From: taylor@hojo.larc.nasa.gov (Barney Taylor)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american
Subject: Re: AFRICAN-AMERICAN IDENTITY...?
Date: 27 Jan 1993 17:46:06 GMT
Organization: NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA  USA
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: hojo.larc.nasa.gov

In article <1993Jan26.150145.1@vms.ucc.okstate.edu>, rabbi@vms.ucc.okstate.edu writes:


|> WELL, I HAPPEN TO BE AN AFRICAN WHO IS NOT BLACK. MY FAMILY ORIGINE COULD BE
|> TRACED BACK TO THE ROMAN ERA. I WAS MAD TO HEAR ALL THIS TRASH. I SAID: " I AM
|> FROM AFRFICA, ARE SAYING IT IS NOT MY LAND ?"

Well, in short, I am not aware of your race, but it appears you are semitic or lighter.
You pointed out, indirectly, that you are not indigineous to Africa, but that your
ancestors invaded and set up colonies there (ROMAN ERA comment). If my previous
assumptions are correct, then Alkebulan is your land about as much as it is
any european's, oriental's, swedish's, asian's, or any other outsider's land. In short, !!!HELL NO!!! it is not your land, you merely were raised there.


|> 	NOW, I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS TO ASK:
|> 
|> 		WHAT IS THE BASIS FOR CLAIMING NATIONALISM AND RACISM ?
|>   
|> IS IT THE COLOR, LANGUAGE, CULTURE, FAMILY BACK GROUND, OR IS IT JUST THE EGO.

No one is claiming racism, but to black international pan-africanism, I say yes. 
The basis is indigineous Alkebulan (African) ancestry. i.e. you immediate family, 
elders, past relatives, and distant ancestors, all have "wooly hair, burnt skin, broad flat noses, thick lips, high concentrations of melanin" all of the traits attributed to Africans of all times. A true historian will argue that all men have this lineage. Well, my response to that is ... Those who are not Alkebulanian but are willing to stand by 
and for this ancestriage (sp), will not received opposition from me. But even you 
stopped at Rome.


|> 
|> TWO MAKE THE PROBLEM EVEN MORE DIFFICULT, I WILL TELL WHAT HAPPENED TO ME THIS
|> PAST MONDAY. I HAVE RECENTLY AQUIRED MY AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP. I DECIDED TO GO
|> AND CHANGE MY CITIZENSHIP STATUS TO BE REFLECTED ON MY SCHOOL RECORDS. I
|> DECIDED TO CLASSIFY MY SELF AS "AFRICAN-AMERICAN". I HAVE CHOSE THIS
|> CLASSSIFICATION FOR TWE REASONS. FIRST, I DO NOT WANT TO LOOSE MY AFRICAN
|> IDENTITY. I AM VERY PROUD OF IT. SECOND, I WANT TO REFLECT MY KNEW ADOPTED
|> AMERICAN IDENTENTY. I HAD NO OTHER MOTIVE. I WAS VERY SURPRISED TO HEAR FROM
|> SOME PEOPLE THAT I CAN NOT CHOOSE THIS CLASSIFICATION BECAUSE IT IS FOR
|> BLACK AMERICANS ONLY, AND THAT PEOPLE WOULD BE SHOCKED IF THEY EXPECT A BLACK A
|> PERSON (AFRICAN-AMERICAN) AND INSTEAD THEY FIND ME (NOT BLACK!!!).

This is true, the term African-American, coined by Rev. Jesse Jackson, is a modern self imposed name of the people who are decendants of American Slaves. First, we were necro, then niggers, negros, blacks, and now African American (refer to Asa Hilliard's preface to The Browder Files by Anthony Browder for further info on names). So for a non-black featured person to claim that title is especially confusing.  

|> PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THIS MATTER.
|> 
|> EXCUSE MY SPELLING. IT IS TERRIBLE.

Spelling is unimportant, communication is the objective.

|> ==================================
|> YOU CAN MAIL ME YOUR RESPONSE AT
|> ==================================
|> RABBI@VMS.UCC.OKSTATE.EDU)
|> ==================================

I feel this issue should be taken up aloud on the news net because it affects so many people.

Barney,

_________________________________________
NASA Computer Scientist / Software Engineer

The previous comments do not represent the
opinions of my employer or the government in
any part.

Hetep
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Newsgroups: soc.culture.african.american,soc.culture.usa