African History =/= Black History

[DPresidential]

That's why during Black History Month we celebrate great Black Americans, not kings from foreign lands.

Now, I'm not saying that African history isn't interesting, or good to know... I'm just saying that as a black person in the Americas our history starts at the Slave Trade and everything we've achieved after.

Breh...

Please...Reevaluate your stance.

That mentality is definitely one of the main ingredients with respect to our people's lack of legacy, history & tradition needed to push towards building & unity.

 

[Birnin Zana]

I agree that African history is a history inherited by New World Blacks, but it is a separate history, save a few pan-african crossovers here and there.

That history directly affected the fate of new world black's ancestors. Again, it's not like they chose to leave Africa. Stuff that happened between the European powers and each respective african tribe / ethnicity resulted in africans being sent to the new world and determined where they were sent. Its all very connected.

Not to mention that those same Africans that were sent to the new world still had their language, culture, and so on, which shaped and influences today's nations.

EDIT: And again, are you not curious about who your ancestors were before they were sent to the new world?

 

[↓R↑LYB]

He looks like a red bone in this picture

 

[Rapmastermind]

Once Black American's go beyond Slavery they find the truth. The White Man #1 mental goal was make you to feel you are nothing more than slave in chains under a boat.

 

[Poitier]

That history directly affected the fate of new world black's ancestors. Again, it's not like they chose to leave Africa. Stuff that happened between the European powers and each respective african tribe / ethnicity at the resulted in africans being sent to the new world and especially where they were sent. Its all very connected.

Not to mention that those same Africans that were sent to the new world still had their language, culture, and so on, which shaped and influences today's nations.

EDIT: And again, are you not curious about who your ancestors were before they were sent to the new world?

There is an African influence but to suggest that the influence is the sole cause for New World Black culture is obviously not true.

I personally love reading African history, but, it is a separate history from New World history. To act like Blacks share one huge monolithic history does us a disservice and is not needed to promote unity.

 

[Birnin Zana]

There is an African influence but to suggest that the influence is the sole cause for New World Black culture is obviously not true.

I personally love reading African history, but, it is a separate history from New World history. To act like Blacks share one huge monolithic history does us a disservice and is not needed to promote unity.

Always said there were differences, even in this thread. Just arguing it starts further than just in the new world. It's all good.

 

[JoeClair]

There is an African influence but to suggest that the influence is the sole cause for New World Black culture is obviously not true.

I personally love reading African history, but, it is a separate history from New World history. To act like Blacks share one huge monolithic history does us a disservice and is not needed to promote unity.

Most of the "slaves" came from very concentrated areas in Africa so you can reasonably assume what their cultures were like.

 

[Poitier]

Most of the "slaves" came from very concentrated areas in Africa so you can reasonably assume what their cultures were like.

Cultures from Benin, Cameroon, Angola (Kongo) and Igboland are all different, so I'm not quite sure I comprehend?

 

[JoeClair]

Cultures from Benin, Cameroon, Angola (Kongo) and Igboland are all different, so I'm not quite sure I comprehend?

Different then or now? Off the top of my head I can tell you that the cultures of those living in Benin and Nigeria show striking similarities even today.

 

[Poitier]

Different then or now? Off the top of my head I can tell you that the cultures of those living in Benin and Nigeria show striking similarities even today.

Outside of a few superficialities, I doubt there is anything resembling identical cultures in Benin and Nigeria, especially given the vast amount of ethnic groups in Nigeria.

 

[Concerning VIolence]

I never hear anyone say "I'm not Jamaican, I'm African." Or "I'm not Haitian, I'm African"...

what are you trying to imply? That they deny their African ROOTS? Maybe if they're Dominican..

There is an African influence but to suggest that the influence is the sole cause for New World Black culture is obviously not true.

I personally love reading African history, but, it is a separate history from New World history. To act like Blacks share one huge monolithic history does us a disservice and is not needed to promote unity.

The history of the diaspora is just a chain of Africa history.

No one's saying all African-descendants share the same language and same breakfast dish and same national bird.

 

[Kitsch]

Different then or now? Off the top of my head I can tell you that the cultures of those living in Benin and Nigeria show striking similarities even today.

Not really, maybe the Egun tribe (they're from Badagry, the border town between Nigerian and Benin).

 

[Poitier]

The history of the diaspora is just a chain of Africa history.

No one's saying all African-descendants share the same language and same breakfast dish and same national bird.

No, there are definitely people who think that acknowledging the diversity of Blackness is somehow an impediment to Pan Africanism.

 

[JoeClair]

The history of the diaspora is just a chain of Africa history.

No one's saying all African-descendants share the same language and same food dish and same national bird.

Of course not. But to pooh-pooh the idea of learning African history and gaining a connection because it's too broad is well...kinda narrow.

 

[JoeClair]

Not really, maybe the Egun tribe (they're from Badagry, the border town between Nigerian and Benin).

Food, definitely. I'm assuming you've been to both places, based on what you say here. I've been as well. I often find the similarities between African countries to not be so...tangible. Hard to explain.