My last serious post of the year...

[discrete1]

Yes, I will go back. Maybe I will have a better appreciation of life as it is now, instead of taking little things for granted. Again, yes, I will go. It will be a great experience. I am ready when you all are. LOL

I'd go

[Love_Spell_6]

Nope. Not even for 40 acres and a mule.

[Ideal08]

Originally posted by Ideal08
I would go. Just because I go, doesn't mean I'd have to stay, like anything else in life, but it would be an experience.

Almost two years have passed, and my answer remains the same. I'd go.

[abaici]

Originally posted by JJSP01
I wouldn't go to Africa just to get away from the oppressions of 1919, cuz you never know, that same oppression you're running from could follow you there. If the majority of the blacks had relocated to Africa during the 1920s, I can only imagine how long it would have been before the whites followed us, just to try to oppress us in our "own" land. Or you could look at the flip side, if we were all in Africa, remember we would still be viewed as "Americans" by the true "Africans", can't assume we'd all live peacefully over there...true Africans don't always get down with African-Americans...it's still that way today.

Have we heard of a little thing known as colonialism? Most African countries were catching hell from their colonizers. Our stuggles were similar, yet even more complicated by tribal (hate that term, but I will use it for the purpose of this discussion) allegiences.

Would I go? Back then, I probably would have been the first person on the boat. My thinking would have been, anything was better than this.

However, if I was privy to how African countries and the US would develop, I would have stayed here. I'm sorry. If we remove the idealized goggles of this monolithic "Africa" that exists only in our imagination. We would see that we are a lot better off in America. Sad, but true (and when I say true, i mean the truth according to abaici).

**For some odd reason, I feel compelled to explain my screenname. It's a Hausa name (one of the primary groups in Nigeria)***

[Ideal08]

Originally posted by abaici
I'm sorry. If we remove the idealized goggles of this monolithic "Africa" that exists only in our imagination. We would see that we are a lot better off in America. Sad, but true (and when I say true, i mean the truth according to abaici).

Soror, everyone doesn't have on IDEALized goggles. Some of us have actually been there and liked it. And you know I've been to one of the poorest countries in Africa. Girl, I'm not so sure we are better off here in America. Knowing how we developed is why I WOULD go. Also, Ethiopia is one of the only (if not THE only) African countries that was not colonized. While the Italians occupied a part of the country during war, they never had the political power to colonize. The country is rich in history that we never learn.

Despite the fact that financially we may be more fortunate, the quality of life is simply better over there (my over there includes Ethiopia, Kenya, and Ghana, lol, not the entire continent). It's funny. My friends and I discuss what all we had to go without and what it was like and still how none of us wanted to come home. My one friend is going back to Ghana in August and I'm trying to go with her. I don't think she's going to come back. We don't know how to explain it, either, why the quality of life is better. I mean, things are just different there. Healthcare is 100,000 times better here, and even still, I'd rather live there. I felt a lot better over there mentally and emotionally. I was just happier. And I was over there working! Just imagine if I were just there to live.

[HIJACK]: Do y'all think this is why I can't find a man over here? Am I supposed to move over there and find my husband? FeeFee, did you predict this? [/HIJACK]

Soror abaici, you should come over there with me. See all them fine African menses. Teach the beautiful African babypeople. And then come back here and compare. You'd be surprised what you think after you actually experience it.

LOL, there's a dude here who did the Peace Corps in Togo and would tell you the EXACT opposite of what I just did. It's all in your experience, what you like, and what you are willing to live with and/or without.

Why am I rambling at dang near midnight????? G'nite, y'all!

[abaici]

Originally posted by Ideal08
Soror, everyone doesn't have on IDEALized goggles. Some of us have actually been there and liked it.

I know. However, I come in contact with a lot of people who want to go back to Africa (not a specific country, just Africa). But, they don't know anything about Africa. They have not studied the histories of the countries or been there.

But, whether or not you would want to live on the continent is purely subjective.

[Ideal08]

Originally posted by abaici
I know. However, I come in contact with a lot of people who want to go back to Africa (not a specific country, just Africa). But, they don't know anything about Africa. They have not studied the histories of the countries or been there.

But, whether or not you would want to live on the continent is purely subjective.

Sooooooo, you sayin' you don't wanna go over there with me or what? LOL

[Little32]

My first thought is no...because my ancestors were crucial to the building of this nation and I would stay here until this nation gave me what was my due.

My second thought is that one strain of thought suggests that the cultural production of Africa--the continent as well as particular African countries--continues to be weakened significantly because of the way that the slave trade drained Africa nations of their most promising natural resources--namely their people. And why shouldn't I go back and help build up an African nation the way that I would be contributing to the building of America.

Also, whenever I meet someone who has come here from Africa, especially to be educated, I always ask them are they going to go back. Most of the time the answer is no, which disappoints me because I see it as a continuance of the type of drain initiated by the slave trade. I think, yeah fine, exploit America for its educational potential, but then go back and use that to the good of your country. Because these days, we know there is much that needs to be done there.

[abaici]

Originally posted by Ideal08
Sooooooo, you sayin' you don't wanna go over there with me or what? LOL

I've been going for awhile. But, I need to work myself back up to flying cross-country before I fly for 20 hours (I want to go to S.Africa).

[Ideal08]

Originally posted by abaici
I've been going for awhile. But, I need to work myself back up to flying cross-country before I fly for 20 hours (I want to go to S.Africa).

Well, just let me know when you want to come to DC.