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i was watching stuff about how american slavery came into being and it showed me that Africans pre-slavery didn’t see themselves as all one. Pan Africaness is a new thing and that’s why some Continental Africans are offended by AA’s attempts at Africanness. To them we aren’t one.
“blackness” and the way it works stateside is a european-american invention. Before slavery It seems to me that africans did not really acknowledge themselves as one black race, they acknowledged ethnic groups/tribes and for some of them it is still that way to a degree
there are west africans who have inherented money that their families made by selling slaves to europeans. people took eachother as slaves in africa before white men. there exists africans today who’s families were complicit in the atlantic slave trade. it hurts bad but it’s true
So many of them do not feel that new world Black people have any right to claim any african culture unless we can specifically indentify ourselves with a tribe. Most of us cannot and so our overreaching pan-african feeling of cultural entitlement was born out of that.
Africa is the MOST genetically and culturally diverse continent on the planet so this is why they are frustrated with us. For them there is no “black culture” there’s igbo culture, ashanti culture, dagara culture etc etc. the idea of Black Culture is American.
Europeans are also like this. While today many of them may “race” now some of them still don’t really consider themselves all one. White people overseas may even get offended if you call them white. Again, the promimence of racial identity over ethnic indentity is American.
I think that the beautiful thing that’s born out of all of this is that we have an entire group on the planet “The African Disapora” that collectively symbolizes the human need for more unity and less tribalism. Bc tribalism was a midwife to generations of chattel slavery.
Spiritually and physically- we, The African Disapora paid the price for the progress of the human race. It fucking hurts. I know it makes you wanna scream. But EVERYBODY including continental Africans have valuable lessons to learn from us, the descendants of those stolen.
So Black Is King is a very important and affirming piece of work. While I understand the frustration I think continental Africans should view this through a lens of compassion for people who do not know where they’re from and are trying to reclaim their power. We all need this.
If we all keep holding our cards close to our chest and going this is MINE and you’re THAT and i’m THIS. We are doomed. We are not going to survive. This is critical time. Shoutout to all the africans who understand that.
The mystery all Afro-Americans hold about where we’re from inspired us to embrace and see ourselves in everything. Thus, we’re the most culturally influential group on the planet and our influence CONSISTENTLY brings people together. We are an expression of unity consciousness.
It’s not even about us finding tribes to identify with, it’s about us joining hands with everybody and lifting eachother up and pouring into everybody. African Americans are serving as spiritual teachers for everyone who’s willing to learn. Don’t resist the love.
