BLACK HISTORY QUESTION???
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NoTapes Show Louis Armstrong's Anger
Aug. 21
Jazz great Louis Armstrong is mostly remembered as the happy, smiling entertainer he played in movies like High Society and Hello, Dolly. But his audio diary shows he was privately seething at the racism he and other black Americans faced every day.
In nightly sessions from the late 1940s until his death in 1971, Armstrong dictated his private thoughts, as well as conversations with friends, into a reel-to-reel tape recorder he carried in a steamer trunk. He recorded more than 650 reels, decorating the tape boxes with his own collages.
The tapes, which he entrusted to the archives at New York's Queens College, present the Armstrong that his closest friends and musician friends knew, says Chicago Tribune jazz critic Howard ? , who recently listened to hours of the recordings.
"They will see that he's not this one-dimensional caricature, that he's not the smiling get-happy entertainer, that he's also a real human being. He's as torn about race as the rest of the country is…. There's so much more than the kind of minstrel-show facade that Armstrong self-consciously projected."
Anger at Being Mistreated Because of His Race
In language often laced with street talk and colorful profanity, Armstrong recalls his anger at being mistreated because of his race.
In one incident during the filming of Glory Alley, he remembers blowing up at a white stagehand for calling him "Satchmo" instead of the more appropriate Mr. Armstrong, which is how the stagehand addressed the white actors.
Referring to him as an "ofay" (a derogatory term for a white person), Armstrong recalls telling him, "You tell M-G-M to shove that picture up their ass…. Say, I ain't no movie star, so why you handing me that s--t? Because I'm colored?"
On a visit to Hawaii, he remembers a white sailor who told him to his face, "I don't like Negroes, but you're one sombitch I'm crazy about."
Armstong's conclusion: "I've said it for years. I've said, you take the majority of white people, two-thirds of them don't like n
s, but they always got one n----r they're just crazy about, ? ---n it. Every white man in the world has one n----r at least that they just love his ? drawers. Ain't that a ? ?"
Armstrong's reactions are at odds with the persona he played on stage and in film — which was often criticized by younger jazz musicians. "The tapes show that the presentation that Armstrong gave onstage was more than just instinctive. It was very calculated. It was a way, or at least it was Armstrong's way, of disarming an audience."
'Vipers' Who Smoked 'Gage'
On the tapes, Armstrong speaks of marijuana and the healthful effects of laxatives — two daily habits he was openly enthusiastic about during his lifetime.
On one tape, recalling his life in the 1930s, he draws a distinction between "vipers" like him who smoked marijuana, and "dope fiends" who took harder drugs. Among other things, he says, the dope addicts had problems with personal hygiene. "They stayed funky, filthy, ? , grimy, all the time. Show a dope fiend a bucket of water, and they'll run like hell to keep it from touching them. But a viper would gladly welcome a good bath, clean underwear, top clothes, stay fresh and on the ball. Never a discussion no time about dope."
Armstrong says marijuana — which he called "gage" — was preferable to alcohol, because it promoted "better thoughts" and brought "warmth" from other people.
Saying that marijuana could "quite naturally make you eat like a dog," he moves on to the subject of nutritional health and laxatives, which he believed promote good health.
He recalls how when he was growing up in New Orleans his sister Beatrice (known as Mama Lucy) used to boil up pepper grass and dandelion into a "physic" so powerful that "we'd make sprints getting to the toilet." Armstrong used laxatives daily for the rest of his life, famously favoring the Swiss Kriss brand. -
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YesI try not to blame some of you black Americans for still thinking that America is your country.
I mean, you guys are brainwashed into pledging your allegiance to the Stars and Stripes from a young age in school.
Like to be called African American but don't want to acknowledge the "African" part ass ? ..
Your ancestors struggle didn't begin when the first banana boat landed.
I've always got the impression that black people outside of America tend to have this view that black Americans think they are better than other blacks. Some of the logic in this thread is the reason why.
I don't think Blacks in America think they are better. I think many just believe there aren't similarities in the culture. Which, I believe is, simply because of our education system.
That's another thing...why do black Americans think they are so culturally different to black people elsewhere?
I've never understood that. I'd even go so far to say that the only difference would be ? black America has picked up from white America.
Because like it or not most people identify culturally with the country they grew up in. Seeing as how Black Americans grew up in America, they tend to have an American mindset on things. There's certain cultural things you will only get in America from black folks just like there's certain things you only get from black folks in the caribbean/latin america etc. It's not a bad thing to say there's a difference in black folks across the globe in some cases. It just means people in different parts of the world have different ways of doing thing
While true. The ONLY reason we don't identify with African Culture and history is because, it's not taught in School. Hell Black American Culture and history isn't taught in school beyond MLK.
With that said. If you have parents that have a world view from a black perspective then the children will have a world view that is the same. And in other cases Blacks get exposed to a different frame of reference when they go to college and begin to come in contact with perspective on Black History throughout the world.
Cosign..... I'm currently in school now and they barely talk about African culture and our african roots so I can see why some ? don't understand -
Yes
i strongly disagree.....I try not to blame some of you black Americans for still thinking that America is your country.
I mean, you guys are brainwashed into pledging your allegiance to the Stars and Stripes from a young age in school.
Like to be called African American but don't want to acknowledge the "African" part ass ? ..
Your ancestors struggle didn't begin when the first banana boat landed.
I've always got the impression that black people outside of America tend to have this view that black Americans think they are better than other blacks. Some of the logic in this thread is the reason why.
I don't think Blacks in America think they are better. I think many just believe there aren't similarities in the culture. Which, I believe is, simply because of our education system.
That's another thing...why do black Americans think they are so culturally different to black people elsewhere?
I've never understood that. I'd even go so far to say that the only difference would be ? black America has picked up from white America.
Because like it or not most people identify culturally with the country they grew up in. Seeing as how Black Americans grew up in America, they tend to have an American mindset on things. There's certain cultural things you will only get in America from black folks just like there's certain things you only get from black folks in the caribbean/latin america etc. It's not a bad thing to say there's a difference in black folks across the globe in some cases. It just means people in different parts of the world have different ways of doing thing
While true. The ONLY reason we don't identify with African Culture and history is because, it's not taught in School. Hell Black American Culture and history isn't taught in school beyond MLK.
With that said. If you have parents that have a world view from a black perspective then the children will have a world view that is the same. And in other cases Blacks get exposed to a different frame of reference when they go to college and begin to come in contact with perspective on Black History throughout the world.
we learned a ? load about black american culture and african culture in school....well atleast i did......
and this was all levels of schooling......and again, because of my first name, i've been exposed to a lot more just by association....
to say school is the only reason is highly inaccurate......
my opinion is a mixture of my personal experinces and my exposure to the arts...
Enlighten us all on the PUBLIC SCHOOL curriculum in the USA that has African History or Black History as a mandatory subject k-12.
Perhaps it is but unless you have another logical reason then it is what is. For AMERICANS, WHITE AND BLACK to know more about Slave Holders then those who fought against Slave Holders is an issue. For Blacks in America to know more about Greeks and Romans then Africans is an issue.
I have offered my opinion on several posts. However, more of my opinions are based on Historical research and gatherings.
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YesTapes Show Louis Armstrong's Anger
Aug. 21
Jazz great Louis Armstrong is mostly remembered as the happy, smiling entertainer he played in movies like High Society and Hello, Dolly. But his audio diary shows he was privately seething at the racism he and other black Americans faced every day.
In nightly sessions from the late 1940s until his death in 1971, Armstrong dictated his private thoughts, as well as conversations with friends, into a reel-to-reel tape recorder he carried in a steamer trunk. He recorded more than 650 reels, decorating the tape boxes with his own collages.
The tapes, which he entrusted to the archives at New York's Queens College, present the Armstrong that his closest friends and musician friends knew, says Chicago Tribune jazz critic Howard ? , who recently listened to hours of the recordings.
"They will see that he's not this one-dimensional caricature, that he's not the smiling get-happy entertainer, that he's also a real human being. He's as torn about race as the rest of the country is…. There's so much more than the kind of minstrel-show facade that Armstrong self-consciously projected."
Anger at Being Mistreated Because of His Race
In language often laced with street talk and colorful profanity, Armstrong recalls his anger at being mistreated because of his race.
In one incident during the filming of Glory Alley, he remembers blowing up at a white stagehand for calling him "Satchmo" instead of the more appropriate Mr. Armstrong, which is how the stagehand addressed the white actors.
Referring to him as an "ofay" (a derogatory term for a white person), Armstrong recalls telling him, "You tell M-G-M to shove that picture up their ass…. Say, I ain't no movie star, so why you handing me that s--t? Because I'm colored?"
On a visit to Hawaii, he remembers a white sailor who told him to his face, "I don't like Negroes, but you're one sombitch I'm crazy about."
Armstong's conclusion: "I've said it for years. I've said, you take the majority of white people, two-thirds of them don't like n
s, but they always got one n----r they're just crazy about, ? ---n it. Every white man in the world has one n----r at least that they just love his ? drawers. Ain't that a ? ?"
Armstrong's reactions are at odds with the persona he played on stage and in film — which was often criticized by younger jazz musicians. "The tapes show that the presentation that Armstrong gave onstage was more than just instinctive. It was very calculated. It was a way, or at least it was Armstrong's way, of disarming an audience."
'Vipers' Who Smoked 'Gage'
On the tapes, Armstrong speaks of marijuana and the healthful effects of laxatives — two daily habits he was openly enthusiastic about during his lifetime.
On one tape, recalling his life in the 1930s, he draws a distinction between "vipers" like him who smoked marijuana, and "dope fiends" who took harder drugs. Among other things, he says, the dope addicts had problems with personal hygiene. "They stayed funky, filthy, ? , grimy, all the time. Show a dope fiend a bucket of water, and they'll run like hell to keep it from touching them. But a viper would gladly welcome a good bath, clean underwear, top clothes, stay fresh and on the ball. Never a discussion no time about dope."
Armstrong says marijuana — which he called "gage" — was preferable to alcohol, because it promoted "better thoughts" and brought "warmth" from other people.
Saying that marijuana could "quite naturally make you eat like a dog," he moves on to the subject of nutritional health and laxatives, which he believed promote good health.
He recalls how when he was growing up in New Orleans his sister Beatrice (known as Mama Lucy) used to boil up pepper grass and dandelion into a "physic" so powerful that "we'd make sprints getting to the toilet." Armstrong used laxatives daily for the rest of his life, famously favoring the Swiss Kriss brand.
So Armstrong was a Rasta?
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NoDo the Tigre celebrate the accomplishments of the Afar?
Do the Bajuni Celebrate the accomplishments of the Lemba?
Do the Yoruba Celebrate the accomplishments of the Zulu?
Or is it you westernized 1st/2nd/3rd generation immigrants attempting to sell us some pie in the sky dream of some global African cultural solidarity (as if that was the African standard throughout all history) when we as Blacks in U.S.AmeriKKKa are descendants of those that were victimized and taken captive by these culturally rich, civil and humane tribes that we are supposed to pay some sort of homage to by stringing them along into the accomplishments that was made "here" (not over there). Africans aren't homogenous, that's just ? we are told over on this side.
Black in U.S.AmeriKKKa history started when Africans went off to fight ? & steal other Africans (obviously us Blacks in AmeriKKKa are the children of the defeated) to meet the demand (shipping and receiving/commerce) of white slave traders (who's "crew" was between 15 - 30 men on avg per ship)
That speaks to how we arrived here
And things like fighting in the AmeriKKKan Revolution, Civil War, Slave Revolts, the 100's of modern inventions or improvements on inventions "here" on this soil (U.S.A.) building railroads, designing D.C., our educators, writers, entertainers, lawyers, doctors all were born and bred here.
I'm not the type to blindfold myself and throw a dart at a map of Africa and then say "ok, i'll attribute all of their accomplishments to the black in Amerikkka experience" though we benefit nothing from those accomplishments because we don't reside where they put certain efforts into practice over there.
We have a unique history here and we would love for it to stand on its own merit because it is more near and dear to us than what goes on over in Africa. Our accomplishments have a direct effect on us and we take pride in it. -
YesWhat is so unique about African Americans as opposed to any other black groups in the world? What makes Af-Am so special? In 8 pages, no one has been able to answer that.
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BlackJerryMaguire wrote: »What is so unique about African Americans as opposed to any other black groups in the world? What makes Af-Am so special? In 8 pages, no one has been able to answer that.
African Americans are in the most unique circumstance of any ethnic group on the planet.
We are in a country that is not our own, yet the only homeland and heritage we have ever known.
We have no foreign support system in the form of a particular culture, language, religion, or national/ethnic background and we remain in the very land that not only enslaved us, but defined our very existence here as beneath everyone else's.
This differs from say Jamaicans, South Africans, Haitians etc. who at least are the principle majority in their respective countries and/or are in their ancestral homelands. -
This is silly, what if whites went around now demanding to be called 'European Americans' even though they had no living breathing relatives in Europe for hundreds of years?
If you were born in 'Asia', become an American citizen you can call yourself if you want an 'Asian-American'
If you were born in 'Europe', become an American citizen you can call yourself if you want a 'European-American'
If you were born in 'Africa', become an American citizen you can call yourself if you want an 'African-American'
born in America, congratulations! You were born into one of the most awesome countries on the globe. You sir or madam are an 'American'!
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I'm also not one to just subscribe to a group because I share the same skin color as them.
Blacks in America have come off looking foolish on more than one occasion by using blanket terms and generalities.
Case in point: "Islam is the black man's natural religion"
Completely ignoring the Arab influence just because a few African countries are Islamic. Not taking into account that some ethnic groups have different religions.
Another is speaking Swahili.
Only a few East African countries speak Swahili and there are still hundreds of different dialects in between them because of the different ethnic groups within those nations.
The moorish science temple is laughable. Dudes really believe you can join an ancient ethnic group by signing some paperwork and this makes you immune to the laws of the United States.
To me, it's our differences and similarities that make each group special. They bring something unique, even if it's just a different perspective based on their nationality and their place in the world.
Haitians speak French, Brazilians speak Portuguese, Black Americans speak English (for the most part), that alone make us different. With speaking different languages it means we were held in ? by different Europeans and thus our struggles differ..
This isn't a matter of one being better than another or anything like that but it's an honest look at the diaspora as that...a diaspora!
When these differences come together and acculturation begins we all become better for it. Unity doesn't mean becoming a black monolith, it's about understanding the differences between us and acknowledging those while using our similarities to fight a common battle.
We come from a diverse continent but we aren't allowed to be diverse? We come from a continent where every nation has a different history but we can't acknowledge our history?
Ultimately that's all this has been about. Is the ability to acknowledge the struggles and spreading knowledge about ourselves. That's it, this ? has taken on a life of its own due to the unnecessary whirlwind of emotions.
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YesKnives Amilli wrote: »BlackJerryMaguire wrote: »What is so unique about African Americans as opposed to any other black groups in the world? What makes Af-Am so special? In 8 pages, no one has been able to answer that.
African Americans are in the most unique circumstance of any ethnic group on the planet.
We are in a country that is not our own, yet the only homeland and heritage we have ever known.
We have no foreign support system in the form of a particular culture, language, religion, or national/ethnic background and we remain in the very land that not only enslaved us, but defined our very existence here as beneath everyone else's.
This differs from say Jamaicans, South Africans, Haitians etc. who at least are the principle majority in their respective countries and/or are in their ancestral homelands.
bolded: wrong, you came from West and Central Africa, unless you think some white person plucked your out the ground in South Carolina one day
everything else you said is also incorrect
you really need to take a world history course
Did you know that every other region except the Danish West Indies imported more slaves than what is now America? Do you even know why there was African slavery in the New World? Where do you think Haitians came from? Do you know who Christopher Columbus is?
nothing you said is unique to America. try again. -
YesKnives Amilli wrote: »BlackJerawwryMaguire wrote: »What is so unique about African Americans as opposed to any other black groups in the world? What makes Af-Am so special? In 8 pages, no one has been able to answer that.
African Americans are in the most unique circumstance of any ethnic group on the planet.
We are in a country that is not our own, yet the only homeland and heritage we have ever known.
We have no foreign support system in the form of a particular culture, language, religion, or national/ethnic background and we remain in the very land that not only enslaved us, but defined our very existence here as beneath everyone else's.
This differs from say Jamaicans, South Africans, Haitians etc. who at least are the principle majority in their respective countries and/or are in their ancestral homelands.
you could say the say the same thing about black people in Brazil. -
YesDarth Sidious wrote: »This is silly, what if whites went around now demanding to be called 'European Americans' even though they had no living breathing relatives in Europe for hundreds of years?
If you were born in 'Asia', become an American citizen you can call yourself if you want an 'Asian-American'
If you were born in 'Europe', become an American citizen you can call yourself if you want a 'European-American'
If you were born in 'Africa', become an American citizen you can call yourself if you want an 'African-American'
born in America, congratulations! You were born into one of the most awesome countries on the globe. You sir or madam are an 'American'!
are you black ? if not ? your opinion. -
Yescall me the Kufi slapper!
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Knives Amilli wrote: »BlackJerawwryMaguire wrote: »What is so unique about African Americans as opposed to any other black groups in the world? What makes Af-Am so special? In 8 pages, no one has been able to answer that.
African Americans are in the most unique circumstance of any ethnic group on the planet.
We are in a country that is not our own, yet the only homeland and heritage we have ever known.
We have no foreign support system in the form of a particular culture, language, religion, or national/ethnic background and we remain in the very land that not only enslaved us, but defined our very existence here as beneath everyone else's.
This differs from say Jamaicans, South Africans, Haitians etc. who at least are the principle majority in their respective countries and/or are in their ancestral homelands.
you could say the say the same thing about black people in Brazil.
You can, but the black experience in Central and South America differ from the our experience here in the US. There was far more racial intergration in those places then here.
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Harry Smith arrives in Germany for a vacation and says to a passerby, 'I am a European-American!'. Passerby responds 'Wo sind Sie geboren?' 'Houston, TX'..laughs.
We are really talking about Culture here.
1cul·ture noun \ˈkəl-chər\
: the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or time
: a particular society that has its own beliefs, ways of life, art, etc.
: a way of thinking, behaving, or working that exists in a place or organization (such as a business)
If you have never experienced first hand a particular culture or lived the life of someone you claim as your identity, it would be highly offensive to them I would imagine.
That is why Du has experienced hostility at times, they see him as the American that he is, coming from a super power country and the richest on the earth, you can't know their life unless you have lived it with them.
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YesKnives Amilli wrote: »BlackJerawwryMaguire wrote: »What is so unique about African Americans as opposed to any other black groups in the world? What makes Af-Am so special? In 8 pages, no one has been able to answer that.
African Americans are in the most unique circumstance of any ethnic group on the planet.
We are in a country that is not our own, yet the only homeland and heritage we have ever known.
We have no foreign support system in the form of a particular culture, language, religion, or national/ethnic background and we remain in the very land that not only enslaved us, but defined our very existence here as beneath everyone else's.
This differs from say Jamaicans, South Africans, Haitians etc. who at least are the principle majority in their respective countries and/or are in their ancestral homelands.
you could say the say the same thing about black people in Brazil.
You can, but the black experience in Central and South America differ from the our experience here in the US. There was far more racial intergration in those places then here.
That is a myth. In fact america today is more integrated than for example brazil is today.
what south america had was more race mixing and no one drop rule.
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YesDarth Sidious wrote: »Harry Smith arrives in Germany for a vacation and says to a passerby, 'I am a European-American!'. Passerby responds 'Wo sind Sie geboren?' 'Houston, TX'..laughs.
We are really talking about Culture here.
1cul·ture noun \ˈkəl-chər\
: the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or time
: a particular society that has its own beliefs, ways of life, art, etc.
: a way of thinking, behaving, or working that exists in a place or organization (such as a business)
If you have never experienced first hand a particular culture or lived the life of someone you claim as your identity, it would be highly offensive to them I would imagine.
That is why Du has experienced hostility at times, they see him as the American that he is, coming from a super power country and the richest on the earth, you can't know their life unless you have lived it with them.
Are you black or not?? white people always want to put there two cents in every ? thing -
BlackJerryMaguire wrote: »Knives Amilli wrote: »BlackJerryMaguire wrote: »What is so unique about African Americans as opposed to any other black groups in the world? What makes Af-Am so special? In 8 pages, no one has been able to answer that.
African Americans are in the most unique circumstance of any ethnic group on the planet.
We are in a country that is not our own, yet the only homeland and heritage we have ever known.
We have no foreign support system in the form of a particular culture, language, religion, or national/ethnic background and we remain in the very land that not only enslaved us, but defined our very existence here as beneath everyone else's.
This differs from say Jamaicans, South Africans, Haitians etc. who at least are the principle majority in their respective countries and/or are in their ancestral homelands.
bolded: wrong, you came from West and Central Africa, unless you think some white person plucked your out the ground in South Carolina one day
everything else you said is also incorrect
you really need to take a world history course
Did you know that every other region except the Danish West Indies imported more slaves than what is now America? Do you even know why there was African slavery in the New World? Where do you think Haitians came from? Do you know who Christopher Columbus is?
nothing you said is unique to America. try again.
Since apparently you like to skim posts and only respond to tidbits that suit your argument; i'm gonna slow this down for you:
Firstly, my post said "we are in a country thats not our own, yet the only homeland we've ever known"
Meaning: Our original ties are back in Africa, yet we are so removed from our original culture (due to systematically institutionalizing African slaves for their life in the New World) that all we know is America. You'd have to be a ? ? or a contrarian to not agree with this.
Secondly,
All of that other information you posted is completely irrelevant to everything in my post.
Why?
Because in every other region where slavery occurred, people of color with African ancestry make up the MAJORITY of these countries. Even in Brazil @zombie, where Black and mixed Brazilians make up the majority of the population there.
Once again, African Americans are UNIQUELY in a country that is not their own, have created a hodgepodge culture far removed from their own, have no definite ties to their original homeland, and are the MINORITY in their "adopted" homeland.
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YesKnives Amilli wrote: »BlackJerryMaguire wrote: »Knives Amilli wrote: »BlackJerryMaguire wrote: »What is so unique about African Americans as opposed to any other black groups in the world? What makes Af-Am so special? In 8 pages, no one has been able to answer that.
African Americans are in the most unique circumstance of any ethnic group on the planet.
We are in a country that is not our own, yet the only homeland and heritage we have ever known.
We have no foreign support system in the form of a particular culture, language, religion, or national/ethnic background and we remain in the very land that not only enslaved us, but defined our very existence here as beneath everyone else's.
This differs from say Jamaicans, South Africans, Haitians etc. who at least are the principle majority in their respective countries and/or are in their ancestral homelands.
bolded: wrong, you came from West and Central Africa, unless you think some white person plucked your out the ground in South Carolina one day
everything else you said is also incorrect
you really need to take a world history course
Did you know that every other region except the Danish West Indies imported more slaves than what is now America? Do you even know why there was African slavery in the New World? Where do you think Haitians came from? Do you know who Christopher Columbus is?
nothing you said is unique to America. try again.
Since apparently you like to skim posts and only respond to tidbits that suit your argument; i'm gonna slow this down for you:
Firstly, my post said "we are in a country thats not our own, yet the only homeland we've ever known"
Meaning: Our original ties are back in Africa, yet we are so removed from our original culture (due to systematically institutionalizing African slaves for their life in the New World) that all we know is America. You'd have to be a ? ? or a contrarian to not agree with this.
Secondly,
All of that other information you posted is completely irrelevant to everything in my post.
Why?
Because in every other region where slavery occurred, people of color with African ancestry make up the MAJORITY of these countries. Even in Brazil @zombie, where Black and mixed Brazilians make up the majority of the population there.
Once again, African Americans are UNIQUELY in a country that is not their own, have created a hodgepodge culture far removed from their own, have no definite ties to their original homeland, and are the MINORITY in their "adopted" homeland.
In brazil mixed is a different race so black people are not really the majority. The racially ambiguous and white people make up the majority in brazil. You don't know what you are talking about and what about the black people in columbia there are millions of them and they are surely not the majority there. So once again african americans are not unique in the way you are trying to make them seem.
Even if right now black people were the majority in brazil that would be a recent reality. So that would not have that much affect on the people's culture. -
YesThirdEyeFive wrote: »nah... g'head and name an ethnic group that only considers its history in America as their heritage... we'll wait...
oh you mean like how japanese americans separate their history after internment from that of people in japan?
/:)lol, bruh,
we're not the same....you tryna force yourself on a people who don't even ? with you....
i don't get that...
i mean it's one thing to trace your roots and learn the culture of a people...in all purposes, that's great..commendable...i love learning about different cultures and practices...but that's exactly what it is to me.. a DIFFERENT culture....
they got their ? ...we got ours.....
we are the same, or at least MUCH more similar than we are different. don't you see that this ? is propaganda to turn each group against the other? africa is a huge continent, with all types of people, but why is it when they come here, people from 57 some odd countries can stick together but then look at african-americans as separate or different from them?
it's because of the the image of african-americans that is portrayed to the world, and on y'all end, you are being fed your own distorted image of what africans are like. so both parties are approaching each other with misleading first impressions.
you talk about things like jazz and literature and art that african-americans contributed to this country, but you don't think what made the art so great was the influences that were left behind from african culture?
don't let your negative experiences with a few misguided people lead you into thinking that we are really different or that there is real animosity there, because i could've easily believed that myself going off of how some african-americans have treated me. but people's ignorances are not telling of any real truths
my husband was born and raised in america and i only came here when i was ten, even though he may not have a distinctly different culture or language, i honestly feel like he, in essence, is just as african as i am while i feel i am as much a black person in america like he is.
sorry for the long post, this issue is near and dear to my heart. i just know if we all did more to look past our differences to find our common ground we'd all be better off
Excellent addition to the discussion. Many Africans that come to America quickly come to the understanding that they are Black. And although, I have never been to Africa many of my immediate family has, as well as friends and many while siting differences all have felt welcomed as Africans upon their visits.
Hey bruh, we already called ourselves black in our own countries.
I have no idea y AA's think the term black was invented and exclusive to Afro Americans.
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YesKnives Amilli wrote: »BlackJerryMaguire wrote: »Knives Amilli wrote: »BlackJerryMaguire wrote: »What is so unique about African Americans as opposed to any other black groups in the world? What makes Af-Am so special? In 8 pages, no one has been able to answer that.
African Americans are in the most unique circumstance of any ethnic group on the planet.
We are in a country that is not our own, yet the only homeland and heritage we have ever known.
We have no foreign support system in the form of a particular culture, language, religion, or national/ethnic background and we remain in the very land that not only enslaved us, but defined our very existence here as beneath everyone else's.
This differs from say Jamaicans, South Africans, Haitians etc. who at least are the principle majority in their respective countries and/or are in their ancestral homelands.
bolded: wrong, you came from West and Central Africa, unless you think some white person plucked your out the ground in South Carolina one day
everything else you said is also incorrect
you really need to take a world history course
Did you know that every other region except the Danish West Indies imported more slaves than what is now America? Do you even know why there was African slavery in the New World? Where do you think Haitians came from? Do you know who Christopher Columbus is?
nothing you said is unique to America. try again.
Since apparently you like to skim posts and only respond to tidbits that suit your argument; i'm gonna slow this down for you:
Firstly, my post said "we are in a country thats not our own, yet the only homeland we've ever known"
Meaning: Our original ties are back in Africa, yet we are so removed from our original culture (due to systematically institutionalizing African slaves for their life in the New World) that all we know is America. You'd have to be a ? ? or a contrarian to not agree with this.
Secondly,
All of that other information you posted is completely irrelevant to everything in my post.
Why?
Because in every other region where slavery occurred, people of color with African ancestry make up the MAJORITY of these countries. Even in Brazil @zombie, where Black and mixed Brazilians make up the majority of the population there.
Once again, African Americans are UNIQUELY in a country that is not their own, have created a hodgepodge culture far removed from their own, have no definite ties to their original homeland, and are the MINORITY in their "adopted" homeland.
So the only nations that exist that had african slavery in the new world are Jamaica, Haiti, the US and Brazil? word? have you ever left the usa? also, blacks and people of predominately black ancestry do not make up a majority in brazil
Your slave masters trained you well jesus christ. -
YesNo one yet has explained why African history should be left out of black history month.
Even though blacks in America, Europe, Asia, or Africa are all different, as I've already said, we are all in the same family.
Celebrating black history month while choosing to exclude your black family members makes no sense to me.
No, we are not clones but neither are my cousins and myself. Yet, we all celebrate our being family and talk of our accomplishments separately and as a unit during family reunion.
There are differences between northern, southern and western American blacks too. Blacks in the south are very different from blacks in the north. We have different cultures between ourselves as well. That does not mean we cannot come together for the sake of good, celebrate our being alive or acknowledge the fact that we are all family.
So again, what's wrong with celebrating the achievements and progress of not only our immediate American side but our black family worldwide? What is the problem? To me, it seems as if some of you have a chip on your shoulders. It should not be that way. Just because you've had a few bad experiences does not mean you should choose to disassociate yourself from an entire continent of people who happen to be your brothers and sisters. -
I dont personally think of africans when the topic of black history month comes up BUT I do remember as a child they pushed African ? on us extra heavy during black history month and I'm sure that has a lot to do with why I dont see a real distinction between us like some black americans I know do. For that reason its probably better to include africans in black history month. ? dont know we the same if they not taught it.
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No? History Week (1926)
The precursor to Black History Month was created in 1926 in the United States, when historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of ? Life and History announced the second week of February to be "? History Week." This week was chosen because it marked the birthday of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.
From the event's initial phase, primary emphasis was placed on encouraging the coordinated teaching of the history of American blacks in the nation's public schools.
Black History Month (1976)
In 1976 as part of the United States Bicentennial, the informal expansion of ? History Week to Black History Month was officially recognized by the U.S. government. President Gerald Ford spoke in regards to this, urging Americans to "seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history."
Morgan Freeman, a critic of Black History Month, said: "I don't want a black history month. Black history is American history."
Also called
African-American History Month
Observed by
United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany
Significance
Celebration of African-American history
In his presidential proclamation for Black History Month 2014, President Barack Obama said the following.
As we pay tribute to the heroes, sung and unsung, of African-American history, we recall the inner strength that sustained millions in ? .
5. The Observance Isn't Technically Called "Black History Month"
In his 1996, President Bill Clinton issued Presidential Proclamation 6863 for "National African American History Month." This differs from previous presidents' proclamations for "National Black (Afro-American) History Month"-- including those made by President Jimmy Carter and President George H.W. Bush's 1991 proclamation. In earlier proclamations, the words African-American and black were often interchanged. But every president since 1996 has proclaimed February simply as "National African American History Month."
