Politics Information |
I am Not an African American
I am not an African-American. Don't call me an African -American. I'm an American plain and simple. I was born here as were my parents and grandparents and you would have to search many a generation back before you found anyone in my family who originated from the continent of Africa. It's time black people in this country stop trying to identify with a land whose culture is not their own. It's time we stand up and say "This land is our land" and let everyone know we have a right to this country as much as anyone. I understand the need for black people in America to find an identity all their own. We are as displaced as a people can be. Brought here in the early seventeenth century, first as indentured servants then as slaves the richness of culture these individuals brought from their various tribes was systematically ripped away from them. Maybe in calling ourselves African-American we feel we can retrieve some of that richness that is lost to us and was stolen from our people so long ago. However the atrocities of the past are just that, the past and trying to identify with lost cultures isn't going to help us achieve the respect and prosperity that has alluded us for so long in a country that is still hostile to those of African descent. Now don't get me wrong, I'm in no way suggesting we forget about the past. It's important to study and learn from your forefathers' triumphs, mistakes and pain. Continuously changing our identification however, is not the best way to use that knowledge. We've had several "identities:" from Colored to Negro, Black and now African-American. How can we expect anyone else to know who we are if we're not sure of our own identity? How can we expect to come together as a people if we can't agree on something as simple as to what to call ourselves? Hell the government is not even sure who we are if the census form was any indication with their Black, Negro, African-American non-hispanic category. I say dispense with all of the confusion. We're American. The sweat of our brow helped build this country. Benjamin Banneker a black man, helped design the white house. Something as simple as the traffic light and as life saving as the blood transfusion were created by black people. Americans. From music, to dance, to literature we have given much more to this country then it has have ever given to us. We can be proud in simply calling ourselves Americans because we have more then earned that right. It's time we make use of it. I was once asked if I viewed myself as an American first and black second. The answer is as long as America views me as black first then I'll always be American second. But I'll never be anything other then American, plain and simple. Tamika Johnson is a freelance writer and editor and chief of Prologue, the best arts and entertainment online community the web has to offer. To read more articles by Tamika and to receive FREE tips on how to be a successful writer visit http://www.prologuezine.com
MORE RESOURCES: Unable to open template $TEMPLATEfilename, exiting |
RELATED ARTICLES
American Eugenics "When you are right you cannot be too radical; when you are wrong you cannot be too conservative." - Dr. World Moving from Socialism to Capitalism The recent Jakarta summit of Asia and Africa brought remembrance of Jawaharlal Nerhru. At Bandung, Nehru had initiated the non - alignment movement and proclaiming the resistance to the big powers for exploiting the underdeveloped countries for the economic benefits. Where have all the Heroes gone America is filled with standouts and perserverance; our nation has a rich heritage of strength and honor. We have so many heroes in our short 200 years of history it is hard to keep them all straight. Predator or Prey; Hunter or the Hunted; Teacher or the Pupil; Winning or Losing? This is a thought on the study of Home and Away Games, The Best Team Always Has the Advantage. Predators and Prey; The Hunters and The Hunted. FTC Fixing SPAM? Is the Federal Trade Commission really stopping SPAM? Is the FTC and all of our tax dollars doing any good reducing SPAM? Why do we even bother to pretend? Did the FTC assume that its publicity alone would scare the spammers into quitting? The FTC is quite arrogant in that case. They spent over a year having meetings trying to define what SPAM actually was; then when we ask for a progress report as the SPAM had increased they say: "We are working on it, we need to redefine SPAM. National ID Cards Have More Than Australians Concerned Fearful that terrorists will next target Australia, Prime Minister John Howard broke the silence this week. He reopened the debate on issuing mandated national ID cards. The Self-Appointed Altruists Their arrival portends rising local prices and a culture shock. Many of them live in plush apartments, or five star hotels, drive SUV's, sport $3000 laptops and PDA's. Media and the Iraq War, Some Random Thoughts Indeed 2001 Here are some miscellaneous thoughts on issues many of which are opinion and should be looked at as such, some are not even my opinion but opinions of people I have talked with and wished to pass on. The first item I wish to discuss is the World News reporting which is anti-American. FTC Hurts Franchising Consumers Last Summer the Federal Trade Commission came out with a report citing all the changes that might be considered in a future rule making for the franchise rule. It addressed comments made back in 1995 and 1999. News Media Misguided or Just Plain Liars? Last week, the media coverage called the airplane crash in Canada a miracle because all of the passengers survived. However, what they are calling a miracle is really teamwork. For they know not what they do; Federal Regulators destroying business Federal Regulations on Business Destroy America, these regulations are a tax passed onto the every American. How much does Federal Regulations Cost each year to our society. Companies, Consumer and Cost of Fuel Which companies are most affected by fuel? Who really bears the increase in fuel costs? How much do they pass on? What companies are most prone to cost increases due to shear volumes of usage?How about companies like UPS and Fed Ex Air, talk about market power and vehicles. Fed Ex and Ups are approaching 35,000 vehicles each. Regulatory Hooey Protects Us From Our Own Health Legislation is getting legs to further curtail your use of nutritional supplements. Not too long ago, prior to passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) - which was accomplished by millions of letters to legislators by people like you - the FDA acted like a Gestapo against supplements, manufacturers and professional advocates. Trade Policy; Hurting Industry and Small Business The steel tariff taxes a few years ago hurt industry and small business and we as a civilization are still paying for that boo boo. This problem was affecting our team in my company and costing our franchisees money and ROI time, due to increased costs in new equipment. PA Congressional Pay Hike Raises Eyebrows While many Pennsylvanians are struggling to figure out how they can pay their real estate taxes before the end-of-the-year deadline, the PA congress not only votes an extra $11,403 onto their base pay, but those on committee chairs receive an additional $4,050. Speaking in terms of percentage, the pay hikes ranged from 16% - 34%, while most of their constituents are lucky to see a 3% raise. Space Colonies a Primary Goal Many folks who are pro-NASA and Pro-Space Colonies say that this should be our primary goal as a nation, as individuals and for corporations as well. However this argument is cut short with reality of the needs of mankind. Enlightenment Experiments Pierre Dupont de Nemours:After arranging the Armistice that ended or settled outstanding issues after the Revolutionary War Pierre Dupont de Nemours came to join the Royals including the Hapsburgs who were living near Jefferson and other esoteric Merovingians in and around Delaware. He and his family became important armaments manufacturers and it is reasonable to remember what Eisenhower said in his Military-Industrial Complex speech. The History of Trade and Using it as a Weapon for Peace The Flow of Trade is a major consideration of civilizations and cultures working together to insure that they can get what they need. Some areas have special crops, which grow in their regions, which the other regions would like to have. Public Utilities, Monopolies and Problematic Structures Public utilities and a problematic issue on the allowance of profits. We all know that if you are only allowed to make 15 percent profit as in the case of Utilities Companies then why not spend more money so you can make 15 percent go up. US Government Owes Martha Stewart 1 Billion Dollars The prosecutors in the Martha Stewart Case used testimony from an FBI agent who lied under oath to secure a conviction. The prosecutors knowingly and willfully allowed the FBI agent to tell a lie while he was a witness in the courtroom. |
home | site map | contact us |