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To paraphrase the old saying, "If you don't go to Africa, Africa will come to you." Whether you want to recognize your link to Africa or not is rather immaterial, although it is a shame that you don't" but it does weigh heavily with regards to who you are, whether you realize it or not.
Africa is an incredibly diverse continent filled with what we might consider Middle-Eastern people in the north, blacks in the middle, and whites all over the place. Most people could find a connection to Africa. Somehow, most Americans think Africa=black, which is simply not true. Hence why I don't consider myself "African-American".
Most black Africans I have met don't consider black Americans the "long lost kinfolk" many of us would like to believe. They do, however, recognize that their experience, now that they are in the US, will be similar to us native born blacks. This sentiment has been confirmed through the various reading I have done on this topic. You simply cannot compare the black experience in America to the black experience in Africa.
You simply cannot compare the black experience in America to the black experience in Africa.
Nor do I. The experience of descendants of the diaspora who populate the Americas have a very unique experience to those who were born and raised on the continent, of that there is no doubt. But to argue that the "black" experience in the Americas is devoid of African heritage and cultural influences regardless of how diluted those influences may be, is equally and quite empirically incorrect. So for a "black" American to argue that they share nothing in common with that African culture is a complete denial of their own heritage.
Being half black, I prefer and use "black". Negro is an outdated term from an ugly time in American history. I recommend that you don't use it. But it is a free country.
I don't think you're being over accommodating by not using the word Negro when referring to blacks. But if it takes too much effort, then I don't know what to tell ya.
Sorry, I came into this thread pretty late and didn't read all 10 pages. So I am sorry if this is redundant...
I don't even understand the need for the termonology. Race is an artifical construct - it doesn't really exist. Just like most things in life, it's not as simple as "black and white". There is no such thing as a black man, a brown man, white man or yellow man - the only real "race" is the HU-man race.
I'm white, but I've always found it interesting that all my black friends call themselves "black" as well, not "African-American" ...I guess it makes sense, I don't expect people to call me European-American!
From a biological point of view you are quite correct, but from a social political viewpoint you are simply wrong.
Saying race doesn't exist, over and over again as if it doing so will make it go away, is a bit Pollyannaish.
Well, the direction that I am going is there is not much of a need for race in the social/political realm either. If we are the same biologically, there's very little reason to be seperated into little groups socially; unless by choice like being a democrat or republican, but people can't choose to be black, white or whatever they happen to be.
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