[Toyin]

Say it Loud: I’m African and Proud
by Joseph Harker,
New Nation
12 July 2004
Why the time has come to ditch the word ‘black’

Say it loud! I'm black and I'm proud!' Who can of forget the words of James Brown, coming hot on the heels of the black power movement of 60s America, which for the first time cast aside the sense of inferiority that so many felt about their own race? As a young child at school around the same time, used to being called 'blackie' in playground taunts, for the first time people were telling me I need no longer feel ashamed of who I was. So it was a sign of defiance that 'black, which until then had only been used in a derogatory manner (intended to emphasise how different we were from our white 'superiors'), was now being boldly reclaimed.

Back then, black definitely was the new black. But times have changed, and is it now time to rethink our identity? Right now, if I were to ask 100 people what being black means, I'd probably get 100 different answers. And if I were to ask 'how black are you?' what kind type of calculations would go through your head before replying? Would it be how many black friends you have? Would it be how many times you've visited Africa, or the Caribbean? Would it be whether you can speak Jamaican patois? Would it be how many of this paper's recently-published '100 best albums' you could find in your CD collection?

Unfortunately, many of our youngsters believe it's all about Street' culture: how often you kiss your teeth; how disruptive you are in class; how aggressive and intimidating you can be. Wouldn't it be better if we could just do away with all this angst and just have one term that describes us perfectly and is not open to all manner of misinterpretations? One that links us directly to our shared history and releases us from the shame many still feel about our racial origins?

Wouldn't it be better if we could forget 'black' and simply call ourselves 'African'. Let me immediately explain that I'm not an Afro-centric radical demanding that we all leave this country to re-bond with our Motherland. I merely think that, like our fellow minority communities, the Asian and Chinese, we have a right to define ourselves in terms of our history. After all, African, that's what we are, no ifs, buts or maybes. Our ancestry in this continent is ultimately the one thing that bonds us with every other black person in the world. There's nothing left to prove.

The Asian/Chinese experience shows that it is possible to integrate this identity with a sense of citizenship in this country. In the same way we have British Asians, why can we not have British Africans? Remember the 70s, when to some it seemed progressive to call Asians 'brown'. Thankfully for them, they quickly realised the error of their ways. Would you expect a Chinese person to say: 'I'm yellow and proud of it? Or a Native American, say, to be calling for a 'Red history month'? Being known only as a colour is a superficial, one-dimensional way to describe a hundreds-of-million strong group of people, with a history which, for us, stretches back hundreds of thousands of years, to the first ever human being.

And the dangers are all too obvious when you take a look at the dictionary.

Longmans tells us - 'Black: Dirty, soiled, sinister, evil, indicative of hostility, very dismal or calamitous, grim, distorted or grotesque... see also blacklist, blackspot, black mark, blackmail.

'White: Free from soil or blemish; innocent, not intended to cause harm'. You can see whose interests are served by labelling us a colour.

The Commission for Racial Equality has always used 'black' in its ethnic-monitoring questionnaires. The CRE is soon to be abolished subsumed within a huge overbearing human-rights bureaucracy riven with ethnic, gender, religious and sexuality tensions - but for now it's ours, so we must make our voices heard while we can, and get them to re-classify all their forms.

Of course, we've been (partly) down the re-naming route before, using the general term 'Afro/African Caribbeans'. But this has muddied the waters. For one thing, we're still unsure what it means no-one's been able to tell me unequivocally whether it applies to all Africans and Caribbeans (as is popularly used) or just to Caribbeans of African origin. More importantly, though, it's incorrect because ethnically and racially we are NOT Caribbeans.

Let's be honest, our forefathers and mothers were forcibly sent to the Americas, from Africa, as slaves just 400 years ago. If the slavetraders had our people to the far east of Russia. would we be proudly calling ourselves 'Siberians'?

The Indian community has been established in the Caribbean for nearly 200 years, yet we refer to those who have migrated to the UK as Asians. Likewise those who came from East Africa in the 60s and 70s. Are they ever referred to as Asian-Africans? That's because their ethnic/racial/visible identity is obvious. And they're not ashamed to declare it, and don't feel it should be confused by the relatively short geographical detour their ancestors took.

If we're talking in terms of racial origins, the only people who can tick the 'Caribbean' box are the original Carib people, most of whom were wiped out by the european colonisers. That's why, no matter how we got here - whether direct from Africa, or via the Caribbean, the United States, the Far East or wherever - we are all African. And please let us not confuse origin with nationality. In terms of ethnic/racial group, we are African. But we can still be Jamaican, British, Nigerian, or whatever, in the same way that Asians can be Indian, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, etc.

We need to rid ourselves of the shame so many seem to feel about Africa. It's our heritage, and we must embrace it. Yes, it has its faults, but we should not abandon it. In any case, our faces will always undermine any attempt to separate ourselves from our land of origin. It's often said that a tree needs its roots. We need to welcome our history, not hide from it.

Joseph Harker is a Guardian journalist and former editor of Black Briton newspaper

[Imhotep]

This was one of the best articles i'd read in that paper. Not more i can say, it really hit home.

'Would you expect a Chinese person to say: 'I'm yellow and proud of it? Or a Native American, say, to be calling for a 'Red history month'? Being known only as a colour is a superficial, one-dimensional way to describe a hundreds-of-million strong group of people, with a history which, for us, stretches back hundreds of thousands of years, to the first ever human being.'

That there kind of kills any argument against it.

[Toyin]

Brother you know, I know, we know. But still they call us black and we use it to describe ourselves.
I’ve made a new slogan to teach our children, nieces and nephews.

I can, we can, African.

[CeeaitcH]

I'm fortunate enough to know Joe Harker, and I 100% agree with everything he says. Indeed, I have lived by the ethos of proudly asserting my identity for many years now. I do, however, have an issue that is connected to this subject, something I raised in a Ligali forum before, and never received a response to. I am African, I am British - but I am also Antillean (or Caribbean); why should this be left out, particularly by an organisation that shares many of my values?

I've become accustomed to white people, especially Britons, not getting it when I talk about my identity and its importance. Am I not entitled to expect better from fellow Africans? My identity shifts from context to context, as does most people's. Sometimes I'm just a Londoner, or a Fulham FC fan (I know, but someone's got to!). However, whenever it is important - for political reasons, familial reasons, pride, or most likely, some combination of all of these - I always know and set great store by my identity as African in origin and Antillean (or Caribbean) by descent. My Britishness is - more often than not - merely a legal status; I know I am here because they (British colonialists) where there (Africa, the Antilles and many other parts of the world they assumed murderous, corrupt and illegal claim over).

To deny my Antillean descent and upbringing is to deny a quintessential aspect of my identity. My Ghanaian partner agrees, all the more so since she visited Barbados with me and witnessed with some astonishment the ongoing Ghanaian and other West African influences in the culture of so-called 'little England.'

So please, I ask you again - do not exclude and alienate people like me; people who take great pride and comfort in their African identities, but do not wish to have their Antillean (or South American, or other African diasporic) identities to be marginalised, relegated, ignored or denied. I will stay with you, because my pan-Africanist beliefs are more important than my objections to your definition of your identity, but many others will not, and I cannot blame them!

[Toyin]

Greetings CeeaitcH,

Firstly many apologies for not responding to this post. Believe it or not we all missed it until today.

Now in answer to your many important questions.

I am African, I am British - but I am also Antillean (or Caribbean); why should this be left out, particularly by an organisation that shares many of my values?

Let me respond with the fact that I am African, I am British and I also have Nigerian heritage. Many of our members are African, British and also share your Antillean heritage. Now what attributes of our collective identity remain static, unifying us instead of dividing us. Is it not the fact that we are all African and with British nationality?

As you have stated African people often have multiple identities and as an organisation the last thing we would try and do is mask or deny the richness of that diversity in our community. But as you mentioned we follow a Pan African ideology and as you may be aware the most important objective of that ideology is achieving African unity.

In the same way that being African British does not emphasise being Nigerian or West African, or Somali and East African it also does not emphasise being Barbadian and Antillean. It asserts that our African identity is primary and that our British nationality reflects our current geo-political reality. It is also worth stating that we are suggesting that the name African British is used as a direct replacement for ‘black’ British. It is important to remember that despite a large number of conscious Africans such as yourself recognising the important role of identity in self determination, a large number are influenced by state education and media which imposes a ‘black’ British identity upon them. This state sanctioned moniker does not emphasise Caribbean identity yet due to the effects of cultural disinheritance strategies deployed by europeans during the colonisation and enslavement of African people, many African people in the Diaspora would still rather define as ‘black’ British instead of African British.

BBC - Most minorities 'think British'

We must question why some people object to Ligali’s use of African British, but simultaneously have no complaint of europeans labelling them ‘black’ British? In the UK this is even more problematic when members of the Asian community will also self define as ‘black’. Surely the very same people who attack our ethos should first be attacking the existing colour coded labelling based on racist ideology.

If Ligali was to take the convenience route used by european governments and labelled us accordingly we would be described as some version of ‘Black African Caribbean Mixed British’. Even if we shortened that to ‘African Caribbean’ then that would still exclude and alienate African people without Caribbean heritage.

So please, just as the word european includes those ‘self defined ‘white’ people present across the world in the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, etc I ask you recognise and take great pride and comfort in the richness and reality of your African identity. The single word encapsulates both your Antillean heritage whilst providing absolute compatibility with your pan-Africanist beliefs. Any one who asserts that the word African marginalises relegates, ignores or denies this reality is simply uninformed about the history of global African people.

Peace

[Cappa]

Iagree with the sentiment, I'd still use black though to show unity with my Afrikan American , South American and Carribean people of Afrikan origin still.
Because not all Afrikans have traced their tribal lineage for obvious reasons.

[The Freelance Scientist]

[COLOR=purple]

I think the African-Caribbean is probably more appropriate than calling ourselves "African" or "African-British".

It is because I have a lot of Caribbean friends who don't see themselves simply as African.

I know some who'd probably look across the Pond and say how the former "Black" community have now labeled themselves as African-Americans - a more respectable term. Terminology and identification, after all, are very important.

The African-Caribbean community is a lot more diverse than than their counterparts in America. We have representation from the islands of the West Indies and the nations of Africa. Calling ourselves African-British may be a little premature if some of us don't feel African let alone British.

[Toyin]

@The Freelance Scientist

I think the African-Caribbean is probably more appropriate than calling ourselves "African" or "African-British".

It is because I have a lot of Caribbean friends who don't see themselves simply as African.

I respect your opinion on this but just because someone is unaware of their ethnicity is not a justifiable reason to lie to them about it. Education, education, education.

Let me give you a loose analogy.

Imagine a woman (Ms African) has two children fathered by different men, a son by Mr African-Caribbean and a daughter by Mr African-American.

They choose to name their son; Kwame African-American
They choose to name their daughter; Bola African-Caribbean

Now imagine Mr African-Caribbean is invited to a pan-Caribbean gathering where only members of the Caribbean family are invited. His daughter Bola is told she can go with her father but her brother and mother who are not a Caribbean must stay at home.

Now imagine Mr African-American is invited to a pan-American gathering where only members of the American family are invited. His son Kwame is told he can go with his father but his sister and mother who are not a American must stay at home.

End result both times is that the family is split up, despite both children sharing the same mother.

Now imagine Ms African is invited to a pan-African gathering where only members of the African family are invited. Both her son and daughter Bola and Kwame can go along with their fathers who are also part of the African family.

This time the family stays together.

The end.

If you say only African-Caribbean then you exclude African people without Caribbean heritage. Sometimes you may want to do this on purpose and fair enough. But if you say African you unite us all despite where we or our parent were born.

The African British thing is a formal title used for passports and statistics or explicit reference to culture etc.

[akin]

@ Toyin

Big you up on that one.

If you dont know than you better get to know.

Im thinking of ways that you could get the political identity "African British" to appeal to a wider audience. I believe that it is important.

[Blakaveli]

The African British thing is a formal title used for passports and statistics or explicit reference to culture etc.

@Toyin
In addition to your push to end the usage of the term 'Black'.

'United Kingdom' will supersede the term 'British' in a few years.
Our young are already embracing it mainly through the music.
As there is currently a move not to mimic the US in all walks of life and culture
instead taking pride in 'UK' you may wish to ride this ground swell of opinion.

The word 'British' has a linguistic legacy. All the ships taking the enslaved flew the ''British ensign' flag
Yet unenlightened Africans are still proud to be British.
The truth is we were only ever British subjects.
That meant we were subjugated by the British.
Subject = beneath. Owned.

U.K African

Peace

[Toyin]

@Blakaveli

I agree with you about the odious linguistic legacy of the word British but as you know the concept of identity is forever fluid. As a pan African my primary interest is not in arguing over whether we embrace the labels ‘British’ or ‘UK’ but instead of the eradication of the institutionalisation of the label ‘black’ as a racial epithet to describe African people.

When I say I am African British (I normally just say African) it is a formal recognition of my status as an African in Britain. I only do this when necessary to make reference to my nationality or legal status as a British citizen. I am not a British subject.

Peace

An African (Brit)

[Rebel-lion]

I agree...

europeans seem to enjoy comparing themselves to us with their constant contrasting. Black Vs White, Its pathetic... if we continue playing their games we'll forever be stuck with complaints, when we set up our own schools if we were to call them ''Black Schools'' the europeans will be quick to ask why they don't have ''White Schools'' same thing when we have our own community banks. The europeans seem to get a high reffering to themselves as 'white' with all its meanings attached and by realigning ourselves with our continent and ancestory we'd be staving off their complex and comparisions to us as a colour rather than a race.

I'm African and proud!

Let me immediately explain that I'm not an Afro-centric radical demanding that we all leave this country to re-bond with our Motherland.

Nothing wrong with that .lol. I'm hearing of more roots type trips going on. Personally think people should be encouraged to steadily leave England and America... espeically England, we have no claim to any land here. Can't stay where you're not welcome... especially when your tax money is being, 'mis-spent' to say the least.

Hotep
rl

[Jovan]

i think the word black should be cast aside and african should be the new compound but many many people don't regard themselves as africans including a numberous of carribeans(not all) they find that the word does not relate to them in any form or sort.

[Djehutis Wisdom]

i think the word black should be cast aside and african should be the new compound but many many people don't regard themselves as africans including a numberous of carribeans(not all) they find that the word does not relate to them in any form or sort.

Africans en masse have a habit of only attaching to themselves a label which is given to them by caucasians and is derogatory and it is always the progressive few who realise that they are and always will be Africans. First we were negroes and then the new negro was the coloured person, then the new coloured person was black and then African American (African British here, a title which ill inevitably lead to the acceptance of Britishness over Africaness, although Toyin would disagree). Africans will not see themselves en masse as Africans until People who know the truth find an effective means of passing on their knowledge to the majority without all at once giving them the red pill (I hope it wasn't the blue one I was supposed to write). If we show people too much too quickly they shy away, it is only a few who take hold of their new knowledge and never let go. The rest need time.

However as has been suggested by certain historians I do not believe we should let it change in it's own time, we must change the perceptions of ourselves as black and return to the label African (or the equivilent in an African language)

As for the caribbean thing, don't worry, when you start pointing out a few things to our Caribbean brothers and sisters they stop talking that fart. Just talk about how the Maroons are responsible for that lovely jerk sauce that we put on all of our meat, how many words in our present day vocabulary come from Ghanaian tribes, how we still tell our children about anansi the spider (ghanaian folktales) and how basically all of the things that we hold so dear to us in the Caribbean are as a result of Africans not forgetting who they are (shame some of us haven't followed suit).

[MarcusGarveyLives]

... not everyone agrees ...