Pan-Africanism : Are You African or African American?

Are You "African" or "African American?"

  • I am African.

    Votes: 83 46.4%
  • I am African American.

    Votes: 52 29.1%
  • none of the above

    Votes: 44 24.6%

  • Total voters
    179

Destee

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Hello Family,

Last night in the Pan-Africanism voice chat discussion, it was suggested that one of the most empowering things we could do individually, and easily, to help push the struggle of unifying us around the world ... is to say we are African ... instead of African American, or American, or Colored, or Negro, or Black, or any other number of things we've probably referred to ourselves as.

It was mentioned that all other people connect themselves to a land, except us. Ask a Chinese person, "What are you?" and they will say, "Chinese." Ask an Italian, "What are you?" and they will say, "Italian." Ask a Japanese, "What are you?" and they will say, "Japanese." Ask an African American, "What are you?" and many of us will respond with "Black," or "African American" or "i'm Black, but i've got some Indian in me" but rarely does our response fully and completely embrace Africa, by saying, "I am African."

I'm guilty of this. Until recently, i would have said, "African American" or "Black." I've been becoming more aware of a lot of things as a result of this community and all the many Sisters and Brothers that share with me. But what was really the clincher, was the opportunity i had recently of chatting with a gentleman from China in voice chat. He spoke a little English, making it possible for us to discuss a few things. I asked him did he know that he was in an "African American" chat room. He said no, he had been surfing, searching and just stumbled on us. He then asked me if i was a Negro. I said, "No, i'm African, i'm Black." (I was trying to embrace Africa, but notice i still had to throw that color thing in there, Black). When i said that i was Black, he responded by typing into the room ... "i'm a yellow-skinned-man ... lol" ... gosh ... it was very eye opening. I really don't think he meant it to be offensive, and of course i didn't take it that way ... but he was laughing at me ... laughing at the idea that a people would refer to themselves as a color.

Anyway, let someone ask me "What are you?" in reference to my culture, and i will say that i am African.

I had to grow into this and i would imagine that many of my Sisters and Brothers here in the U.S., must also go through some process to take off the old and put on new.

So, my question is ... how difficult would it be for you to refer to yourself as simply, "African," vs. "African American?" Would you be willing to do this? Do you see how it could help unify Africans all over the world, if we made this small little change in our lives?

Looking forward to any discussion this may stimulate.

:heart:

Destee
 
To speak honestly. I dont know how easy this will come for me because if I went to Africa how will my people address me?
Will they accept me as African or will they say I'm American. Will the fine line be drawn there too? Don't get me wrong, Yes, I consider myself of African decent but will my people embrace me Or will they cast me as different too? It's just a question that I pose.
 
In Answer To Destee's Question

You can all me negro, black, or african-american; but I am not African, or a Person of Color.

No, I do not think that "calling" myself an African will help or make it possible for Black people around the world Unite. We seemingly love to romanicize Africa and Africans, as some glorious and righteous entity that can somehow transform us to the place where we should be; a place that we "actually could be" if we did the things that we should be doing to be just that. Our window of opportunity is small but open, and sometimes I feel as if, God, must be scratching his head wondering when and if we will ever get it!

I think that to do so would betray my foremothers and forefathers who suffered the reality of being sold--self, life, and limb, for trinkets, sugar, and gun "powder," to finish killing off themselves (kinda prophetic in a perverse kind of way; a blood legacy seemingly passed down all the shores the tears of OUR PARENTS graced with
their stripped humaness, into nothingness.) It would betray their strength and conviction to survive, to love and to live.

To call myself an African, would make me, an abused child, identify with my abuser; surely, you can liken that to those of us today, still reaching for labels to say who we are, what we are about... identifying with those who still wretchedly try to destroy us... it is a legacy that throughout history has provided us nothing but a self-imposed treachery that still serves to kill ourselves... we are easy. We, the black natives of this land give ourselves to all; including other "Blacks" who happily and willingly join hand in hand with our oppressors; yet, we are the ones that everyone comes to for help, for sustenance to get them through the treacherous waters of life, then after use, we are ridiculed and spit out... Our foreparents and God himself must be crying for us.

What I spew is only my feelings; I have no hatreds because I cannot hold it. I think that if some of you have found some empowerment in calling yourself African or anything else you may want to call yourself; God bless you, be happy. It is just that to keep going into a circle of trying to define self; without ever knowing self will always relegate us to the low rung of life. Maybe, I have become selfish, and if I am, I will accept that, and try to correct it; but What have they EVER DONE FOR ME, FOR YOU, FOR US? What except find satisfaction in joining hand in hand with those in helping to keep hurting us... a thousand year trial that has up until now not penetrated our armour... for now, our treachery is so evident that we have sold our very souls to one defined ideology or another, and allow ourselves to be used as todies and jiggaboos; spitting out limp-wristed emotionalism....

Trinkets, sugar and gun-powder; the Bling-Bling of yesteryear that enslaved my people... that still does ( aren't labels bling-bling?)
 

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