Ward

Zari ward
Zari Ward
04/12/2014
Timeline of thought: African and African American
Growing up a foreign land I can honestly say was one of the best experience I ever had.
I grew up in the wonderful African country called Botswana and honestly consider it my home.
People always questioned my Nationality. American, really, and followed by the weird
questions Like have you meet Beyonc or do you see famous people walking all around you?
Bear in mind Botswana has a small population and hence everyone knows everyone. Can you
really order those massive burgers and are they really cheaper than a salad? Then the
stereotypes starts ranging from do you know how to sing or rap to how many gang members do
you have in your family? And why are black Americans so lazy and rude? While these
stereotypes were sometimes annoying and completely absurd I got similar questions every time I
came back to the states. People try to be modest with their questions so they dont appear
ignorant but their intentions were clear. Is Facebook a big thing there which in translation
means do they have computers, internet and are they in the modern world? Have you ever seen
a lion which in translation means do you live in a jungle down there? These stereotypes I can
honestly say arent true just like the stereotype that all African American males are gang
members. Ive been able to see both sides of the African culture and the African American
culture I believe these stereotypes exist due to lack of education of foreign cultures.

Perceived stereotypes that African and African American have of each other divides the
Black race in America into two sections. I noticed this trend upon my return to the states and
believe this problem exist because of the culture differences portrayal. The culture across the
continent of Africa differ so there isnt a joint African culture. The African-American culture is
rooted in Africa but due to slavery striping their culture away a new culture was formed.
Cultures developed due to shared situations within the African-American culture which was
bound together by shared hardship. The African-American culture is portrayed negatively in the
media.
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The African American culture is perceived as wild and ghetto. It appears materialistic and when
Compared to African culture like that of Botswana it is perceived to lack norms. Luvvie Ajayi,
an award- winning writer of Nigerian descent described a word akata," on twitter which
Nigerians use to describe black Americans which means wild animal
1
.The term became famous
when a first generation Ghanaian-American student Kwesi Enin got accepted to 8 Ivy League
university. He excelled in academics, sports and music and brought pride to the black
community. Controversy arose when he was descried as a not so typical African- American
kid. Which feeds the stereotype that African Americans are lazy and that they are the ones to
blame for their situation.
2

While there is a positive stereotype that African immigrants in universities are intelligent and
educated. Their homelands are still negatively perceived as dense wild uncivilized jungles with
wild untamed men. Some African-Americans feel that African immigrants are pompous
peacocks, who are enjoying the freedoms of earlier generations of so-called Negroes who
were fire-hosed, jailed, even lynched for the opportunities that Africans in America now
benefit from.
3
I can honestly say that while having differences in culture is what defines us there
shouldnt be hate or division because of it. The negative stereotypes are purely based on ignorant
perceptions that one culture represents the whole black culture and as a result people want to
distance themselves from perceived stereotypes .Terms such as akata used to make a
distinction where color fails. African Americans that believe the stereotype that Africans are
uncivilized want to distance themselves from them which creates tensions in the American black
race community. Because Stereotypes run race and race runs society people want to make a
differences between the two
4
. Hence people want to be referred to as black Americans rather

1
Taylor Gordon Atlantic Black star http://atlantablackstar.com/2014/04/05/ivy-league-success-story-refueled-
tensions-africans-african-americans/
2
Taylor Gordon Atlantic Black star http://atlantablackstar.com/2014/04/05/ivy-league-success-story-refueled-
tensions-africans-african-americans/
3
Gerald A. Montgomery of AtlanticRock.comhttp://atlantablackstar.com/2014/04/05/ivy-league-success-story-
refueled-tensions-africans-african-americans/
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than African Americans. "A shared complexion does not equal a shared culture, nor does it
automatically lead to friendships," says Kofi Glover, a native of Ghana and a political science
professor at the University of South Florida. "Whether we like it or not, Africans and African-
Americans have two different and very distinct cultures.
5
Luvvie Ajayi argued on twitter that the
stereotypes that people have are due to the fact that people dont know the history of African
Americans and how slavery took its toll on African Americans. They believe African
Americans are wasting their opportunity. "Africans who come to the U.S. are statistically more
successful than African Americans and they think 'if I could do it, why not them?
6
I do agree
with what Luvvie Ajayi statement that many African dont know African American history and
the toll it took the community. I attended high school in Botswana and we were never taught
African-American history so it easy to see why these stereotypes are accepted about African
Americans from an uneducated point of view.

I stand by my claim that there is a negative stereotype that exist between African and African
American people are due to lack of education of their cultures. I can personally state that I too
had negative perception. I moved to Botswana at the age of six and honestly thought I was going
to ride elephants and sleep in huts an idea that made me excited. And now whenever I think of
that I get very disgusted and feel ashamed that I too once carried all those negative stereotypes.
And they were all due to my lack of knowledge something Im not proud about but Im glad I
had the opportunity to change. This article made me question what benefit does these negative
stereotypes have? Immigrants find a new home in America their children become citizens and
soon those stereotypes will be associated with them. Once the accents fade and the only home
their descendants know is America those stereotypes will also be branded on them. Stereotypes
run race and race runs society and when life put on mute the image you so strongly designed fade

4
SHANKAR VEDANTAMww.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2014/02/11/275087586/study-stereotypes-drive-
perceptions-of-race
5
Author: TRACIE REDDICK http://www.library.yale.edu/~fboateng/akata.htm
6
Gerald A. Montgomery of AtlanticRock.comhttp://atlantablackstar.com/2014/04/05/ivy-league-success-story-
refueled-tensions-africans-african-americans/

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simply to black.

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