Can Africans and African-Americans get along?

Apparently, this is a very sensitive subject that stirs a lot of emotions with African-Americans as well as Africans. But we have to be careful with forming an opinion based on isolated unpleasant encounters: as a Senegalese (West African) I have had good experiences with African-American and bad experiences too, yet it is essential that we realize that within both communities you will have your “bad apples”, are we going to let these “bad apples” determine our perception of each other?

Black people around the world, we need to learn to love each other…we can sit here and point out our differences and worry about the labels (I’m not African, I’m African-American….who cares? We’re all Black!). In the eyes of the world, we are all Black whether Africans, Americans, French citizens, Haitian, Jamaicans…it doesn’t matter if we’ve been mixed with other races, heck some Africans have been mixed with other races while in Africa! I know of some Africans who are as much Americans (if not more) as any African-American (AKON, the rapper/singer for example).  And vice-versa, I have met some Americans who spoke a fluent Wolof (West African language) which I know many of my fellows Senegalese citizen cannot claim to speak.

In Africa, each country has several ethnic groups (sometimes hundred of different races with their own characteristics: some tall/ some short/ some slim/ some more muscular, some light-skin, some dark skin) so if we want to get really technical being black is not even a race…it is a very long list of races/ethnic groups with their own specific characteristics. In Africa too, hatred will be found in some areas between ethnic groups that can barely be differentiated by an outsider and that is really the sad part about this subject of blind hatred (if not blind at least based on the wrong assumptions), you find it everywhere.

The main idea is this: it is crucial to understand each other and have a better understanding of each other…there is definitely a lack of knowledge of Africa worldwide, not only in the US but everywhere. Yes the media does an excellent work at portraying Africa’s worst images (hunger, AIDS, civil war, blood diamonds, diseases, poverty), even though these problems exist in Europe, Asia and America (except civil war and blood diamonds). I wrote a blog on the role of the media in Africa’s ternished image, that image made a lot of African-Americans deny their identity and I can’t blame them if that’s all they see about Africa. We can only understand each other better through open communication where opinions are expressed and discussed intelligently.

So as Africans, it is our job to fight this media campaign by various means…we must inform each other, open the dialogue about these subjects so that we can get closer. An interesting idea would be the creation of a platform such as a website or an event that would focus on opening the lines of communication…it doesn’t have to scripted or censored: folks can bring up the “painful” issues and the difficulties in our communities so we can bring potential solutions or at least helpful hints to each other.

It is time that knowledge is shared, it is exciting to read that more African-Americans are going to Africa to see for themselves what it is REALLY like…and not relying solely on what someone says or what FOXnews shows. Realistically though, not every single African-American will make the trip so we (Africans) have to make an effort to promote African culture, show REAL pictures of African cities/villages/people, documentaries, reports to better inform our Black Diaspora in America about Africa.

Yes it is true that African and African-Americans are not the same, so no one is trying to state that we are identical because we are not….but this is irrelevant, we have to work on our relationship. The beautiful thing is that we can learn from our differences, I have an American wife and we learn so much from each other because her African-American culture teaches me a lot while I share my African heritage with her and our children.

Africans must improve the nature of their interaction with African-Americans and vice-versa, there will always be ignorant folks in both groups but we shouldn’t let them dictate the outcome of our Black Diaspora.

Africa is wonderful but one would think I’m just saying that because I’m African…I have travelled with several African-Americans to the motherland and all of them have seriously considered moving to Africa for good…Maybe everyone won’t be moving to Africa but it is just the concept that (to my knowledge) All Americans had a wonderful experience when travelling to Africa… it is a very unique experience and you have to live it to really understand.

I hope my contribution will be well understood, the last thing I would like to add is that Africans and African-Americans should do more business together…there are many opportunities for both entrepreneurial groups.

Thanks

About the Author

Born in Senegal, I came to the US in 1996 after graduating with a Civil Engineering degree. With a ten year construction career in the US, I have an extensive exposure and knowledge of American construction materials as well as materials used in West Africa, where I spent most of my earlier life.

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