AFRICANS V. AFRICAN AMERICANS

There is a sad divide among Africans and African Americans. In order to stop the promulgation of negative stereotypes, it is time we all play our part.

AAs should not think:

• Africans are poor and uncivilized. Our nations were pillaged and so our GDPs are in fact low. It is, however, incorrect to assume all Africans are poor. Especially not the ones who made it in your nations. IFYKYK. Though, I must highlight, poverty is no Scarlet Letter to begin with— more often than not, one is poor not based on the lack of effort but based on the lack of opportunity.
• Africans are one big giant convoluted thing. We constitute 54 distinct nations with over 3000 tribes and languages. A Kenyan Masai woman will be well adorned with beads and live off grid. An E-Swatini woman will embrace Polygamy whereas a Malian Fulani woman will be nomadic and in a matriarchal society. Finally, a Zulu woman will sing hymn/spirituals that will bring tears to your eyes.

Similarly, Africans should not think:

• AAs are lazy and visionless. The racist whites in power here once made laws to refuse them access to adequate housing. Literally drew city maps to throw them in Ghettos. There, the schools were unfunded and there were no large businesses coming to town and so: no jobs! Poverty breeding crime, coupled with police’s documented targetting/ bias led to 1 in 3 black boys filling the jails. Once out, they retained criminal records, which blocked their access to jobs even further. This in turn led to recidivism with unfortunately half of them returning to jails. So don’t you dare addressing them as lazy… The correct terminology would be discriminated against, abused and purposefully impoverished.

I have mingled among elite educated blacks in America and in the diaspora. But I must caution us all to never forget our origins. In the words of the Great Chinua Achebe, “Let the slave who sees another cast into a shallow grave know that he will be buried in the same way when his day comes.” YOUR PAIN IS MY PAIN, YOUR JOY IS MY JOY – WE ARE ONE!

A Toast To The Continued Push Toward Black Excellence!