Why do we use the term "African American"? (originally posted July, 2008)

"African Americans are a people who grew out of the mixing of various groups of African peoples (that is, individuals who belonged to many cultural backgrounds throughout, mostly, West Africa). We were forced to unite because of our shared oppression and exploitation..."

Dear friends,

Booker T. Washington wrote, "During the period of servitude in the New World, the Negro race did not wholly forget the traditions and habits of thought that it brought from Africa. But it added to its ancestral stock certain new ideas."

I am an African American (I do not use a hyphen, because I refuse to consider myself an abbreviated American.) Yet, many of my fellow countryfolks feel confused about how they should address African Americans, generally, because it seems as though our terms of self-description change from time to time...

However, the term itself (African American) is not new; rather, it points to the natural direction being taken by a people who grew out of a distinct cultural experience, having survived the ravages of time, in a nation that is founded upon both greed and white supremacy. Therefore, by calling ourselves African Americans, we are merely returning to our true identity as human beings.

NOTE: When people hear the term "white supremacy", they usually either think of those who parade around in white bedsheets - like the Old South's KKK (Ku Klux Klan) or others, in blue uniforms, such as the FOP (Fraternal Order of Police) in places like Philadelphia and New York City. In other words, many citizens in this country do not see themselves as "white supremacists", per se. However, I use the term “white supremacy”, because a person can come from any European, Asian, or Latin country tomorrow, completely disregard his or her true familial past and declare himself or herself “white” - thus becoming part of an artificial "majority" group. Additionally, by calling himself or herself "white", that same person just mentioned, automatically, inherits a history that includes the likes of the original Pilgrim group, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln (none of whom, as far as I know, are of either Irish, Italian, Polish, Russian, German, Asian, "Hispanic", Jewish, or French descent), along with enjoying privileges and advantages over me and people who look like me.

Although around 130 years or a little more than five generations ago, author and formidable scholar George W. Williams asserted that, at the time, many African peoples worldwide preferred to be called "Negro" (see his History of the Negro Race in America), it appears that the expressions "Negro" and "colored" actually gained their popularity after the North American Civil War. Available literature only shows that prior conflict, the word "Africa" almost always prefixed the names of our organizations.

For example, beginning during the last quarter of the 18th Century, with Richard Allen and his friends' Free African Society, in Philadelphia, to the founding of the A.M.E. (African Methodist Epsicopal) church, which spread across the nation soon afterwards, all the way to the Afric-American Female Intelligence Society of Boston - a highly-respected activist group that existed for more than 40 years or almost two generations before and during the North American Civil War, we never forgot our African origins.

As well, because of the proliferation of the abolitionist movement that grew correspondingly with the manumission of each captive worker (so-called slave), Black self-help groups, whose purposes were for the economic and social progress of the aforementioned manumitted captive workers, began to flourish. One such group was the Peace and Benevolent Society of Afric-Americans of Connecticut - which thrived around the same time as the previously-mentioned women's group (see Black Abolitionists, by noted historian and scholar Benjamin Quarles. Also, there is other literature concerning African American organizations corresponding with that period in works like Lerone Bennett's classic, Before The Mayflower.)

But is "Black" also a legitimate identity reference? I think that it is. In fact, if we take guidance from Professor Lloyd Hogan's classic "The Principles of Black Political Economy", we see that he has identified five criteria that distinguish African American or Black people as a group that has proliferated. for centuries, within its own environment. They are: 1) Common origins on the continent of Africa; 2) Common history of exploitation as a homogeneous slave working class for more than 250 years; 3) Common exploitation as a more or less homogeneous class of landless peasants for approximately 100 years in the southern United States; 4) Common experience of exploitation as a homogenous wage laboring class since the last generation or so of their history; and 5) Conscious individual acceptance of being Black.

Perhaps, the most crucial aspect of Professor Hogan's abovementioned criteria is the "conscious individual acceptance of being Black." After all, regardless of one's historical experience, at least in the United States, the term "Black" is usually pretty specific. For example, if people are talking about either Rudy from Saint Croix or Ludwig from Antigua, they call him a Caribbean or West Indian. If they are talking about either Okey or Sahalu from Nigeria, they call him an African. However, if folks are talking about Paul from Boston or Barry from Amherst, then they say, "He's a Black man."

Note: This should be spelled with an upper case "B", even though the standard has been set by "white" newspaper editors and educators who, usually, spell it with a lower case one (b). As usual, others outside of our group are defining us by their own measure, as opposed to us doing it for ourselves. Nevertheless, when referring to African Americans, "Black" is a proper noun - not a common one, because it points to a specific group. On the other hand, the lower case "w" should be used for "white", since those who embrace or "cling to" that moniker do not represent a specific culture. Therefore, it is a common noun.

There are, of course, many women of European descent who have had, at least, one child by a man of African descent. Our future president is such a person. Moreover, it is usually necessary for these kids to identify themselves as "Black", for two reasons. They are: 1) Such offspring often have non-pale skin complexions and, as a result, are automatically considered "non-white" anyway - and treated as such. 2) Their mothers typically call themselves "white", thus confusing said youths' about their all-important identities. Moreover, it places children in the position of having to choose sides, as it were. Yet, at least to me, it seems that no one should ever ask a child to choose sides, when it comes to loving his or her parents. Instead, we should only encourage each child to LOVE his or her parent(s). Period.

So, obviously, African Americans are not a monolithic group per se, due to our varied familial backgrounds, income levels and social statuses (as folks like the wealthy entertainer Bill Cosby remind us, when he labels so many of us the "lower echelon"). Nevertheless, because we can be found in all areas of society (except for the ruling class), our ideas and aspirations are quite diverse.

Additionally, a number of us have physical characteristics that make us indistinguishable from many other cultural groups (for example, European American, EarlyAmerican Native, Asian American, Latino, and so forth.) As a result, unwittingly, many non-African American citizens currently associate with African American people who may not even identify themselves as such. On top of all that has been mentioned thus far, as well, the fact must be appreciated that African Americans are a people who grew out of the mixing of various groups of African peoples (that is, individuals who belonged to many cultural backgrounds). We were forced to unite because of Our shared oppression and exploitation.

Prior to the North American Civil War, African Americans tended to form coalitions with EarlyAmerican Natives and, at times, European Americans too (particularly, Irish Americans). Note: I use the term "EarlyAmerican Natives" (with neither a space nor a hyphen between Early and American), as opposed to "Native Americans", because I find the latter term divisive - and offensive to many. After all, most citizens of this country feel "native" to this land. Consequently, at least to me, the feeling of both separateness and aloneness that already lingers, quite naturally, in each individual, in any civilization or culture, worsens. Therefore, I feel that we do not need to "add insult to injury", as it were, by using words that may cause some of the resentment and hostility that can be engendered when people feel that they are being excluded. Hence, in order to distinguish that particular body of people from all other groups in our society, I use the aforementioned term Early American Natives.

At any rate, the identity that we now use, African American, represents the evolution of a people who have, through no choice of their own, struggled together for equality, dignity, and justice, for centuries. This, obviously, has been the same dilemma for all other groups who have come here, outside of the early ruling class. In fact, after the North American Civil War, African captive workers (so-called slaves), according to international law, should have been offered the opportunity to return to Africa. Instead, these now former captives were hoodwinked into accepting partial citizenship and thrown into the plantation economy of sharecropping. As a result, our forebears began identifying themselves according to descriptions that were made by those who did not even acknowledge, much less respect, our aforementioned forebears' ability to know what was best for themselves and those future generations of African Americans that would follow.

Today, we are an African people, and the largest group of those in this country who call themselves "Americans" who have been here since the 17th Century. Period. Moreover, for centuries, there were always folks coming/being brought here from Africa, both legally and illegally; they reminded our ancestors of their former homes - and cultural experiences. Therefore, our forebears never lost all of that which was African in them. Rather, they passed it on to future generations. Therefore, as far as contemporary African Americans go, we have learned to express what is left of our "Africanisms", as it were, within a different context.

Finally, three generations ago, the great Marcus Garvey pointed out: "This propaganda of dis-associating Western Negroes from Africa is not a new one. For many years white propagandists have been printing tons of literature to impress scattered Ethiopia, especially that portion within their civilization, with the idea that Africa is a despised place, inhabited by savages, and cannibals, where no civilized human being should go, especially black civilized human beings." - Marcus Garvey (Philosophy & Opinions of Marcus Garvey, edited by Amy Jacques-Garvey)

One Love,
G. Djata Bumpus
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Brief note to the New York Times about the "Economy"

"...the intention for infinite growth in a finite market of consumers must necessarily go bust, at some point."

To the Editor:

The article called “Geithner Calls for Major Overhaul of Financial Rules” By EDMUND L. ANDREWS and LOUISE STORY, Published: March 26, 2009, proves that neither Obama nor anyone in his administration knows anything about the financial system, much less how to improve it. The problem is not hedge funds or “greed” on Wall Street. Rather, it is the proliferation of finance capital which allows businesses to survive even when they are no longer creating customers. Moreover, the intention for infinite growth in a finite market of consumers must necessarily go bust, at some point.

G. Djata Bumpus
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In light of the Obama victory, Ronnie Polaneczky invites us to care (originally posted 11/14/08)

Nevermind black, white, yellow, red, or brown . How about African American, European American, Asian American, Early American Native, and Latin American, for example.

Dear friends,

I waited a week to post the piece on the link below, because I wanted the hoopla and celebration over President-elect Obama to have sudsided. To be sure, we need to change our language. After all, "language is thought". Have you ever said to yourself, "I can't think of a word for it."?

One of the main ways to accomplish that, at least to me, will be for people to start describing themselves according to their cultural pasts, instead of their skin complexions. Nevermind black, white, yellow, red, or brown . How about African American, European American, Asian American, Early American Native, and Latin American, for example? That way, we will be able tp recognize each other's humanity.

In any case, Ronnie Polaneczky of the Philadelphia Daily News, a longtime friemd of mine, presents a very powerful invitation for all of us here. Please both onsider and enjoy the caring and warmth that she shares.

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.philly.com/dailynews/local/20081106_Ronnie_Polaneczky__My_wishes_for_a_new_American_vocabulary.html?adString=pdn.news/local;!category=local;&randomOrd=110608034620
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The passing of a True Legend Ioriginally posted 12/25/08)

Eartha Kitt's courageous pioneering and consistent display of confidence, whether in performance or in life, helped define artistic and social expression in this country and around the world. And it did so for both females and males, while inspiring so many women generally, for two and one-half generations.


Dear friends,

We all "come in - going out". We forget that while we are here caught up in the throes of life. Nevertheless, for me, the timing of her passing is quite interesting, because I was supposed to catch her performance with the Springfield (MA) Symphony Orchestra on my/our oldest daughter's upcoming birthday (Feb. 7, 2009). Tickets went on sale back in June, so I guess that this is a surprise to everyone.

Eartha Kitt's courageous pioneering and consistent display of confidence, whether in performance or in life, helped define artistic and social expression in this country and around the world. And it did so for both females and males, while inspiring so many women generally, for two and one-half generations. Yet, oddly enough, many, if not most, women in America, today, are unaware of her role as a liberator, as so many other women have now followed her.

At any rate, the link below gives a short biography of her.

One Love!

G. Djata Bumpus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eartha_Kitt
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an upcoming tribute to Dr Barbara Ann Teer - a pioneering artist/activist

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT!!!

Please join AVERY BROOKS and ALICIA KEYS and other guests as they celebrate the launch of the 41st year andre-institution of theCommunication Arts Program Symposiums This Friday March 27, 2009 at 6:30PM Suggested donation $20 Students $10 It's about a thought provoking soul stirring evening...



Love lives forever." - Steveland Morris

Dear friends,

Dr. Barbara Ann Teer (June 18, 1937 - July 21, 2008) was featured on this blog during August of last uear, shortly after her passing. The info below is about an important upcoming event in New York City later this month. The work of this great woman continues.

One Love,
G. Djata Bumpus




SAVE THE DATE!!! March 27, 2009
Dr. Barbara Ann Teer's Institute of Action Arts will launch it's 41st Year with the re-institution of its Communication Arts Program Symposiums

Please join us:
Friday, March 27, 2009 at 6:30PM

for a thought-provoking and soul-stirring evening with
Avery Brooks, Alicia Keys, and other guests

Suggested Donation: $20 - Students: $10

http://www.nationalblacktheatre.org/

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