would be numerous.
Most of all, as many of you have noted, we are often treated in similar ways by the white world. This fact alone creates a possible benefit in our learning to work together. The fact is that people with power the world over treat us a certain way because we are black. We can try to deny that, or we can work together given that fact. I like the idea of black people everywhere living “without race” but that to me seems to be the most romantic idea of them all. In your soul and your personal community, you are who you are, but if we deny how we are treated because we are black on the social and macro level, we are setting ourselves up to be eternally manipulated through this denial.
As far as Asians in America are concerned — and again, this concept is a construct of American and European societies — in my experience they work in an organized fashion as different nationalities separately and also as Asians in unity WHEN IT BENEFITS THEM because it is practical. It only makes sense for blacks to unite in this way.
Jewish people are an interesting example. Of course, as I mention in a previous comment, this community is very diverse and rife with class, regional, and racial conflict. But, there is at least a surface pledge of unity there, that again, I think benefits them more than what I see people of African decent do, which is work apart or at worst against each other to the point of self-destruction. Part of the reason Jewish people are so united is that they feel the pressure of hatred against them in various parts of the world, and they come together out of a self-interested desire to protect their physical existence. That is only part of it, but I can understand that motivation, which blacks in many parts of the world also share.
I think it’s silly for anyone reading this article to assume that I am suggesting in any way that regional, national, language, class, cultural, or any other aspect of persons in the African Diaspora can or should be overlooked, ignored, or disregarded because I think black people can literally be united under one banner. If my article suggests that, I chose poor words.
The fact of the matter is that everyone on this earth is a unique individual, but more often than not we are not treated that way — because we are black, at least at this time in history. We can work together with the groups we are a part of by choice or by chance (race, nation, gender, etc.), or go it alone and/or against the grain of the pressures placed on us by society.
That just sounds so grim to me, so I have suggested a positive reasons for uniting that I think is right. But even if your reason is just plain self-interest, the motivations for organizing as black internationally, are, in my opinion, the same — we need to help each other because people to take advantage of our communities.
again, I admire your intent however I think you are simply overestimating the importance of skin color in cross-cultural identity amongst blacks of various ethnicities. I am well-traveled, and know from experience that being black in America and how you are treated here by whites is a much different experience than how you are treated by non-blacks in various parts of the world. Case in point: I agree and bond more culturally and agree more on issues affecting AAs with my present jewish (non-practicing) american significant other who grew up similarly to me, than I did with my previous nigerian fiancee–yet he was black. my ex’s life experiences in blackness where night and day from mine and, honestly, the only thing we had in common was skin complexion. this is also the case with my relationships with my other non-american black friends/associates. We have little in common, and im often the token AA friend, as I am with my white friends/associates.
i am all for a general humanistic notion of people across the globe coming together to help those in need but again, not everyone views and experiences being black as the same so projecting a general identity of “black” is rather insulting and limiting.
your entitled to your opinion, but my problem is that you speak uniting black people against the oppression of the whites, but you are assuming that this oppression propagated by ‘ whites’, is simply limited to black people. i am not blind to racism in all forms, but your perception of racism varies depending in which part of the world you are from. in the part of london i live, i see more discrimination against turkish and polish people than any other group, sure there is racism against black people, but it is not strictly limited to them. instead of unifying black people against oppression i would prefer to be involved in uniting against oppression anywhere. i think your perspecting is too limited to the african american perspective to assume that all blacks unifying would be of mutual benefit. how? it just seems as though it is an attempt to reclaim your identity as african american which is by all means understandable. i just feel you dont take into account the importance of the various african cultures and how your definition of mutual interest may not be compatible with theirs. again i personally have not experienced this supposed lack of unity between those of african decent which you speak of. it all depends on your perspective.
excuse the typos.
Thanks for writing and responding to my comments. Your thoughts are very interesting. It certainly gives me something to think about. I can’t really wrap my head around the idea that thinking of blackness as an identity is limiting and insulting. I don’t think I or anyone is “just” their race, as a racist person would. I see it more as someone who is proud to be Irish or French. In terms of reclaiming a connection to Africa or my black identity in that way, I must say that being a minority in America, even if you don’t face outright racism daily, really does play with your head. In my case, I am just recently beginning to realize how it has affected my self-esteem. Our history is not taught to us here, so most blacks believe that we were slaves and did not contribute much else to this society. In terms of the beauty standard, black women really suffer hear emotionally. Again, this is something I see in other countries as well, where women especially in Africa are known to damage their skins with chemicals to lighten themselves. So pride in blackness is really, to me, a springboard for learning more about the people we come from and all the amazing things we have done that the dominant culture will put absolutely no energy into teaching us, and realizing that we come from something great. And then appreciating our beauty for what it is, which is something we won’t be taught by anyone else. These are just two examples about how “black pride” (like a national pride) can be empowering and not at all limiting. I like very much the idea of people just uniting in general against all forms of oppression not based on race or any other difference. Perhaps that is possible and my views are antiquated. I do feel for myself that learning about my history as a black person, and the accomplishments of blacks around the world, and specifically taking pride in black beauty traits has personally made me feel better as an individual, which will help me fight for the rights of others as a group beyond race.
i have one final comment on this matter, you do realize that your perception of blackness and “black beauty” is distinctly AA right? Basically what I’m saying is what/who is considered “black” here in the US is not necessarily applicable other places. I’ve met my fair share of egyptians, dominicans and brazilians that although they would be considered “black” in America would be highly insulted if you called them “black” because where they aren’t categorized as not and do not consider themselves to be “black.” That said, yes, a general international identity of “black” is extremely limiting and would be found offensive to a lot of different brown-skinned ethnicities you seem to want to align yourself with.
First, I would like to commend you Lexis for being being brave enough to try to step out there on the notion of something positive for Black people. However, scholars have noted that Black people have always had this “devil’s advocate” side where someone always has to try to say that your efforts are meaningless and there is no value in establishing anything good for Blacks because its hard to define “blackness” and you should just include everybody. I have been in your position, feeling and extreme sense of pride in being Black, wanting to create and encourage Black centered ideas but at the same time feeling guilty that I would be excluding a common humanity with other races.
And like many of the commenters above have stated, I think this problem is distinctly African American. We have been extremely oppressed and denegrated in the very recent past which still affects us today. Sometimes I feel like we are too smart for our own good ie. those people who deny the existence of African American culture but fail to realize everything we touch turns to gold and just because some people reject the idea of “blackness” and embrace “humanity” instead does not mean that there is no value in being able to say as a Black person, I feel a common bond with something distinctly Black that is larger than my Black family or Black neighborhood.
Given our unique position as humans who were so severely denied a respectful existence, in the past 50 years we have rushed to just feel some semblance of normality and acceptance within American culture. The bottom line is Black Americans need to focus on what is culturally ours (jazz, hip hop, soul food, fashion, entrepreneurship, etc.), what we bring to the international Black identity, and how each Black culture in the world contributes to a whole Black identity conglomerate based on our similarities AND our cultural differences. Just like the United Nations doesn’t seek to erace the distinctions between nations but rather solicits the cooperation between nations for a greater good. And frankly, if you call yourself Black then you can be at the roundtable but if you for some reason deny your “blackness” then we don’t need you and your negativity at our celebration of our rich history and contributions to this diverse world.
Very well said.
After some thought I think this is a great article
I understand what the author is getting at. Black people around the world share the basic experience of being marginalized and oppressed by whites world wide. It doesnt matter if your a minority like AA or if your the dominate race in your country you still have to deal with meddling of “white” nations interfering, manipulating or taking advantage of crisis, in your country’s affairs. And truth be told that it is not only “white” nations or people who take advatage of this. Issues of self esteem, pride, colorism, lack of acknowlegded history are dysfunctions we all share in common as a result of wbeing in contact with other people. Hair, food, music, religion the way we learn are small examples of what we have in common.
I agree the problem here are African Americans, who seem to have some type issue with blacks out side of the country that borders on paranoia.
And lastly, I find it funny as hell that people have an issue about black people being seen as monolithic yet want to unite themselves to other races as having a shared experience with black people. This idea that some how we would be treated with respect by “other” people of color is naive and narrow vision. Blacks in Isreal, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America are no more treated with respect then anywhere else, that is by their own words. They have their own version of the word Nigger over there too. The enemy of your enemy is not necessarily your friend.
im sorry i do not see the world through you eyes or that the’white man’ is always trying to bring me down. i do not deny the effects of colonialism or racism but black people are not the only race to suffer from this, how but the white people that were oppressed in romania by ceaucescu, did they struggle less because they were white? or the armenians massacred in 1915 by the ottoman empire?
and have you actually been to the latin america, the middle east and africa to experience this for yourself? they may face discrimination, but how are you so certain?perhaps the ones you have come into contact have, that does not me that everyone has had the same experience. bottom line is just because we may share the same race does not mean are struggles are the same. this implication i find narrow minded and somewhat racist. i think you need to see the world before you make such uninformed statements. and no we do not all share music, food and religion.
yes the enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend, but a supposed friend can also become an enemy.
Actually I am well traveled in Latin American countries and the other regions have been documented by people who live there. It seems you are the one who needs to travel, or at least in the areas outside of the tourist spots. True not everyone has the same experience I have just like they did not have the ones you had. But it doesnt take a genius to look at the world’s social structures, politics and foreign policy to see that black people get the short end of the stick on a routine basis. You dont have to leave your couch to figure that out. The problem is there will always be people who are willing to accept things as they are and counter with “well it happens to them too”. Yeah it’s real sad that white people get screwed over by their own kind like we do, but those people will always looks after them selves first, and will ALWAYS PUT THEMSELVES FIRST as they should, it’s called self preservation. Whats funny is how there are blacks who will put it on the lines for others but will fight tooth and nail against those who look like them.
You dont like black people uniting and looking out for self, fine, we wont miss you. But leave the ones who do care alone.
so you think that travelling to latin america alone is enough for you to make a blanket statement about the wider black community? true there are people who will leave things as they are but there will also be people who know that injustice is not race specific, and will work towards better understanding between all cultures. i also like how you just assume that whoever you label white people, will look after their own, and apparently all black will always put them first. as a person who’s lived in a ghana i would refute that. and yes this people instinctually look out for themselves, as you put self preservation, so if you do something i do not agree with am i just suppose to say ‘well he’s black so its okay’ just because you look like me? im all for unification but i’d rather injustice was fought for all people. and to you can try to unify black people all you want, i dont necessarily look at it as a bad thing, just don’t expect everyone to agree with you, or share your views on it sim[ly because, we share a race. i do not for one minute claim that i speak for the entire black race, that would be arrogance of the highest order, so do not assume that you speak for all of the black people or that i am somehow a traitor to my race.
perhaps this is an issue that is more specific to african americans than other balck people from different cultures.
What blanket statement, do the research your self it all over the net, from Chinese angry over a mixed girl winning their version of American idol, black soccer players being mocked as monkeys by Europeans, riots in France by immergrant blacks and Arabs, the Lost generation of Aborigines in Australia, cast system in India, racial attacks in thee Dominican Republic, foreign policys’ of major nations against those of color and on and on. It is not a secret, if you choose to look the other way thats on you. Now I am not saying that everyone participates in these injustices in fact there are plenty who fight against it. But I am not naive enough to believe that because it is not overt it does not exist especially since it is out there for you to see..
No injustice is not race specific but the people who practice can damn well be race specific ask organizations like ACORN.
It aint about understanding other people’s cultures you can watch National Geographic to get that fix. It is about respecting other people as equal and not working against them to further your own advancement.
“all black will always put them first.”
Now if they did that we wouldnt be having this conversation now would we.
“‘well he’s black so its okay’ just because you look like me?”
No that would be stupid and you should challenge, but you are purposely trying to narrow the focus away from a global perspective to a personel one.
You cant fight for crap if your own house is not in order, and you can not get it in order if your not unified. You will be subject to whatever which way the wind blows.
Now I think I ended my last comments that it is fine if you do not agree, no one called you a race traitor, just someone who sees it differently.
honestly we are going to agree to disagree. but it appears that some african americans have to sort out the identification issues before attempting to cajole the wider black community into their ways of thinking.
it also appears to me that you specifically look out for injustices suffered by some black people, and purposley negate injustices suffered by other races.
‘It aint about understanding other people’s cultures you can watch National Geographic to get that fix. ‘ WOW.
im done replying on this topic
You seem to me to intentionally minimize injustices done to black people to high light those done to others. Now an injustice is an injustice anywhere but if can I only choose one to focus on why not the ones done to people like me? On a predominately black website with predominately black readership with predominately African American readership you want to disagree with unifying black culture and label African Americans as having the hang up with race? Something strange about that.
And yes the National Geographic comment in retrospect was a poor choice of words to describe my point more like cultural exchange and education. But that would be fostering understanding and unity, we damn sure cant have that.
Agree to disagree is fine with me.
Ditto to Michelle.
I’ve never understood how focusing on all the wrongs done to me (or my community, group, etc) is of any benefit to me or my community. I think its silly to suggest that this form the basis of some sort of common identity among black people.
And I really don’t think that is what the author is suggesting.
[...] Clutch Magazine (Lexis B): Towards an International Black Identity Transplantation, assimilation, expression, rejection and redemption has been the history. Unity is the future. [...]
I agree with the Ghanaian commenter in that I always see writings like this (as well as the attempt to claim Egyptian civilization) as an AA’s attempt to reclaim their past or figure out who they are.
The African continent consists of 53 countries, a billion people, hundreds of ethnicities, over 1,000 languages and various religions. People need to give up any belief in the continent once being one big love-fest with all living in total peace, tranquility and harmony since that was NEVER the case.
Family, lineage, clan, tribe, ethnicity etc. were always primary (not some ‘black’ racial identification) and there was no unity (in the way I think some may be defining it) centuries ago when African kings and tribes fought each other then, eventually, sold the captured into slavery to Arabs then Europeans – and there is no unity now as conflicts take the lives of millions and corrupt leaders, war, rape and child soldiers rule the day in various countries. Thus, in my opinion placing priority on getting/keeping the family unified and (by extension) forming stable communities, is most successful.
It appears AAs need to get their own ‘identity’ and ‘unity’ houses in successful order FIRST before sending out some “international” clarion call. (Not directed to ANY one specifically) but this thing of an African American (from a puny population of 40 million) acting as if they’re the definitive and trying to dictate ‘identification’, the diaspora ‘experience’ or speak on what others in the rest of the world (about 800 million) should do is a tad arrogant as hell and laughable. This doesn’t sit right with those not born in America and will never work!
One can be a brown-skinned and curly-topped Algerian, Egyptian, Cuban or wherever and – if they don’t call themselves or identify as ‘black’ to an AA’s satisfaction – too often I’ve witnessed how quick and loosely an American has thrown out accusations of “self-hating,” “trying to distance,” or attempting to “identify as anything other than black.” This arrogance is not appreciated and a turn-off that blocks communication and understanding.
The overwhelming MAJORITY throughout the continent reside in countries primarily populated/run by those of their own ‘race’. So, to even remotely insinuate the AA experience of dealing with racism from whites (or overall life experience) is the norm or default for people of, say, Madagascar, Senegal or even Somalia is ridiculous.
thank you
You again?
Your not even worth the effort, enjoy.
LMAO CInMike!! I feel your annoyance. It’s like “here we go again….” ugh. The dissertations are hysterical!
Regardless, this is such a great article that really brings up a relevant issue worthy of discussion.
Michelle wrote: “black people are not the only race to suffer from this, how but the white people that were oppressed in romania by ceaucescu, did they struggle less because they were white? or the armenians massacred in 1915 by the ottoman empire?”
***************************************************************
Exactly! I will never deny how whites (from Europe and the US) constantly stuck their dirty, greedy, war-causing, murderous hands in the affairs of other countries around the world but:
-Russian aristocracy oppressed 22 million of their own (serfs) for over 400 years
-The British oppressed the Irish for over 400 years. Even after the creation of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland’s IRA (Irish Republican Army) and the British have been at it for decades
-French aristocracy and estates generals treated their own like sh*t for centuries and sparked the French Revolution and creation of a vile instrument (guillotine) to cut off people’s heads
-The beginning of the 20th century, 30s and 40s saw Europeans (from the US, UK, France, Russia, Serbia, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Austria etc.) whacking at each other until 80 million eventually died
-Hirohito and the Japanese slaughtered 30 million other Asians (Chinese, Filipinos, Burmese, Indonesians, Vietnamese, etc.) in the 30s and 40s
-Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge caused the death of 2 million of it’s own people in Cambodia in the 70s
-In the 90s Serbs, Bozniaks and Croats got crunk in the former Yugoslavia (Balkans) etc. leaving 100,000 dead and 50,000 raped
-Etc. etc. etc.
The never-ending pity-party and victim mentality acting as the only people ever oppressed or enslaved is oh-so-tired and, more and more, others don’t want to hear it and stop listening. .
Were anyone to insist the daily suffering and pain of being enslaved based on ‘race’ is somehow worse than that of those enslaved because of poverty, class etc. would be SELFISH and self-centered. There were no bigger slavers than the former Roman Empire but disregarding the experiences of others and deeming one’s group the worst oppressed of all time avoids the FACT that Africans had been practicing slavery way before Europeans stepped one foot on the continent.
Different tribes fought each other, took prisoners and supplied the Arab slave trade just as surely as leaders and kings of Dahomey (now Benin), Bamana Empire (now Mali), Khasso (now Senegal) etc. then supplied Europeans with bodies for the trans-Atlantic slave trade.