Why do African Americans Are In Denial About their African Roots!

[Queen_Samiya]

Peace Brothers and Sisters,

I am so concern about my people in the United States and other places in this world. Whenever I mention Africa to my fellow people that would either turn their heads or be in def ears.

I remember alittle while back when I had a talk with this lady whom I know from the Market place that is from Trinidad Island. She asked me is my fiance is Nigerian, I said no, he is Ghanaian, an African just like me. She told me that I am not African but American, and I told her that I don't consider myself being American and that African is in my blood. She told me that I was born here and that I am American, and then she called herself a Trinidadian instead of African. I could really tell that she is ashame about her African roots. It is really sad that I would witness this from someone who is still mentally enslave and don't even realize it.

The reality will set in when people realize of whom they really are. The Europeans who is from America knew that we as black people are Africans, but instead of being called colored or niggers, they want to call us African Americans now.

Remember after the slavery end, blacks used to have their own lands for a short while, but blacks had never own lands, because whites would take it regardless if Africans were rich or poor. Whites would fight ever penny or violence to get the land.

Alot of our fellow people doesn't seem to understand our issues and what is going on. Being African and proud is another thing for me and few of my conscious brothers and sisters.

Many of our people that lives here in America and abroard wanted to be white, they are not satisfied with their dark skin, high cheekbones, full lips, and natural (nappy) hair. I know that some our ancestors is not happy about this, because they wanted for us to know about ourselves and where we came from. It saddens me when when a woman told me that she relie on her God (white's man), the bible, and the white. What a shame!

Any comments?

Peace,
Queen Samiya

[Im The Truth]

Malcolm X said it best:

"They projected Africa always in a negative light: jungles, savages, cannibals, nothing civilized. Why then naturally it was so negative [that] it was negative to you and me, and you and I began to hate it. We didn’t want anybody telling us anything about Africa, much less calling us Africans. In hating Africa and in hating the Africans, we ended up hating ourselves, without even realizing it. Because you can’t hate the roots of a tree and not hate the tree. You can’t hate your origin and not end up hating yourself. You can’t hate Africa and not hate yourself.

You show me one of these people over here who have been thoroughly brainwashed, who has a negative attitude toward Africa, and I’ll show you one that has a negative attitude toward himself. You can’t have a positive attitude toward yourself and a negative attitude toward Africa at the same time. To the same degree that your understanding of and attitude toward Africa becomes positive, you’ll find that your understanding of and your attitude toward yourself will also become positive. And this is what the white man knows. So they very skillfully made you and me hate our African identity, our African characteristics.
You know yourself — and we have been a people who hated our African characteristics. We hated our hair, we hated the shape of our nose — we wanted one of those long, dog-like noses, you know. Yeah. We hated the color of our skin, hated the blood of Africa that was in our veins. And in hating our features and our skin and our blood, why, we had to end up hating ourselves."

[Queen_Samiya]

I definely agree with you on that. It sadden me when our people are like that!

[Seqenen-Ra]

Originally Posted by Queen_Samiya

Many of our people that lives here in America and abroard wanted to be white, they are not satisfied with their dark skin, high cheekbones, full lips, and natural (nappy) hair. I know that some our ancestors is not happy about this, because they wanted for us to know about ourselves and where we came from. It saddens me when when a woman told me that she relie on her God (white's man), the bible, and the white. What a shame!



Peace,
Queen Samiya

To a lot of Afrikans here in the west, being Black carries little to no status in their mind. As Fred Hampton teahes Us; "Racism is just a by-product of capitlalism". One way to obtain money from Us now-n-days is to convince Us to hate Our beautiful Black Selves. And so, Sistaz (as well as some Brothaz) spend million$ on hair-straightening products, bleaching products, retail clothing aimed at giving Us a false sense of high-class status, etc. We even want to be like Our enemy so bad that We resort to the savagery that they use on each other and Darker-skinned People of the Earth on each other; Generating billions of dollars for the prison-complex industry. To be white=$$; To be Black= Broke. So We try to be white as We can on all social aspects (And We're paying dearly for it).

[BlackQueen]

They're in denial because they rather embrace Amerikanism than Afrikanism. I know where I come from, I wear RBG colors,read Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X,and despise everything about Amerika! I have dark skin, full lips,locks,and luscious hips,and proud of it!

Originally Posted by Queen_Samiya

Peace Brothers and Sisters,

I am so concern about my people in the United States and other places in this world. Whenever I mention Africa to my fellow people that would either turn their heads or be in def ears.

I remember alittle while back when I had a talk with this lady whom I know from the Market place that is from Trinidad Island. She asked me is my fiance is Nigerian, I said no, he is Ghanaian, an African just like me. She told me that I am not African but American, and I told her that I don't consider myself being American and that African is in my blood. She told me that I was born here and that I am American, and then she called herself a Trinidadian instead of African. I could really tell that she is ashame about her African roots. It is really sad that I would witness this from someone who is still mentally enslave and don't even realize it.

The reality will set in when people realize of whom they really are. The Europeans who is from America knew that we as black people are Africans, but instead of being called colored or niggers, they want to call us African Americans now.

Remember after the slavery end, blacks used to have their own lands for a short while, but blacks had never own lands, because whites would take it regardless if Africans were rich or poor. Whites would fight ever penny or violence to get the land.

Alot of our fellow people doesn't seem to understand our issues and what is going on. Being African and proud is another thing for me and few of my conscious brothers and sisters.

Many of our people that lives here in America and abroard wanted to be white, they are not satisfied with their dark skin, high cheekbones, full lips, and natural (nappy) hair. I know that some our ancestors is not happy about this, because they wanted for us to know about ourselves and where we came from. It saddens me when when a woman told me that she relie on her God (white's man), the bible, and the white. What a shame!

Any comments?

Peace,
Queen Samiya

[FOOLKILLER]

African-americans have not forgotten their african roots, we know that we originated in Africa. But the African identity is not as important as maybe it should be.

If you ask most blacks they would tell you they are happy being black. If you ask these same people are they happy being african most would tell you they are not african. This is because being black and being african are 2 different things.

It's almost as if the middle passage created a whole new people with a different identity. We don't speak african, pray african, eat african or live african. This is how human cultures evolve people move and they change, (well in our case we were forced too move but the principle still applies) they are either absorbed by another group or are influenced by neigboring people.

Through the need to survive people of african decent have built there own special and unique identities. We take what to want from africa and we leave what we don't.

I mean we have been away from home for a long long time and the root is not the whole tree. We don't want to be white but we also don't want to be african, we want to be what we are and have the power to define what we are.

[Queen_Samiya]

Originally Posted by FOOLKILLER

African-americans have not forgotten their african roots, we know that we originated in Africa. But the African identity is not as important as maybe it should be.

If you ask most blacks they would tell you they are happy being black. If you ask these same people are they happy being african most would tell you they are not african. This is because being black and being african are 2 different things.

It's almost as if the middle passage created a whole new people with a different identity. We don't speak african, pray african, eat african or live african. This is how human cultures evolve people move and they change, (well in our case we were forced too move but the principle still applies) they are either absorbed by another group or are influenced by neigboring people.

Through the need to survive people of african decent have built there own special and unique identities. We take what to want from africa and we leave what we don't.

I mean we have been away from home for a long long time and the root is not the whole tree. We don't want to be white but we also don't want to be african, we want to be what we are and have the power to define what we are.

Well, I don't know if I could agree with that. I bump into someone that don't like to say that they black, instead they would say that they are Native Americans or Latin Americans!!!

I don't understand why our people is like that. I asked someone do they like what they see when they look into the mirror, and they would say no, because they would think that they are ugly just because they are black! Just the ones that I know, they don't want to be black or African, they talked really bad about the Motherland, and it really make me so upset because they just don't know how gifted really are, especially when we have melanin.

Peace,
Queen Samiya

[know the ledge]

i feel you queen, i think its mostly the mental damage done to us by the countless years of tricknology..made most of us hate our own image and believe in the image of the made people who exist on this planet. if only the true knowledge about who we truly are were made public throughout education then a generation can be brought into this world and pass it on to the next and totally obliterate this negative vibe about things relating to africa and our great heritage......its unfortunate that none of us wont be around to see that great day happen but i do wish it were otherwise

[Queen_Samiya]

Originally Posted by know the ledge

i feel you queen, i think its mostly the mental damage done to us by the countless years of tricknology..made most of us hate our own image and believe in the image of the made people who exist on this planet. if only the true knowledge about who we truly are were made public throughout education then a generation can be brought into this world and pass it on to the next and totally obliterate this negative vibe about things relating to africa and our great heritage......its unfortunate that none of us wont be around to see that great day happen but i do wish it were otherwise

I know that are some of us out there that would learn to accept as being whom we really are.

[know the ledge]

oh most definate. but of course the whole negative attitude towards accepting who we truly are has to be destroyed completely and the messed up part is there are a good amount of us who are against that...so badly damaged by the mental abuse and the hand me down teaching from those of us who came up deaf dumb and blind. and of course those of us who are lost are too comfortable now in their lil positions of so-called power to give all that up and accept their own. and i say so-called power cause if they had any real power they should open up the doors wide enough to let the rest of us in so we can take up the reigns of power out of those who mis use it for their own selfish gains

[youngbrother]

Originally Posted by Im The Truth

Malcolm X said it best:

"They projected Africa always in a negative light: jungles, savages, cannibals, nothing civilized. Why then naturally it was so negative [that] it was negative to you and me, and you and I began to hate it. We didn’t want anybody telling us anything about Africa, much less calling us Africans. In hating Africa and in hating the Africans, we ended up hating ourselves, without even realizing it. Because you can’t hate the roots of a tree and not hate the tree. You can’t hate your origin and not end up hating yourself. You can’t hate Africa and not hate yourself.

You show me one of these people over here who have been thoroughly brainwashed, who has a negative attitude toward Africa, and I’ll show you one that has a negative attitude toward himself. You can’t have a positive attitude toward yourself and a negative attitude toward Africa at the same time. To the same degree that your understanding of and attitude toward Africa becomes positive, you’ll find that your understanding of and your attitude toward yourself will also become positive. And this is what the white man knows. So they very skillfully made you and me hate our African identity, our African characteristics.
You know yourself — and we have been a people who hated our African characteristics. We hated our hair, we hated the shape of our nose — we wanted one of those long, dog-like noses, you know. Yeah. We hated the color of our skin, hated the blood of Africa that was in our veins. And in hating our features and our skin and our blood, why, we had to end up hating ourselves."

I agree Malcolm did say it best,i have to say sadly that most of my friends & family know nothing about Africa,and when ever it discussed i guarantee you the comments will mostly be negative.

I think it has to do with the fact that in America you rarely see any positive news or any person speaking positive about Africa,majority of the time most African Americans will only see Africans crying,complaining about being hungry,sad or dying.

Hell i have met African Americans who thought that Africa didn't even have building and that people lived in huts there,i always tell them how wrong they are.

I once thought these things thank god for the internet because it surely changed my outlook of Africa very quickly,and helped me realize how much beauty there is in Africa.

[ACrummell]

This thread seems a bit odd. While many Black may not take pride, understand or represent Africa, any Black American who calls themselves African American clearly accept thats they are of African descent. I have never met a Black who didn't we were brought here on slave ships from there.

[Queen_Samiya]

Ase!!! (Let is it be so!) from Yoruba language.

Originally Posted by youngbrother

I agree Malcolm did say it best,i have to say sadly that most of my friends & family know nothing about Africa,and when ever it discussed i guarantee you the comments will mostly be negative.

I think it has to do with the fact that in America you rarely see any positive news or any person speaking positive about Africa,majority of the time most African Americans will only see Africans crying,complaining about being hungry,sad or dying.

Hell i have met African Americans who thought that Africa didn't even have building and that people lived in huts there,i always tell them how wrong they are.

I once thought these things thank god for the internet because it surely changed my outlook of Africa very quickly,and helped me realize how much beauty there is in Africa.

[Nefertiti]

I am Afrikan you can call me that!!! I wont and dont get offended! my parents are Afrikan! My grandparents and greats and so on and so forth!...Its that Psychosis thats got our people wrapped sooo tight called White Supremacy Its squeezing the life outta my Afrikan people giving them no room to think of themselves and accept who they are and how they look too busy tryna claim otherwise ...My people!

[MsLioness]

Originally Posted by ACrummell

This thread seems a bit odd. While many Black may not take pride, understand or represent Africa, any Black American who calls themselves African American clearly accept thats they are of African descent. I have never met a Black who didn't we were brought here on slave ships from there.

Odd thread, yes. I think you have met more people who deny themselves of Africa than you think. Well, anyone who imitates that which they are not seem to be, to me, in denial of themselves.
It may be as simple as a hairstyle or as complex as speech or even actions and ways of living. Somethings are just european and we may adopt those ways because we feel, through thorough brainwash, their ways are better.
Its more of an American-African or a European-Wannabe, if you ask me.

And about those slaveships, comrade, some can argue (as history supports it) that we all were not brought here on a slaveship. Some can tell you that we were on ships before slavery.....