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We Too Are Black In America
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On July 23 and July 24 at 9pm, CNN will air a six-hour documentary, Black in America with Soledad O’Brien. The documentary promises to be an in-depth and unprecedented examination of the lives of African-Americans in the years since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Despite the ground-breaking nature of this program, I know that many Africans will not tune in, and will dismiss a program about African-Americans as not relevant to their lives. However, Africans who hold this viewpoint fail to recognize that the African-American story is our story, too.
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The relationship between Africans and African-Americans is a complicated one. We are connected by blood and by common experiences. But for the greed of both whites and Africans who thought it mere commerce to sell their fellow human beings like so many bolts of cloth, Shaniqua from around the way might have been your cousin Sinachi. And a police officer who pulls you over for “driving while Black” probably doesn’t know or care whether you are from Atlanta or Accra. Yet there is still somewhat of a gap between Africans and African-Americans. The gap is perpetuated by ignorance of each others’ cultures, the different experiences of citizens and immigrants, and by negative and false media portrayals of both groups.
Africans who distance themselves from African-Americans should remember that we are family, and an African can never disown his family. We Africans might feel the connection to our African-American brothers and sisters more keenly by reading the autobiography of Olaudah Equiano, an African man who was sold into slavery in the 1700s. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, is the story of Olaudah Equiano, who was kidnapped from his Ibo village by fellow Africans when he was eleven years old. Equiano tells the story of traveling by land to the coast, where he was put on a slave ship for transport to Barbados and eventually taken to Virginia, where he was bought by a British naval officer. He expected to be freed after serving with his master in the Seven Years’ War, but was instead sold to Montserrat, where he remained a slave until he bought his freedom in 1766.
Equiano’s book was unprecedented because he vividly recounted his life in Africa and educated his audience about African customs, refuting the commonly held belief that Africans were savages. His recounting of life as a slave was so vivid that he became a leader in the movement to abolish slavery. But, particularly poignant for me is his account of what it was like for Africans to be sold like chattel, and torn away any connection to their previous life. Equiano writes:
On a signal given (as the beat of a drum) the buyers rush at once into the yard where slaves are confined, and make choice of that parcel they like best. The noise and clamor with which this is attended, and the eagerness visible in the countenances of the buyers, serve not a little to increase the apprehension of terrified Africans, who may well be supposed to consider them as the ministers of destruction to which they think themselves devoted. In this manner, without scruple, are relations and friends separated, most of them never to see each other again. I remember . . . there were several brothers who were sold in different lots; and it was moving . . . to see and hear their cries at parting.. . . Oh ye nominal Christians! Might not an African ask you – Learned you this from your God, who says unto you, Do unto all men as you would men should do unto you? Is it not enough that we are torn from our country and friends, to toil for your luxury and lust of gain? . . . Why are parents to lose their children, brothers their sisters, or husbands their wives? Surely this is a new refinement in cruelty, which, while it has no advantage to atone for it, thus aggravates distress, and adds horrors even to the wretchedness of slavery.
I recommend this book knowing that some will claim that it is too “hard” to read because of the language. And true, there is not an “lol” or “c u l8tr” to be found anywhere in the text. However, I believe that if an African slave who was forbidden by law from learning to read and write could persevere through everything he went through to write this book, we can persevere through our impatience and short attention spans to read it.
I urge you to watch Black in America and to read about Olaudah Equiano. Perhaps the two experiences together will help Africans to embrace American-Americans as we do all family. Proud of their achievements, forgiving of their faults, and with the knowledge that the ties that bind us can never be broken.
13 Responses to “We Too Are Black In America”
libpromogirl says:
July 16th, 2008 at 5:08 am
Great points!
I will certainly be tuned in….
Love your insightful points of view….
Desmond says:
July 16th, 2008 at 9:46 am
Your insight is on point. I have a new perspective on the AA/African relationship.
Joyce says:
July 16th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Great article, Awo. It’s important to remember that our shared history and culture will always bind us.
Joyce
Lisa says:
July 17th, 2008 at 7:01 am
Auntie Awo,
Your article raises some interesting points. But I feel compelled to mention that initially whenever I am interacting with African-Americans and I mention that I am originally from Africa the topic almost ALWAYS leads back to “why did y’all give us away, then”? It can be a little intimidating at times, but once you realize that that our differences aren’t too wide then communication becomes a little bit easier. Oh and I tend to become lets say emotional whenever I read books about slavery so, I’ll pass. (I started reading the Willie Lynch letter, uh no).
Blupanther says:
July 17th, 2008 at 7:39 am
Love this article. I think that our strength lies in being able to work together. We would be formidable in the US if we did!
Alex Gyeabour says:
July 17th, 2008 at 7:45 am
This is awesome! Hope my brothers & sisters will read the book & watch the documentary so relations between the distant cousins will be strengthened.
Malika says:
July 23rd, 2008 at 2:55 pm
I will definately tune in. Another good read ” BEFORE THE MAYFLOWER”.
Pam says:
July 24th, 2008 at 5:47 am
Great article filled with humbling remarks.
Pesh says:
July 26th, 2008 at 12:21 am
Your views are brilliant. But i missed the doc. Will atleast make an effort to look up Olaudah Equiano
olounwa2 says:
August 16th, 2008 at 1:55 am
its not that simple..nor is it so straightforward.. here in the uk we have a lot of tension between the carribean community and the west african community in particular, mainly because of the slave trade…I can only talk from my point of view as a british born western african. I was brought up within a west african setting and culture so the mindset of the carribean was pretty alien to me untill adulthood. untill the last decade or so, there hasnt really been a sizeable african presence in the uk. carribean black culture dominated as far as black culture was concerned, but even that is dying out now… as the new generation have no contact with the carribean and most dont identify with it..black america with its hip hop and rap culture is what they look up to.. ( well, we all know how well thats working out there… drugs, crime, etc etc..)its not unheard of for africans and west indians to beat each other up in the streets each accusing the other of being a slave and selling them..
olounwa2 says:
August 16th, 2008 at 1:59 am
what is needed is re-education.. for all.. re-educating black americans and making fully aware of black africa and not in the romantic, kunte kinte way.. but seeing the diaspora in all its glory and complexity.. and also for us africans to try to better understand why blacks outside the diaspora are so messed up about the way they view themselves.. denial is not just a river in egypt, but when you use all the negative words and promote negative images as “reclaiming your past” you have problems.. serious ones.. i am happy to note that one of the black rap moguls master p is setting up a better black entertainment network.. i hope he portrays better images of black americans for us all to see.. am sick of the usual suspects out there doing what they are expected to do..
olounwa2 says:
August 16th, 2008 at 2:03 am
and as auntie awo has stated, this question “why did you sell us to the whiteman ?” comes up in some shape or form from carribeans in the uk who as i said as much more openly hostile to africans as they have more awareness than american blacks do…its a silly question.. as its not an emotional one.. its a money question it was done for profit.. pure and simple..
Anita says:
September 5th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Hi Awo,
I watched that program and it was a great story. It gave a good insight of what African American lifestyle is about and the struggles of their everyday living. Soledad did a fabulous job. I also do want to read this book you talked about..Where do i get it??
Anita
http://www.kiddiefolktales.com
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