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A NOTE ON AFRICAN AMERICANS

African Americans are the most long suffering and resilient group of people in the world; no other group comes close. Centuries ago, they endured kidnapping and being sold off by their own kind back in Africa. Coming to the Americas they endured enslavement by peoples of European descent in both North and South America. Since abolition of slavery, they have endured lynchings, deep-seated racism, systemic deprivation in the financial and health systems, and ongoing brutality by an angry and often racist police system. By God, African Americans need help to fight racism. Instructively, they can only get it from non-African-American Americans (no pun intended). On that note, I beg all "non-African" Americans, especially White America (but also African immigrants in America), to please stop sitting on the fence. Most Americans are very wonderful people. But you must now take a firm stand on racism. You really only have two choices: either to be a racist or an antiracist; no in-between, no lukewarmness.

On a personal note, I am an American citizen, originally from West Africa. Why is this relevant? Well, most African Americans have West African ancestry. I do not know if my OWN ancestors were actively involved in the acquisition of fellow human beings for the White slave dealers back in West Africa 400 or so years ago. Regardless, I hereby apologize to African Americans on my OWN ancestors' behalf. I also urge all West Africans to apologize to African Americans for the involvement of our ancestors, as a symbolic gesture.

God bless African Americans. God bless America, the greatest country on planet earth.

In the context of the video in the link below:
https://www.facebook.com/nnanyere/videos/3322149927819807/ Please watch the video

It is clear that America bears responsibility for how it has treated African Americans for 400 years.

But, how much responsibility should the British ''Empire'' bear for much of the slavery, racism, colonization and usurpation of other people's lands all around the world? After all, many, if not most, Caucasian Americans who owned slaves in North America have British ancestry.

Similarly, how much responsibility should the Spanish, the Portuguese, the French, the Dutch, and the Flemish bear for slave trading and colonialism in Africa and the Americas?

How much responsibility should West Africans bear for engaging in human slave trade (after all, trade is a transactional action between two parties) that led to these problems for African Americans?

All of these people should be apologizing to African Americans.

Folks, what do you think about this line of argument? Are Africans complicit in the plight of African-Americans over these 400 years?

Should Africans apologize to African-Americans?
Yes, they should

What for? If you are tired of being an American, kindly come back home. No place like home

madamgrace:
What for?

BECAUSE you sold them to White people. Did you read the article at all?

In your write up, igbo are not highest slaves from Africa, we should all strive to be correct as our younger generation will later read this and think its true.

MinorityOpinion:
In your write up, igbo are not highest slaves from Africa, we should all strive to be correct as our younger generation will later read this and think its true.

Exactly. Igbos weren’t the highest number of slaves from Africa please stop with the false narratives.

Also igbo priests used long juju arochukwu cave to trick their fellow kinsmen into being sold to slavery. So are people from other tribes supposed to apologise for the actions of a wicked Igbo priest, even tho they had nothing to do with such actions?

MinorityOpinion:
In your write up, igbo are not highest slaves from Africa, we should all strive to be correct as our younger generation will later read this and think its true.

Where did you read that Igbos are the highest slaves from Africa?

DuwaRepublic:


Exactly. Igbos weren’t the highest number of slaves from Africa please stop with the false narratives.

Also igbo priests used long juju arochukwu cave to trick their fellow kinsmen into being sold to slavery. So are people from other tribes supposed to apologies for the actions of a wicked Igbo priest, even tho they had nothing to do with such actions?

But who said Ibos are the highest slaves in America? Where did you read that in this article?

DuwaRepublic:


Exactly. Igbos weren’t the highest number of slaves from Africa please stop with the false narratives.

Also igbo priests used long juju arochukwu cave to trick their fellow kinsmen into being sold to slavery. So are people from other tribes supposed to apologies for the actions of a wicked Igbo priest, even tho they had nothing to do with such actions?

So the Yoruba slaves in America and Brazil and Cuba were sold off by Igbo slave traders? Is that even the topic of this post? MEN! Nairaland is filled with low IQ folks

AAEEI:


So the Yoruba slaves in America and Brazil and Cuba were sold off by Igbo slave traders? Is that even the topic of this post? MEN! Nairaland is filled with low IQ folks

Lol I only mention Igbos in my post cos you only mentioned Igbos in your OP, Igbo priest sold you through long juju arochukwu cave it’s just the truth bro.

Yoruba slaves were results of slave raids and war conquests, mostly against the north, but wars were fought westward as well against Dahomey, and Ashanti to name a few.

AAEEI:
Folks, what do you think about this line of argument? Are Africans complicit in the plight of African-Americans over these 400 years?

Why not educate yourself about the slave trade?

Go and read

AAEEI:


But who said Ibos are the highest slaves in America? Where did you read that in this article?

You didn’t say it, you insinuated it and you know it

DuwaRepublic:


You didn’t say it, you insinuated it and you know it

So you are now a mind reader? My oh my? No wonder Nigeria has not worked since 1960. Low IQ people everywhere.

DuwaRepublic:


Lol I only mention Igbos in my post cos you only mentioned Igbos in your OP, Igbo priest sold you through long juju arochukwu cave it’s just the truth bro.

Yoruba slaves were results of slave raids and war conquests, mostly against the north, but wars were fought westward as well against Dahomey, and Ashanti to name a few.

I mentioned Igbo because I am Igbo. To avoid low IQ people misreading and derailing the post, I HAVE DELETED ANY MENTION OF ANY TRIBE. Now can you please leave all this long grammar and answer the question, if you may. Do Africans owe African Americans an apology? Specific to you, you are Yoruba; do you think you owe African Americans of Yoruba origin an apology?

AAEEI:


Specific to you, you are Yoruba; do you think you owe African Americans of Yoruba origin an apology?

I definitely think African Americans (AA) should be apologized to by Africans - we did them grave wrong. That may be why we are not progressing. However, I do not think that doing so by each ethnic group that was involved in slave trade is possible - too cumbersome. This is because we do not know exactly where all 40 million AAs originally come from in West Africa; of course, we know for some, mainly the celebrities. Also, we do not know which African ethnic groups did not involve in slave trade. For me, I think all West African ethnic groups were involved. So, the apology should be unified. ECOWAS should take the lead, travel to America and meet with African American leaders in all 50 states. This will be a 50-DAY trip, each day to one state.

African leadership should apologize. Africans as individuals can apologize even though all out ancestors weren’t complicit. If slaver trade lasted one more day, some of us would be African Americans today so it’s not exactly fair to blame every African. However apologizing individually wouldn’t take anything away from us. The Black race needs healing.

I think African countries where slave trade was practiced should sponsor African American and Caribbean visits to the continent. They are our abducted siblings. We know where they are. Invite them home. Some will stay.

jumobi1:
African leadership should apologize. Africans as individuals can apologize even though all out ancestors weren’t complicit. If slaver trade lasted one more day, some of us would be African Americans today so it’s not exactly fair to blame every African. However apologizing individually wouldn’t take anything away from us. The Black race needs healing.

I think African countries where slave trade was practiced should sponsor African American and Caribbean visits to the continent. They are our abducted siblings. We know where they are. Invite them home. Some will stay.

Good response. It reechoes what I wrote before yours.

AAEEI:


I mentioned Igbo because I am Igbo. To avoid low IQ people misreading and derailing the post, I HAVE DELETED ANY MENTION OF ANY TRIBE. Now can you please leave all this long grammar and answer the question, if you may. Do Africans owe African Americans an apology? Specific to you, you are Yoruba; do you think you owe African Americans of Yoruba origin an apology?

I don’t owe anyone an apology, I never sold any slaves, neither did my people.

The people you should be seeking apologies from are the ones who brought the demand for slaves into our land in the first place, they gave us guns and encouraged more slave raids, instigating tribal wars that still goes on to this day, Africans are traumatised and disenfranchised, we are suffering more than the African Americans, due to the damage those people caused.

So our stories and plight are not that different, we all suffered from the Atlantic slave trade, so don’t act like only the AAs suffered. What we should do is console each other and stand in solidarity with one another, not demand apologies, or blame-shifting.

DuwaRepublic:


I don’t owe anyone an apology, I never sold any slaves, neither did my people.

The people you should be seeking apologies from are the ones who brought the demand for slaves into our land in the first place, they gave us guns and encouraged more slave raids, instigating tribal wars that still goes on to this day, Africans are traumatised and disenfranchised, we are suffering more than the African Americans, due to the damage those people caused.

So our stories and plight are not that different, we all suffered from the Atlantic slave trade, so don’t act like only the AAs suffered. What we should do is console each and stand in solidarity with one another, not demand apologies, or blame-shifting.

So you don't want to take any blame but you want to blame the buyer? It appears you don't even understand the meaning of ''trade'', even as the OP defined it correctly: It is a transaction between two people (a buyer and a seller). If you did not capture your brothers and made them available to be bought, they would not have been bought. Of course the buyer also has blame. In fact, I put it at 50% blame for the buyer ad 50% for the seller. But as I understand it this post is talking about the seller (Africans) for now. After all, Charity begins at home.

And please stop! Africans are not the victim of slavery. African Americans are. Okay?

AfricaUnited:


So you don't want to take any blame but you want to blame the buyer? It appears you don't even understand the meaning of ''trade'', even as the OP defined it correctly: It is a transaction between two people (a buyer and a seller). If you did not capture your brothers and made them available to be bought, they would not have been bought. Of course the buyer also has blame. In fact, I put it at 50% blame for the buyer ad 50% for the seller. But as I understand it this post is talking about the seller (Africans) for now. After all, Charity begins at home.

And please stop! Africans are not the victim of slavery. African Americans are. Okay?

Blame the buyer? You talk about trade, do you even know how these whole thing started? It started by raiding and kidnapping, it didn’t start off as a trade, that only became a necessity due to the settlements that were constantly ravaged to negotiate and obtain weapons from the “so called buyers” to raid other settlements too for the “so called buyers” so the “so called buyers” can leave them in peace.

AfricaUnited:


So you don't want to take any blame but you want to blame the buyer? It appears you don't even understand the meaning of ''trade'', even as the OP defined it correctly: It is a transaction between two people (a buyer and a seller). If you did not capture your brothers and made them available to be bought, they would not have been bought. Of course the buyer also has blame. In fact, I put it at 50% blame for the buyer ad 50% for the seller. But as I understand it this post is talking about the seller (Africans) for now. After all, Charity begins at home.

And please stop! Africans are not the victim of slavery. African Americans are. Okay?

Africa was and still is a victim of the Atlantic slave trade, that goes for AAs as well. And If you don’t see that then I have no discussions with you, I know your type, not sure what you’re doing here if you hate us so much, anyways I hope you’re entertained.

DuwaRepublic:


Blame the buyer? You talk about trade, do you even know how these whole thing started? It started by raiding and kidnapping, it didn’t start off as a trade, that only became a necessity due to the settlements that were constantly ravaged to negotiate and obtain weapons from the “so called buyers” to raid other settlements too for the “so called buyers” so the “so called buyers” can leave them in peace.

Watch the posted video:
https://www.facebook.com/nnanyere/videos/3322149927819807/
The buyers are already apologizing. When is the seller going to do same?

AAEEI:


BECAUSE you sold them to White people. Did you read the article at all?

Lol you feel guilty for wrongs you didnt personally commit? If you want to apologize for sins of your fathers do so. I eony because it silly.

Blue3k:


Lol you feel guilty for wrongs you didnt personally commit? If you want to apologize for sins of your fathers do so. I eony because it silly.

Do you even know if your own direct ancestors were slave dealers? Also, not all Whites were slave dealers and not all are racists today. That does not even matter. Both groups (slave buyer and slave seller) should apologize to AAs, the only victims in all of this

AfricaUnited:


Watch the posted video:
https://www.facebook.com/nnanyere/videos/3322149927819807/
The buyers are already apologizing. When is the seller going to do same?

Lol no Africa man invaded the buyers land to offer slaves for sale. Our land got invaded by the buyers, looted by the buyers, our people got maimed and enslaved by these so called buyers, they said they were brining Christianity and civilisation, what they brought was barbarism and austerity.

Note: I haven’t watched the fb video yet, but I’ll get to it when I get the chance.

AfricaUnited:

Do you even know if your own direct ancestors were slave dealers? Also, not all Whites were slave dealers and not all are racists today. That does not even matter. Both groups (slave buyer and slave seller) should apologize to AAs, the only victims in all of this

AAs weren’t the only victims that’s offensive because some slaves remained in Africa, some got shipped to the Caribbean’s, some to Europe, and other to the Americas, stop spreading lies we won’t let it slide.

AfricaUnited:

Do you even know if your own direct ancestors were slave dealers? Also, not all Whites were slave dealers and not all are racists today. That does not even matter. Both groups (slave buyer and slave seller) should apologize to AAs, the only victims in all of this

I dont care if they were slave traders. It's not my fault and owe I nobody an apology. Everyone who was personally effected or took part is dead anyway. Why stop at an apology. Give them reparations for their pain an anguish. Lol you have slavery in the 21st century to fight on this continent go free them now.

AfricaUnited:


Watch the posted video:
https://www.facebook.com/nnanyere/videos/3322149927819807/
The buyers are already apologizing. When is the seller going to do same?

I just watched your fb video, is this a joke to you? Cos I don’t find it funny.

Blue3k:


I dont care if they were slave traders. It's not my fault and owe I nobody an apology. Everyone who was personally effected or took part is dead anyway. Why stop at an apology. Give them reparations for their pain an anguish. Lol you have slavery in the 21st century to fight on this continent go free them now.

It's a free world. Do what pleases you.

DuwaRepublic:


I just watched your fb video, is this a joke to you? Cos I don’t find it funny.

It's not my video. It was in the OP's post. Does what you see there look like a joke to you?