I found this really interesting documentary over at the beyondidentity blog.
It got me thinking, what exactly defines African? What exactly is it that makes me so passionate about Africa when some might argue that historically I am Greek, not African.
Is it as simple as “If you were born in African and live in Africa then you are African”? I don’t think so, but why not?
I am extremely interested to know what makes you think, feel, believe that you are African?
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June 23rd, 2008 at 9:34 am
I am an African because:
I was made in Africa
I have hope for Africa
I choose Africa as my home
June 23rd, 2008 at 9:48 am
I’m African because I don’t have the choice to leave, lol.
Don’t consider me a part of your sample set. I’ve managed to grow up without a “homeland”, and I don’t consider myself a resident national of any country. I’ll be that random point on the graph that can’t be explained by the trend.
That being said, I think being African is simply about being born and raised here, amongst the daily trials and sufferings that most Africans go through. And despite personal ambition, there’s that sense of togetherness that runs throughout the population – a silent unity I haven’t quite seen reflected in our Western neighbours. It’s there, whether we like it or not.
~ Wogan
June 23rd, 2008 at 10:21 am
Africa and its people are in my blood. I have travelled alot and there is nowhere I feel at home outside my country. For me its more about how I feel and think than the fact that I was born here. My skin colour should be irrelevant, the fact that I am ‘cream’ [according to my daughter, we are shades of cream and brown] should not render me ‘countryless’. I do realised that in the eyes of some this will always be the case though. We need to work more on encouraging natural intergration, this will take time though. I am passionate about SA and Africa.
June 24th, 2008 at 5:41 am
i had a friend at University who was born in Egypt. When she travelled to SA to study, she was given one of those silly forms to fill out. She looked at the question: What race are you?
a: Caucasion
b: African
c: Asian
She was definately not Asian and she didnt see herself as a white person. so the next one was African. So `b` was where the tick went.
the air hostess soon came back to query her answer. She said “excuse me Miss but you have filled your form out incorrectly. you have put that you are an African and you are clearly a Caucasian”
She did indeed look like a Caucasian but she did not feel like one. She felt more African, then white or black or Asian.
If you are born in Africa, surely you are African in the most simple and logical sense of the word. Over the many years, it has just come to signify that `African` is associated with being black.
Being in Japan is a clear example of this. When i mention im from South Africa they look at me in shock and ask me why I am not black.
June 24th, 2008 at 11:11 am
I was on the FNB website registering for savings accounts for my 1 year old twins and one of the questions was about their race…….I was so puzzled that I eventually called Stats SA to find out what my children are considering that their dad is Indian and I’m black. I thought just for the heck of it, I’ll register them as Caucasion and sue anyone who disputes it :0)
June 26th, 2008 at 9:22 am
What makes me South Africa, is the mere fact that I was born in this wonderful country, have only traveled in and around the country, I wouldn’t want to be any where else. Being white doesn’t not make me African either, Africa is in my blood and always will be.
June 26th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Interesting Verge:
Egypt is in Africa, right. So why would an egyptian person not be considered African?
July 9th, 2008 at 11:41 am
Thabo Mbeki has come along way from his I Am An African speech days. That was maybe his pinnacle and it’s been a downward slide into madness and chaos since then. So I strongly advocate that we stop bothering with government because they are the hippo generation. People who read this blog are the cheetah generation and we do things for ourselves. We cannot wait for government to come to the rescue!
The Beyond Identity documentary, my best friend Ross Rayners is working on, is an important part of that grass roots movement that is need to find the things we have in common and bring that to the forefront, instead of focussing on what our differences are. It’s also one of the basic tenets taught by Colman McCarthy.
Ramon Thomass last blog post..Peter Diamandis on Stephen Hawking in zero gravity
July 16th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Being African is a mindset. If you identify with Africa as a place, and feel at home there, appreciate its diversities and challenges and love it’s people, then you are African. It’s not about where you were born and grew up. I was born and grew up in Natal. Later on I lived and worked in Johannesburg. Now, I live in the UK. It’s all about mindset, and mine is First-World and culturally Eurocentric – I am abso-flippin-lutely not African!
July 16th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Bloke – I agree with you 100%. And I think you couldn’t done anything better than leave SA if you truly felt that way. You’ve made your life better, which is the most NB thing in amongst all this.
Thanks for the Comment!
August 25th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
I have a dream for South Africa.
I have a dream of a South African liberated and just.
I have a dream that one day race, creed, philosophy, religion or dogma makes no difference to individual equity.
I have a dream that one day we will be able to look each other in the eye, with integrity and honor, and greet each other as free and equal human beings.
I have dream of one nation, indivisible regardless of color, creed, philosophy and religion bound to each other in the spirit of ubuntu.