The New Yorker: The Descendants of Slaves in Nigeria Fight for Equality

[get these nets]

The situation between Igbos ‘osu’ and African-Americans is very different, but I shall see enjoy the nonsense that will be spewed from the nyash of foreigners

Can you educate us about those differences are?
Some comments about ethnic groups from outsiders are said out of stupidity. Others are made from a person genuinely not knowing. That applies across the board, and we've all seen instances of people making presumptions and assumptions about people based on false perceptions.
Ignorance is not knowing something, stupidity is not knowing and not caring.



I'm somewhat familiar with topic of Osu , and the systems of servitude that existed in West Africa pre Islam/ pre Christian contact. It was different than the chattel slavery system that existed in this part of the world, but wouldn't you say the topic of redressing that caste has some parallels to Black people here seeking redress for the racial caste system that exists here?

 

[MischievousMonkey]

Great article!

My favorite African proverb says:
"If there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can do you no harm"

The caste system amongst some West African groups was one of the factors that contributed to their weakening.

 

[get these nets]

Igbo monarchs set Dec 28 to end Osu caste

Applaud them for taking action.
Good post, but the Civil Rights Acts passed in USA didn't end discrimination altogether. It set legal penalties for it, but it couldn't have ended generations of racism embedded in the culture of the country. The decree of Igbo leaders wouldn't erase the generations of the caste system.

 

[Ugo Ogugwa]

I'm nigerian as well but 2 pages for the op...

Cot damn this shyt was long

 

[get these nets]

Great article!

My favorite African proverb says:
"If there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can do you no harm"

The caste system amongst some West African groups was one of the factors that contributed to their weakening.

Excellent post.

Euros studied and documented EVERYTHING about the groups they encountered. People use the term "divide and conquer" but in reality, what they did was exploit existing divisions and conquer. Groups will naturally protect their own interests, but Euros are experts at pitting groups against each other........and swooping in during the confusion.

It's happening right now,in real time , and people are taking the bait. Attacking rival groups and losing sight of who the real enemy is.

 

[Ugo Ogugwa]

But wasn't you giving Ados shyt for fighting for reparations against cacs in the other thread tho?!? all because your not entitled to it????

Is this directed at me? If so show me where I opposed reparations.

 

[Ugo Ogugwa]

I think people who love to put Nigerian tradition spirituality on a pedestal while shytting on Christianity should read this piece.

A lot of ancient customs are based on resource hoarding, exclusionist and fear mongering. Like everything else, boils down to money.

 

[The Odum of Ala Igbo]

Applaud them for taking action.
Good post, but the Civil Rights Acts passed in USA didn't end discrimination altogether. It set legal penalties for it, but it couldn't have ended generations of racism embedded in the culture of the country. The decree of Igbo leaders wouldn't erase the generations of the caste system.

Yes, of course. It’ll take a few generations for the stigma to go away.

 

[The Odum of Ala Igbo]

Can you educate us about those differences are?
Some comments about ethnic groups from outsiders are said out of stupidity. Others are made from a person genuinely not knowing. That applies across the board, and we've all seen instances of people making presumptions and assumptions about people based on false perceptions.
Ignorance is not knowing something, stupidity is not knowing and not caring.



I'm somewhat familiar with topic of Osu , and the systems of servitude that existed in West Africa pre Islam/ pre Christian contact. It was different than the chattel slavery system that existed in this part of the world, but wouldn't you say the topic of redressing that caste has some parallels to Black people here seeking redress for the racial caste system that exists here?

Biggest contrast is that this is:
- In group discrimination
- Osu caste is not based on an immutable characteristic like race or ethnicity. Rather, it is based upon religious customs and who disobeyed or tarnished the sanctity of the Gods
- The imposition of Christianity may have worsened the perception of those in the Osu caste

 

[get these nets]

Biggest contrast is that this is:
- In group discrimination
- Osu caste is not based on an immutable characteristic like race or ethnicity. Rather, it is based upon religious customs and who disobeyed or tarnished the sanctity of the Gods
- The imposition of Christianity may have worsened the perception of those in the Osu caste

Thanks,

But is it immutable though? If it's based on lineage, it is permanent.

Also, is it really in group discrimination? Isn't the modern day Igbo identity a (relatively recent)consolidation of related groups? Don't these religious customs predate the coming together of these different groups?

I would think the teaching of Christianity (new testament) would serve to diminish any stigma attached to a group viewed as being punished by the religious system that it supplanted.

 

[The Odum of Ala Igbo]

Thanks,

But it is is immutable though? If it's based on lineage, it is permanent.

Also, is it really in group discrimination? Isn't the modern day Igbo identity a (relatively recent)consolidation of related groups? Don't these religious customs predate the coming together of these different groups?

I would think the teaching of Christianity (new testament) would serve to diminish any stigma attached to a group viewed as being punished by the religious system that it supplanted.

The designation becomes immutable, yes. But the origin point is not.

No, Igbo identity is not recent as you think. If Igbo identity, so is French and English identities.

The Osu were the first to convert to a Christianity. We have not forgotten

 

[saturn7]

How is that applicable to this topic?
Wouldn't this story be comparable to descendants of enslaved people addressing issues directly to the descendants of those who enslaved them?

People addressing the U.S. govt and American institutions about reparations directly for the enslavement of Africans in America is not what (sensible) people have labeled as being divisive.
Throwing other Black people under the bus under the false belief that "they all look down on us anyway", is what people have labeled as divisive.

It was a shot at the anti-ADOS crowd who accuse ADOS of being divisive and pawns or "divide and conquer" tactics from white supremacists.

The point is (proved by the OP) that Africans had divisions among themselves before Europeans exploited and got involved in the slave trade. There was never some continental unity or Universal idea of Blackness.

ADOS can't divide something that was never unified is my point.

 

[Kasgoinjail]

Long and interesting read
No man has time to be a slave

 

[Gravity]

It was a shot at the anti-ADOS crowd who accuse ADOS of being divisive and pawns or "divide and conquer" tactics from white supremacists.

The point is (proved by the OP) that Africans had divisions among themselves before Europeans exploited and got involved in the slave trade. There was never some continental unity or Universal idea of Blackness.

ADOS can't divide something that was never unified is my point.

You can certainly exploit and exacerbate existing divisions. There are ethnic differences and rivalries amongst whites and Asians but not white or Asian ethnic group will side with a black group against other white or Asian ethnic groups. It's not a coincidence that ados and the foreign blacks on that tribal shyt, both think that they have more in common with whites than with each other.

 

[ogc163]

Interesting...very interesting.