It was the first time that I thought to feel any disdain for the use of the title "The State of Blacks in America." Unfortunately, the fact is, we are in a "state." Secondly, how sad it is that we are still not considered an inseparable part of the American tapestry. However it is stated: Black in America, Black America, etc., it is still a distinguishing mark that separates a people from their land. And yes, this is my land: America. Whether I want it to be or not. Before traveling abroad, I experienced a love-ambivalent relationship with this country. I now feel more closely tied to the United States. Just as an abused child, you still have love and a connection that can never be denied. For better or worse, you are your family. Just the same, I am my country.
As I grew older, I began to notice other communities that had been ravaged, raped, stolen from, murdered. These communities in many ways are thriving. Much more than my own community. I began to think and say, "We should be more like the Jews (for example)", or "Why haven't we been able to come together as they [insert most any other ethnic group living in the U.S.]?"
Not until the other day, when I was reading a fiction book, did it come to me. Okay, let's take the Asian population. They are divided among many, many, many nationalities, dialects, regions, religious beliefs, etc. Do we see them banding together for a common good in the U.S.? No, not really. They, like other ethnic groups, joined, divided, and conquered based on a shared set of beliefs that have been ingrained over centuries — Korean Americans, Japanese Americans, Filipino Americans, etc. I'm not pretending that every group of people likes every person of their kind or is so cohesive that nothing can break them. Not at all. I'm saying that it gives them a fighting chance and a strong enough diving board to make a clean splash. So we, the descendants of African people, Blacks in America, if you will, are just that — Black American. We are, in many ways, a new race of people. Our histories were stolen, our legacies ripped from the scrolls. We were taken from many countries, tribes, dialects, and faith systems, brought to this country, made to suffer a type of cultural amnesia that as a people made us children.
So, when I or others raise the question, "Why can't we get it together like they have?" it must be placed into that context. We are still maturing and developing into who we will become. Moreover, we, the descendants of African slaves, are still recovering. Does this sound like an excuse? Maybe. Or does it explain the difficulty of Blacks in America to bond and truly overcome? On the other hand, African immigrants seem to have a more similar experience to other adoptive citizens in their unity as well as their aversion to American Blacks. Case in point: Ethiopians. They are a very close-knit group of people. They, like several other African people, have a distaste for Black Americans. I don't know why exactly. I never had the conversation. I have my own theories that range from the fact that we are soiled, that we are still sick and in recovery, that we have not banded together. But think of it — sharing one thing in common and being made to fight against a dominant, mostly cohesive society — what would that impact bear? Wouldn't that make a people sick? Angry? Depressed? Volatile? Disheartened?
Here's another example — hopefully a fictional one, but consider this: An alien invasion takes place, the G8 has secret meetings with the alien leadership and they negotiate, the G8 giving people in exchange for the aliens giving a new technology. The deed is done and a collection of people from the various countries are selected. The only criteria being those who only speak their native tongue are included in the trade making it difficult for them to communicate among each other. So, now these people are taken to The Planet. They are enslaved, abused, discarded when thought of as useless. Some try to escape and are killed or die trying to get away. Some ingratiate themselves to their masters to save themselves and others. Some are taken as mistresses and reproduce. They are taught a new language. New belief system. How long does it take for this new group of people, these Earthlings, to bond? How long does it take for the the Planetarians to fully accept them as brothers and sisters or qualified, respected leaders? How easy is it for the Earthlings to trust each other? How long does it take to build unity? It seems that the most successful Earthlings are those who are able to make friends with the Planeterians. The Planetarians distrust the Earthlings when they congregate or suggest a way for everyone to live cohesively. The people back on Earth have no way of contacting their people in the far, far away place that they've been taken. After generations have passed, the folks on Earth realize that they have nothing in common with this new group of people. The only thing connecting them is the knowledge of a shared history.
Then, you have another group of people, we'll call them Plutoidians. The Plutoidians come to The Planet because they are seeking a better way of life than they experience in their own home. They come collectively with all that makes them strong: their history, their language, their mores, their belief system. They set up shop and aren't welcomed necessarily, but also not torn apart from each other. They begin to build and make a place for themselves within the larger society.
Where is the line drawn between excuse and explanation? Something to think about, isn't it?
Shalondra Henry
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