East African Says Being Black Means Nothing | Diaspora Theory Clips

[00:00:00]Black people in the UK they come from different ethnicities but they are of one race. So because of that is why we are called not just by the country but we call each other black and we identify as the black British community in the UK. No, only Africans do that. Out the West Indians that was there and everything you want to call black British and black British culture is actually West culture. When it comes down to your vernacular, your style of dress, your music, there's no genre out of the UK that African has made. You can't say the same for West Indians, okay? Grime and all the other stuff, all punk rock, all the other stuff West Indians made when they went to the UK.

[00:00:39]Everything you want to call black British is West Indian culture. But y'all snuffed them out. You outnumber them now. So you get to as a conglomerate drown their voices and drown their identity and drown everything they have cultivated and made over there just because you also have melanin. You the only one saying you black British quite literally and there is no history of anything in the UK of that of that place forcing y'all to identify as black British on every single last form. They are meticulous to the tea. They are literally meticulous to the tea where you have to identify by your ethnicity. There is no one forcing you to identify as black British.

[00:01:16]Nothing.

[00:01:17]>> And during the few moments that we have left, we want to have just an offthe cuff chat between you and me.

[00:01:25]>> That that that that's the most effective method of getting black Americans out this country is some belief that their homeland is 3,000 miles away.

[00:01:34]>> And mind you, a Africans not going back.

[00:01:37]How is it African not going back, but black Americans should? Jelly Bean, what's your ethnicity and what country you live in?

[00:01:43]>> Hia. Um, my ethnicity, I'm Eratrian and I live in the UK.

[00:01:47]>> Cool, cool, cool. Share a piece with us.

[00:01:50]>> Okay, so um, when you like to the prompt, Africans and Caribbeans, um, what does being black mean to you? So, so, okay, there's two types of Africans, right? There's the Africans that are born, raised, and currently still and always have lived in Africa. And then you have the African diaspora. So people who are from different countries in Africa who have migrated to different parts of the world and the same goes for the Caribbeans, right? Um so Africans in Africa generally don't call themselves black. Like they know they're black, they know they're melanated, but they don't call themselves black because everyone's black. They're all they're all of one race, right? Um and that goes for the same for uh the Caribbean community. However, in the diaspora, so for example, the UK now, we have uh melanated black people who are from different countries in Africa. Um I said I was ethnically Eratrayan. There's people who are ethnically Nigerian, Somali, Ghanaian, and so forth. We all share the same race, but we share but we are from different uh ethnicities, right? So in the UK we it's not that we were like the term black and even negro that we didn't ex we didn't create that black Americans didn't create that. It was the Europeans. It was white people who named black or melanated people black. It was white people who named melanated people negro. Those terms come from others. They don't come from um our race. Right. What's happened is that term has now been adopted because when the Europeans, if you want to talk about the transatlantic slave trade, >> are you able to speak for Eratrans or Africans?

[00:03:34]>> Cuz you're not a defendant of the transatlantic slave trade.

[00:03:37]>> No, I understand. But I'm I'm But they are African. The people who were taken from the transatlantic slave trade are African, right?

[00:03:44]>> They were when they were taken. They're not anymore. No.

[00:03:46]>> Yeah. That No, I know. I know. But I'm talking about those people. I'm not talking about the descendants of those people. I'm talking about those.

[00:03:52]>> So, we're talking about people that aren't on planet Earth right now.

[00:03:56]>> No, but what I'm saying is the Europeans called them black. That's where the name come from. It was the Europeans who were calling them black or negroes and taking them from their home.

[00:04:07]>> That's right. They were not at the time the transatlantic slave trade was gone.

[00:04:10]They was not calling them black.

[00:04:12]>> They were they were calling the the term black and negro.

[00:04:17]>> They're not interchangeable.

[00:04:19]They come from Europe.

[00:04:21]>> Yeah, but they're not interchangeable.

[00:04:23]Historically documented, what would be accurate would be to say negro. When they were doing the slave trade, they were not calling people black. They weren't doing that until that became US law. Uh, and that's part of US uh child slavery and US history. But during the transatlantic slave trade when whatever European, the Spaniards, the Portuguese, the English, they were not calling the people there black.

[00:04:49]Negro, that's that's documented.

[00:04:52]>> Congo, they that was that's documented.

[00:04:54]Uh what else was they calling? There were other classifications. Black is not one of them.

[00:05:00]>> Okay. So, from the research I've done, I have I mean I can bring it up for you.

[00:05:04]>> And negra as well because that was Portuguese.

[00:05:07]>> Yeah. Yeah. No, I'm I'm I'm agreeing with I'm agreeing with those points, but I'm personally saying that black was one of the classifications.

[00:05:13]>> So, when I say black, I don't mean a translation of a word. I mean the literal word, the literal letters B L A C K. That was not written nowhere.

[00:05:21]>> Yeah, >> that you could say, you could maybe argue that as a translation, but they did not use the word black.

[00:05:27]>> Okay, fine. Okay. I mean, it's it's the English word for negro. Negro is a Spanish word, right?

[00:05:33]>> Yeah. That developed in US law in America, not on the shores of Africa for the translation. No, I'm not saying I'm not saying it didn't develop, but I'm saying the word black is an English word that comes from England. Okay. The people So, the white Americans, >> the white the white Americans who are currently in America today, their ancestors are European. They created the term black. Those white Europeans who now the descendants of those are in America, right? They are they created the term black. So, we're still talking about Europeans who created the term black. Okay. So, that's >> Yeah, but not during the transatlantic slave trade. Did you have a point?

[00:06:16]>> No, it was because it's the Yes, I am.

[00:06:17]Because it's the English language. So, it was during the transatlantic slave trade. I don't want to go back and forth about a singular uh a singular.

[00:06:25]>> No, actually we do because that's the whole point of having a intellectually honest conversation accuracy. So, if you're going to make a point B based on a falsehood, we do actually have to get that correct. So bring me up bring me up the the registry of slaves that were bought and sold by Europeans where it says the letters B L A C K together and then we could talk cuz y'all also just like to come up here and just say stuff because it sound good but can never verify nothing.

[00:06:53]>> It's sounding good.

[00:06:55]>> Show me show me the registry of of slaves that were bought or sold and it says the word B L A C on that junk.

[00:07:01]>> Okay, so it's going to say Negro. It's going to say Congo. It's gonna say it's gonna say uh some other stuff. And mind you, European is not just English, okay?

[00:07:10]It's Portuguese and Spain as well.

[00:07:13]>> I I know I know you asked me to. So the word black I'm reading something to you now. You asked me to word black is a >> matter of fact, tell us where we could find it. I could put I could put it up here so we could all read.

[00:07:24]>> Okay. So the um if you go to scholar.le >> Hold on, hold on. Hold on. Hold on.

[00:07:32]Scholar what? So s c a >> se ca >> l a r >> l a r >> dot laai. So l e h i g h.

[00:07:48]>> She's saying lehi.

[00:07:49]>> Okay.

[00:07:49]>> Yeah. Leah. Well, not lehi. Leah. It's l e, not l e e.

[00:07:54]>> Yeah, that's how we say lehi in English since you're talking about English.

[00:07:57]Thank you.

[00:07:58]>> No, it's laai.

[00:07:59]>> Okay, ma'am. Thank you.

[00:08:01]>> I understand what you're saying, Lacy.

[00:08:02]That's how I would pronounce it, too.Uu.edu.

[00:08:07]Cool.

[00:08:09]>> scholar.hi.edu.

[00:08:13]>> It's called a note on historical language. Ne negroed black and African-American. Of >> course, it don't show up. Negro, black, and africaname. And when was this written?

[00:08:24]>> Um, bear with me a second.

[00:08:30]Uh well it was updated the 2nd of the 8th 2024.

[00:08:36]>> It is semantics misfits. Agreed.

[00:08:41]>> And he said an investigation of African identity, racial identity and ethnicity.

[00:08:47]Is that >> it's not semantics. It's a lie. But go ahead.

[00:08:52]>> Is that the one? Um Jelly Bean a note on historical language. Negro colored black and African-Amean.

[00:09:00]>> Okay, then I don't uh go ahead and start reading. I'm try and find that.

[00:09:05]>> Okay, so the word black as a racial group descriptor emerged in the 17th century. However, its modern usage as a capitalized self-determined racial identity was popularized in the late 1960s by civil rights activists like Stokeley Carmichael during the black power movement replacing terms like negro and colored. So, was it popularized as a label for black Americans for them to use it? Yes.

[00:09:36]However, the term black as a racial group descriptor emerged in the 17th century and that was during the time.

[00:09:43]>> Well, one, so I didn't hear nothing about the transatlantic slave trade. So, we are able to dead that.

[00:09:49]>> But if we're talking about the 17th century >> and then also STOKELEY DID NOT Stokeley Carmichael, the Trinidadian that got naturalized to go live in D in Ghana where he was laid and buried, whatever.

[00:10:03]He did not popularize the word black for black Americans. People for real. That is just a nasty little habit I find y'all have. Whether it be Africans or or Caribbeans, try to do this. Somehow it makes sense from an Somehow it makes sense in y'all mind.

[00:10:18]>> Some person from your group could come and and revolutionize black Americans.

[00:10:23]And then we look at y'all countries and how is it y'all countries never reflect the ideologies y'all swear or creations? Cuz if you want to get on West Indians, they swear they created hip-hop. They swear one guy created hip hop. Okay? This nasty little habit where y'all think y'all could pluck one person and think they revolutionized black Americans and then and then when people correct you, you you cry. Uh who want to correct her on that one?

[00:10:50]>> Yeah, he came.

[00:10:52]>> Nothing like the mindset that they that they their champion preached. Go ahead.

[00:10:58]>> AkaWami Ter. It was multiple people that were saying black power before him. He didn't popularize that. Uh I mean, well, he did help to popularize that. He didn't originate that. And he was only allowed to popularize it because we allowed and adopted him in. He immigrated here when he was 11. People were standing on business before he hit puberty, right? So like, what movement did he create? He was adopted and accepted into a movement that was already movement. He had to flee from Trinidad unfortunately because of US imperialism and their own corrupt leaders. He didn't stand on business there. At least his parents didn't. So all of this stuff all roads lead to here. The continent of America, not the continent of Africa. They do the same thing with 1804.

[00:11:50]Salute to them. But just a just a modum of history. You'll see there were multiple slave revolts prior to that.

[00:11:58]And many people, and I'm gonna land right here. This is why we have historically black colleges, not historically African-American colleges, right? Black history month, not Africanamean history month, right? This this all of this stuff is relatively new to overly Africanized stuff.

[00:12:16]>> Okay. Host, can I give you a Because of what we just discussed a moment, there's also correlate. So far from you, I'm correct. I am correct. Okay. I've heard that black means to you and maybe the people around you community that you can speak for as well. Black means to you uh at best a color that denotes a race. But can you uh >> land somewhere?

[00:12:42]>> Yeah, I can. So um if you look at there's another article from the BBC. I don't know if that is if that is better for you more legitimized. You can it says here the Africans in the medieval England. So between 1066 to 1485.

[00:12:55]>> What um what's the title of the article?

[00:12:58]>> Who were the African people living in medieval and tuda England?

[00:13:04]>> Okay. Uh living in where?

[00:13:08]>> Living in medieval and tuda England.

[00:13:11]>> Chuda England. Okay. Go ahead. You go uh read.

[00:13:15]>> Okay. So if you look at the second paragraph, Africans in medieval England between 1066 to 1485, it specifically says that these Africans were described by various terms such as black, Ethiopian, Moore and black or more.

[00:13:31]Other terms such as sarasan were also used to refer to Africans as well as people from elsewhere um such as western Asia. That's for a different uh different area. But the point is is that the term black has been been used in Europe since 1066 at earliest and that was the only point I'm trying to make regarding language. Now in terms of the the black American race the reason ethnicity okay sorry um within America America is um a country that has mixed races. It's not a black country, right? It's a country that has black people, a country that has white people, and all different other races, but you're all American, right? You're all you're all ethnically American, but you're you're you're you segregate each other or you or you differ from each other or separate yourselves from each other based on your race. Can I say that?

[00:14:34]>> When we live in America, we separated.

[00:14:36]When did we separate? No, I'm saying no.

[00:14:39]What I'm saying is you've got black people in America and you've got white people in America. You've got Hispanic people in America.

[00:14:46]>> Well, that's not Asian.

[00:14:48]>> What's your question?

[00:14:50]>> Okay. So, my point is because of you are um all ethnically American. You separate yourselves based on your race. So, your ethnicity is not black. Your ethnicity is American. Your race is black.

[00:15:07]nationality or I'm confused because you also call yourself ethnically a Ritrian unless you were born before uh after May 24th 1993 you're Ethiopian. So I'm confused but what does this have to do with the answering of the prompt? How do you feel? What does black mean to you?

[00:15:23]>> Can you talk about your feelings? Bring your feelings. What do you feel about it?

[00:15:26]>> Two two things before you land. Just two things before you land.

[00:15:31]>> One. Okay. Another nasty little habits ringing its head. I just do not understand what hill y'all come down from. It's like y'all think you Moses and you coming down with the Ten Commandments.

[00:15:44]Okay, that you the audacity that you think you could tell another group who they are. Okay, I'm going to ask you a question too. That would be nice. It would have been nice if you did that 38 minutes ago when you came up here. But anyway, um, and then lastly, okay, you you've gone on to 1066 and what Europeans called uh the Africans that were there in England. Okay, we still haven't heard what Africans themselves cuz we we're all up to speed, okay, about this being a word from the English language. So, we know where it comes from. We're all up to speed on that. We don't have to go back to prek. You didn't have to do that, okay? But did they walk around calling themselves black moors or whatever? No. Europeans classified them as that. So now we're all back to square one. Can we hear from a everran? What does being black mean to you >> in the in the diaspora?

[00:16:36]>> Do you consider the diaspora? If that's what you Okay, then yes.

[00:16:40]>> Yes, I'm a part of the diaspora. Yes. So that's the point that I was making. If you ask Eratraan and Eratraa, what does being black mean to you? They're going to say nothing because everyone is of the same race. Whereas in the UK, just like in America, we we're a melting pot of different places.

[00:16:56]>> Can you stick with you, please? In the UK, you don't have to tell Americans what America is.

[00:17:01]>> I'm not I'm put up to speed. We live here. Do you hear the words that are coming out of my mouth? You don't have to tell Americans about America. Just stick with you and your UK.

[00:17:11]>> I'm not. I am.

[00:17:12]>> If that's your answer, just say that's your answer because you don't have to go off to America.

[00:17:16]>> Okay. So in the UK we are a melting pot of different races. Okay, black people in the UK they come from different ethnicities but they are of one race. So because of that is why we are called not just by the country but we call each other black and we identify as the black British community in the UK. You know, only Africans do that. Out the West Indians that was there and everything you want to call black British and black British culture is actually West culture. When it comes down to your vernacular, your style of dress, your music, there's no genre out of the UK that African has made. You can't say the same for West Indians, okay? Grime and all the other stuff, all punk rock, all the other stuff West Indians made when they went to the UK. Everything you want to call black British is West Indian culture. But y'all snuffed them out. You outnumber them now. So you get to as a conglomerate drown their voices and drown their identity and drown everything they have cultivated and made over there just because you also have melanin. You the only one saying you black British quite literally and there is no history of anything in the UK of that of that place forcing y'all to identify as black British on every single last form. They are meticulous to the tea. They are literally meticulous to the tea where you have to identify by your ethnicity. There is no one forcing you to identify as black British.

[00:18:37]Nothing. It's only doing that.

[00:18:40]>> That's actually That's actually not true.

[00:18:42]>> That actually is true.

[00:18:44]>> It isn't true in the It isn't.

[00:18:47]>> No. No. No. Cuz you was just a seconds ago telling black Americans about themselves so I could tell you about yourself. It is.

[00:18:53]>> I didn't tell you about yourself.

[00:18:54]>> Can you let Can you let up and see in the request, please? I'm sorry to interrupt. I apologize. Go ahead. in so long.