The Relationship between Native Africans and African Americans Today

The black community in America today is known for the prideful and celebratory aura it possesses. Whether online or in-person, there is never a moment where Black people in America pass up the opportunity to highlight and acknowledge accomplishments done by one another. Under the surface level of things, a culture disconnect between 2 groups of black people in America today raises concerns with the genuine acceptiveness of the Black community. This is presented between Native Africans and African Americans. 

The connection between Afro-Americans and Africans stems from the time of slavery. This begins with Africans originally in Africa making a way of life through craftsmanship, farming, and cattle-breeding. With an already established government and area of profit, Africans possessed skills deemed highly profitable and advantageous for the colonialist world. When Europeans were aware of this, they understood that taking control of Africans and using their expertise would allow them to develop the New World. As a result, Europeans developed the idea of transporting Africans to America, giving them no choice but to submit to their authority and work under their orders. This developed a system where a significant influx of Africans entered America and across European nations as enslaved people. They were mainly placed on plantations growing and harvesting sugar, tobacco, and rice. This system, which we know as slavery, went on for decades until the rise of the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation. With the signature of ex. President Abraham Lincoln, enslaved people were deemed free in 1865.

After eliminating slavery, the topic of race developed to be very controversial and problematic as Black people in America were not accepted as equal to the White race. This issue is still prevalent today. With the displacement of Black Americans, which resulted in them starting families here and further distinguishing themselves as African Americans, issues began to develop once native Africans were able to travel to America and moved to assimilate with African Americans established in America.

With this apparent difference in history that enforces a disconnect between Native Africans and African Americans in America, discussion frequently rises between the two parties regarding who has suffered and continues to suffer the most because of the history of Black people in America. In the perspective of African Americans, the perception of Africans who enter America now is taking advantage of the rights fought for by Black Americans. Because Africans who migrated to America came after slavery was outlawed, African Americans find it unjust that they can live off rights they did not fight for. On the other hand, native Africans find current African Americans insensitive to their upbringing in underdeveloped areas in Africa. Undevelopedment in Africa results from many factors, including the slave trade and colonialism. 

The upbringing of both native Africans and African Americans stands in the way of both parties' ability to sympathize with one another's unfortunate circumstances. This poses a risk to the Black community because it only brings further barriers to Black people from different ethnic backgrounds. With a history of trauma that continues to oppress the Black community today, the last thing needed is more separation amongst one another. While we can understand the different ethnicities present in the community itself, it does not serve to be used as a further categorization that blinds individuals in the Black community that we all represent one another.

Abua, J. (2020). The Fiasco between Africans and African-Americans. N.p.: UAb Institute for Human Rights Blog. Retrieved from https://sites.uab.edu/humanrights/2020/06/10/the-fiasco-between-africans-and-african-americans/