An African People Or Not?

I had an interesting discussion with some Africans from the city of Ghana at UNLV in 1994 of mid April. We talked of African culture in Africa and also being the descendants of slaves. I told them that we are a unique people here in America because of being here in this environment and have been shaped truly against our natural moral implications. I had explained to them that we are not Americans because our ancestors never choose to be Americans. What they clearly rejected because of the root of the entire ordeal, it is only intelligent that we should as well; otherwise our acceptance of that title and position in this world and all that comes with it, is the greatest betrayal.

We can only be compared in our condition as the Hebrews even though I know that we surpass the legacy of the Hebrew people because they were never truly freed, I don't care what that book says. I know that if there will be any liberation, it will be manifested from us because we still reject the modern slavery while most Africans are trying to get here to embrace it with a passion. I told them that I was told by many Africans that 3 generations after slavery, we are not "considered" descendants of African people because of having no emotional, spiritual nor psychological knowledge of African culture to imbue an attachment to it for the sake of virtue. This mind was cultivated as I told them, of the religion of Islam when Muhammad (PBUH) had said “Three generations after me, will no longer be of me.” I let them know that to admit that slavery was a reality and to assert that we are no longer an African people by blood, because we lack in knowing the culture, is wrong as well as disrespectful, ignorant and unrealistic. We exist because our ancestors existed as we are not a tree baring no root. However according to them our people are not only denied their culture by the plight of slavery, but also of those Africans who exist this day of the same land most of us root from. This devil and his Church of England and the African kings that our people are so proud of identifying with, has caused a mess that only we can rectify because it is we who are suffering it.

We are a people of many nations not by choice genetically of some, but by the plight of slavery of our blood being mixed by those who reject us this day as most Indians today even though both nations fought together in the american slavery revolt that lasted almost 100 years from 1702 until 1790 of resistance. But we understand our vitality and despite of how much we suffer in this institution, we would not trade who and what we are from no one, not even who "they" (the African) have become to be. This of course caused them to become angry.

The African people today refer to us as “foreigners” in their land this day, however do not deny slavery and that being the reasoning of why most of us are present. They see us as westerners because of the mind set and yet don't deny that we suffer tyranny under the western world and its crippling institutions because they know that we are not westerners. I told them that the reason of why we are a totally different African people is because we are rejected by our African people this day the same as those in Africa who rejected our ancestors and sold us into slavery; and also of course our oppressor. We are left alone in our condition with no one but ourselves as this is why unity is most important if all of us collectively understand this major problem, this condition. I respect Marcus Mosiah Garvey's design of the going back to Africa formula; but however, to look at the way they hate us when they immigrate here and also seeing the massive killings over in Africa this day of them “killing one another,” cutting heads off, killing their women because of accused infidelity without the opportunity of counseling towards resolve, burning each other publically, cutting off the testicles of the men even while they are in death still thinking as though they are still causing the dead more pain and anguish, is far more wicked than any thing I have ever researched of our people here against one another. What they are doing in Africa this day, make lynching look small in comparison. We have no other place to go. By we being rejected by everyone, that is not what makes us bad; it makes us a unique people who will in time rise up in every aspect and create our own culture without anyone else debris/culture lingering as an attachment to us that we truly don't need. I say this because if what they know is so better, then why are they colonized this day by America, China, Britain and France? Whatever divine deity they were serving and are serving, as many of our people feel the need to come to know for their personal enlightenment, sure as hell did not prevent our ancestors from becoming slaves and then us enslaved within a system of injustice.

David Anthony Brayboy