Akon: 'America was never built for Black people'

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RBK said:
It's actually quite true. Not saying it's 100% widespread, but not everyone likes the "African" stigma tied to them.

Even native Nigerians looked down on Nigerian-Americans from the time I visited years ago.
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Of course there are some brainwashed people who don't like being considered African, these people are the minority and hold no power in any academic or culturally important African American community.

He said:

"How many African-Americans do you know actually consider Africa as a vacation spot? Not one... Even just for knowledge, just to know where they came from, just to get an idea of what that is; there is so much fear instilled in them that they wouldn't even want to go there to visit. You mention Africa, they start shaking."

This is fundamentally false. Especially when you consider the African basis for nearly all African American organizations as far back as the 19th century.
 
Africanus said:
"When I see African Americans in America dealing with all these issues, my first question is: 'Why don't they just go back home?'

Al Jazeera: Where?

Akon: Back to Africa. Where they'll be treated fairly. Where they'll actually be praised for who they are, because of the fact that they are American. They'll get way better treatment, they can invest their money..."

This part is especially humorous for me. Besides the logistics of uprooting your entire family (Or even yourself, plane tickets are in the thousands) to Africa, where would they go? With no knowledge of the geographic, economic, political, and social situation of an African country, more prone to disease, no knowledge of the language (Unless they go to an English speaking country, but even then). Also he forgets that ethnic discrimination still occurs, as well as that being American is a blessing and a curse.
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I really want to get his answer to where in Africa black Americans should go. I hope he doesn't expect them to show up in some random place and declare it the home of their ancestors.
 
Do most European Americans look back at the old continent with fondness? It seems outside of the Irish, Europe is largely a joke. Do many white people long to see Germany again after 4 generations of immigration?
 
Rest said:
I find it a bit troubling that a black man is telling black Americans to "go back to Africa."

I wonder why he thinks that black Americans have any connection to Africa. It's like telling white Americans that if they're having a hard time to go live in Europe. What about indians? They're disadvantaged minorities, but they're from here, what should they do if they're not treated fairly?
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Cross the Bering straight back to Eurasia or something.
 
Mesousa said:
Of course there are some brainwashed people who don't like being considered African, these people are the minority and hold no power in any academic or culturally important African American community.

He said:

"How many African-Americans do you know actually consider Africa as a vacation spot? Not one... Even just for knowledge, just to know where they came from, just to get an idea of what that is; there is so much fear instilled in them that they wouldn't even want to go there to visit. You mention Africa, they start shaking."

This is fundamentally false. Especially when you consider the African basis for nearly all African American organizations as far back as the 19th century.
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As simply a vacation spot?

I think there's truth to that. There's an immense weight attached to 'returning' to Africa - even if for a vacation. A lot of people want time off and relaxation and not the burden of a homecoming that for many is a monumental occasion for a family...
 
DY_nasty said:
As simply a vacation spot?

I think there's truth to that. There's an immense weight attached to 'returning' to Africa - even if for a vacation. A lot of people want time off and relaxation and not the burden of a homecoming that for many is a monumental occasion for a family...
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Maybe its because I hang around a select group of people, but the people I see usually have the Cape Towns and Egypts near the top of the list of places they want to go. It takes money though, so if you are not around people rolling in dough it might be more rare. I simply find it hard to believe Akon is running across a bunch of high income African Americans that don't want to vacation in Africa.
 
JCX said:
Maybe I'd be more interested in visiting if I knew which country my ancestors were taken from.
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I think he's looking at it in a more symbolic way, like "here's where my ancestors were uprooted from". I was watching this show on PBS where they trace ancestry, and they took one of the guests to an old slave-loading post around Sierra Leone. It was a profoundly moving experience for her. I think that's what Akon wants people to experience.
 
JCX said:
Maybe I'd be more interested in visiting if I knew which country my ancestors were taken from.
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Being serious, if I knew I was of northern European heritage but not exactly sure where, I'd go to the place I most wanted to visit and call it home of sorts. Do that. Some amazing, life changingly beautiful places to visit and plant an emotional flag in.


Doesn't have to be a country - those are modern and artificial constructs anyway.
 
Mesousa said:
Maybe its because I hang around a select group of people, but the people I see usually have the Cape Towns and Egypts near the top of the list of places they want to go. It takes money though, so if you are not around people rolling in dough it might be more rare. I simply find it hard to believe Akon is running across a bunch of high income African Americans that don't want to vacation in Africa.
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you shouldn't find it hard to believe at all lol
 
markot said:
Well, he is a rapper. He is obviously knowledgeable in all these nuances you speak of. Africa is probably his favorite country.
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Why do you equate rapper with uneducated?

Mesousa said:
Maybe its because I hang around a select group of people, but the people I see usually have the Cape Towns and Egypts near the top of the list of places they want to go. It takes money though, so if you are not around people rolling in dough it might be more rare. I simply find it hard to believe Akon is running across a bunch of high income African Americans that don't want to vacation in Africa.
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You shouldn't find it hard to believe at all
 
And I also don't want to be this guy, but if you line up African American achievements in ~2 or so centuries compared to hundreds to thousand of years as the area of Senegal, and its people, as outward slaves to the Islamic kingdoms of Ghana, or even French Soudan, and it is simply dwarfed by what the former has accomplished.

America, is as great of a place it is, also based on African American contribution. The fact he think people should walk away from this to appreciate what they have, when they helped contributed to such greatness, is nothing short of ignorance. The mere fact this clown was able to be born in this country at all is testament to hard work put in by people, many African American, granting a better life to his family with which they could not achieve elsewhere. It is what it is, and maybe he should consider that before he begins speaking out the side of his mouth about things he does not understand,
 
DY_nasty said:
^Yes.

@bolded

No.
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Really? I actually agreed with him on this. Growing up, my family and every black person I knew looked to Africa with some sort of reverence and respect for the hardships that people deal with there (if not complete understanding). "Visiting the Motherland" is seen as a big deal by a lot of black people, not that many had the money or could afford to take off from work to go.

I remember my family church making a big deal about it every few years when they would send families to help out our sister churches in Africa.

I really can't relate to Akon when he talks about this "fear of Africa" African Americans apparently have.
 
markot said:
Do most European Americans look back at the old continent with fondness? It seems outside of the Irish, Europe is largely a joke. Do many white people long to see Germany again after 4 generations of immigration?
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Of course they do. Do you know how many white Canadian friends of mine, who are like 6 generations removed from their "motherland" still bring out national flags of their countries, or make their ancestral countries the first time they visit? Sure they necessarily don't think of themselves as British anymore, or a Polish citizen, but many I know still have a huge affinity even though they have nothing to do with the country anymore.
 
DY_nasty said:
you shouldn't find it hard to believe at all lol
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CrazyDogg77 said:
Why do you equate rapper with uneducated?



You shouldn't find it hard to believe at all
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It just seems farfetched. Especially if they are coming into contact with Akon, a symbol of Africa in modern music, on a regular basis. A person with money can easily have a great time in all parts of Africa. Hell, I don't have money at all and enjoyed my visit "home"
 
Madness said:
Of course they do. Do you know how many white Canadian friends of mine, who are like 6 generations removed from their "motherland" still bring out national flags of their countries, or make their ancestral countries the first time they visit? Sure they necessarily don't think of themselves as British anymore, or a Polish citizen, but many I know still have a huge affinity even though they have nothing to do with the country anymore.
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3?
 
I think when he says the "fear of Africa" he means that most African Americans associate Africa with being poor, lacking government control to deal with insurgency or terrorism, or lack of good medication. It is not that they necessarily are scared of Africa, but most still have that perception that most of these countries are unstable. If that is what people are getting hung up on.
 
royalan said:
Really? I actually agreed with him on this. Growing up, my family and every black person I knew looked to Africa with some sort of reverence and respect for the hardships that people deal with there (if not complete understanding). "Visiting the Motherland" is seen as a big deal by a lot of black people, not that many had the money or could afford to take off from work to go.

I remember my family church making a big deal about it every few years when they would send families to help out our sister churches in Africa.

I really can't relate to Akon when he talks about this "fear of Africa" African Americans apparently have.
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Even at my black college, I can only think of a single person who made their want to return to Africa for that very purpose known as a priority. A lot of people really are under the spell that makes one believe that Africa is nothing but home to raw nature, genocide, and disease.

While not speaking in absolutes, I really d ounderstand where the idea comes from in this specific instance. Many have it hard. The return to Africa feels like a burden. A weight. Many don't want to associate with the motherland at all like that and for plenty of reasons.
Yaphett Kotto said:
I think when he says the "fear of Africa" he means that most African Americans associate Africa with being poor, lacking government control to deal with insurgency or terrorism, or lack of good medication. It is not that they necessarily are scared of Africa, but most still have that perception that most of these countries are unstable. If that is what people are getting hung up on.
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Disagree. America has been terrorizing the fuck out of blacks for centuries not to mention experimenting on us for the lulz.
 
DY_nasty said:
Even at my black college, I can only think of a single person who made their want to return to Africa for that very purpose known as a priority. A lot of people really are under the spell that makes one believe that Africa is nothing but home to raw nature, genocide, and disease.

While not speaking in absolutes, I really d ounderstand where the idea comes from in this specific instance. Many have it hard. The return to Africa feels like a burden. A weight. Many don't want to associate with the motherland at all like that and for plenty of reasons.
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HBCUs are usually full of people wanting to be BASP, or Black Anglo Saxons if you will. I don't think those are good locations for hardcore African American thought.
 
Mesousa said:
HBCUs are usually full of people wanting to be BASP, or Black Anglo Saxons if you will. I don't think those are good locations for hardcore African American thought.
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lol @ the idea of HBCU's being the breeding grounds for #nublacks

genuinely laughing here. the imagery was nice

not that i disagree, but for as many afro-centric ideas that are churned out of HBCUs, (anecdotal, i know) i felt there would be a much more.... 'pronounced' showing of intentions to visit africa in some form
 
DY_nasty said:
lol @ the idea of HBCU's being the breeding grounds for #nublacks

genuinely laughing here. the imagery was nice

not that i disagree, but for as many afro-centric ideas that are churned out of HBCUs, (anecdotal, i know) i felt there would be a much more.... 'pronounced' showing of intentions to visit africa in some form
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Lol, you are right though there is a very distinct lack of Africaness on many campuses.

I spent my freshman year at an HBCU in Atlanta and I learned pretty quickly "That African shit" was making me stick out like a sore thumb.
 
Mesousa said:
HBCUs are usually full of people wanting to be BASP, or Black Anglo Saxons if you will. I don't think those are good locations for hardcore African American thought.
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LOL - Every time I'm rocking with you, you go into that pamphlet shit.

Bless your heart, Mesousa. I mean it. You make GAF a better place.
 
I have two problems with Akon's statements.

#1 Why would you ever try and make an apples to oranges situation like Africa versus America? "Hah! Atleast you arent being killed for being gay! You have it so much better!" As if that somehow means that everything us blacks have worked to achieve for ourselves in this country over the centuries, all the pain inflicted on us is meaningless because its not on the same level as africa's suffering.


#2 What the HELL is "go back to africa"? I have heard of people who have tried to do that very thing, connect to their roots. But to most of us, its meaningless. Our past ancestors identities were wiped out as soon as we got off the boat and given a new name. And its been atleast 5 centuries since then. Where would we go back to even? Despite looking the part, i have no connection to Africa...we only have this country now as a home.
 
real shit, i ain't even mad

that's an absent presence and often missed perspective. i may not always agree but i respect where the point is coming from. keep posting mes.

edit: just imagine me ranting about how HBCUs ain't shit, etc - don't feel like typing that one up again
 
DY_nasty said:
Disagree. America has been terrorizing the fuck out of blacks for centuries not to mention experimenting on us for the lulz.
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I agree on that, but most people I know have the mentality that "it could be worse," which is what keeps them from considering going to Africa.
 
Yeah, sorry Akon I ain't "going back" to Africa. Fuck that noise, they've tried to push that crap several times in American history. Also, everything I read from that excerpt was full of ignorance, then again this is why you shouldn't listen to a singer for any kind of political or socioeconomic policy.
 
America is not even a nation country. It´s just full of immigrants and different people from around the world. It has no history.
Indians were last america nation people
 
I'm not one for sentimentality. Africa does not interest me, therefore I have no reason to go. That said, I do know people that really want to go, so I'm not sure it's as widespread as Akon thinks.
 
MrCunningham said:
The railroads still played a huge part in establishing the boundaries of the country. . .





In the end, China got their revenge ... I think?
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I'm still amazed at how quickly racism against ethnic Chinese people changed in the course of ~100 years. They went from being banned to now being one of the top paid ethnic groups in America. And the racism transformed from aggressive to passive (Which still isn't okay but I digress). I need to read a book on it honestly.
 
IamSuperman said:
America is not even a nation country. It´s just full of immigrants and different people from around the world. It has no history.
Indians were last america nation people
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This is so absurdly false. There was no real native nation, there were groups and tribes of first nations people all over North and South America. They were displaced and killed/eradicated by explorers and colonizers from Europe who piecemeal divided up the land. Eventually , large swathes of the new population over centuries banded together and formed their own nations. Saying there is no history is just wrong. The US Constitution is now one of the oldest in the developed world. USA didn't just spring up out of nowhere, it was developed and built, no different than any other country in the Americas.
 
im taking a trip with my boss and her husband to climb mount Kilimanjaro in 2016, so that should count towars vacationing in Africa lol.
 
I've been to Africa. And while it's beautiful, they won't get that treatment because they're American. Without the knowledge of the language(s) they'll be looked down on. My cousin went back "home" recently and was detained on the way to our grandfathers simply because he couldn't speak Swahili well enough.

I'll keep it as a vacation spot alone and suffer here
in sweet, sweet Canada
. Going back next summer already.
 
Honestly, his "go back to Africa comment" kind of comes off as sarcastic considering how he basically tells people to realize how good they have it in America earlier.
 
Some of his comments resonate but that "back to Africa" talk is straight out of the 1800s. Didn't work then, won't work now. Even his "just visit" talk doesn't make sense. African Americans largely have no sustainable or connected African heritage because of the manner in which they came to America (the slave trade took care of that).
 
Madness said:
This is so absurdly false. There was no real native nation, there were groups and tribes of first nations people all over North and South America. They were displaced and killed/eradicated by explorers and colonizers from Europe who piecemeal divided up the land. Eventually , large swathes of the new population over centuries banded together and formed their own nations. Saying there is no history is just wrong. The US Constitution is now one of the oldest in the developed world. USA didn't just spring up out of nowhere, it was developed and built, no different than any other country in the Americas.
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Indians were last true Americans. Everyone else has came from Asia, Europe and Africa.
All immigrants only. You should learn history.
 
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