David Adewumi

*****Wrote Dec. 2, 2007

Sean Taylor was shot and killed earlier this week.

It was reported by many people, yet there was a recent article that made me literally stop in the middle of it, and begin to write this note.

The Newsweek article (http://www.newsweek.com/id/73347 i encourage you to read both this article and the newsweek one) was commenting on the stigma of being an ‘African-American’ young male, and went on to note how Michael Wilbon an ‘African-American’ journalist wrote a column. For all you sport junkies you will recognize Wilbon from the famed show Parton the Interruption, which he co-hosts with MNF announcer Tony Kornheiser.

Does any other ‘African-American’ find it annoying to be referred to in that manner. I am black, not literally, but when you say black, you typically refer to a dark pigmentation, right? When I say white, I’m not talking about that hue often found on wedding dresses, but rather that pinkish tone that some of my best friend’s have.

You know when I was in Georgia, there was a girl there that worked at the library that I became friend with. She, who will probably see this note, refused to be called African-American because she feels that she descended from native Americans (now called American Indians in present-day political correctness…it’s hard to keep up with these ever-changing terms). She claims that her ancestors did not come from Africa but were those already here before the white man came and took over (which leads to another interesting discussion about exactly WHO is the illegal immigrant in this country, but that’s an article for another day.)

Although it is sometimes debated by scholars exactly WHY they did, but it is known for sure that the Ancient Egyptians called themselves, their land, and their country Black. (the word is most often written khmer- which was black) and that even in ancient Greek texts, they referred to the Egyptians as black men. I am of the school of thought that agrees that the ancient Egyptians were black, and most surely a lot darker than those there now. In fact, Yoruba tradition points to the first Yoruba coming from Egypt, and our traditions mirror and parallel those found in Ancient Egypt, in fact as we were at the Museum of Natural Science & History over thanksgiving (located in Chicago) my Dad was just startled by how many of the traditions paralleled that of our people.

But I digress.

The point of that last paragraph, although long winded, was to point out, well if the most advanced civilization to walk this planet (even today we can’t figure out how they did some of the things, like build the pyramids of Giza) could call themselves black, why can’t we?

I among all people, who am first generation American would want to be called African-American, right?

Not so fast

Let’s take the example of someone, who however, is first generation, but arrived from a country like Brazil, where some numbers put their black population at 50%.

Should a black Brazilian who migrates to the US than refer to himself as an “African-American” when his forefathers have walked the lands of South America for a few hundred years–and yes they may have come from Africa before that, but why must they be an “African American? Yes he is from the Americas, but we all know when people say America, they refer to the United States

Another point of discussion: If we all really do come from Africa, as most of those who believe in evolution believe –(why of course, the Africans are the closest links to apes, how convenient?) why don’t they preface EVERY PEOPLE GROUPS African–(fill in country(. In fact, when I was in Kenya, I wanted nothing more to go and set my eyes upon “the cradle of life.”

Then that way, we can truly be correct, and then we will have African-German, African-French, African-Indian, and whatever other absurd invention we can co me up with.

(A note for later discussion: why the term sub-Sahara Africa has such a dire implication—the ancient Eygptians also called what we refer to as South, North, so maybe it should be Sub-Sahara when referring to what is not Black Africa, such as modern day Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, etc..)

Not to mention all the discrepancy of being born ‘half-black’ those of uyou fortunate & unfortunate of being mixed races. My niece and nephew are such, and from all looks of it, my kids will be too. From the experiences I’ve seen from friends, this is not something I’m looking forward to–having my niece, nephew, and even my own kids struggle to identify exactly who they, and where they come from.

You may think I’m wasting my time by even broaching this subject, and I may be wasting my breath here, but I think I’m on to something. Maybe this fits into the larger topic of social & cultural identity, I don’t know.

So anyways, the next time you’re around me, don’t worry about some social faux-pas and talk about another black person and say “i was talking to this African-American kid” because I will most definitely laugh at you and tell you to repeat the sentence and insert the word black (Just ask Chris if you don’t believe me)

I could go on and on about this, and how Black is referred not to as a color, but a manner of being–for example, being Black is not about physically being Black, but about speaking uneducated, dressing with clothes that don’t fit, and playing bball or possessing the skills of tongue-twisting, otherwise known as rap (ask Eminem if you gotta be black to do it)–but again, another topic for another day

It’s not surprise for Africans reading this that my dad doesn’t like my hair in twisties, although it’s a lot more common for those who have been away for the homeland for a while–in a lot of places in Black Africa, that’s something women do, as well as pierced earings. But my dad’s biggest concern–is being labeled by potential employers and other important people who might not take me seriously because of the style of my hair-automatically lumping me with those trouble makers who get arrested for possessing and smokin weed, drive-by shootings, and ‘great’ shows like Flava-Flav or I Love New York. (the same black people who newsweek said ages 15 to 19 die by homicide at 46 times the rate of white males their age. They are also seven times more likely to be incarcerated than their white peers )

There’s a great story he told me about one of his graduate students, who went to an important meeting with my dad, plus all white people. The first day he had his hair in a fro, well combed & shaped-up. The next time he saw them,(which I think was the next day) He had his hair in cornrows, and they all asked him “what happened to you, we thought you were a reputable young man.” You see, that style of hair had such negative connotations, they immediately doubted their previous respect for him, all because of a different hair style.

True story.

I could also tell the story where Al Roker (not the real one, but a nickname for JR) and Jahmal would fight over what it meant to be black–one was your more typical ‘black’ person raised in a black community with all the stereotypical black ideals (number one being NOT to date a white person) and the other, although from the Bronx, had an educated style of speaking & debating that irked the other black kid.

How amusing, as if black people in this country did not have enough things going against them, that they must argue about the level of ‘blackness’ and accuse others of not being black, simply because they date people of other colors, or they don’t talk like a stereotypical black person. (think— “how are you doing” in stead of “what’s up my nigga”

if you know me, you know how irritating that is to me, because for a black person to fight over with another black person over something so trivial as their degree of blackness, only shows how far out of whack some of the thinking in this country has gotten–and although I understand this is a nature vs. nurture thing, where that annoying black people attitude where you have to “act Black” –or wahtever it is people do on BET and the latest hip-hop video–was developed from their surroundings and not something innate, it still urks me to my core.

But hold on, let offending Black person from the above example grab some Tims, Air Force Ones, or some Jordans, some baggy pants, beater with a long white T, and a du rag to go under that fresh fitted NY cap, and all will be ok.

(I hope you’re catching my sarcasm)

I know it will take a long time to change this fallacious way of thinking (or should I say jacked-up) again, as in all things, you must call something (in this case the various problems of name association for black people in this country) by its true name–in other words voice the problem, before you solve the problem.

But when all is said and done, I am not African-American because my parents came from Nigeria, I am black because I was born that way. I am not talking “white” when I stop mumbling and speak clearly, I am simply educated and black. And lastly I am not obliged to acquiesce to all the trappings of that “young African American” life style, because being Black is not up for debate.

It is the color of my skin.

Update: Comment from Reginald Bryant:

“The term African American is too much of a label. Blacks with ancestors from African have been in America since the 1600s just like whites with ancestors from Europe. However; whites are rarely referred to as European Americans. The term implies too much that blacks are inferior to whites. In other words blacks still have to be referenced to another continent as if blacks have just immigrated over here and are not used to the American Nationality. Blacks are just as American as whites and the term African American conveys otherwise. Most blacks are not even just sub-Saharan African; many are mixed with good size traces of Native American and/or white. So why not just say Black American or Black if one needs to refer to race.”