Black People : What is the difference between pan-Africanism and Black nationalism?

African_Prince

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Jan 1, 2005
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How would you define each world view? What do they have in common and where do they differ (or are they just two different terms for the same concept)?

I think using the term 'pan-Africanism' to denote racial unity is problematic because 'African' is not (i.m.o) a racial term. Does 'pan-Africanism' include the North African Berbers who, as far as I know, are indigenous to the continent? What about Melanesians and Negritos who are racially Black but aren't of African origin (at least no more recently than humanity in general)? Better terms might be 'pan-Negroism' or 'pan-Blackism' but 'Negro' is pejorative in the English speaking world and both of them sound silly.
 
How would you define each world view? What do they have in common and where do they differ (or are they just two different terms for the same concept)?

I think using the term 'pan-Africanism' to denote racial unity is problematic because 'African' is not (i.m.o) a racial term. Does 'pan-Africanism' include the North African Berbers who, as far as I know, are indigenous to the continent? What about Melanesians and Negritos who are racially Black but aren't of African origin (at least no more recently than humanity in general)? Better terms might be 'pan-Negroism' or 'pan-Blackism' but 'Negro' is pejorative in the English speaking world and both of them sound silly.
Black nationalism has to do with right here and PanAfricanism has to do with unity with over there.
it's best not to get hung up with philology, or etymology but deal with the spirit of what is implied.
it gets to like saying what is the difference between telling a woman that you love her, care for her and want to llive with her for the rest of your life and proposing for marriage.
Anything can be rationalized into a million unrelaated differences and compartmentralized until one is too exhausted to do one or the other and hat is the European trap of overanalyzing things rather then simply dealing with the basic spirit of an idea or concept which ones intuition can tell, if one has the patience to let the meddlesome intellect rest at times
 
I think I've figured it out. Pan-Africanism is the world view that advocates the unification of all African and/or African descended people on the basis that we share a common heritage and a similar social/political predicament. Black nationalism emphasizes independence from White (or non-Black) society. It's possible to advocate Black unity without advocating Black nationalism and although Black nationalists tend to be for Black unity, you could advocate political/social/economic independence from non-Blacks without identifying with or advocating unity with *all* Blacks. In my view, pan-Africanism is based on love, nationalism is based on pride.
 
Africans at the Crossroad: Notes on an African World Revolution
Dr. John Henrik Clarke
ISBN: 0865432708
Format: Hardcover, 450pp
Pub. Date: January 1992
Publisher: Africa World Press

Essays focusing on the African and African American freedom struggle in the African world, as well as detailed discussion of the uncompleted revolutions of five monumental African leaders.
 

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