Do We As African Americans Have A Culture?

[AKA_Monet]

Originally Posted by sigmadiva

I agree with both comments.

I think by using the term AA, it just satisfies a broad, generalized category. There is no distinction for each individual African nation where we could be from.

...

So yes, we (AA/Blacks) should be about the business of seeking out our ancestry so that we really know where we came from in Africa, and not just settle for the white liberal's self guilt-easing term of using AA.

My husband has a problem with using the term African American.

For me, the fact that we can be called something that ties us to a land long lost from our ancestors.

Really we can be called something else much more derogatory and an epithet.

I do not have a problem with being called Black. However, because reference to it can be lowercased and it only refers to a polymorphism in our genes and has no biological significance.

Being tied to a land actually does have a biological significance, at least I can think of relevancy of how individuals use to live and may be currently living, i.e. nomadic vs. stationary lifestyle. Arid regions vs. tropical. Etc.

Also, I do not think it is caucasian liberal guilt were all the reasons for the African American designation. Many civil rights leaders fought a lot the governmental system to get the AA designation.

Now, I have been seeing over last few years some resentment and I am wondering where in the world these illogical concepts are coming from?

[sigmadiva]

Originally Posted by AKA_Monet

My husband has a problem with using the term African American.

For me, the fact that we can be called something that ties us to a land long lost from our ancestors.

I agree with you, but the land itself so diverse. I think to refer to the whole continent to indicate our heritage is not wrong, or bad, it is just too broad. I think it would be better / nice to know exactly where my ancestors came from. I'd much rather be known as a Nigerian American, Ghanan American, etc. as opposed to an African American. I would like my designation to be more specific so I could really embrace my cultural background.

Really we can be called something else much more derogatory and an epithet.

How true. And we have......

I do not have a problem with being called Black. However, because reference to it can be lowercased and it only refers to a polymorphism in our genes and has no biological significance.

Well, maybe we should be called the hypermelanist people.

Being tied to a land actually does have a biological significance, at least I can think of relevancy of how individuals use to live and may be currently living, i.e. nomadic vs. stationary lifestyle. Arid regions vs. tropical. Etc.

Right, it does. Again, that has been my whole point of knowing our exact origin in Africa as opposed to just knowing we came from that continent.

If I remember my Genetics 101 correctly, the reason some Blacks have sickle cell anemia (an alteration in the hemoglobin protein), or is a carrier for the trait is because the parasite that causes malaria resides in the blood cell. When the red blood cell 'sickles', this prevents the Plasmodium that causes malaria from being able to survive in the blood. The Plasmodium is prevalent in equatorial Africa, where some of our ancestors came from, but many Africans brought to this country were not from equatorial Africa. So, those Africans not from equatorial Africa may not have the sickle cell trait. You're right that coming from a land, or a region of a land does have biological significance.

Now, I have been seeing over last few years some resentment and I am wondering where in the world these illogical concepts are coming from?

I don't know. I personally don't resent it as much as I think it is used as a broad term to classify people of African heritage.

[CrimsonTide4]

FYI: Any posts by ANYONE that does not pertain to this topic, are derogatory, etc. will be deleted at my discretion.