Comments on: United We Stand: What We Love About Women of the Diaspora!

By: Marsha Alexander

Marsha Alexander — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 06:39:50 +0000

I want to send a big shout out to all Panamanians out there.
Hola pana!

By: Belle

Belle — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:24:54 +0000

Wait. No shout out to the Pearl of the Caribbean? Sak Pase to all my Haitian women! There is nothing like a Bel Fanm Kreyol!

By: My thought as an African

My thought as an African — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 07:07:23 +0000

@ Tomi

As a Nigerian (Igbo), I can say that the term akata is contextual. Yes, some people can and do use it as a derogatory term to refer to African-Americans or Africans they feel are lost. However at times, it can simply be used as a categorical word to differentiate. Is that positive or negative? Not sure because we are all seem content with grouping. The true definition is quite neutral – someone not at home. Thus, I believe the neutrality of the word allows for creative freedom for folks to use it in a negative, positive, or matter-of-fact manner.

I too have been called an akata due to the fact that I am a Nigerian that has had multiple cultural experiences outside of Nigeria (home) which has shaped who I am. According to some, this fact means I have been away from home and the “Nigerian experience.” There are those that take my being away from home and calling me an akata to define me as being lost/wayward (negative); others define me as being lucky/exposed (positive); and some simply use the term to state that I have been away (fact). To all, I say whatever but understand that the term is being used to differentiate/categorize me, and the context is how I can tell the intent of the word. It can be simply used to state that I have somewhat of a different experience which is accurate. Yes, I am different as I am a Nigerian that grew up all over the world but no I am not that different because at the end of the day I am Nigerian. Again as I said, contextual – depends on how it’s used, the person using the word/intent, and your reaction to the word based on past experience.

Lastly (off topic) but I am sure you are aware that while Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa are the major ethic groups, you have those that are quite significant in numbers such as the edos, ijaws, fulanis etc. So the other 247 groups you refer to are significant, do not just reside in Nigeria alone and I am sure the people that identify with the group may know a thing or two about Nigeria/its lingo. Knowledge is not just restricted to those in the 3 largest group.

- Contribution to the overall discussion -

At the end of the day, we are all not going to love everyone. Ignorance is an abundant natural resource that we can only hope will be depleted as time goes by. We always find a way to create the “other/them” within a given group of people. We have constructed the “other/them” within the human race, the global black community, the black community in the USA, Nigeria, Igbo/Yoruba land etc. Knowing this fact, it is best that we all associate ourselves with members of the “other” group and learn by ourselves that these so called “others” we speak off are simply humans just like us trying to navigate life. Yes, he or she may have some negative/positive stereotypical characteristics but that does not make up the majority of their personality; no one is perfect. Also we need to realize that the world is a big place and the random 300 chinese people we have met do not represent the 1 billion Chinese folks out there. Unfortunately some people are set in their ways but those that understand that we are different (different is not good or bad) but also very similar (not good or bad either) will have an easier time with human relationships. Those that choose not to deal with people that are different from themselves and rather choose to spread hate are simply missing out on the wonderfulness that is the human race.

By: VickyD

VickyD — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 21:46:40 +0000

When listening to the video, I was not surprised to hear this young lady’s comments. I endured such comments from many of my African sisters and brothers while attending a prominent HBCU. Walking the campus of this famous institution, I was initially thrilled to be among beautiful Black people from a myriad of nations spanning the globe. As black women raised in a predominately white city in upstate New York, I was elated to attend class with others who looked like me. However, as we engaged in candid discussions and shared philosophical views, my classmates’ stereotypical thoughts of African Americans were revealed. These views were surprisingly hurtful because I thought that blacks from Africa and other parts of the diaspora would understand the historical struggle, institutionalized racism, and related challenges that African Americans experienced. However, it seemed as though I was wrong. I discovered my classmates/friends felt the same way as did much of mainstream America; that all African Americans were ignorant, lazy sociopaths. I attributed their views to exported racism and shortsightedness. Nevertheless, I love the diversity within the African diaspora and embrace the cultural elements that I have retained from my African ancestors. To this end, I hope we take the time to learn from each other’s differences rather than judge one another due to a lack of understanding. The Bible says “My people will perish fropm the lack of knowledge.”

By: African Mami

African Mami — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 21:38:52 +0000

So the whiteman came to Africa, raped us of our resources, instituted colorism amongst us which gave way to current tribal divide across the African nations and continues to conquer and divide us through globalization and interdependency. Do I have just cause for anger…ABSOLUTELY, do I engage in diatribe…HELL NO!
I can’t generalize the whole Caucasian race based on what a few of them are engaged in.

We can talk all day everyday about surpression and opression of our people, but this dialog is not leading us to the promised land. So instead of yapping all day about what the whiteman is doing to us, let us stop the talk and start walking the talk…okay so the whiteman is at the helm of XYZ corporation, I encourage you Shabba to start your own corporation and hire your people out of the misery of having to work for the whiteman and being unemployed because of the whiteman’s discriminatory business practices.

Until then, I continue to be a lover of humanity, and a hater of prejudice without just cause.

By: Akua

Akua — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 20:11:55 +0000

I’m representing the Gold Coast, Ghana. I was born in the U.S (NY). and when i grew up what saddened me was the ridicule I faced because of my last name, being called an “African booty scratcher” ( Still don’t understand that term, smh), and when i was asked where i was from, and being told I speak such “good english”. So, i understand having some feelings toward African-Americans, but now I feel like they are ignorant. It’s even sadder when Hispanic Sisters act like they never heard of Ghana, and still continue to think Africa is a country. I embrace my Sisters from all over the Diaspora, but it would be nice if ignorant stereotypes about Africans would stop being displayed. We come in all different colors and hair types. Lastly, to each his own, but a stop to ignorant comments about natural hair would be nice, I don’t rag on others if their hair is straight or weaved in.

By: bernie

bernie — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 14:32:49 +0000

I don’t think it’s arrogance either. Just celebration! You could have just added your shout out to AA women and left it at that. Lol.

Also, I’m pretty sure most people can tell she’s ethiopian or from the horn of Africa. She looks so ethiopian.

By: Shabba

Shabba — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 00:17:56 +0000

@African Mami: You must be one of these africans in love with the european and believe they can do no wrong, and that they are some good europeans out there..The whiteman is the one who established the different category of race and decides who is white or non-white, I do not make that decision..I’m all for maintaining the integrity of my own ethnicity, why should I promote self genocide by allowing my decendants to breed out my gene pool? The law of nature is self preservation, I love myself and will not want three generations from now my decendants to not look like me, my husband, mother or father…

By: African Mami

African Mami — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 23:35:11 +0000

@ Shabba,

You talk of being in a European construct, but yet you go ahead and establish your own discriminatory construct, wanting to establish purity without mixing of races. How progressive of you.

By: Shabba

Shabba — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 23:26:16 +0000

This is self-hatred in it’s purest form. The longer we allow ourselves o be educated in this european construct, we will continue to believe all things African to be bad. I see all these whites running to the African continent, stealing our resources, and selling it back to us and we want to call that progress. The still have their himeland in europe, and they could be in the americas or africa for centuries, they all still refer to countries in europe as their homeland. Having a white man or woman between your legs, is not going to change anything. My ancestors were in the americas for over four hundred years, we lived on the same plantations with white people, even lived in their houses, cooked their food, breast fed their children, and even got raped by their men,and produces mulatto bastards, what progress did that bring us? Did it erase racism/white supremacy? No it did not. Marrying or sexing white will not improve your circumstances. What you’ll are doing is giving birth to children who will end up being the oppressors of the black race. All these so called bi-racial children are a buffer group between whites and blacks, once again pusing blacks further to the bottom of the socio-economic pile…Take a look at Halle Berry, Soledad O’Brien, Paula Patton, Tiger Woods, these are bi-racial children, who mate with white men and women, produce children who will call themselves white or bi-racial and continue the downward spiral of black people and their african connection…