Giving context (and reality) to the phrase ‘African American’

American Thinker ^ | 04/11/24 | Christopher Garbacz

[SeekAndFind]

What does “African American” mean? Like its companion phrase, “Hispanic,” “African American” is a woke term that ignores historical reality and the complicated histories of the African and Latin American continents.

“African American” generally means someone whose ancestors came to America as slaves from Africa, a vast continent with myriad races and cultures. There are five countries north of the Sahara that generally do not fall into the black Africa category: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia. These regions were involved in white slavery via the Barbary pirates (over 1 million European slaves estimated), and Congress re-established the U.S. Navy (dormant since the Revolution) to counter them.

There are 49 countries in sub-Sahara Africa, comprised of hundreds of tribes (thousands of languages), all of which have black populations. The last vestiges of white colonialism are swiftly vanishing.

So, where did those blacks who came as slaves to America originate? Generally, they came from sub-Saharan Africa’s central western region, where dominant tribes captured them and sold them to Muslim-run slave markets for Western purchasers.

These dominant tribes did not think of these slaves as their equals. They viewed them as sub-humans (from inferior tribes) that supplied a lucrative commodity. It is estimated that the slaver tribes captured as many as 20 million people, of whom some 10-15 million survived the march to the slave markets.

King Gezo, in the 1840s, summarized how important the slave trade was to his Dahomey kingdom:

The slave trade is the ruling principle of my people. It is the source and the glory of their wealth…the mother lulls the child to sleep with notes of triumph over an enemy reduced to slavery…

[SeekAndFind]

The following list has the best guesses of tribes that saw their members captured and sold in America before Congress outlawed the international slave trade in 1807:

[FlingWingFlyer]

I’ve spoken to a lot of white people over the years and I can’t remember many, if any, who referred to themselves as European-Americans. I guess that makes us just Americans. Weird how so many Americans all want to go to Europe. Never had one say to me, “I’m going to vacation in Africa.”

[dfwgator]

How many African countries can your average “African American” name?

[JBW1949]

Elon Musk is an “African-American”.....

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Never had one say to me, “I’m going to vacation in Africa.”

Well I’m the exception I guess. Visited South Africa twice and loved the scenery, wine, etc. . It’s a beautiful country and a great place to visit ( but not to live ).

And Egypt and Morocco are steep with history and worth a visit as well.

Just goes to show that God can give you a good place to live but you can turn it into hell yourself.

[butlerweave]

Means they’re African so they should go back there

[dfwgator]

Africans don’t want them.

[Candor7]

I am included in the category of African Ameroican.

Thats because I self identify as an African AMerican.

Thats all ya need these days.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Thats because I self identify as an African AMerican.

So, what Rachel Dolezal did isn’t necessary anymore?

[Candor7]

No, poor Rachel did not do quite enough by half.She was too nuanced.

She needed to step it up like Canada's village idiot prime minister Justin Trudeau did:

Self IDENTIFY TO THE MAX !

[sasquatch]

I was born in Palo Alto CA.
I’m a native American.

[eyeamok]

What does “African American” mean?

A hyphenated American by definition is a RACIST, see Teddy Roosevelt

[Jumper]

BS. AAs are a distinct fatherless lawless tribal peoples who are on jungle srandard... or seista time schedules. Real Americans don’t use a dash to identify themselves and they support themselves.

[Tired of Taxes]

"I’ve spoken to a lot of white people over the years and I can’t remember many, if any, who referred to themselves as European-Americans."

No, but they'll say they are Irish American or German American or Polish American, etc. Or, they'll just identify as Irish or German or Polish, etc., even though they've never stepped outside the USA. They'll even give the whole rundown: half this, a quarter that, a quarter this, etc. I was raised to say American of Italian descent, but I don't care if someone else says Italian American.

Maybe people in other parts of the country don't identify that way? But, where I live in the NE, they always did (in my lifetime). We also kept up with the customs and traditions from "the old country" for generations, although we have slacked off now as most people today are a mixture of ethnic backgrounds.

So, I never understood all the uproar over the term African American. If you can't pinpoint the country because that information was taken from you, then refer to the continent. There's nothing wrong with saying European American, either.

The government shouldn't put us into boxes, but there's nothing wrong with honoring our ancestors in the way we identify ourselves.

Foreigners laugh at us, but who cares what they think.

[Fuzz]

Good post.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Born in Medford, Massachusetts, raised in Arizona. I’m an indigenous, native American. Always will be.

[Organic Panic]

I have never heard any of my black friends call themselves “African American.” I supervised interns from the Caribbean and the stupid college only had “African American” for race. “I am black. I am not African and I am not American.” But they had to play the game.