Who Is An African?

Who is an African? Identity, Citizenship and the Making of the Africa-Nation
By Jideofor Adibe (ed.)
(Foreword: Yakubu Gowon)

Who is an African?  At face value, the answer to this question seems obvious. Surely, everyone knows who the African is, it would seem. But the answer becomes less obvious once other probing qualifiers are added to the question. Are White South Africans really Africans? Are Moroccans, Egyptians and other Arab Africans as much Africans as say, Nigerians or Ghanaians? Is Barrack Obama an African? Do all categorised as African or as having an African pedigree perceive themselves as such? Are all who perceive themselves as Africans accepted as such? Are there levels of “African-ness”, and are some more African than others? Who allots this African-ness, and why? How does African identity interface with other levels of identity and citizenship in Africa? In short, how is the African identity constructed in the face of the mosaic of identities that people of African ancestry living within and beyond the continent bear?

Contributors to the volume, including Ali Mazrui, Kwesi Prah, Gamal Nkrumah, Helmi Sharawy and Marcel Kitissou, address these questions and more. They examine the issues of African identity and citizenship, the politics spurned by the co-existence of peoples of different Africanities in the same country, and the prospects of constructing an Africa-Nation in which Africans of all hues are as sentimentally attached to, as say, the Europeans are attached to Europe.

...Read the full article.

[DeepThought]

a Black man with certain Bantu features.

Exactly what does this mean? Who or what on earth is Bantu and what are Bantu features?

Definitely not BabaEgo.

You are whatever you choose to call yourself, but it does not necessarily make it so.

So, who cares really?

[pcjadibe]

Thanks for your comment/question.

1) For a meaning of Bantu, you may find this link as a useful starting point:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bantu_peoples
2) You may also want to google 'races of the world' to find that there are many sub-races (phenotypes) within the generic term black race. For instance though all Ethiopians and Somalis are regarded as 'Blacks' light skinned Ethiopians with with curly hair still talk about 'going to Africa', Arabised Somalis with curly hair still see themselves as different from the Jareer Somalis etc. Black Bantus therefore refer to blacks with certain physical features such as Ghanaians and most people from Southern part of Nigeria. As an organising category, the term is not without its critics but you have to understand this in the context of the theme of the book.

Hope this helps?
Jideofor

[DeepThought]

Hope this helps?

No it doesn't.

Black Bantus therefore refer to blacks with certain physical features such as Ghanaians and most people from Southern part of Nigeria.

I have no idea what this means as I haven't met a single person from that area who calls himself or herself Bantu.

[Godwin]

Originally Posted by DeepThought

No it doesn't.


I have no idea what this means as I haven't met a single person from that area who calls himself or herself Bantu.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adé_Bantu

[Godwin]

http://theblogprof.blogspot.com/2009...ended-for.html


African-American Student Suspended For Claiming To Be African-American


I kid you not. That's the gist of this story from WND today. The problem? He's a Caucasian but was born in South Africa, thus literally making him African-American. Anyway, from WND: White African-American boy not 'black' enough for award. You just know the PC police came after him something fierce!
The Omaha suspension of a white high-school student originally from South Africa is sending shock waves across America as debate rages over who can claim rights to the term "African-American."

The case centers on Trevor Richards, a junior at Westside High School, who moved from Johannesburg to Nebraska six years ago.

Richards and his classmates, 16-year-old twins Paul and Scott Rambo, were booted from classes last week after distributing posters touting Trevor as a candidate for Westside High's "Distinguished African-American Student" award on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.


Certainly deserving of a suspension no? Well - NO! The principal deemed the posters "disruptive." What the heck? Does being born in America not make someone an American? Does not being born in Africa and immigrating to the U.S. literally make this teen an African-American? Hasn't the PC police gone way too far already? Here's the galling part of this story (yeah, it's all galling, but this is pretty bad too):


Ironically, the first two recipients of the student award were white.

"It was not intended at the beginning to be one race only," Clidie Cook, who helps organize the annual event, told the World-Herald.

But Westside officials pushed to change that, feeling the spirit of the honor meant giving it to a black student, and by 2001, the ministerial alliance in charge specified it was for blacks only.

So what we have here is bald-faced racism. Whites need not apply under penalty of suspension! The WND article cites several community responses to the incident. Best of all, though, they cite the ridiculous proposal by Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee, D-Texas, to install an affirmative-action plan of sorts for hurricane names. Who owns names anyway?

Related was this today also: Ex-student says NJ medical school discriminated. Same story, basically:

A former student claims in a lawsuit that the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey discriminated against him for the way he described his background in classroom discussions on cultural diversity.

Paulo Serodio said that in 2006, he told a professor and classmates that he was "white, African, American," which he says accurately reflects the fact that he was born in Mozambique but later became a U.S. citizen.

He said some classmates and staff members at New Jersey Medical School found it offensive that a Caucasian man would call himself "African-American" and that the fallout led to harassment and eventually his suspension from the school.

Again, all over a name that accurately describes the student's background.

[DeepThought]

Originally Posted by Godwin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adé_Bantu

Thanks for the humor Godwin.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make may have been better made by this article. Though specific to SA, it is generic enough to pass some messages about objections to words.

Link- http://www.disa.ukzn.ac.za:8080/DC/Lin1155.1729.455X.000.011.1955.7/Lin1155.1729.455X.000.011.1955.7.pdf

A brief excerpt

to show how terms of insult or
patronage come into being and especially to draw attention to the
recent evolution of the word "Bantu." It has been noticeable that in
only a few years "Bantu" has come to acquire a bad smell, an
evil reputation. To Africans it recalls more and more the farreaching
plans of the Nationalists to push them back into an ignorant
and perpetual serfdom. On the other hand the people them*
selves prefer to be called Africans, a term of dignity and pride and
also of strength and promise in the future.
The paper to which I wrote is not given to hurting people's
feelings wilfully. If it still uses the term "native" that is because
it is behind the times or out of contact with current opinion. Maybe
that accounts for the prominence giverl\ ito my letter. It came as a
new idea! Here are the main points I made:
"Words have their own life cycle, acquiring character, reputation,
or odium. The .abusive term is, like a baby, usually born in
innocence; it may have a hectic youth, degenerates until it becomes
foul, almost unmenrionable. Then it dies.
"In English, such terms as Kafir, n****** and coolie are in their
decrepitude, and their odour is unpleasant. We have no equivalent of
"Hotnot," but one can think of other abusive terms applied ito the
Coloured peoples which are also on the way out. The word Native*
once respectable, is also on the downgrade and has acquired the
features of patronage and insult; to the ears of millions it has be become
objectionable.
"Next on the line of retreat (or progress?) is the term Bantu,
which has a peculiar and significant complexion since it was sanctified
by Dr. Verwoerd. In only a few years it has sprung ito life as
the badge of bondage, much like the yellow-star badge forced upon
the Jews by the Nazis.
"The word itself is worth examining. Its justification in official
eyes is the purist argument that it describes a people in their own
term and therefore cannot possibly be objectionable. But there is
actually no such word as Bantu. It is a Europeanized derivation
from the root -Ntu: Singular, umuNtu; Plural, abaNtu. It does not
mean dark people, or Africans, or aborigines, or any other such
ethnic distinction, but simply: Sing., a person. Plu., people.

We can't possibly agree all the time on the correct usage of terms nor dissect the complex lexicon of a language. A lot depends on the context of usage of certain controversial words and I also have been accused of using certain qualifiers which other people believe are derogatory.

No one can make anyone else abandon the usage of a word, regardless I can only point out , either in all seriousness or by mischief (my prefered method, depending on the person I'm addressing) by argument, what I hope will be convincing grounds for someone to consider not perpetuating the useage of a word.

Many words can be offensive, but we use them anyway, either out of ignorance or because in our own mental spaces, the words have acquired different meanings. For example, some Black Americans have no problems refering to themselves as niggas e.t.c.

Though very rare, in some cases some descriptors have been roundly , unanimously rejected by the target. Case in point the term "Eskimo". The Inuit don't answer to the term Eskimo and I think its falling out of popular usage. Some people still use it , mainly out of ignorance and not ill will, but it is an offensive word to the Inuit

In certain circles in where I come from, the word "Bantu" is used as a term of abuse and to make fun of people. So when I want to make fun of people, I call them Bantu.

But hey, whatever floats anybody's boat....

[Godwin]

Originally Posted by DeepThought

Thanks for the humor Godwin.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make may have been better made by this article. Though specific to SA, it is generic enough to pass some messages about objections to words.

One man's meat is another man's poison.




In SA there is also:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bantu_Holomisa

[Pooky]

Bantu is a European term. The author is using Europeans terms to talk about AFricans. I say huh?

[Godwin]

Originally Posted by Pooky

Bantu is a European term. The author is using Europeans terms to talk about AFricans. I say huh?

Pooky is using European language to write.

Africa is also of European Origin.

[AMEN]

thanks deepthought, you have just shown the state of mind we need to total free and change the squalor the blackman finds himself in today, thanks once again.

gowin yes we write in euro language as a common medium for communicating, but that does not mean we attach negetive 'terms' from their language to ourselves.

i hope we all have a clean debate, that enriches and educes the best from us.

the author fails by not fully researching that term bantu, before writing his book, and gowon did not point it out either (not surprised), which i fear might make the reading cringe-worthy, do not forget that we people are quite discerning of most things, so be very careful when writing an article,book etc we will come down heavy on you for espousing degrading views of us no matter how small, as you can see already.

[N101]

Originally Posted by DeepThought

Exactly what does this mean? Who or what on earth is Bantu and what are Bantu features?

I presume that refers to "typical" black features - broad nose and thick lips

I understand the referral to Bantu in terms of linguistics, but not really features. Sometimes I think these statements are subconsciously loaded with what is considered "acceptable" and "unacceptable" looks from a European perspective.

[Eja]

Are White South Africans really Africans?

No they are not.

Are Moroccans, Egyptians and other Arab Africans as much Africans as say, Nigerians or Ghanaians?

No they are not.

[DeepThought]

Originally Posted by Eja

No they are not.


No they are not.

For me, the problem with the term "African" lies in its It (mis)approriation as an historical and political fait accompli which has now made it a functional rather than racial term. I find it too generic. Even its origination and originators are foreign.

I guess thats why I tend to prefer the use of the term "Black". But I've come to see that even that can mean different things to different people and is not immune from misapproriation.

I'm guessing people will call themselves anything so long as it furthers their interests. I even call myself Canadian at times . Who knows, maybe with enough time, I'll be an American soon enough sef.

[Eja]

Originally Posted by DeepThought

For me, the problem with the term "African" lies in its It (mis)approriation as an historical and political fait accompli which has now made it a functional rather than racial term. I find it too generic. Even its origination and originators are foreign.

I guess thats why I tend to prefer the use of the term "Black". But I've come to see that even that can mean different things to different people and is not immune from misapproriation.

I'm guessing people will call themselves anything so long as it furthers their interests. I even call myself Canadian at times . Who knows, maybe with enough time, I'll be an American soon enough sef.

DeepThought, since there is no prospect on the horizon of the continent Africa changing its name, it is imperative that the ones who are indigenous to the place resist all attempts to present the appropriation of the name by others (who are the descendants of invaders) as a fait accompli.

Another reason why I have no objection to the name African is because there is evidence that can be used to support the assertion that the name was not, as is now popularly thought, the invention of Europeans or Arabs. That in fact, Africa is the corruption over the ages of the Kamau term Per Ra Ka. Per meaning House and, being the root from which the other title Pharaoh was derived - Pharaoh being a corruption of Per Ra (meaning "Great House" i.e. the palace of the Kamau monarch).

The Ka is a symbol of the reception of the life powers from each man from the gods, it is the source of these powers and, if we look at the significance of the Nile and, the lands from which it was sourced to the people of Kemet, one might see reasons why the lands of that river would be referred to as Per Ra Ka.

There are other pointers such as the way the Kamau pointed to Central Africa as the lands from which they originated and, their reference to the place as "The land of the Gods".

In short DeepThought, if we wish to construct a rationale for claiming an autochthonous origin for the word Africa (which then means that we can claim exclusive usage with no apology), we have enough material. The only question that we then need be concerned with is have we the audacity?