TROUBL

1. Yalindo

   After going trough your idiotic rant this African can easily conclude that you are the evidence that stupidity and ignorance (two artifacts of niggerdom) should be a crime.

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   Boosy reply on May 22, 2008 2:35 pm:

   hate,hate,hate actually YALINDO you are right..although…it is not niggerdom, rather it is intellectual buffonery..lol damn it feels good to be back in the ring .

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2. Malia

   This is a spectacular piece!!! I just want to give you mad props!!!! We have elvoved from AFRICAN to nigger, to coon, to colored, to African-American, to BLACK!!! We have re-definied ourselves. We are BLACK!!! I agree completely that first and foremost, I am not African either. I don’t invoke a clutch of the linguistic, cultural and racial features of Africans and should not be labeled as such.

   Our self-implosion has taken over and we see it all over the place. I’ve actually heard men refer to their sons as “pimps” or “He’s gonna be apimp when he grows up” Not a doctor, a lawyer, investor, business man—but a pimp! Of course—then inevitably, there have to be hos, right? And let’s not forget that nearly all black homicide is intraracial - more than nine out of 10 black murder victims in the United States are killed by black murderers. So applying the death penalty in more cases where the victim is black would mean sending more black men to death row, thus annihilating our existence altogether. We built this country and we are just giving it away with our own ignorances.

   I agree that we should redefine ourselves as a community, but who is going to do that? Who sets the standard? Where do we begin?

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   TROUBLMan reply on May 22, 2008 12:56 pm:

   The difference between blacks, Brazilians, Jamaicans, Cubans, etc. is that our ships landed in different ports. But ask yourself where did they boats take off from? THEY TOOK OFF FROM AFRICA! It’s this shared history, which goes back so much further than the 400 years we’ve been here that makes us more the of the same than different.

   To me, redefining ourselves starts with accepting our history. How can we chart where we’re going if we deny where we’ve been?

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   Malia reply on May 22, 2008 1:23 pm:

   I accept our history. I just prefer to call myself Black over African-American. I also think it’s unfitting to be called African-American but other than my ancestors coming from Africa I have no ties to the continent. So while I have nothing against Africa and I wish I did have some of the culture, language, etc. to call myself African doesn’t really fit. I don’t even know where in Africa my ancestors came from. My mother is Filipino, so should I just delete that entire half of my culture and be labeled African American? We’re all so mixed up racially that it’s ubsurd to put a label on race. Heritage yes…..race no…..

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   RBT reply on May 22, 2008 1:33 pm:

   The thing is and it’s something I realized for myself is that you ARE African as well as Filipino and whatever else you may happen to be mixed with.

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   TROUBLMan reply on May 22, 2008 1:37 pm:

   How can you deny the cultural similarities when you admit that your knowledge of Africa is limited?To say that we as black people don’t share any culture with Africa is false. The way we dance, raise our children, do our hair, sing in church, walk, come from Africa. Every time I see Africans on TV, I see a “nigga” I know. LOL. I’ve seen an uncle in National Geographic. I seen my homeboy on the Discovery channel…

   Never deny your culture. You are Filipino as well as American and African. Fuck labels. Your are what come from.

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   She-Rell reply on May 22, 2008 2:07 pm:

   we tend to forget that we have created another culture since being brought here. Yes our decent is Africa, however I have no bonds with Africa.

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   RBT reply on May 22, 2008 2:19 pm:

   Why don’t you feel like you have a bond with Africa? What type of bonds do you have? Do you have a bond with you other black people?

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   Crystal reply on May 22, 2008 2:33 pm:

   I have a bond with other Black Americans. The southern culture - our Soul Food, Hip Hop, etc…

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   Crystal reply on May 22, 2008 2:21 pm:

   Exactly, we are a mixed culture, and I feel that that should be embraced more than Africa. With all of the mixing from Europeans to whomever we have forged a new race, if you will. And we continue to mix which makes us unique of the Africans, and many people.

   I actually resent the term African American. Because to me it shows that we really do not have a clue as to what we are.

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   Crystal reply on May 22, 2008 2:31 pm:

   Hell when I see some white people I see a black person I know. When I see some Peurto Ricans I see a black person I know. We are all apart of the Human Race. That doesn’t mean that I have claim them as part of my “people”.

   Why do we cling to this African heritage like it is ALL we are??? Ridiculous and quite pathetic. We are so MUCH MORE than that.

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   TROUBLMan reply on May 22, 2008 5:38 pm:

   I agree with the people part we are all people in the same game trying to make it Im not saying our African heritage is all that we are but it is definitely part of who we are but we shouldn’t forget who we are

   -RBT on TM cmp

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   Crystal reply on May 22, 2008 2:34 pm:

   I personally feel that black people here in America have spent ENOUGH time looking back. We have gathered all we need to gather from the damn mother ship. Time to MOVE ON….

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3. MAURICE D SMITH

   I FEEL WHAT YOU ARE FEELING. I DO THINK , HOWEVER, THAT WE SHOULD NEVER SHAKE OFF OUR AFRICAN HERITAGE, AS I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE INDEED BOTH AFRICAN AND AMERICAN-”BLACK”. I BELIEVE THAT THE BIGGOTS WOULD HAVE A FIELD DAY WITH THE WEAK MINDED FOLKS THAT CANNOT EMBRACE YOUR VIBE IN IT’S STATE OF PURITY——BLACKS IN AMERICA ARE NOT AFRICAN AND NEED TO FOCUS ON MOVING ON AND FORWARD IN A BRUTAL RACIST SOCIETY!!. AGAIN I FEEL YOU BUT I MUST ACCEPT YOUR FLOW BUT ALLOW MYSELF TO BE TORN AS I FEEL WE ARE INDEED BOTH AFIRCAN AND BLACK AMERICANS.

   IMAGINE ALL OF THE BLACKS WORLD WIDE WALKING BREATHING, LIVING AND DOING THEIR THING. IMAGINE A CHAIN THAT LINKED ALL BLACKS TOWARDS ONE GOAL AND THAT BEING MENTAL LIBERATION. IMAGINE ALL ACKNOWLEDGING AS ONE THAT WE ALL CAME, YES FROM ONE BLOOD FROM GOD, BUT INDEED, FROM AFRICA. DO YOU INDERSTAND THE EMPATHY AND STRENGTH THAT COULD EMANTE FROM ALL BLACKS BREATHING AND HEARTS BEATING AS ONE? NOT IGNORANT SAVAGE BEATS, AS RACISTS ENVISION US—-I AM BLACK—-BUT A SPIRITUAL SWEAT UNBEATABLE RHAPSODY, BLEESED BY GOD, TO TAKE BACK, TOGETHER, ALL THAT HAS BEEN STOLEN FROM US!!!

   FINALLY, I SAY REALLY THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE SAYING. SLAVERY WAS GLOBAL. 90 % WAS TAKING PLACE IN THE LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES—— A FACT STANGELY OVERLOOKED IN SCHOOLS OR IN THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION. WE ARE ALL AS PETER TOSH SAID———AFRICANS!!!! GOT TA LOVE EM. TAKE CARE.

   SINCERELY YOURS ,AS THE STRUGGLE “TRUDGES” ON,

   MAURICE D SMITH

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   TROUBLMan reply on May 22, 2008 12:46 pm:

   I feel you. A label is just what we call ourselves. And regardless of what we call ourselves our history is what it is. I’m African I’m African American and I’m black…

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   Crystal reply on May 22, 2008 1:51 pm:

   Look the whites do not give a shit whether we consider ourself african american, black, slave descendants or whatever. We are all just black to them so there is no need to even place them in this. Saying that you are Black American does not negate Africa. However we are a different culture. Once we left that land and the generations grew then we are separated from them, while still acknowledging the ancestry. The Filipinos acknowledge their ancestry with Asians but they are Filipinos. Why in the world do blacks here in America only feel worth when they are looking to Africa??? It’s like you want to skip over the fact that we came here, in bondage, lived in YES grass huts, yet still raised families, created a NEW culture that is all our own and should be PROUD of. No I am sorry I do not hold any awe for Africa that says I must pay homage to them. I recognize that part of my lineage but that’s it. Why would I want to keep looking back towards a Continent that does NOT embrace us? Hell they were the ones that SOLD US!!! What the fuck about that little piece of heritage???? Did they get in their boats and come after us??? Have they ever??? NOPE. So fuck them. Pure and simple.

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   RBT reply on May 22, 2008 2:02 pm:

   It not about what white people think about black people. We have form another culture here in America but that does not take away form our heritage and where we came from. Look at it this way you dont know your great,great,great,great,great,great grandmother but she’s still a part of who you are.

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   TROUBLMan reply on May 22, 2008 2:16 pm:

   I’m very proud of what we’ve done in America. But I’m also proud of what we’ve done all over the world. Remember, the majority of African slaves landed in Brazil. We’ve built that country and so many more. As the ships turned and went in opposite direction our history ceased to exist? We we’re sold, but the store we came from was called the continent of Africa.

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   Boosy reply on May 22, 2008 2:42 pm:

   damn MAURICE did you really have to yell at us…

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4. RB3

   I have this notion of an intricate system with all these cogs and wheels in place. Guarding the system are the very ingrates that are controlled by it. We must start by expunging their existence and annihilating the possibility of its resurfacing. To do so, we must honestly find something so much more appealing to our brothers and sisters than the satisfaction they receive from sex or the pleasures of monetary means. If Sean Bell was a “gangsta” we might have had a start.

   Remember nigga don’t read. Niggas don’t write unless its lyrics or dollar signs involved. So trying to put pen to pad and expect the population of people causing most of the dilemmas to catch on. We must do what our mentors and heroes did - hit the street. Hit the street without disregard for law or the unlawful. We must say what is suppressed to the people that need to hear it and keep saying it ’til it hurts. I MEAN HURTS to the core, where men you thought would die before shedding a tear to their pain.

   So my next article will contain some points of this topic, but we need to relocate. Not leave America, but NY, ATL, CHI, DET. We have been corralled to what we call chocolate cities, but only because our ancestors fled physical persecution to mental and monetarial servitude. We are here because we think we have more of a chance to make it with such a plethora of opportunities. The opportunities we want are not for us, its those jobs that “need to be done” that are quaintly saved for us - bellboy, receptionist, admin assisstants, servers, waiters, train operators - all generated by the service industry. And I mean as low as you can go on that totem pole of industry.

   We have been scammed. All the education in the world won’t do a thing if you can’t mobilize the people to make a move. We have a trillion dollars worth of buying power and niggas still ain’t talking about shit except rims and things. We should buy a city that has been lost to government regulations and taxes. If we buy the city and only allow certain peoples to move in - lawfully - we can do whatever it is we dreamed. We can build mecca in the middle of this hell. I think thats a start.

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5. TROUBLMan

   I’m sorry to burst y’all bubble but I’m African. I’m also black, African-American and sometimes I’m a “nigga.” No I’ve never been to Africa, and Africans may not accept me as being the same as them, but my history is real.

   If we’re simply American that means our history began when we got off of the slave ship. Yeah right. What about the experience on the ship? What about boarding the ship? Just because we can’t define our lineage doesn’t mean that we deny it.

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   "A Mom" reply on May 22, 2008 1:10 pm:

   Well said troublman.
   My history is my history, and we can pretend what ever we want to pretend but the ship did start in Africa.

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   Malia reply on May 22, 2008 1:17 pm:

   I love being Black and I take pride in my African heritage and I hope to travel to Africa in the future and learn as much as I can. But for Black Americans descended from slaves, the reality is we have little true knowledge of Africa. The knowledge I have gained was gained only after coming to college and choosing to study those topics independently. Through the legacy of slavery and assimilation those ties were deeply severed and we can never get that knowledge, that connection back. And calling ourselves African American is not going to change that.

   I agree with you that we should not neglect our heritage and deny our ancestors ever came from there. But all we know is to be American and I believe it is okay to be that.

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   RBT reply on May 22, 2008 1:43 pm:

   Africans, African-Americans, Blacks, Niggas have only recently been considered as people in this country. We still getting fucked over in this country to blindly identify with being American that means to people outside of this country you support America’s relationship with the rest of the world ie. our position in Iraq and all the other faulty shit that the small percentage of people running this country very few if any are black are doing

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6. Crystal

   I agree with this article. I am not African American. I am a Black American. I have ancestors from Africa but I am not African. I do not claim to be. I really think that we as a people should keep that distinction from the two. WE are descendants of slaves (some) from Africa and some from other parts of the world. And we may be surprised to learn that many of us do not have much African blood within our DNA as we might think. After seeing that documentary on backtracking our DNA lineage that allot of our heritage is not just African but European, Spanish, and by a smaller degree Native American. We should celebrate our Black American heritage that was passed down to us by the strength of our ancestors blood. We are survivors. We should not cling to a lost heritage but uplift what we have built right here in this country. OUR country.

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   TROUBLMan reply on May 22, 2008 1:15 pm:

   Wow. Africa is a lost heritage? How can that be? Vibrant cultures existed in Africa long before any slave ships docked on the shores. They continued when the ships set sail to the new world. And, they continue to exist to today. Just because we can’t tell the stories of our heritage doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

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   "A Mom" reply on May 22, 2008 1:25 pm:

   Descendants=One of particular lineage, that traced back to a earlier form.
   I find it funny that a lot (not all) blacks identify with the European, Spanish, Native American etc. in them but don’t want to be African. As if being proud of your African heritage is bad. You might have all these combinations in your DNA, but we are talking about the beginning. Without that I feel you have no heritage. Your ancestors are your heritage.

   Also yes I would be surprised to learn that many of us do not have much African blood, because even European, Spanish, Native Americans etc, all come from the same place.

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7. seximomi

   I really enjoyed your topic/views on the differences in Black
   Americans and African Americans. There is a disparity in
   how “others”, and Africans themselves, in grouping us yet once
   again. We are ancestors, but there is a great difference. I applaude
   that segment and I will read more of your articles as listed on your
   blog. Keep up the great commentaries!

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8. She-Rell

   Im flat out American…I was born here dammit!

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   She-Rell reply on May 22, 2008 1:28 pm:

   Im not denying anything…you can look at me and tell im from African decent….however I am still American.

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9. TROUBLMan

   HOW MANY GENERATIONS DOES IT TAKE IN ORDER FOR SOMEONE TO DENY HIS OR HER HERITAGE? THE ARTICLE MENTIONS 5 TO 10 GENERATIONS. IS THAT ALL IT TAKES TO DENY A HERITAGE THAT IS HUNDREDS OF GENERATIONS OLD?

   IF YOUR ARGUMENT IS THAT WE’RE NOT AFRICAN BECAUSE GENERATIONS HAVE PASSED SINCE WE CAME HERE, AFTER HOW MANY GENERATIONS WERE WE NO LONGER AFRICAN?

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   "A Mom" reply on May 22, 2008 1:33 pm:

   My beginnings is so much more than all this generation stuff. I was born in America, but my roots are in Africa. My beginnings and what I am now is African American of if you will American African.
   I’m not trying to be anything else.
   All the girls in my family have long black hair. People say what are you? just because people think that real black people don’t have long hair. They think we all wear weaves. I don’t say I’m a Indian black, European Black, Spanish Black. I say I’m African American. An African born and raised in American. And we have long black hair too.

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   mrschocolatestuff reply on May 22, 2008 1:50 pm:

   that’s difficult to say. can we assume that ALL black people have originally come from Africa?

   in any event, i’d call myself Black African American. My aunt traced our roots to an african tribe- unfortunately i dont recall the name. she had proof and documentation. therefore i cannot deny my african roots and ancestors. i was born here, so was my parents, grands and so forth. not saying ‘african’ doesnt necessarily mean denial of any kind. saying ‘american’ or ‘black’ identifies where we were born and what race we are.

   do you hear africans say they are ‘black africans’? very unlikely. do you hear europeans say they are ‘african europeans’? let me know.

   we’ve lost sooooooooooooooooo much of our culture that it’s hard to pinpoint exactly who we are. so we try to find anything- a title, a label or catagory- to fit somewhere.

   race is a manmade concept, please realize that. so what’s left? where we currently live or where our parents were born + race

   if no one agrees with what society calls them, they sure do have the freedom to tell people to identify them in another way… but rarely do you find someone who’d do that.

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   Terry reply on May 22, 2008 3:45 pm:

   Considering that the oldest known human remains have been found in Africa, doesn’t this argument make EVERYONE African?

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   "A Mom" reply on May 22, 2008 9:37 pm:

   You are right Terry. Where we all started. Even a lot of Black have no idea what you are talking and don’t care to know.

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10. RBT

    Rob I agree with a lot of the stuff you said in the article I have always considered myself black never denouncing my African heritage but just being aware that Im mixed with hella shit. However when we started talking about your piece I realize that I am African as well as Indian, French, Spanish and a couple other cultures sprinkled in there. I don’t really understand how you can want to hold on to and Identify with a word (which if you read Niggas R Us you know Im not against it) and denounce your African heritage. We’ve been African for thousands of year in American we only legally been considered a person for a little over a 100. I agree the Blacks in this country have a different culture than people born in Africa but how can you deny that were the same, we’re all in this struggle together the sooner we realize that the better off we’ll be. As far as creating a mecca in the middle (I understand what you mean be uniting) but its a horrible idea first in the sense that a society never wants to be land locked especially if we consider ourselves surrounded by enemies that only gives them more power they can further contain us and our resources (think about if water was the same price of gas..just something to think about) as well, I like people of all races I don’t want to just be limited to a all black environment I feel as though the way for us the get out of this conundrum is to become people of the world where we experience ourselves without our historical racist baggage. Personally I’m trying to explore the universe.

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    "A Mom" reply on May 22, 2008 1:35 pm:

    We all got hella shit in us. We all started somewhere. Let’s explore that.

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    mrschocolatestuff reply on May 22, 2008 3:35 pm:

    as they say– ignorance is bliss. and sense is by far uncommon.

    black americans here are mutts. period. we are walking melting pots.

    isnt it interesting that you hear the majority of other people identify themselves based on where their families hailed from? sometimes it’s by country or even region.

    hey- where ya from?
    sicily or my family came from sicily- some say italy, some do not.

    americans- we got state, city, maybe town. lol. some may say the country if they are immigrants.. .then we break it down based on where our parents are from- still state and maybe city

    hey- where ya from?

    new york, harlem, bronx but mom’s side is from VA, dad’s side is from NC.

    in a nutshell i’m a southern blooded yankee harlem-uptown gal. quite a mouthful aint it.

    we’ve lost a lot and it’s taking a great deal of time to regain.

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11. RB3

    Our ancestors are from Africa. How many generations ago was that? They had no way of returning or connecting to the land that was lost to them. Here, on this soil, did they build something for the future. Do we just disregard that because they were taken from their native land? That’s like saying a family lost their farm to a large corporation. After struggling for generations to rebuild, they weren’t able to but began a foundation for a new one. This is why were are having so many problems. No one can accept the fact that you are here in America, struggling. (They are really struggling in Africa too) If you want to leave, leave. If you’re gonna stand up for what your ancestors did, fight for more of the same bullshit that you want, like freedom, then you stay here. Admit to yourself, like all these other slightly minorities do that once you’re borne here, YOU ARE AMERICAN. They took Africa from us. I want what’s mine. It’s what my parents built, their parents built and their parents built.

    I am not falling into any mold or assimilative state, but think about this. If you built something wouldn’t you want to put your name on it. Well if we all know that Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians built this country with their own hands. Why is it that white people are the only people that get to say that they are American? Look on any survey. Understandably THEY carry a demonstrative, patriarchal and imperialistic tone to that American title, but we do not and that is what we ourselves are missing out on.

    I get it. I really do. But are you? We are not in Africa. We are over here fighting for the simple freedom to be who we are without being told “This is who you are” by the subliminal messaging. This is the fight that was started - who wants to quit and go home, “back to Africa”?!?!

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    TROUBLMan reply on May 22, 2008 2:03 pm:

    We’ve always connected with the land. It’s in us. It’s in the fact the we have darker skin because of the climate. It’s in our blood, hence the reason sickle cell anemia is a “black” disorder. It’s in the fact that lots of black people are lactose intolerant. Our African bodies are still learning how to digest cows milk. We’ve always braided our hair. And like Dave Chappelle says “don’t let a nigga hears some drums…”

    What about Liberia? Liberia was colonized by freed African American slaves in the 1880s, which is a shining example that slaves have returned to Africa. Yes, I’m American. But I’m African just like the freed slaves who went back to Liberia. My family decided to stay here.

    I definitely agree with putting my name on something I built. That’s why I never deny that I’m American. White people aren’t the only one who get to say their American. the term African American accepts both.

    I also agree that as black people we need to focus on our uniquely American problems. But to me, one of the problems is that we don’t accept our heritage. And because of the denial we’re divided as a people.

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12. RB3

    RBT

    I dig it. The community does not have to be in the middle, but with the buying power we as minorities have, we can “combine our powers” to do something real for a change. Right now as individuals, we mostly horde our resources to ourselves. Reasonable, but not conducive to really making a move. There are multiple possibilities….

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13. RB3

    If you know who you are you do not have to be defined by a word. Most people are defined by the heritage of their land. Where is African American land? Where is Asian American land? Sounds like a theme park; an attraction to me. Us scurrying to cling to being this word, African. Subscribe to the culture, the attitude and the knowledge that comes with having understood what it is to be African. Then you will have understood and internalized the history of that land. Here, in America, are the struggles of time that we have faced. Here, is where our stand is made. You stand up for your city? You stand up for your hood? Your protect the house you call home? If yes to any of this. Know your culture, don’t let the words fool you. This is about more than the origination or classification of a word its a proclamation of standing ground.

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14. mrschocolatestuff

    actually what africans do and what black americans do may be the same but americans have a mixture of everyone else’s cultures. so that’s to say we do not have the true african culture. but again, that’s not denying we share certain aspects.

    understand the concept of slavery to begin with. africans were stripped of their identities, spirits and so forth. they were forced to absorb european and asian cultures, basically losing themselves. that was the power of the slave traders and owners. slaves hardly flip flopped because with that, they would pay with their lives. they were forced to forget who they were- doctors, mothers, fathers, business owners- and had to take on a completely new identity- new names, different clothing, how to address their ‘masters’…they could not speak in their native tongue. they could NEVER learn because learning is power- we know what’d happen if someone was caught teaching a slave or a slave was caught learning anything.

    once they arrived here and were slaves for x amount of years, some of their true african being was lost and children birthed during slavery times could only gain what they could on the low and pick up most of european ways…as time passed, the trickle down theory occurred. slaves right off the boat (men, women, children)- 100%, their children- possibly 70% (because you see, they may have learned some african ways but for safety and security, somethings could have been left out so they could see another 10 years), their grandchildren- maybe 50%…. you get to 5th, 6th, 7th generation, there’s but so much African anything that is left.

    There are a good amount of americans- black, african- whichever you prefer- that realize some things we do- from dancing to hairstyles, are african based. but we, americans, have been white washed- europeanized because it seems they thought they were good enough to capture BUT they were considered savages and animals which is why YOU aren’t dancing in a loin cloth with your breasts out around the fire. This is why you are wearing shoes, bras, panties. Hello, this is why you are speaking the queen’s language.

    And a newsflash, most of Africa has been modernized because of the europeans, spanish and asians…have to go in the sticks and bushes to get your loin cloth experience.

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15. Tyberius

    I can see your point when it comes to bloodlines but can you really claim a culture and its heritage if you’ve never embraced its practices as your own?

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16. Traci

    I am in absolute agreement that with so much of this. It is true that African people looked down us as “African Americans” and act accordingly. They do not consider us African at all on any level and have a general disdain for us. We as black Americans also treat each other according to our own skin tone. Some where along the lines we began to make the Willie Lynch Letters our reality. I am a very bright skinned black woman and have had to live my whole life not being accepted by black people because I am not black enough or white people because I am not white leaving me and many others that I know in a separate class altogether. I have not looked down on any one for any reason no matter what color you are however the same has not been the case for me. I have dealt with the insults from what is supposed to be my own people being called white girl my entire life and having thoses white people who would, still call me a nigga. I am on the outskirts of both societies so I like you have to make my declaration and simply be an American! Nothing more, nothing less.

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    toy reply on May 22, 2008 5:50 pm:

    i am very curious where the generalizations come from that african people look down upon african-american people? perhaps its the people that you come across looking down on you. i have an african father - straight from africa who is a proud, former politician from his country who married an african-american - straight outta cali woman…they’ve been maried 35 years and i can’t recall a day that he ever looked down upon her. i’ve traveled to africa plenty of times and although i’ve been referred to as the “american gal”, i can’t recall a time that anyone has ever looked down upon me.

    do you ever think that we as americans may look down upon them?

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17. Q.

    time-out..

    does anyone else see a Black man in the picture alongside Africa? (pay close attention to the negative space).. yes, i have issues..

    time-in..

    “My skin and state of mind are not comparable to those African specimens.”

    that line just sounds funny to me.. like a Weird Science project or something.. (don’t mind me)..

    being brutally honest, i just don’t get this post.. i was even confused as to how so many comments were posted.. i was right there with Yalindo and his comment.. but then as i read the comments, i started to see that everyone gravitated towards the discussion about the label(s) that we stake claim to.. is that really the point of the post? am i trying to dig too deep in this? i mean first i was asked a question.. then i was told about the difference between Africans and AfAms (which i don’t disagree with, being brutally honest).. then some bitches and hoes came into the club and popped onto video sets.. then i was a color.. then there was the village/community that i kinda wanted to be a part of but couldn’t figure out what its name was or where it was located.. then i was american..

    oh.. i’m Black.. i feel like until i visit my true home, then i cannot stake claim to that status.. for me, it’s a tip of my hat to them.. no disrespect to people that may fall into this category, but its akin to dudes that install cable or work on the train as a conductor that still get the label “engineer”.. no, no you’re not.. you’re a guy that installs cable.. engineers earned that label by receiving that degree.. similar to those that receive their mba from University of Phoenix Online.. nah.. i can’t acknowledge that, so you don’t get the caps.. you’re not a pro ball player.. you’re in a bad rec league.. so i feel like i’m balling in that rec league until i earn my stripes by visiting and truly trying to understand my heritage.. for now, i’m cool with all my Black people and my Black fam here in the States.. we’ve been family for as long as i’ve been alive.. Not one of us went to Africa.. so, we’re just Black.. in my book..

    [Reply]

    Malia reply on May 27, 2008 9:44 am:

    LOL!!!!! You need help!!!! Lord, please help him!!!

    TOUCHE!!!

    And no I didn’t see a Black man in the picture alongside Africa, maybe because I’m sick, but I’m just not seeing it…..

    [Reply]

18. "A Mom"

    I respect everyone’s opinion. I guess it comes down to what you feel and we all look at things different. Personally I know I didn’t start in America and that there was a beginning for me. I long to know where I started and I do know Africa was part of that beginning.

    [Reply]

19. TROUBLdMami

    Building a productive and positive community cannot come without knowing where you come from…Whether you consider yourself “Black”, “African-American”, or whatever, the bottom line is we all come from somewhere…You have to know where you are from or some type of history to know where you are going…That is why Black people especially are so confused, and not focused…It seems like we fall into a system that has tried to identify us and place us in a category for us to fail, for us to never unite, for us to stay complacement…We have allowed and are continuing to allow the system to taint our mental and thats where we are failing as a people…Divide and conquer and its working…Instead of being stuck on labels, because that’s what it seems like everyone is discussing, the main goal is to figure out where we are going and how we are going to get there as a whole…When labels are implemented, that is when segregation begins…No matter what, we are all related in some form or fashion…Civilization began in Africa, how can one deny that? Yes, we live in America, everyone wants to claim being American, but here in our so called “homeland” that we built we are still not respected…But, its brought up that Africans have a disdain for us…Shit, America has a disdain for Blacks…

    [Reply]

20. TROUBLdMami

    correction: complacent…oops…

    [Reply]

21. TROUBLdMami

    Just because we are divided by oceans doesn’t mean we are SO DIFFERENT!!! I bet if we were to search everyone’s lineage/heritage on here, it would trace back to Africa somehow or the other…I don’t think you can just solely define who you are off of where you live…that is just ignorant…That is what is wrong with people, we don’t think on a humanity/community level, we think on individual levels…I’m sad for our future…

    [Reply]

Reply to “I Am”

SEE ALSO

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