Black Culture Discussion Thread

[atlsfinest]

We the living race of Ls...

I don't fault the Chinese or any other country for taking advantage of opportunities to help themselves in advance their causes. My issue is with these African governments.

Outside influences on Africa have had an overwhelmingly negative impact on African negative impact on African nations, but the leadership Within These African countries has been notoriously poor. I can only think of a handful of well-run, component not completely corrupt (every government has some level of corruption) African nations.

At least in West Africa, leaders are known for stealing hundreds of millions of dollars, riding and lavish cars and owning homes across the world While their countries suffer. To make it worse they don't even put the money they steal in African Banks, they put the money in Banks throughout Europe and the Middle East.

 

[AEA18]

Prominent psychiatrist Dr. Patricia Newton explains the physiological and psychological impact of racism, trauma and violence on black women and communities of color

 

[gry60]

So the Chinese are lending us money, just for us to use that money to pay Chinese companies to build our infrastructure. Chinese companies that send all that money back to China. All the while leaving us in a state of perpetual debt.

African nations getting finessed...water is wet.

It's the same thing that happened in the 50s, right before the era of African independence. The French in particular realized that they couldn't afford to fight anticolonial wars like Algeria and Indochina (Vietnam), so they bombed areas that were opposed to cooperation with the west and installed puppet governments within those countries before "giving" them independence. Of course, many of those separation agreements included preferential clauses for the former colonial power, such as exclusive access to African markets and low import tarrifs (which weren't reciprocated).

Look up the Bollore Group and look up Francafrique if you want to learn about Western Africa after the 1960s.

 

[gry60]

I don't fault the Chinese or any other country for taking advantage of opportunities to help themselves in advance their causes. My issue is with these African governments.

If half the African governments did what the Chinese and Indians have done (truly promote innovation and welcoming those who moved abroad and have learned something), we would be speaking a different tune.

Being from Cameroon, I know of several people who have left my country and are now working for some of the best institutions in all kinds of industries outside the African continent. Nigerians, Gabonese, Senegalese, Ethiopians, Kenyans can tell you the same. The problem is the leadership.

 

[gry60]

if anything i would think the chinese have been the most transparent in their 'partnering' with african countries out of mutual self-interest(s) rather than trying to couch it as try to help these 'poor african countries,' whereas 'western' countries might place conditions or at the very least levy criticisms of some of the corruption of these african nations, the chinese aren't really concerned as long as it doesn't interfere with their interests...a good deal of the infrastructure the Chinese are building is to make exporting goods/resources out of these nations easier or even viable.

to my mind, it has just been that too many of the leadership/power in these african nations are more interested in enriching themselves, families, friends, ethnic groups (#inthatorder) than any future considerations of the 'nation' or its 'people'

This is true too. The thing about interests though, is that at some point, it becomes the investor nation's interest to control who yields power. And like I said before, you are not going to produce anything if the loans you take to "develop" your infrastructure don't also develop the skills of the local population. That is where the China-Africa relationship becomes disingenuous.

 

[atlsfinest]

If half the African governments did what the Chinese and Indians have done (truly promote innovation and welcoming those who moved abroad and have learned something), we would be speaking a different tune.

Being from Cameroon, I know of several people who have left my country and are now working for some of the best institutions in all kinds of industries outside the African continent. Nigerians, Gabonese, Senegalese, Ethiopians, Kenyans can tell you the same. The problem is the leadership.

The concept is called 'Brain Drain'. It's where a country or continent's best and brightest leave and never come back. It happens throughout the world, but its worst in Africa.

http://mo.ibrahim.foundation/news/2018/brain-drain-bane-africas-potential/

Brain drain, which is the emigration of skilled nationals, results in a depletion of skilled human resource in the countries of origin. The African Union estimates that about 70,000 skilled professionals emigrate from Africa every year. Currently, Africa is the world’s youngest continent, with an estimated 10 to 12 million young Africans joining the labour force each year. Yet the continent is able to create only about 3 million jobs annually. With limited economic opportunities, many young Africans are migrating to Europe and America for economic opportunities.

In 2016, the IMF’s World Economic Outlook reported a growing number of African migrants in OECD countries. Estimated at 7 million in 2013, the total number of African migrants in OECD countries could rise to 34 million by 2050. In 2013, France, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US) hosted about 50.0% of the total sub-Saharan African diaspora. Africa’s Island countries are most impacted by this phenomenon, with almost one-third of Cabo Verde’s population and about 10.0% of Mauritius, São Tomé & Príncipe, and Seychelles’ population living outside the country.

This is just one article but you can find many more about brain drain throughout Africa.

 

[atlsfinest]

The issue of brain drain is really big throughout Africa. It's had an interesting impact on my family. A little bit about myself, my family and I immigrated to America in 1990 after the Liberian Civil War began.

My family never planned on staying in America long-term. We thought things would blow over after a couple of months like they did throughout the 80s but lo and behold things didn't come down for over 15 years.

My dad never left Liberia, and continue to work there to make money for us throughout my childhood. My brothers and I were raised here with my mom in Atlanta. My brother actually moved back to Liberia a couple of years ago after graduating law school and working in New York for a bit. My other brother lives in Atlanta and once his daughter is in college, he wants to go back to Liberia. My mom plans on moving back there as well and like I said, my dad never left (although he does come to the states once or twice a year to visit us and to perform medical procedures)

From the jump, my family never viewed being in America as the end-all-be-all for us.

 

[tokes99]

This is true too. The thing about interests though, is that at some point, it becomes the investor nation's interest to control who yields power. And like I said before, you are not going to produce anything if the loans you take to "develop" your infrastructure don't also develop the skills of the local population. That is where the China-Africa relationship becomes disingenuous.

the thing i don't really understand (or maybe it's just that i lack the context to understand it), is why the leadership of some of these countries don't make that mandate a priority, seems like it would be easy enough, not really require much, & would win them some good will? though i imagine suppose some of this could be happening on a small scale...

The issue of brain drain is really big throughout Africa. It's had an interesting impact on my family. A little bit about myself, my family and I immigrated to America in 1990 after the Liberian Civil War began.

My family never planned on staying in America long-term. We thought things would blow over after a couple of months like they did throughout the 80s but lo and behold things didn't come down for over 15 years.

My dad never left Liberia, and continue to work there to make money for us throughout my childhood. My brothers and I were raised here with my mom in Atlanta. My brother actually moved back to Liberia a couple of years ago after graduating law school and working in New York for a bit. My other brother lives in Atlanta and once his daughter is in college, he wants to go back to Liberia. My mom plans on moving back there as well and like I said, my dad never left (although he does come to the states once or twice a year to visit us and to perform medical procedures)

From the jump, my family never viewed being in America as the end-all-be-all for us.

do you plan on going back to make your life there at some point? why or why not?

 

[atlsfinest]

the thing i don't really understand (or maybe it's just that i lack the context to understand it), is why the leadership of some of these countries don't make that mandate a priority, seems like it would be easy enough, not really require much, & would win them some good will? though i imagine suppose some of this could be happening on a small scale...



do you plan on going back to make your life there at some point? why or why not?

I don't know To be completely honest. I can't see it happening within the next decade or so but who knows after that. I'll definitely go back and visit more frequently though.

 

[dmv23]

Fools really in here bugging if they think the person i started dating when i was 25 changed/changes how black i am/pro black i am lmao while i'm out here working with my bro on a program or a different way to teach young brothers and sisters the importance of real estate ownership/investing to build generational wealth for us. If a person can change how you feel, appreciate or uplift your community then you werent real from the jump. So while yall out here trynna scare away more black folk that can be helping us out, ill still be doing all i can to help out my race while being in an interracial relationship. "All skin folk aint kin folk" and i hope yall out here chasing and beating down any black man yall see/know of thats out here beating/raping our black women, robbing/killing us black men and molesting our kids since yall so pro black

 

[DCAllAfrican]

An Evening with Angela Davis in Conversation with Amy Goodman - Full Store Event | Busboys and Poets https://www.busboysandpoets.com/events/th-evt-6354498/

 

[DCAllAfrican]

 

[Nouss]

Look up the Bollore Group and look up Francafrique if you want to learn about Western Africa after the 1960s.

Good look on the reading material, I was just asking my dad why Guinea decided to remain with the franc Guinean instead of going to FCFA like the rest of west africa.

Upside, it's state backed and not France backed, downside, 10.000 F.Guinean is 1.000 FCFA. Can't even change the currency unless I'm holding a mil +

And we've already discussed the African side of the argument, can't really add my input at the moment lol.

 

[Nouss]

Yo fellas, I recently went back to guinea conakry for 10 days to visit my ailing grandma, she's 95 yo. Throughout our visit, she has gotten better.

My pops accepted a job in Benin so I did a weekend layover in cotonou on my way back to malabo. Nice, clean, sprawling city. No high rises like conakry but a big, semi busy city. It was cool.

On Saturday we went to a village called Ganvie, situated on the water. Pop: 35,000.

The city was founded in 1717 and celebrated their 300th anniversary last year.

This was our barge, captain embarking

There was some serious flooding here in 2010, you can see the flood lines on these two cribs. A lot of people died and many more lost their homes.

The great mosque of Ganvie, it was built in Saudi Arabia and was transported here by boat. The Ganvie population is 5% Muslim

Speaking on religion, the majority still adhere to traditional beliefs. Animism is the word commonly used in western languages to describe "other religions." I'll just be frank, Benin is known to practice voodoo, many Haitian slaves came from this area. This is voodoo as we in America recognize it, but make No mistake, it is practiced all over africa and the Americas. These just the folks that made it popular.

 

[Nouss]

Sorry for the thumbnails, these next two pics are artificial islands constructed by residents. They mix soil, clay and oyster shells to create these mounds where they lay cement on top.

This is the hotel.

This is their restaurant/souvenir shop

Seeing as there are no powerlines, they use solar panels to illuminate the museum/hotel/reception area. I thought that was cool.

Got way more pics of cotonou and conakry and malabo, of course, but I'm going back to sleep.

 

[ggarvinxx3]

Nice pics

 

[AEA18]

 

[tay1]

 

[Nouss]

Last 3 nights in Conakry, I stayed at my aunt's crib. Joint was the definition of a tropical paradise.

Gardens surrounding the crib with a lil canopy/hut on the side with a hammock. Definitely a nice spot to unwind after a long day.

I stayed on the first level by myself. A lot of nice African artwork being presented.

My aunt worked for the WHO so she has traveled all over the world. A lot of pieces are from Asia and the Americas. The general African essence is still there tho.

 

[Nouss]

These two replica maps from the 15th and 16th centuries were my favorites. You can see negroland and scattered kingdoms throughout. Maps that I had to Google while ole girl had em in her house whole time.

 

[Quincy McCall]

Omar posted some Jane Elliot this morning

Circumvents the "special" treatment for specified "culture" rhetoric, so not a surprising response. Visual of unmoved faces still strong tho

 

[bigrockford]

 

[layziegunts]

c00nvention

 

[DCAllAfrican]

 

[DCAllAfrican]

Before I even bother, is it worth the time investment?