Black

Was never just a colour..

I caught this video over at Mark Anthony Neils blog..
A well put together song, with some very interesting footage (see below)

'Afrocentrism was never (and could never be) simply Eurocentrism in a different cloak'. Ladson Billings,.G ( 2000) .. (my addition emphasized).
.. and I agree

Afrocentricity emerged as a response to oppressive white supremiscist universalism, but unlike eurocentrism (with its roots in 18th century creation of races, or species of man, and racial dominance across the economic, private and public spheres, aka racism) its aim has been to negate the association of blackness to oppression, struggle, victim-hood, lack, championing equal respect and rights,self love and much more, importantly silencing those dominant eurocentric voices, and nihilistic tendancies. A reclaimation of a forgotten, or submerged history if you like; a rejection of that which was foisted upon a people

Some may say, Afrocentrism begets Pan-Africanism, begets nationalism, begets seperatism, begets individualism, begets selfishness, begets greed, begets conflict, begets the demise of humanity.. but hey..
my answer to that is... not necessarily :)

Anyway.. see what you think
There are times when I like to say a vibe is a vibe.. and a vibe knows no colour necessarily.. you either have it.. or you don't.
I asked it in a post recently.. who really is black today..
What does it mean to those ( like me) who we could refer to as pheontypically black, or African
I didn't see it coming, but this is one response



Personally speaking, I wouldn't say classism is the new racism .. as both have coexisted for some time, and will continue to do so, it's too easy to say that.. especially considering the impact of racism on so called classes. No, one does not just replace the other.

* I have a thing about class and 'race'.. I think too many folk get it twisted, and don't get me started on the so called black middle class.. or black and any class situated in it's Marxist context .. it's flawed; with too many anomolies, and potentially a trap.. but hey, *smiles and nods head*.. I get its appeal :)*

A moving and thought provoking video though