get these nets
Veteran
Trash
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For you personally, how has your lineage been taught to you and what tools did you use to dig even further and find things out for yourself?
I grew up with many African customs in my home, and even just my name, Dometi, means the backbone of the family and Pongo, meaning workhorse. I had this sense of identity that really helped me get a sense of confidence and develop my personality very early on. But I also had this thing where I don’t speak my native tongue fluently, so I always felt that I’m not African enough at my core. Then I go to school, and I’m getting teased for my name or my complexion. So then you feel like you’re not black American enough. I had to have these conversations with my dad about that. Why does it seem like a disconnect between my culture and theirs, and how to unpack it? It was just a lot of reading and a lot of conversation with folks learning that people were stolen through the African slave trade, but identities and who we are stolen. And so that leads to colorism and the possible alienation caused by their names or accents. So that helped me to, you know, guide folks through different. Also, a lot of reading, I read The Destruction of Black Civilization by Chancellor Williams and Lies My Teacher Told Me. The first book at 19 years old that I read about black consciousness that really got me together was the Autobiography of Malcolm X., So those books and conversations really helped me when it comes to knowledge.
Pretty cool.
I'm with whatever's trying to unify us. I'm really avoiding all of the infighting....
It's hard for myself to avoid the diaspora conflict when a group of people speak on black foreigners with malicious intention. There are times I avoid threads with divisive content. Other times I have to join in the fued to shoot back. I'm all for unity amongst variation of black ethnic group but it needs to be done with some understanding and respect not with anger and ignorance that have polluted the Coli.Pretty cool.
I'm with whatever's trying to unify us. I'm really avoiding all of the infighting....
Thanks, I enjoyed and could relate to parts of the interview.This whole interview was really good. I especially like this part, where he talks about, despite the the fact that he was ‘othered’ in is youth, he didn’t let that stop him from doing the work to fill in the cultural gaps missing between himself and black Americans, so that he could come to a point of understanding.
The same work needs to be done on this side as well.
I know you’re Haitian, but are you aware of any literature that could provide understanding and enlightenment on the position of our African brothers and sisters?