Posted: Sat 31 May 2008 13:47 Post subject: What about international Black solidarity?
What about international Black solidarity?
In the interest of semantic precision, site rules prohibit use of the word "Black" for people unless it is clear whether the author means "African American," or "of sub-Saharan ancestry" or "African-looking in the eyes of the author," or whatever. An author's refusal to clarify, or switching among meanings when asked to clarify are grounds for suspension.
But sometimes authors cannot articulate a meaning because to them "Black" means "a member of the global Black solidarity movement." They envision a vast ethno-political bloc that includes African Americans as well as former colonized peoples of dark skin tone, whether or not they descend from slaves, indeed whether they even descend from Africans within the past few millennia. They imagine a planet-wide political unity among post-colonialism intellectuals, African Americans, people in poverty everywhere—a unity that transcends minor details like nationality, culture, ethnicity, or even genetic ancestry.
Such a vision may be noble, but to claim it as factual reality will draw challenge from other members. Historically speaking, whenever political leaders have donned the mantle of such a vision (Hezekiah Grice, Martin Delaney, Marcus Garvey) the only measurable result has been a net flow of cash from African American families into the pockets of the leaders and no resultant tangible support from folks outside the U.S. The fact that some Americans have embraced the vision is indisputable. But the claim that a global pan-Black movement actually exists will be challenged. And anyone who responds to the challenge to show evidence of global Black solidarity by falling back on the "race" notion ("All Blacks around the word are members of the Black race.") will be suspended since we do not permit advocacy of racialism here. We study it.
But what about the vision of international Black solidarity? When, where, how, and why did it arise in history? Is there any pattern in who has supported the idea, by: age bracket, socioeconomic class, liberal versus conservative, ethnic self-identity, urban versus rural, or ratio of Afro-Euro admixture? Who advocates such a thing today?
Please note that I am not asking anyone to advocate or to oppose the desirability of pan-Black solidarity. If you want to do that, go to the "Improving U.S. Society" forum. And I am not asking anyone to claim that pan-Black solidarity must exist and cannot be challenged because it is founded on unity of "race." Do that and you will be suspended. I am just asking members who are familiar with historically recurring visions of pan-Black solidarity to share their knowledge of the subject.
ut what about the vision of international Black solidarity? When, where, how, and why did it arise in history? Is there any pattern in who has supported the idea, by: age bracket, socioeconomic class, liberal versus conservative, ethnic self-identity, urban versus rural, or ratio of Afro-Euro admixture? Who advocates such a thing today?
To understand "Pan Black " solidarity we need to know something about the people who supported and added their own unique ideas to the Movement.
Below are links about three people who contributed to the idea of black solidarity .
Posted: Fri 13 Jun 2008 00:55 Post subject: Dr. David Anderson, Founder, Rochester Blackstorytelling Lea
I have a bit off information on Pan-African communities. And I'm going to post some informational stuff to follow along with Franks proposed idea.
But before I do that, I will say in the really late 70's very early 80's my dad got our family involved in a Pan African group in our city.
No I need to say that my dad was not big on racial identity. Having brought us up to see ourselves as American, we did what any one else did, black or what. My dad was also a in the military and that gave him a bit of a world view to things. My dad never told us we were black because that is how the world will see us, he and my mom told us we were all of our heritage. My dad would only use the word black because he had a very negative education of 'blacks' connection to Africa. He would never refere to himself as African-american.
But around those years he saw a need to really dispell the dark teachings of Africa they were taught growing up and one move was to join this group. PAACE or something like that Pan African Awareness Cultural something
It was very educational especially at that time learning things about Africa you were not going to get in school. Storytelling, boy right of passage ceremonies, kwanzaa, lots of reading, poetry & dance. there were 2 guys that I thought/assumed were in charge or leaders of this group. Dr. David Anderson (Sankofa) no relation, http://www.blackcamisards.com/bureau/bio-anderson-david.pdf
He's an reenactor of historic events now.
He was very much pro integration. A lot of the events and the festival put on every year was a community wide event.
To this day he hosts a Kwanzaa celebration at one of our largest Art Galleries here: featuring foods, eenactment, music, art work, Garth Fagan dance company(Lion King) usually performs
Dr Anderson is actually against the usage of Black, he comes from that group of people who prefered the term colored. I won't go to far into this, but he talked alot about having a very broad worldly identity, which is probably why there were interracial couples mixed people and biracial people involved. He talked of this pan Africaness in a way that Javier would say he say AA's as cultural cousins. Kinda related but from different families.
One thing I did notice about most of the people in that group and community was that their socialeconomic background tended to be middle class.
(l to r) Angela Corley - Director of Freedom Stations and Dr. Spencer Crew – President, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati; Dr. David Anderson, Chair Rochester/Monroe County freedom Tail Commission; Carl Westmorland - Senior Advisor of Historic Preservation, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
Anderson, 76, is a professor at St. John Fisher College, where he teaches in the African American Studies program. As the storyteller Sankofa, he founded of the Blackstorytelling League of Rochester. He is the author of several books including The Origin of Life on Earth: An African Creation Myth and Kwanzaa: An Everyday Resource and Instructional Guide and is the recipient of the Zora Neale Hurston Award and Coretta Scott King Book Award. Anderson established the Rochester Kwanzaa Coalition in the late 1960s, chairs the Rochester-Monroe County Freedom Trail Commission and is program director of AKWAABA: The Heritage Associates. He was nominated by Delores Jackson-Radney. http://www.workforcediversitynetwork.com/iur_mediakit.aspx
Dr Anderson is actually against the usage of Black, he comes from that group of people who prefered the term colored. I won't go to far into this, but he talked alot about having a very broad worldly identity, which is probably why there were interracial couples mixed people and biracial people involved. He talked of this pan Africaness in a way that Javier would say he say AA's as cultural cousins. Kinda related but from different families.
Now this is Interesting, I wonder with the large amounts of Mixed peoples today with SSA, how will this affect "Black Solidarity " especially amongst the Diaspora ?
ut what about the vision of international Black solidarity? When, where, how, and why did it arise in history? Is there any pattern in who has supported the idea, by: age bracket, socioeconomic class, liberal versus conservative, ethnic self-identity, urban versus rural, or ratio of Afro-Euro admixture? Who advocates such a thing today?
To understand "Pan Black " solidarity we need to know something about the people who supported and added their own unique ideas to the Movement.
Below are links about three people who contributed to the idea of black solidarity .
Yes, but all three had an impact on the Diaspora and the African continent.
For instance they Influenced people of North America and North America in return gave back.
Yes, but all three had an impact on the Diaspora and the African continent.
For instance they Influenced people of North America and North America in return gave back.
This comment was aimed at those who in other threads claim that most Anglophone black identified Caribbean people deny their blackness. Nkrumah and other continental Africans credited these people together with Dubois in inspiring the fight for African independence.
This comment was aimed at those who in other threads claim that most Anglophone black identified Caribbean people deny their blackness.
That is utterly incredible. You are claiming that somewhere in this site some members (plural) have written claimed that MOST Anglophone black identified Caribbean people deny their blackness? Your claim is so unbelievable that I must ask you to provide the message numbers (plural) in other threads (plural) where members (plural) have made such an outrageous statement. The very notion of a black-identified person denying their blackness is a self-contradiction. You have 24 hours.
This comment was aimed at those who in other threads claim that most Anglophone black identified Caribbean people deny their blackness.
That is utterly incredible. You are claiming that somewhere in this site some members (plural) have written claimed that MOST Anglophone black identified Caribbean people deny their blackness? Your claim is so unbelievable that I must ask you to provide the message numbers (plural) in other threads (plural) where members (plural) have made such an outrageous statement. The very notion of a black-identified person denying their blackness is a self-contradiction. You have 24 hours.
Check Richard Millers comments under Black Not African. I could, and maybe should have said "the person" rather than "those" but wished to avoid dragging that discussion any further on this thread, when there is already an active thread to deal with that dialogue.
This comment was aimed at those who in other threads claim that most Anglophone black identified Caribbean people deny their blackness.
That is utterly incredible. You are claiming that somewhere in this site some members (plural) have written claimed that MOST Anglophone black identified Caribbean people deny their blackness? Your claim is so unbelievable that I must ask you to provide the message numbers (plural) in other threads (plural) where members (plural) have made such an outrageous statement. The very notion of a black-identified person denying their blackness is a self-contradiction. You have 24 hours.
Check Richard Millers comments under Black Not African. I could, and maybe should have said "the person" rather than "those" but wished to avoid dragging that discussion any further on this thread, when there is already an active thread to deal with that dialogue.
Even if you eliminate both plurals (one person, one message), I have yet to see the message number where Miller claimed that MOST Anglophone black identified Caribbean people deny their blackness. Your 24 hours is up. Your posting privilege is hereby suspended.
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