It seems to me that the underlying problem here is simple: ‘black culture’. Such a term implicitly ascribes a culture to a colour. But as we know colour can’t think, act, create, dance, talk or imagine. Ethnicity can do all that, but not colour. For me Jazz, Blue, Hip-hop and so many other monumental contributions to world culture, are p…
It seems to me that the underlying problem here is simple: ‘black culture’. Such a term implicitly ascribes a culture to a colour. But as we know colour can’t think, act, create, dance, talk or imagine. Ethnicity can do all that, but not colour. For me Jazz, Blue, Hip-hop and so many other monumental contributions to world culture, are part of ‘African American culture’ not ‘Black culture’. Obviously ‘African American culture’ has been shaped, to a large extent, by its opposition to White people and their historical racism against Black skin, but the resistance to that racism by African Americans wasn’t skin-deep. It was far deeper. I was speaking to a Senegalese friend recently and he said something along the lines of “what is black culture? Go and talk to an African about ‘black culture’ and they’ll laugh in your face”. His point was that all African culture is ‘Black’ (aside from parts of South Africa perhaps), and yet it contains a myriad of complex ethnicities, languages and cultures. Which begs the question, isn’t the idea of ‘Black culture’ a form of American essentialism? It’s so obviously problematic. For example, ‘Black culture’ in Britain is very different to ‘Black culture’ in the US. Can you imagine anyone saying ‘White culture’ in Britain is very different to ‘White culture’ in the US? It would be obvious because we all know that white peoples contain a myriad of cultures and ethnicities. Surely it’s racist to act like black peoples aren’t equally blessed with such a myriad of cultures and ethnicities?
Did you notice in the exchange that I explicitly refer to Black AMERICAN culture? I don't like the term "black culture" either, as it implies a culture derived from a racial designation. Another term of use I lean on is "Afro-American culture," a designation similar to what you choose. (For my own reasons, I don't use African-American, but don't argue with those who do.)
It seems to me that the underlying problem here is simple: ‘black culture’. Such a term implicitly ascribes a culture to a colour. But as we know colour can’t think, act, create, dance, talk or imagine. Ethnicity can do all that, but not colour. For me Jazz, Blue, Hip-hop and so many other monumental contributions to world culture, are part of ‘African American culture’ not ‘Black culture’. Obviously ‘African American culture’ has been shaped, to a large extent, by its opposition to White people and their historical racism against Black skin, but the resistance to that racism by African Americans wasn’t skin-deep. It was far deeper. I was speaking to a Senegalese friend recently and he said something along the lines of “what is black culture? Go and talk to an African about ‘black culture’ and they’ll laugh in your face”. His point was that all African culture is ‘Black’ (aside from parts of South Africa perhaps), and yet it contains a myriad of complex ethnicities, languages and cultures. Which begs the question, isn’t the idea of ‘Black culture’ a form of American essentialism? It’s so obviously problematic. For example, ‘Black culture’ in Britain is very different to ‘Black culture’ in the US. Can you imagine anyone saying ‘White culture’ in Britain is very different to ‘White culture’ in the US? It would be obvious because we all know that white peoples contain a myriad of cultures and ethnicities. Surely it’s racist to act like black peoples aren’t equally blessed with such a myriad of cultures and ethnicities?
Did you notice in the exchange that I explicitly refer to Black AMERICAN culture? I don't like the term "black culture" either, as it implies a culture derived from a racial designation. Another term of use I lean on is "Afro-American culture," a designation similar to what you choose. (For my own reasons, I don't use African-American, but don't argue with those who do.)
I go into much more detail in a recently published essay: https://developmentalist.org/article/considering-deracialization-a-response-to-glenn-loury-and-clifton-roscoe/
Thanks for your comment.
Greg Thomas