Do Black Americans Miss Africa and They Don't EUNO It?

Our guide at Lesedi Cultural Village (in Johannesburg, South Africa) knows that his heritage is of the Zulu tribe. He is pictured here dressed in traditional Zulu attire.

"I just feel there's a certain yearning and lost feeling that many blacks that are the product of the (Trans-Atlantic/) European slave trade have that many of our (black) African brothers and sisters don't."

This post is one of me pondering many things. It's not coming from an intellectual or scholarly place or with scholarly language, wording and writing style. This is not an essay. This IS a black [American] woman with a mind and curiosity wondering about things she's had time and experiences to ruminate on. Simply put, I'm thinking out loud and wondering if anyone has felt the same way or thought similar thoughts. I can only speak from an African American/black American standpoint because that is who I am and that is my experience. These are solely my opinions and you will not be regarded as a "hater" if you do not agree with them. I want to have a conversation and learn your thoughts and takes on this.....

I want my people to have more pride and it not be from white people "approving" of us or from them treating and viewing us as equals. I want us, black Americans, to have a pride in ourselves that's similar to what I feel our (black) African brothers and sisters have in them. I want for my people to have a pride in being of African descent, have a wanting to know about it and reconnect with it and all of us visiting African countries as often as we can. I'm aware that the experiences are different. Slaves' cultures of their respective ethnic groups and tribes were stripped away and erased from them in most cases. Africans who weren't captured got to continue on in their cultures and grow and evolve with them but they had to deal with colonialism which effected them in other ways. I'm aware of the different experiences effecting the pride, level of pride and energy behind the pride but I've often wondered what would happen if all black Americans knew what areas and/or ethnic groups in Africa our ancestors came from? How would it affect our collective self esteem and sense of self worth? Would it effect/change our role in American history if we were able to (or fought to) hold onto our cultures, traditions, languages, etc? How would it have effected the history? Would we have upraised against slavery? Would we have moved back? Would we have been sent back? Would we have simply migrated somewhere else and never returned to Africa? Would we view "afrocentricism" differently? Would afrocentricism even be a concept?! Would we support each other more?

What I wore to a brie I attended in JoBurg. South Africans call a BBQ, a brie.

I also often wonder if all black Americans got fed up with "racism" in America and migrated to countries in Africa, like today in 2014, how would the cultures, traditions, infrastructures and technology change? Would racism leave our [black American] psyches? Would Africans happily receive us with warmth and open arms or reject us? Would it make things better or worse? 

I do think it would be nice to be in a place where your "race" wasn't a thought, constant reminder or real concept because everyone looks like you. You're hated because maybe you really are a bad person, not because of the color of your skin. You're judged by the color of your shoes or if your shirt is wrinkled and dirty not because of the color of your skin. Your intelligence is judged by school grades or thought processing, not by the color of your skin. You'd be called dumb because maybe you really are dumb, not because of the color of your skin. People feel threatened by you because you've got an AK-47 in your hand, not simply because of the color of your skin.

I wonder. These are my opinions and now I want to learn yours. What do you think? What are your thoughts on any of my questions? I welcome any of you posing questions too, if you're moved to do so. I'd love to hear from blacks all over the globe. I just feel there's a certain yearning and lost feeling that many blacks that are a product of the (Trans-Atlantic/) European slave trade have that many of our (black) African brothers and sisters don't. Maybe we still really miss [Africa] home and we don't "euno" it. Please chime in.

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