From The New Yorker: "My Great-Grandfather, the Nigerian Slave-Trader"

[therewillbeboogienights]

if rich families want to help children you do that through donating money for a school, library, teacher, school supplies etc, you dont do that by getting a child servant

The people in this thread using that as an excuse just can't seem to face the atrocities that their people have done. Its easier to label themselves as " compassionate" even when its painfully obvious that they r exploiting people.

 

[therewillbeboogienights]

You all have to read to Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe if you haven't already. He gives a solid portrayal of Igbo life, (the good, the bad and the ugly) before European arrival. One of the greatest books of all time.

this is legit my favorite book ever.

I have read it so many times. I have a copy that I'm gonna make my children read.

 

[therewillbeboogienights]

This is common all over the Africa and the world for that matter.

Let not act naive here.

Yeah I really hope people don't read this thinking "nigerians are evil!!!!" b/c its a lot more complex than that.

Slavery in general is morally reprehensible but Nigeria isn't the only country with blood on its hands.

 

[therewillbeboogienights]

Nothing wrong with loving who you are but there is a clear difference between that and making stupid ass assumptions on people in a land that you will never see or travel to, have a strong opinion on a culture you are not a part of and make a blanket ignorant statement and then cry wolf when you been shot

People reacting to this with emotion first, and the people actually in the culture are reacting to this with level headed approach b/c well "its their culture"

I kind of wish we had a more nuanced discussion without the strong undercurrent of "betrayal" but I can't fault them for reacting this way tbh.

 

[therewillbeboogienights]

some don't get how complex of a problem it is

Yeah, I was waiting for nuanced responses but then I realized this posted in the locker room and not the root.

 

[therewillbeboogienights]

Hey look white people! We had slaves too! We have proud slaving ancestors who were great people just like your confederate ancestors!" " We both sold these poor Black Americans!" "We don't fukk with them either look at me!"

Thats the vibe I got too.

 

[BlackJesus]

You know I"m not African. I am Black American -- and you know damn well I don't claim or boast having non-African blood/DNA -- as I know how and why I have it.

My family is not African. They are Black American and proud to be.

If you are interested in my DNA -- I talk about it here:
Ancestry DNA Matches from Africa - Are These Questions Ok to Ask Them or Nah?

Unless you're mixed. The only thing that separates you and an African is a single boat ride.

 

[xoxodede]

Unless you're mixed. The only thing that separates you and an African is a single boat ride.

It's a lot more that separates me - from an African from the continent. It's culture, experience, lineage, etc.

It's disingenuous and minimizing to compare the two -- on both sides.

And....It's not a issue. I don't know why people try to make into one.

Africans from the continent are proud of their culture, tribe, ancestors, experience, etc. And I feel the same way about mine.

I am proud of my African ancestors who were kidnapped/sold into slavery - but that is where my connection to Africa ends. That's honest and --- just reality.

I am made up of many different countries, tribes, cultures in terms of the continent of Africa. But, in the States -- I am made up of one -- and I respect, honor and love that.

 

[IllmaticDelta]

Unless you're mixed. The only thing that separates you and an African is a single boat ride.

it ain't that simple even pred unmixed new world blacks are not simply, unchanged continental africans but they're creolized, both african wise (igbo-yoruba + wolof + angolan + ghanaian etc..) and creolized culturally (angloafrican, francoafrican, iberoafrican and black indian, garufina, zambo etc...) through contact with europeans and/or amerindians.

 

[AlainLocke]

It's a lot more that separates me - from an African from the continent. It's culture, experience, lineage, etc.

It's disingenuous and minimizing to compare the two -- on both sides.

And....It's not a issue. I don't know why people try to make into one.

Africans from the continent are proud of their culture, tribe, ancestors, experience, etc. And I feel the same way about mine.

I am proud of my African ancestors who were kidnapped/sold into slavery - but that is where my connection to Africa ends. That's honest and --- just reality.

I am made up of many different countries, tribes, cultures in terms of the continent of Africa. But, in the States -- I am made up on one -- and I respect, honor and love that.

This is a quote

 

[get these nets]

it ain't that simple even pred unmixed new world blacks are not simply, unchanged continental africans but they're creolized, both african wise (igbo-yoruba + wolof + angolan + ghanaian etc..) and creolized culturally (angloafrican, francoafrican, iberoafrican and black indian, garufina, zambo etc...) through contact with europeans and/or amerindians.

What you wrote didn't really disprove the comment you quoted.

The same Euros who enslaved Africans in the Americas, colonized the continent towards the end of the 19th century. There has been a creolization of Africans as the artifical country borders were drawn up and the Euro institutions(schools.churches,courts) were built.
Africans existed in pluralistic societies before and after colonization, so they've been mixing culture among each other for centuries.That's why you'll meet Africans who speak SEVERAL African languages and dialects.

In recent decades, the stigma or pushback against marrying outside of ethnicity has relaxed so I'd imagine that there are many people of dual or multiple Africanethnicitities throughout the continent. Certainly not to the extent that happened for 400+ years in the Americas.

I don't think the guy's comment was received the way he intended it. I agree with it, at least regarding myself.

 

[IllmaticDelta]

What you wrote didn't really disprove the comment you quoted.

The same Euros who enslaved Africans in the Americas, colonized the continent towards the end of the 19th century. There has been a creolization of Africans as the artifical country borders were drawn up and the Euro institutions(schools.churches,courts) were built.

I would say the european influence on continental africa is more like a slight influence when you compare it to the full blown creolization that happened in the americas

Africans existed in pluralistic societies before and after colonization, so they've been mixing culture among each other for centuries.That's why you'll meet Africans who speak SEVERAL African languages and dialects.

this is true to a smaller degree in the sense that you might have a senegalese wolof + senegalese fulani mix

whereas in the the americas, the tribal mix can be much further apart/less closely related, culturally or genetically like senegambia + south eastern bantu

In recent decades, the stigma or pushback against marrying outside of ethnicity has relaxed so I'd imagine that there are many people of dual or multiple Africanethnicitities throughout the continent. Certainly not to the extent that happened for 400+ years in the Americas.

true

I don't think the guy's comment was received the way he intended it. I agree with it, at least regarding myself.

it seems like he thinks what became, new world blacks, minus admixture, are just africans who have been separated from the motherland...and you can say for sure that was true in the early stages but now, new world blacks are a clear, NEW and DISTINCT offshoot from them with a hybrid culture and its own history within the different regions of the americas

 

[get these nets]

Good post. I have a long response to this, will post tomorrow

 

[Jemmy]

it ain't that simple even pred unmixed new world blacks are not simply, unchanged continental africans but they're creolized, both african wise (igbo-yoruba + wolof + angolan + ghanaian etc..) and creolized culturally (angloafrican, francoafrican, iberoafrican and black indian, garufina, zambo etc...) through contact with europeans and/or amerindians.

Gotta delve into influence of Kongo/Angola/Bantu on Black American culture at some point. Majority of them seem to have came here. Was reading a book saying while the Mande were influencing White American culture the Kongo/Angola/Bantu were laying the groundwork and had the greatest influence on Black American culture. Very interesting perspective.

 

[Skooby]

It's a lot more that separates me - from an African from the continent. It's culture, experience, lineage, etc.

It's disingenuous and minimizing to compare the two -- on both sides.

And....It's not a issue. I don't know why people try to make into one.

Africans from the continent are proud of their culture, tribe, ancestors, experience, etc. And I feel the same way about mine.

I am proud of my African ancestors who were kidnapped/sold into slavery - but that is where my connection to Africa ends. That's honest and --- just reality.

I am made up of many different countries, tribes, cultures in terms of the continent of Africa. But, in the States -- I am made up of one -- and I respect, honor and love that.

Yep...African-Americans are a unique people.

Not to go off-topic but, who is this?