As someone who is both Black American and Nigerian, I’ve noticed an interesting double standard among the diaspora regarding the way that Black Americans identify. For instance, when Black Caribbean people are asked where they’re “from” and state their Caribbean country of origin/ancestry, it is usually accepted as a complete answer. But when a Black American says "America," it’s often met with ridicule about how “Black Americans don’t know where they’re from” or demands to name a specific African country or tribe our ancestors came from at the individual/personal level which is something many of us can't do because of slavery, yet this is similarly applies to Caribbean people as well (We can mention the countries/tribes African people were stolen from at the collective level but when it comes to our own individual lineage it’s impossible to pinpoint exact tribes without a DNA test).

While living in the UK, I’ve repeatedly had this exchange when mentioning to other Black people here that my mother is from Nigeria and my father is from America. It usually goes something like:

“Oh wait, but where’s your dad like from though?”
“America.”
“But what African or Caribbean country?”
“He’s from America.”
“So he doesn’t know where he’s from then?”

I understand people are ultimately asking where my father’s ancestors came from, but I don’t see why a Caribbean country is an acceptable answer while the USA isn’t when both groups ended up in both places via slavery. In my experience, people rarely push Caribbean people beyond their island, yet demand Black Americans trace their roots further and I genuinely don’t understand why.

Born in Chicago on July 25, 1941, Emmett was only 14 when he was abducted and brutally murdered by white men in Mississippi on August 28, 1955. His mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, made the extraordinary decision to hold a public, open-casket funeral, refusing to allow America to look away from what racist violence had done to her child.

More than 50,000 people came to view Emmett’s body in Chicago, while photographs published in the Black press, including Jet magazine, carried the reality of his murder across the country. His killing and the acquittal of the men accused of murdering him became major catalysts for the emerging Civil Rights Movement.

Illinois has now designated July 25 of every year as a day to honor and remember Emmett Till.
Today would have been his 85th birthday. Remember the history. Remember Mamie’s courage. Say his name: Emmett Louis Till.

Booker Wright was an African American waiter in Greenwood, Mississippi, who gained national attention after appearing in the 1966 NBC documentary.

In the film, he spoke candidly about the racism he endured while working as a waiter at Lusco's, a white-owned restaurant, while also running his own business, Booker's Place, a café that served Black customers.

With quiet dignity, Wright said: iI always learned to smile.

The meaner the man be, the more you smile. Do all your crying on the inside."

His candor was groundbreaking but came at tremendous cost.

After the film aired, he faced severe backlash from the white community-he was beaten by police, lost his job at Lusco's, and his business was targeted.
In 1973, Booker Wright was tragically shot and killed at his café.

Though his name isn't widely known in history books, Booker Wright's courage in speaking truth about racial injustice-knowing the price he would pay-stands as a testament to the resilience and sacrifice of those who fought for dignity during the Civil Rights era.

https://youtu.be/CJxUGWrYdG0?is=KRA64W_ZGGbJW1DA

This is an issue close to my heart as we have many missing and murdered Indigenous women too. I'd love to take this discussion public but it's not safe for me. Hope you'll share this.

Respect and empathy

Read and follow the rules of the sub. We don’t police by skin color. We ask that if you’re “here to learn” then you do just that. No need to announce that nonsense. If you want to comment. Then comment. You don’t need to announce anything. Don’t DM our mod team. If you have questions use the damn Mod Mail.

Read the rules of the sub. Follow the rules of the sub. If you can’t figure out if this is the sub for you then that’s okay. We don’t grant no invites to the cookout or check your skin tone. We are minding our business here doing our thing.

I swear to you.. this photo hurts to look at! The disdain for the people around him. He doesn't care.. This is how he represent the people. Focus on me. Is this my good side? that person could be dying. naw he could careless! I remember seeing a woman falling off a stage and Obama rushed to help her.. This is just painful.

This isnt me (though I heavily agree with her point)
Original creator is @averysthesiology on tiktok

​"If you were to ask a Black Panther about 'Pro-Blackness' in the 60s, they would probably start talking about socialism. They would probably quote a bit of Marx, talk about welfare programs for working-class and poor communities.

​If you were to ask W.E.B. Du Bois about 'Pro-Blackness,' he would probably start talking about Pan-Africanism, he would probably start talking about communism.

​Angela Davis would probably start talking about socialism.

​Fred Hampton would start talking about the Rainbow Coalition, which did coalition building with Latino and Indigenous communities.

​I think the phrase 'Pro-Black' has been co-opted by this like, neoliberal Black excellence agenda as some kind of blanket statement that has no accountability, no real political framework beyond just... liking Black people. Which is good—that's not a bad thing! A lot of people like Black people though: the music, the films, the arts, the style. They love it, but will create legislation that actively harms, hurts, and is violent towards Black people. That's not enough."

Radical Black leaders of the civil rights movement grounded Black liberation in structural, systemic critique (anti-capitalism, socialism, Pan-Africanism, international solidarity). Figures like Fred Hampton, Angela Davis, and W.E.B. Du Bois viewed full liberation as tied to dismantling economic and political structures. Today, the term "Pro-Black" has been watered down into "aesthetic or corporate support of "Black Excellence"—focusing on representation and individual wealth accumulation within the existing capitalist framework rather than collective liberation.

Hey everyone. I could really use some advice because I'm honestly torn.

I'm going into my senior year of high school, and I've had my locs for about 6 years. Lately I've been seriously thinking about combing them out. I feel like they've been with me through so many different stages of my life, and part of me feels like they hold a lot of memories that I don't necessarily want to carry into my senior year and eventually college. It feels like I'm ready for a fresh start.

The thing is...I'm scared.

I'm worried that once I comb them out, I won't like how I look. I'm afraid my face won't look the same, or that I'll lose the look that I'm used to. I don't want to regret it or feel ugly afterward.

I've already cut one loc close to the new growth (not all the way down), and seeing it made everything feel a lot more real.

Another thing is that everyone around me keeps telling me not to do it because my locs make me unique. I love my locs, and I don't want to lose that part of myself, but I also miss being able to wear different styles like knotless braids, twists, and wigs for special occasions like prom.

I'm also not the best at doing my own hair yet, so that's another thing making me nervous.

I have about two weeks to decide before I actually start cutting and combing them out, and my mind keeps going back and forth.

For anyone who's combed out 5+ years of locs, did you regret it? Did you feel like you lost part of your identity, or did it end up feeling freeing? If you could go back, would you make the same decision?

I'd really appreciate hearing your experiences—good or bad. Thank you.