Pan Africanism : Do African Americans not undestand?

Therious said:
Do we make to much of "the Continent?" It seems that we post a lot about what europeans and arabs are doint to Africa. Yet I hear so much that Africans themselves think we African Americans complain too much about racism. ....

I think Americans make too big deal out of the wrong issues within Africa. I think Amercans make a huge issue out of racism, whereas the regular African doesnt face racism directly in Africa - it seldom bleeps on their radar.

Therious said:
It seems europeans have a stronger mental hold over foreign blacks! ....

I think it is the other way around - as Africans dont need europeans, whereas Americans do. Africans are not consumed with what europeans are doing/saying/acting.. they have a home and can return when feasible or desired.

Therious said:
Are we AA's just ignorant to the cultures of Africa and so forth? Do we simply not understand that "they" have less of a problem with europeans and actually are flat out ignorant to the history of the u.s.? ....

We both suffer from ignorance of each others cultures and lands - but the US isnt more relevant to the normal African than any other country - there of more urgent fish to fry - so why should he know more about US history?

Therious said:
Should we AA's spend less energy thinking about Africa since many Africans share white views of AA's AND ARE LETTING THEMSELVES BE OVERRUN BY FOREINGERS, CHINESE , EUROPEAN ECT......

hehehe - look in your own neighbourhood and check who is running your corner store.


Regardless, I think that AA's should spend less time thinking about Africa if they have no intent of returning. You cant expect Africa to get on board with American issues - I cant think of a single reason why they should.

The majority of Africans (that i know) in the EU are here for Economic reasons - ex colonies of west africa in particular. They already know they dont belong outside of Africa - want to make the $$, soak up some living, and go home.

Therious said:
sometimes I see no difference in continental Africans and europeans. ...

I can kind of understand what you say about the white mental state vs the african one.. perhaps the key is - the similarity - is that neither really cares about the racial issues faced in the dispora. why should either?
 
King Tubbs said:
No, I think so, maybe you could make that claim against Destee (I dont agree) but definately not in the "real world".



Sadly even some African Americans believe that too, I seen them (not suprisingly) wheeled out on Fox News many times. Neither they or the African you quote can be used as a barometer of African American or African opinion.



How many other black countries have you traveled to and spoken at length with the people in those nations? Please dont do an "Aljahiz" and tell me its just the ones you've met in the USA.



And you think no AA's "take on European views and smile for white people"? Clearly some do, the expression "Uncle Tom" wasnt invented for "foreign blacks".

"They" no more "let" europeans take their land, than AA's "let" white americans control the economics in black neighbourhoods. Their are numerous historical reasons this happens, there are many threads here in Destee on "White Supremacy" that explain better than I could.



I dont think saying "they" have less of a problem with europeans and actually are flat out ignorant to the history of the u.s. is a fair analysis.

Firstly not living in a country with any or many white people means by default you are likely not to have any preconceived notions about them, and in this world of white supremacy you may look up to them.

I have no preconceived notions about eskimos.....because I live in London England and never see any, but I got plenty to say about white people (mostly negative) because I have grown up surrounded by them my whole life, maybe if I was born in Ghana or Senegal I might be different.


Flat out ignorance is not restricted to Africans. According to Brother Oldsoul "Americans" in general, especially Black Americans, are more ignorant of the world outside the US than any other nation on earth. (You'll have to ask him how or why he came to that conclusion but he's an American himself!)



Again you say "many" Africans, how many? There are 800 million folks in Africa, did you ask all of them, or is this based on the tiny few you meet in the USA?



AA'S ARE LETTING THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS BE OVERRUN BY FOREIGNERS, KOREANS, ARABS, JEWS ETC (and its not because AA's want it to be that way)



You really sound like an scholarly expert, you must have travelled to many states in Africa and written and full and detailed analysis.



Who is "they" who allege this about African taxi drivers? "They" have convinced you even though "they" dont have a name!

From memory:

Eddie Murphy circa 1982 "The Pope is really brave, he went to Harlem, I dont go to Harlem, and I'm a black man!!"

Chris Rock circa 1998 "People say why am I so negative...[about black crime]...they say 'its the media', well if I go to a cash point machine, I dontlook over my shoulder for Ted Koppel, I look for n*****s!!"

Those two AA's seem to agree with the alleged African taxi drivers...
a) Are they the only AA's who think like that? The mostly black crowd roared with laughter at those so called jokes I quoted
b)should I judge ALL AA's by those two.....or accept there are many voices amongst any group of people?




.....is it possible to connect with people who YOU think, that they think you are beneath them based on some ill informed comments by some of their number?

What would a continental African assume AA's thought of them if they listened to these two fools........

Eddie Griffn circa 2000

I aint no African, America may have problems but what would I do in Africa? I dont know nobody, I cant get a taxi and say take me to Abubububu's Hut!! If I tried doing stand up, they'll be throwing banana's and s*** at me!!!


Eddie Murphy circa 1996

I dont want no American girl, they too smart and will rip you off, I wanna go to africa and get some naked bone through the nose back of a zebra b****!!!




I really really doubt your knowledge and experience of continental Africans in Africa. In USA they maybe doing what they think they need to do to get ahead, but they arent Americans and wont have "flavor" and "style" like a"brotha" or "sista" that is not inherently "african" its american!



Ever heard a white person say "I dont have anything against black people....just the ones who cause trouble!!!"

You sound awfully similar.

you make some good points, . I posted this because of a converstation I had with a friend. Just wanted to get some outside feed back. I agree with everything you said, especially about black comedy. It does work both ways thats very true.

one
 
King Tubbs said:
ONE woman on Youtube is enough to give you a harsh reality on how SOME Africans percieve you? What do you think an African would make of the Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock quotes I gave above, I could give many many more.




You relied and even give credit to the internet (!!!) for teaching you Africans dont like AA's......oh dear!



But many AA's views on Africans are reminiscent of white racists too, I'm not denying the existence of what you and Therious say, but neither of you seem to admit it works both ways and both sides are largely relying on WHITE controlled media for our views on each other.



Thats a good question.

I wasnt suggesting anybody needs to fly to Africa, I was just highlighting the fact we cant judge a continent of 800 million people because "an African" said this, that or the other.

We seem to use the most negative comments made by some confused/misguided Africans to justify an attitude of "well they dont care about us, so why care about them", but ignore many examples (some are right here in Destee, you dont need to physically go to Africa to find them!) of Africans reaching out to us, apologising for their past role in slavery, setting land for us to settle on etc.

Where do we go from here?

Forget the dumb Africans both you and Therious mentioned (their not going any direction we want to be going anyway) and concentrate solely on the positive constructive ones......and dont use the former to write off the latter.

Ghana set land aside for Diasporan Blacks
More about Fihankra mentioned in the above thread
Example of an intelligent Continental African
Africans asking for forgiveness


To clarify, it was more then just one woman who made rather inflamatory statemetns towars American Blacks. There were quite a few Africans on varying videos that posted less then favorable comments. And I never said that I relied on the internet for my impression. However an impression was made by those I encountered on the internet that fact can not be ignored. Furthermore if you'd noticed I'd said some Africans, not all have a rather negative impression of blacks in America. Last, I did say that the misunderstanding go both ways in my second post. I also stated that I would take them as they come no preconcieved notions, I just don't expect much until I am shown otherwise.
 
IntelligentNoir said:
To clarify, it was more then just one woman who made rather inflamatory statemetns towars American Blacks. There were quite a few Africans on varying videos that posted less then favorable comments. And I never said that I relied on the internet for my impression. However an impression was made by those I encountered on the internet that fact can not be ignored. Furthermore if you'd noticed I'd said some Africans, not all have a rather negative impression of blacks in America. Last, I did say that the misunderstanding go both ways in my second post. I also stated that I would take them as they come no preconcieved notions, I just don't expect much until I am shown otherwise.

The point of this post was do we as AA's ten to over romanticize Africa. We fail to realize humans are humans some are nice, some a-holes, some know some are ignorant. good points you make.

I did not mean us against them, that is silly, in my eyes we are all black. but some comments you hear you forget, that they are products of the same white lie system.
 
Therious said:
The point of this post was do we as AA's ten to overromanticize Africa. We fail to realize humans are humans some are nice, some a-holes, some know some are ignorant. good points you make.

I did not mean us against them, that is silly but some comments you hear your forget they are products of the same white lie system.

and vice versa.. :) - you are absolutely correct, Therious.
 

Donate

Support destee.com, the oldest, most respectful, online black community in the world - PayPal or CashApp

Latest profile posts

HODEE wrote on Etophil's profile.
Welcome to Destee
@Etophil
Destee wrote on SleezyBigSlim's profile.
Hi @SleezyBigSlim ... Welcome Welcome Welcome ... :flowers: ... please make yourself at home ... :swings:
Back
Top