Are African Americans imitating whites or are whites imitating African Americans? Oba Iparankanru, If you are just using forums like television programming (…oh my god, BET ?????) and venues like the street corners of America to understand any culture, let alone African American culture, than no wonder you are oblivious to African American cultural history. That is like trying to understand Africa or Africans through National Geographic, Wild Kingdom, Tarzan or what little I see on the evening news...that would be ridiculous! Regardless, I’ll leave the cultural knowledge or expressions (or possibly lack thereof) of Blacks in Seattle to Blacks in Seattle, but you need to read more, in general; your lack of knowledge, is just that... a lack of knowledge. I think you missed a powerful point in some of my previous post…basically a lot of times what you see sometimes, being identify as (white) American culture is really African/African American mannerism or cultural expression embraced by Whites many generations ago. It is like, if you saw a white American or European playing a violin or playing chess you would think this is a example of original European culture and if a African American learns the game, then many would surmise that, …that person was projecting and continuing an European cultural expression when in fact the violin along with other European string instruments, as well as the game of chess are derivatives of African games and string instruments, I tried to give you this explanation with the Banjo. I know first generation Blacks of African descent that know very little about Africa or African American culture. There are Africans born in Africa who have become alienated and are not well studied in the culture of their ethnic group or tribe, as there are African Americans who have also grown slowly away from their cultural base. This happens to many people in the modern world, let alone in the west. If you refuse to broaden your scope of African achievements and cultural foundations worldwide you will fall into the isolated matrix Europeans and Euro-Americans have designed for us. What is intrinsically mines is yours and what you have nourished, imbued in your culture, revives the antiquity of my legacy. I believe you are an intelligent person. But, you must dig sometimes through the cultural arrogance of an invasive, hegemonic western world, for the cultural treasures that are your inheritance, as well as mine. Ashe, Brother Sun Ship
Well said brother Sun Ship. It is a pleasure to have another brother in the struggle along with me! Ashe!
No doubt my brothers, Sun Ship, Pan, you all are brilliant and your posts are well thought out and well referenced. Thank you, thank you, thank you. What these two Africans from the continent who are basically neo-colonialized in their minds, fail to understand is the brilliance and genious of African people all over the diaspora. They don't know their history, simply put. They may know the history and culture from their ethnic group or country, but because they have no respect for Africans as a whole, they display their ignorance of AFrican people. The european education that they obviously have received did not prepare them for your brilliant account of African culture in amerikkka. My African friends are appreciative of our culture, recognizes our culture, celebrate our culture, and sees the similiarities of our cultures and it is high time these two "ak like they know" EBONICS (a language we created and is used by everyone). This is why reading is essential and respect from African people all over the world is vital, but more importantly understanding white supremacy and media literacy. Thier ignorant comments display that they have been brainwashed by their former masters. My advise is to reread what Sun ship has written in read about your beautiful people and their contributions to civilization! Peace.
Oba, Jazz is AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE The BLUES is AFRICAN AMERICAN Culture... EBONICS is AFRICAN AMERICAN culture... TOASTING is AFRICAN AMERICAN culture... 6 zillion dances we've created on these shores is AFRICAN AMERICAN culture... RAP is AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE... DAPZ(7 zillion handshakes you mistake for american culture) Oba, I think it is like trees, brother, if you haven't been taught the differences and distinctions, they all look alike to you... Fact is, brother, as AfricanAmericans came from MANY different AFrican ethnic groups, our culture looks like no single African ethnic group you've ever come in contact with... There are zillions of books on this topic, my brother, and you're truly interested in knowing and understanding the culture of African Americans, pick up Robert Farris Thompson's books, Melville Herskovits' books, Joseph Holloway's books, Laurence P. Levine's books... There are literally thousands of books out here which will enable you to understand what the culture is...That is if you are truly interested... Peace! Isaiah