Third Commons

gloryinourstory:

freebreezeandyoungbloods:

thefeeloffree:

comingonstrong:

dingane1:

howtobenoladarling:

theoneandonlyconcreterose:

thefeeloffree:

If some African-Americans really think that there is no distinction between African-Americans and continental Africans, or Black people in other parts of the world, that’s just ridiculous. We are *not* all one big monolithic family without distinctions. We have different histories, different…

I mean seriously is it that serious children are dying some people are starving and y’all over here arguing about an African American claiming their African ?? Good way to discriminate against each other it’s just like the light skin dark skin beef come on now we are all black we just come from different places what’s all the hostility about?

I find these debates to be very challenging because they labor under the idea that black people do not know anything about Africa or have “lost” their African heritage..None of those are fully true. 

Its also very intriguing to watch as african immigrants come to the states in hopes of amassing wealth/ or the american dream and then when they find the whining black american they tend to distance themselves from us…that’s cool. It really is, because what they dont understand is that that behavior is part of claiming the american dream—denigrating the black american! The jews did it, the Irish, the Italians, the poles, the latino’s, the West Indians—-anyone who comes to this country must delve into anti blackness, in order to affirm their new position as Americans. Until an Amadou Diollo happens..An African Immigrant who was shot over 40 times for taking out his wallet as a suspected criminal….

I call it the NIgger moment...when people finally experience racism on some level that is tied to anti-blackness 

but these moments are often few and far between…

Im oppressed because I am a black african…anyway you cut it….so if an African person does not want me to claim that as my heritage under the pretense that ive never been to africa i can only say ” Oh really!”  

i got alot of different feelings on this but this commentary is on point. I feel as though there are facets of being “african” or “black” that don’t translate equally based upon points of tradition  and specificity. I lament that through our undoubtedly shared heritage and the reality of how black americans came into existence we can sit down and have these convos sans hostility and put some vocabulary to these feelings.

I stand fully behind thefeeloffree on this one. NO, it is not like the light skin vs dark skin issue and don’t you dare try and use dying children as a way of diverting what this issue is really about. This is not hostility, it is reality. It is a fact. I don’t think that African Americans will truly understand where we as Africans are coming from because you continue to see it from Western eyes and try to push forward arguments that stem from complexities that lie within the African-American experience not the African experience. Who cares that when other races see us they cannot tell the difference? What matters is that between us, we know the difference. Go to Africa and perhaps then, you’ll know exactly what we mean. We might all be black, but we are not a monolith of one culture simply because we are of the same race. 

And about us distancing ourselves from you, you are grossly oversimplifying that aspect of this issue. As immigrants, we do what all other immigrant groups do - we stay amongst ourselves because there is comfort in that familiarity and helps us to settle ourselves better in a foreign place. In fact, within the African immigrant group, most of us hardly mix between ourselves meaning that Senegalese people, Ghanaians, Nigerians, Ethiopians and such usually stay within their own nationalities. So African-Americans are not as unique as they like to think they are in that respect.

Furthermore, we don’t come here to pursue the “American Dream”, but simply to be able to access opportunities that we unfortunately do not have access to in our own countries, for whatever reason. ‘Til this day, I don’t really know what the American Dream but what I do know is, my dreams of the future do not take place in this country. 

We’re not saying that there cannot be solidarity between us, but rather that we need to respect the fact that the term ‘African’ isn’t some casual reference and synonym for all black people everywhere. We understand that the reason for this separation and loss of identity is a tragic one, and we are not trying to erase the historical connection that we have but sadly, the reality of this historical outcome is something that neither of us have control over. Regardless of all of this, you cannot erase our uniqueness as continental Africans and our right to define who we are. 

This is all over the place, but I’m really angry so…

omg funke, i am JUST now seeing your commentary on this

#myheartisfull #imgladthismakessense

we feel erased. i’m still waiting for people to recognize that.

I see both sides of this argument and I can understand 1st gen 2nd generation etc. african americans need for identity. Not all black peoples culture and origin are the same so to lump it all in with out respect to differences is really like missing out on special things that make us unique as a people. As long as you know who you as an individual you will never be erased because im sure there are more people like yourself in other places. As an african american i know that there are things about my family that make us unique from other african americans i don’t feel erased or invisible. I don’t feel that it’s african americans identifying themselves as africans that make you feel invisible its the society you are in that makes you feel that way. They see us as all the same just like it was said before they don’t know the difference. So alot of the times the differences don’t amount to much. I love all of you all. Cause it’s all that I have. As african americans we don’t have identities back in africa to claim. all we have is our skin color an our past experiences. So it’s like we cant look in the mirror an not see your reflections back us whatever origin you came from. I would say watch this http://youtu.be/H18PESzNX2c

I don’t really know how I feel about this because it’s such a sticky situation.  I’m in a position where I have absolutely no idea where my ancestors are from and it really saddens me.  And so I can understand why someone would want to hold onto their identities, especially in America.  But we have too much work to do before the end for Identities to be causing hostility amongst us.  We honestly just don’t have the time.