I often think about what other countries think about the images they see of Black people in the media. I'm always most concerned with how this image is taken by our brothers and sisters in Africa. Just as Blacks are given a false image of Africa, I think Africans are given a false image of Black people. Just as a European or Asian may look at Blacks with a sense of disgust, I think this is true for some Africans also. This sense of disgust helps contribute to a disconnect that already exists between the two cultures due to the the negative images many Blacks hold towards Africans.I've gotten into many arguments with my friends from Africa about the state of Black people in America. They ask why we aren't more successful and why aren't we taking advantage of the fact we live in America. While I agree there are no excuses in 2010 I always stress that it's important to know the history of America. It's important to know what has happened to Black people physically and psychologically over the last 500 years here in America. The way Black people function in America today is a result of what has happened to us over the last 500 years. Just as it is important to understand how Africa was raped of its resources in the past it's important to understand how Black people have been raped physically and psychologically in America as well. It's only been within maybe 20 years to where we've even had the opportunities to completely embrace America, to succeed in America.
Just as some Blacks refuse to acknowledge any connection to Africa, many Africans detach themselves from Blacks in America because of what seems like a lack of success in America for African Americans. Historically, Blacks have been seen as second class citizens in America. American history often neglects the contributions that Blacks have made to America. Just as Blacks have been given a false image of Africa, Africans are often given a false and incomplete image of African Americans. When we began to learn, study, and understand each other's cultures and history then we can get over the disconnect that currently exists between the two groups.
2 comments:
I completely agree with a lot of the comments you made Chris. And I can speak from firsthand experience from a Nigerian’s perspective when I’d just moved to Roswell, GA. Some of the questions I got from Americans in general (both black and white) about life in Nigeria or "Africa", like people seem to refer to it as though its one big country, were crazy. Did I live in a hut? Had I seen a lion before? Did I live in a tree? Just craziness!!! And sadly, they were serious. But over the years and going through GA’s education system I’ve realized where their opinions come from. Basically combine, what little in ‘world history’ + national geographic + commercials from humanitarian organizations = a horribly skewed continent. I know a lot of Nigerians have shared their experiences with me when they got similar questions. Some, understandably, get extremely upset when they almost always have to do a ten minute tutorial about where they're from when asked. Or when someone makes an ignorant and generally offensive comment about their culture. I’ve learned to roll with it and educate people about where I’m from when asked by people who genuinely care to know more. I was born and raised in Nigeria, but I’m certainly not an expert; there are so many things I don’t know about Nigeria. I just share my experiences.
On the flip side of things, the truth is just as sad on the other side of this. I can’t speak for over 150 million Nigerians but growing up I had movies with drug addicts & prisoners, MTV and BET videos, Oprah, and MJ as my overview of black America. I’ve been learning, though, obviously that’s not even close reality. I know that because I see the truth around me every day and I’m choosing to learn more about black history. A lot of Nigerians are so confused, to us when a person has her basic necessities at her fingertips plus opportunity it should = automatic success. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple, and I’ve talked about this at length with people on both sides. So basically, I’m cosigning with a lot of things Chris said and challenging people on both sides. Fellow naija people and Africans alike what do you really know about black history in America past Malcolm and MLK? And do you care to know more? Black people in America besides war and starving children what do you know? This information is not going to pop up on programmed television or FB or twitter, we’re going to have to seek it by doing personal research. I’m not saying go to the library all day doing ‘research’. But it’s little things like, reading international news about things going on around the world (the world is so much bigger than the US of A !) and making an effort past ‘black history month’ to learn about black Americans. And it shouldn’t end there. I know we’re all busy with our lives but Africa needs help and Black America does as well. As disconnected as this may sound from your daily grind, we are the ones who can make a difference in the future if we want this to change. Not our parents’ generation, the UN or our respective governments…WE are. Hope this made you think a little sorry if this was long or preachy. It’s how I feel about this, and I can def talk about this stuff all day.
i understand where you're coming from. i, too, had a negative view of Africa much of my life. funny, when i was growing up seeing extreme poverty, disease, etc i never thought i had anything in common whatsoever with Africa. to me, i was black, and my skin color being like theirs never made me feel a kinship. i was here in america, they were in some other world, and there was no relation. i can say that any comparisons drawn would incite a fight...one of our favorite insults as children was "african booty scratcher," and the darker complexion a friend or classmate was, the more ridicule they got...almost as if they were freakish.
when i got to college i began to really learn about and better understand my history, which cannot be divorced from Africa. i want to say that we need education on not only great figure heads in black history, but our story as a people needs to be taught the right way. where we were, the true state that we existed in, how and why we arrived in america, what whites wrongfully taught us about ourselves and our place of origin - and for what purpose, the kind of misrepresentations Africa received of us through the american media to make people of Africa despise us...much like we learned to despise them. this will fix our attitudes and create a sense of pride and understanding.
the word is not only disunity. but it's also divide and conquer. in 2010, we both desperately need one another. our pasts, and future are entangled and a lot of the solutions we seek to heal our condition here can be found in a true and balanced knowledge of ourselves. not the "knowledge" we've received living in the west under a western education and political system, but uncovering what was and still is hidden.
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