I’m not Black, I am African and That Ain’t the Same Thing Bro

Less than a year ago, a friend of mine shared a picture of Candace Owens, a Conservative American political commentator posing with Kayne West wearing a white t-shirt that read “White Lives Matter”. WOW!

My first first instinct was to ask “But who the hell is she? Is she trying to get into trouble, or create a buzz by being unnecessarily controversial?”

Suddenly, I got a vivid flashback of my first BLM conversation. It took place back when everybody switched their social profile picture to a black square, when young people were in the streets toppling statues and revisiting history, and when every single corporation shouted about the need to have a DE&I department in place… ring any bells? It was a Sunday in summer, sitting in Vauxhall Park with friends and their plus one, when we discussed what was going on. I remember feeling uncomfortable with the name of the movement – after all, if Black Lives Matter, does it imply that other lives don’t matter?

As soon those words escaped my delicate lips, I got shut down by a White BMP (bourgeois mal-pensant: those who think they are always on the good side of the road without questioning what they know, and how they got to know what they know). Anyway, this gentleman retorted faster than a high-speed train on steroids that “All lives can't matter until Black lives matter!”

He repeated it 3 times, and this was the end of his argumentation.

Well, he didn’t stop there. He carried on his eloquent and pretty long monologue that delved into the impacts of systemic racism that Black people in the Western world are facing and how it prevents them from getting equal opportunities. He then detailed how micro-aggressions precludes Black people from being their authentic self at work, as a result of the constant and inherent oppression.

As I nodded mechanically, I felt the need to interject a bit more nuance. I stated that, although I have experienced racism throughout my life, I do not feel oppressed, but his response couldn’t wait - oh man it just couldn’t.

“It is probably because you’re not aware that you are oppressed! You might be biased by your own views of what racism is”.

My eyes rolled so fast that I don’t how I didn’t faint. The conversation left a bitter taste of an unfinished painting that everyone gets, but you. So, I decided to do my own research on the topic.

Whatever your views are on the unapologetically Conservative Candace Owens, her research on the Black Lives Matter movement (BLM) highlights a few points which I found pertinent to debate on.

• How has the money raised from the BLM movement been used to help the local Black communities?

• Without questioning the appalling and cruel conditions in which George Floyd was murdered, why is it that has he been the emblematic face of the movement, considering his criminal record?

• But most importantly, do Black deaths matter more than Black lives? BLM supporters tend to be more vocal and active on the streets when crimes are committed, but shouldn’t the movement be prioritising and supporting all aspects of Black lives, such as family structure?

According to US Census data published on ACT Rochester, Afro Americans have the highest by far percentage of single-parent households - 66% compared to other ethnic groups (43% Latino, 34% White and 20% Asian). In 2022, there were about 4.15 million Black families compared to 3.4 million in 1990, which represents a staggering increase of 22%.

In 2022, there were about 4.15 million Black families in the United States with a single mother. This is an increase from 1990 levels, when there were about 3.4 million Black families with a single mother. Source.

The trend looks similar in the UK, and based on the ONS data; 24.3% of Black households are made of single parents (lone parent), which is the highest across all ethnic groups.

Single parenthood occurs for different reasons, including divorce, death, abandonment, or single-person adoption and those families experience more stress and economic strain than dual-parent households with two incomes. Children raised by one parent are at risk of poorer health and educational outcomes, while children (regardless of the ethnicity) who grow up with 2 parents are more likely to flourish, get an education and avoid being incarcerated. Chances for Afro American to graduate double when being raised by two parents while the chances to be incarcerated decreased by 42%. Source.

Growing up in single parent household seriously damages the chances of any child to flourish, so why is not one of the BLM movement’s top priorities, especially since the dismantlement of Afro American families was a major goal during slavery. Nowadays, high incarceration rates of men of colour, economic strain, and changing attitudes towards marriage also influence the current state of Black families.  Unfortunately, according to research conducted by the Pew Center on the States, we can see that Afro American men are the most at risk group to be incarcerated through their life.

But the burning question that kept me up all night was: Would this movement have had the same global impact if it was named “African Lives Matter”?

Unlike Afro-American who do not have direct connections with Africa (family, language, memories), African descendants who grew up in Europe (Afro-European) face different challenges to construct themselves. Trying to blend in with Europeans who might be in different social classes and adopting their values and codes that are diametrically opposed to those of African parents. On top of this, Afro-Europeans have to challenge preconceived ideas attached to their communities on a daily basis, such as how North Africans are perceived to be “violent and potential extremists”, while Sub-Saharan Africans are seen to be “lazy and frivolous”.

Perhaps when American technology, fast-food and entertainment spread across the globe, African descendants across the globe found it easier and more prestigious to take successful Black Americans as role model, and by extension embrace the racial dichotomic views (White Vs Black) as the multi-cultural model to embrace.

However, one can also ask themselves, what do we lose emotionally, morally, and spiritually when we throw out our ancestral African heritage to fit in a multicultural society? Similar to a blackhole, does it consume all parts of life, all parts of our identity?

When we are identified as “Black” our specific African history, physical features, traditions, and beliefs don’t matter anymore. Only this colour defines who we are and who we can ever be.

Consequently, whether you are from any of these African tribes:

Abe, Abidji, Abron, Abure, Adanse, Adjukru, Afar, Afo, Agbogho, Agwa, Aizi, Akan, Akuapem, Aladyan, Ambo, Anang, Anyang, Anyi, Aowin, Arugba, Asante, Asinda, Akye, Avikam, Bafo, Baga, Bakota, Balante, Bamana, Bambara, Bamileke, Bamum, Bana, Bangba, Bangubangu, Bangwa, Bankoni, Banyambo, Barambu, Bariba, Barotse, Basikasingo, Bassa, Baster, Baule, Beke, Bella, Bemba, Bembe, Bena, Luluwa, Bende, Berber, Bete, Betsi, Bidjogo, Bidyogo, Bijema, Bira, Bjiri, Boa, Bobo, Boki, Bongo, Boni, Borana, Bozo, Buganda, Bundu, Burra, Bushoong, Buyu, Bwa, Bwaka, Bwende, Bwile, Byeri, Byeru, Chagga, Chamba, Chokwe, Chopi, Dabakala, Dagari, Dakakari, Damara, Dan, Dinka, Diomande, Dioula, Djenné, Dogon, Dorobo, Ebandza, Edan, Ega, Ejagham, Eket, Ekoi, Ekonda, Elefon, Elegba, Eotile, Epa, Esie, Esuma, Ewe, Fale, Fang, Fante, Fon, Frafra, Fuga, Fulani, Few, Gan, Gaola, Gato, Gbekre, Gciriku, Geh, Ghimbala, Gio, Giryama. Gogo, Goma, Gon, Grebo, Guerre,        Guerze, Kpelle, Guin, Gurage, Guro, Gurunsi, Gwa, Hamar, Hamba, Hausa, Hehe, Hemba, Herero, Himba, Holoholo, Hutu, Hungana, Ibibio, Idoma,    Igala, Igbira, Igbo, Igbo, Ijo, Jaba, Jukun, Kafigeledio, Kaguru, Kaka, Kanu, Kara, Karo, Karagwe, Karamojong, Karsina, Kassena, Katana, Katsina, Kerebe, Kete, Kholuka, Kigango, Kikuyu, Kipsigi, Kissi, Kiteki, Kom, Koma, Komo, Kongo, Konso, Koro, Kota, Kpaniya, Kpelie, Kponiugo, Kran, Krinjabo, Krobu, Kru, Kuba, Kusu, Kuyu, Kwahu, Kwame, Kwangali, Kwele, Kwere, Kyaman, Laka, Lamba, Landuma, Lega, Leka, Lele, Lemba, Lenge, Lengola, Lese, Liko, Lobedu, Lobi, Loma, Lombi, Lomotwa, Lovale, Lovedu, Lozi, Luba, Upemba,      Luchazi, Lulua, Lumbo, Lunda, Lungu, Luvale, Lwalwa, Lwena, Maasai, Mabaan, Mabea, Mahafaly, Mahongwe, Makonde, Malinke, Mambila, Mandinka, Mangbetu, Manja, Mano, Marka, Masai, Mau, Mbala, Mbanja, Mbete, Mbo, Mbole, Mbukushu, Mbunza, Mbuti, Medje, Mende, Mfumte, Mindumu, Mitsogo, Mongo, Mossi, Mpo, Mumuye, Munchi, Mvuba, Nalu, Nama, Namji Nande, Ndaaka, Ndabi, Ndebele, Ndengese, Ngbaka, Ngbandi, Ngere, Ngoni, Nguni, Nkanu, Nkondi, Nok, Ntumu, Nuna, Nupe, Nyamwezi, Nyanga, Nyanzi, Nyindu, Nyoro, Obamba, Ogboni, Ogoni, Ogowe, Okua, Ondumbo, Oromo, Oron, Ovambo, Ovimbundu, Owe, Owo, Pangwa, Pedi, Pende, Pere, Pfemba, Pokot, Pomdo, Punu, Pygmy Qua, Rungu, Sakalava, Salampasu, Samburu, San, Sango, Sanwi, Sapi, Segou, Senufo, Shamaye, Shambaa, Shambiu, Shangaan, Sherbo, Shi, Shilluk, Shona, Sikasingo, Sikka, Sokoto, Songhai, Songo, Songola, Songye, Soninke, Sotho, Subia,   Suku, Surma, Susu, Swahili, Swazi, Tabwa, Tale, Teke, Tellem, Temne, Tetela, Thonga, Tikar, Tiv, Tjiwara, Toma, Tongwe, Totela, Toubou, Tsogho, Tsonga, Tswana, Tuareg, Tumbwe, Tutsi, Twifo, Urhobo, Venda, Vezo, Vili, Wassa, We, Winiama, Wodaabe, Wolof, Wongo, Woyo, Wum,      Xhosa, Yaka, Yaure, Yeyi, Ymbe, Yoruba, Zande, Zaramo, Zela, Zimba, Zombo or Zulu, it doesn’t matter, you are just Black!  

Nothing else but Black.

So, what does it mean to be Black if this socially constructed colour doesn’t include all the shades and nuances of our African roots?

It is essential for any alleged members of the “Black community” to know who the leaders and emblematic personalities of this “community” are. Please don’t tell Jay-z and Beyoncé!

Secondly, do we know what are our primary common denominators are in being Black? Is it our language, religion, music preference, fashionable taste, political views, the level melanin in our skin or this soit-disant predetermined oppressive fate?

In the movie “Malcom X”, the main character played by Denzel Washington is being challenged to understand his constructed perceptions of the world and his understanding of his own Blackness. He does this by reading from the dictionary the definition of two very simple words: Black and White

“Black destitute of light. Devoid of colour, enveloped in darkness hence utterly dismal or gloomy as the future looked black. Soared with dirt. Foul. Sullen. Hostile. Forbidding as a black day. Fowley or outrageously wicked as black cruelty indicating disgrace dishonour or culpability.

As I reflected on the reasons why, through incentivisation, we push ourselves to believe that the DNA of our identity lies in the colour of our skin, I couldn’t help wondering if Malcom X’s cellmate was right when he said “The truth is lying near. If you read behind the words.”

So, would we have been loud and proud to stand up for the same movement if it had been called “African Lives Matter”? I don’t think so. And it is partially because we African descendants who have been born into the Western world have been disconnected culturally and have voluntarily dissociated ourselves socially from the continent and its inhabitants. Let’s face it, most of us deeply believe that our dark painted lives and souls are worth more because we are modern, progressist, liberal, open minded, cartesian, solution orientated, good people. We know the language and codes of the old Masters, so surely, we’re on the right side too.

But what if all African descendants had grown up in a healthy environment, with their parents and grandparents? What if our cultural heritage was passed on organically? And, what if we had been taught that all of Thales’, Pythagoras’, Plato’s, Aristotle’s, and Isocrates’ knowledge, which was the foundation of European civilisation, came from Africa (to be more specific, Kemet – otherwise known as Egypt or ‘Black Land’). Would we have been prouder to identify as African today? I bet your sweet arse, we would.

So dear brothers and sisters, if you too have grown up in the Western world and find it hard to create your space in a society where systemic racism exists… If you too want to want to stand up and construct yourself outside of any movements that ignore your roots and where your only reflections can be seen through the destitution of light… If you too feel like you have walked through life blindly …remember those very wise and powerful words from Maya Angelou:

“I come as one, but I stand as ten thousand”.

Remember that what unites us is our roots because yes, we all come from Africa.