I got into a nice debate about genetics the other day. I was told African Americans are not African, genetically speaking. The debate started as a result of a comment that I made about black people needing to embrace Africa in the same way the majority of Jewish people I have met embrace Israel.
The point I was trying to make was that some Jewish people here in the states have never been to Israel, do not speak the language, and could not fully relate to Israeli culture. Despite the disconnect they still embrace Israel. It gives the Jewish community pride, strength and solidarity.
In response, one of the points made was the fact that there is little to no West African Genetic Ancestry found in SOME present day African Americans. Therefore it makes no sense to embrace Africa, especially not all of Africa. I can’t argue science.
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I remember the day that I realized that the “Old Testament” was actually the Torah, and the New Testament was just an addition that negated a lot of the values that Jewish people hold dear and true to their heart. Muslims hold the majority of values found in the Torah true to their heart as well. Judaism which is 6,000 years old, does link people of the Jewish Diaspora back to Israel.
More importantly the struggle and oppression Jewish people have dealt with as a result of their beliefs compels me to make the analogy between Black Americans and Africa, and Jewish people and Israel.
European Christians, the same Christians that kidnapped, transported, enslaved, colonized, murdered, raped, beat, and brainwashed Africans, also murdered, raped, persecuted, brainwashed, judged, Jewish people. Not because of skin color but because of beliefs. An original belief, that could not be taken away regardless of all the horrible things that were done. European history is flooded with Jewish persecution at the hands of Christians in the name of Jesus Christ. Jewish history is filled with resistance, filled with amazing stories of resilience and perseverance.
It was the deep feelings of grief I felt while reading, slowly learning more about Jewish history. I didn’t care about the differences, I just noticed the similarities. I related to the struggle.
As a Black person, an African American, I think that it’s extremely important for black people to embrace not only West Africa, but all of Africa as a place of origin. Even though it is proven that the large majority of African Americans originally come from West Africa, the collective struggle and experience of the continent makes it one. With the exception of Ethiopia, every country was or still is colonized by some European country. Countries were stripped of independence, and robbed of their natural resources. Colonialism, Bi-lateral agreements a result of Colonialism, crippled African countries economically, as well as culturally speaking.
The greatest resource ever taken from Africa, was the people.
Misconceptions of black people based on appearance, the misconceptions based on the ignorance and lack of integrity of the European explorers and scientists were some of the reasons we as a society have such a negative view of Africa today. The vulnerability Europeans felt as they encountered uncharted grounds, and people had an enormous affect the psyche of Europeans. Instead of learning, or simply leaving African people alone, Europeans slowly built up enough fear to justify the murder, rape, and theft of African people.
So the tradition to ignore, and actually support the horrible treatment black people have faced is a tradition in both European, and European American society. This fact is part of the reason I think that American Black communities are microcosms of the issues plaguing African countries as a result of colonization.
According to a study done in 2009, my friend who happens to be a genius and extremely well versed when it comes to genetics is right. Some black people have less than 1 percent of West African Ancestry in them. The study consisted of 365 African American participants. The results established that African Americans can have as little as one percent Western African Ancestry all the way up to 99 percent. The average amount of European Ancestry found in African Americans was 18.5 percent.
I don’t care if you are the leading geneticist in the universe, you can not take my African heritage away by showing me percentages.
Although true, the findings of this study disgust me. It reminds me of an extremely sad, horrific, neglected period in history. A time when African men, who were incapacitated, shackled mentally, emotionally, and physically, helplessly watched their African women raped, beat and murdered by European men.
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It reminds me of the history of African Americans wanting to be as light as possible in the hopes that they would be accepted by the dominant white culture. Some black people wanted nothing to do with blackness as a result of the stigma attached, as a result of the self hate we deal with even today. Some black people talk about finding lighter skinned people to mate with in order to give their kids “favourable” features. These features are based on our European Patriarchal societies preferences.
Culturally I am West African, but as a result of being socialized within a European dominated culture, I am also sad to say culturally European American as well.
An example of this fusion would be Jazz, which combines instruments common in Europe with the struggle, experience, and the innate ability to adapt of black Americans, and the rhythm, melody, and passion of Africa.
Look at breakdancing, and then go to West Africa, or Brazil, or Jamaica and see how similar the movements are. Only differences between these groups are the colonizers in which they were influenced by. These differences create sub cultures within African culture. As much as reggae is Jamaican, its African. As much as the blues and gospel are American, the blues and gospel are African. As much as Salsa and Merengue are spanish both forms of music are driven by the African drum.
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Black music in America is an expression of rejection through art. Although I play a piano, I am not going to play like you do. Although I understand and appreciate classical music, I am going to put a twist on it and make it mine. I don’t mind Freddy Kempf, Chopin, Mozart, Bach, or Beethoven, but I would pick Thelonious Monk over all of them.
If you look at the foods that black people eat in the states, compared to what brothas and sistas eat in west Africa, you will find similarities despite the fact that some of us have never stepped foot on African soil. It may be seasoned differently, but chitlins, yams, black eyed peas to name a few items are extremely common in both West Africa and Black American households.
It’s not skin color. It’s not a percentage that makes Black Americans, African. It’s our experience, the treatment people of the black diaspora deal with daily unites us, and links us to Africa. Its the perception, and the continued misconception the world has of black people. The movement, the melody, the rhythm, is African. Culturally we are African. Spiritually we are African. Emotionally we are African.