Black Culture Discussion Thread

[knowledgebones72]

The issue is, 1) them cats look at me crazy when I tell them I'm not rocking that. I've worn enough of that as a child. 2) the reason why I make a big deal about being a ***** is because Africans don't like us, and it creates a fantasy in folks heads, dismissing the years of progress and culture we've FOUGHT and died for IN AMERICA. You love Africa so much? Bounce. Go there live there...straight up. I'm fighting for the people here, for my culture here. It's not about 'you can't be in our club' it's 'if you like their club, join them, we working over here'

Bruh, to your first point: that's more of a personal issue than anything else. I used to be in the mix with that "Ashe, brother" crowd, but I got those looks too once my views and manner of dressed started being considered "other" amongst them. All you can do is see them for the lames they are and keep it moving. People are people, and no matter what group your among there will be cool people who think for themselves and lames who need to label and categorize everything.

To your second point, I think the whole "Africans don't like us" thing holds A LOT of weight amongst our parent's generation and first generation immigrants of all races. You gotta look past that, though, because that's a result of conditioning. You don't have to deal with those folks anyway. The second and third generation, the cats our age who aren't in their own little self-hating bubble, those are the cats we can build with. And judging from this thread, blazersfan is definitely a cat we can build with.

I personally don't identify much with African culture, but that's only because I am too far removed from it, and it would feel disingenuous for me to do so when I don't even know what tribes my family came to Cuba from. Plus I have a bunch of other indigenous cultures in my bloodline with which I could choose to identify with as well. This all adds up to me as an African American man to learn about it ALL and decide for myself which amalgamation of my heritage i'd like to reflect through my own personal culture.

I mean, if you look at today's math, then knowledge of your culture brings power, right?

 

[Rootin4EverybodyBlack]

Africans don't like us?



How many Africans have you even met to make that statement?

 

[blazersfan]

My dude knowledgebones, i know you trying to be voice of reason, but just look at his last posts. This dude is on another mission.

It is useless for MY culture, because were not African. I'm a Negro. Loud and proud. Don't need to reach across the ocean to be proud of MY heritage.

 

 You can't build anything with this type of thinking. smh

Bruh, to your first point: that's more of a personal issue than anything else. I used to be in the mix with that "Ashe, brother" crowd, but I got those looks too once my views and manner of dressed started being considered "other" amongst them. All you can do is see them for the lames they are and keep it moving. People are people, and no matter what group your among there will be cool people who think for themselves and lames who need to label and categorize everything.

To your second point, I think the whole "Africans don't like us" thing holds A LOT of weight amongst our parent's generation and first generation immigrants of all races. You gotta look past that, though, because that's a result of conditioning. You don't have to deal with those folks anyway. The second and third generation, the cats our age who aren't in their own little self-hating bubble, those are the cats we can build with. And judging from this thread, @blazersfan is definitely a cat we can build with.

I personally don't identify much with African culture, but that's only because I am too far removed from it, and it would feel disingenuous for me to do so when I don't even know what tribes my family came to Cuba from. Plus I have a bunch of other indigenous cultures in my bloodline with which I could choose to identify with as well. This all adds up to me as an African American man to learn about it ALL and decide for myself which amalgamation of my heritage i'd like to reflect through my own personal culture.

I mean, if you look at today's math, then knowledge of your culture brings power, right?

Thats what I'm saying brah, thats real

 

[am1x90xnike]

So no one is going to read my links?

Knowledge...were the same dude. read earlier posts in this very thread, I've said almost that verbatim....but...because it come with the am1 tag, ****** discredit.


My boy is African and his mother is a doll. Slept on the couch so i could use her bed...I ended up sleeping on hardwood at her feet that night, we both refused to 'put someone else out' I've never experienced that type of love from anyone else but my own mother. So, the notion I hate Africans is ridiculous, but if course 'that's my personal experience with one African so I should discredit it for the dozens if other negative experiences I've had with Africans growing up' [NT LOGIC, discredit your own personal experience, despite that being all we have]. When I say Africans hate ****** I say it to draw a sharp line, hyperbole (lost on NT).

Explain why it's useful...or more beneficial than learning about your family, your neighbors, your state, the people you can actually touch...please explain why swooning over a continent most will never visit is more important to our identity than our grandmothers....someone explain that to me, cuz I don't get it.

 

[urbetterthenme]

Im liking how more people are embracing African sensibilities when it comes to fashion. This video is interesting to say the least.

Are they embracing africa or are they just dressing more african-like? BTW, most africans dont even wear most that mess. Its mostly only tribal wear,

 

[knowledgebones72]

Explain why it's useful...or more beneficial than learning about your family, your neighbors, your state, the people you can actually touch

It's not more beneficial, but it is definitely useful.

Having that love of the continent and that understanding of our history having started somewhere else helps us not get caught up in the self-hatred that comes from being non-white in a white culture.

 

[knowledgebones72]

Are they embracing africa or are they just dressing more african-like? BTW, most africans dont even wear most that mess. Its mostly only tribal wear,

To me they're coming up with interesting ways to dress while acknowledging the fact that they're history goes back way farther than slavery.

 

[blazersfan]

So no one is going to read my links?

Knowledge...were the same dude. read earlier posts in this very thread, I've said almost that verbatim....but...because it come with the am1 tag, ****** discredit.


My boy is African and his mother is a doll. Slept on the couch so i could use her bed...I ended up sleeping on hardwood at her feet that night, we both refused to 'put someone else out' I've never experienced that type of love from anyone else but my own mother. So, the notion I hate Africans is ridiculous, but if course 'that's my personal experience with one African so I should discredit it for the dozens if other negative experiences I've had with Africans growing up' [NT LOGIC, discredit your own personal experience, despite that being all we have]. When I say Africans hate ****** I say it to draw a sharp line, hyperbole (lost on NT).

Explain why it's useful...or more beneficial than learning about your family, your neighbors, your state, the people you can actually touch...please explain why swooning over a continent most will never visit is more important to our identity than our grandmothers....someone explain that to me, cuz I don't get it.

So you want black people to be the only people in the world to not know their idendity while everyone else does? Forget why it's useful first, and ask yourself whats wrong with knowing who and where you came from...then using that knowledge for self

 

[urbetterthenme]

To me they're coming up with interesting ways to dress while acknowledging the fact that they're history goes back way farther than slavery.

not really bro. If anything its just retro 90s african inspired stuff.

 

[am1x90xnike]

I want Negroes to embrace their culture, their history. We wear the slavery like a badge of shame. we took lemons and are brewing lemonade everyday, that's something no other race on this planet can claim. That's something I'm proud of, the fight, the struggle, the yearning to be free...that's what I love. 'Heritage' is arbitrary. We pick and choose. I made the argument pages back.

I'd prefer more WEB debouis and Malcon x, and Mada CJ walker and Jayz and Russell Simmons and Ali and maya Angelou and nikki Giovanni be taught rather than Congo this and Ivory Coast that. Cats learning Swahili...***** I'd rather you learn Spanish or Mandarin...

I'm a Negro, everything before the first American born Africa isn't who I am. I choose not to identify with that. And you know what? My life is pretty great. Never 'sold out' never 'bought in' .older black folk love my attitude torwards life. My uncle told me the other day 'I spent so much of my time angry when I was your age, I look back and am like for what?'

I'm trying to move forward. Learn the past, learn about the world, but be proud of who you actually are. More personal, make your life about your experience.

I ask you, who does more good in the hood, the kid wearing a dashiki pushing Afrocentric talk or the kid in a polo reading Moby **** to the kids?

I feel like Afrocentric talk gets in the way of progress.

Anyone read my links yet?

 

[lolcomin]

I'm 100% African

 

[knowledgebones72]

To me they're coming up with interesting ways to dress while acknowledging the fact that they're history goes back way farther than slavery.

not really bro. If anything its just retro 90s african inspired stuff.

But how is the retro 90's african inspired stuff NOT what I just described?

 

[urbetterthenme]

I want Negroes to embrace their culture, their history. We wear the slavery like a badge of shame. we took lemons and are brewing lemonade everyday, that's something no other race on this planet can claim. That's something I'm proud of, the fight, the struggle, the yearning to be free...that's what I love. 'Heritage' is arbitrary. We pick and choose. I made the argument pages back.

I'd prefer more WEB debouis and Malcon x, and Mada CJ walker and Jayz and Russell Simmons and Ali and maya Angelou and nikki Giovanni be taught rather than Congo this and Ivory Coast that. Cats learning Swahili...***** I'd rather you learn Spanish or Mandarin...

I'm a Negro, everything before the first American born Africa isn't who I am. I choose not to identify with that. And you know what? My life is pretty great. Never 'sold out' never 'bought in' .older black folk love my attitude torwards life. My uncle told me the other day 'I spent so much of my time angry when I was your age, I look back and am like for what?'

I'm trying to move forward. Learn the past, learn about the world, but be proud of who you actually are. More personal, make your life about your experience.

I ask you, who does more good in the hood, the kid wearing a dashiki pushing Afrocentric talk or the kid in a polo reading Moby **** to the kids?

I feel like Afrocentric talk gets in the way of progress.

Anyone read my links yet?

Not with you calling yourself negro. Get out of here with that mess.

 

[am1x90xnike]

Malcolm called himself a Negro, Martin did also, Pyror, Gregory,Ffoxx...why shouldn't I?

 

[zyzybalubah1]

This whole last page has an entire unnecessary level of animosity, when they all are solid beliefs and ideas.

Not trying to be 'peaceful brother' but let's try to chill with the clown *** ****** and dismissive replys...please?

 

[urbetterthenme]

Malcolm called himself a Negro, Martin did also, prior, Gregory, foxx...why shouldn't I?

does that make it right? No real african or person of african hertiage refers to themsleves as Negro. We didnt call our self that, they called us that.

 

[am1x90xnike]

*Raises hand* here's one. I don't agree with that made up, 90s 'African American' bs.

 

[urbetterthenme]

 
I looked at those pics and laughed, no one in Africa dresses like that.

LOL seriously. To show how uneducated most of those people are, they dont even know how actual africans dress. They are dressing like how people in AMERICA think Africans dress. Its hilarious.

 

[am1x90xnike]

 
LOL seriously. To show how uneducated most of those people are, they dont even know how actual africans dress. They are dressing like how people in AMERICA think Africans dress. Its hilarious.

This sums up the shallowness of the whole idea. Have a rep sir.

 

[julius wrek]

On that whole "Negro vs. African-American" thing...

 

[Rootin4EverybodyBlack]

A bunch of flamboyant dudes TRYING to dress like Africans?

Way too much irony.

 

[knowledgebones72]

I don't think people are trying to dress like how folks in Africa dress.

It's more about rocking fabrics and patterns that are uniquely or markedly African. Things like the Dashiki or kente cloth.

Like, damn nobody hates when it's traditional Native American or Scottish fabrics. Why we gotta be all nitpicky?

What about when this was the wave in the 60's/70's? Was that inauthentic?

Why are we tryna rain on parades out here?

This thread is starting to take a turn...

 

[Rootin4EverybodyBlack]

I wasn't trying to rain on parades, just making an observation that it's ironic considering African culture.

Not trying to take the thread "there" tho so I'll leave it alone.

 

[drones]

It doesn't matter if no one in Africa dresses like that, does it? IMO there's nothing wrong with people here wearing African inspired styles, frankly it seems like an inconsequential thing to get caught up on. It's like when people say we should call ourselves the New Moors, Negroes, Black Americans, New Afrikans, Alkebulanians, Fliggledorfs, Dust Bunnies...it doesn't matter as long as we have the same code. Or at least, it shouldn't.

 

[am1x90xnike]

See, this is why I would love to have sat down with Malcom at various points in his life. Detroit red, Malcom x, El Hajj Malik El Shabazz. Just once.

For example, here, he was being hypocritical because he refers to himself as a Negro. I don't believe there is a single recording/document where he says 'African American' and, it's clear he had a notion of the idea because he used the term 'German American.' So much of this, is what he accused his younger self of doing in his later years ie parlaying the words of Elijiah Muhammad. However, his ideas on action v inaction still hold true. They always have, the idea of 'violent' revolution and the placating of the black man. This nation urged non violence by blacks at a time when America was actively selling guns to violent revolutionaries while telling folks to be peaceful.



He draws different conclusions on the mentality of someone who identifies as a Negro. He says it's a way to accept their current conditions. Whereas, I prefer to think it connects to people like Brother Malcom. A way to connect us to our actual roots. Race itself is to arbitrary to pin down to a specific place and time, the act act is if now is the only time 'racial mixing' has happened, when I fact, between migration and conquest, we must pick a point and decide that is where are heritage is. Another difference, I'm not trying to reach back to gain an identity, i want the American Negro to build their own racial identity. To take pride in what we went through here, what life we built here. The hell we went through here. I think the term is a way to connect to people like brother Malcolm.

I think we can all agree his ideas on racial mixing were a little antiquated. he idea I shouldn't have children with an Indian women, purely because I don't want racial mixing is a ridiculous notion.


Like I always say, never believe in anyone or anything 100%.