Black Out

Exert from an online conversation Tha King had with a female friend about a week ago. Name has been changed to protect the ignorant...uhhh, I mean innocent. There is a small possibility that the person I am referring to is going to read this. So in case you are reading this......Don't say stupid shit and I won't feel the need to blog about you. Simple as that.

King: Question, What nationality are you?

A: My husband and I are both Haitian (I didn't ask about her husband but OK.)

King: Would you ever have considered marrying an African man?

A. Hell No! No Africans and no Jamaicans.

King: Why?

A: They aren't my type

King: What makes you think all Africans are the same type? That's stereotyping. Your even singling out your fellow West Indians.

A: Oh no! I wouldn't marry a West Indian either, just Haitian.

King: .......

The West Indian part aside, she as just voicing the sentiment of a lot of Black people today. For some reason or another a divide has grown between Africans, African Americans and West Indians. I remember as a child everyone was just BLACK, it didn't matter which continent or Island your grandparents were born. Now everyone is quick to disassociate themselves with the other groups. You said you were black last month, now your Bajan? (For the record I have no problem with people taking in pride in where they come from. My problem is with people who believe that because they are from said place that makes them better than other black people, which couldn't be further from the truth.

Tha King places a large amount of the blame on the media. The stereotypes that the media uses to portray A.A. W.I. and Africans are they same ones that we use to prejudge each other. If you don't interact with different people, all you have is TV as your point of reference and its possible to think that all African Americans are lazy gang bangers and welfare queens or that all Africans live in huts and have goats in their back yards. NOT TRUE. Expose yourself to other cultures people. We're much more alike then we are different. I cold write a book on this topic but I'll wrap it up here. Til next time folks.