To be Anti-African

As a little girl in Nigeria, whenever I was asked where I was from, I would say England. My teachers would shake their heads and tell me, ‘no, you’re Nigerian’. I was adamant; I was British. I had a red passport to show. However, I was weighed down by the green Nigerian passport laid below the red in my mother’s drawer.

My summers in London were the best. I introduced myself as Alexandra or rose or crystal, whichever name caught my interest on tv. In my head, Nigeria, Africa, was for heathens and bush people. I was better than everyone because of my British citizenship. I had a strong sense of Anti-Africanism.  This is discrimination targeted towards the African culture and people, feeling superior to those who come from the “poverty capital of the world”. Why not? Africans do climb on trees and speak ‘ooga booga’.

This feeling faded but lingered as I left Nigeria to start A levels in England. I started school in a new country where I might face racial abuse and stereotyping from white people. The silver lining was the expected solidarity between Black students, right?

Wrong!

In addition to racism, I did not realise I could be looked down on by Africans who had lived in England longer than me, Africans in diaspora (as we call them). Frankly, I didn’t know the term anti-Africanism till this year. It’s so unexposed that we don’t even know when we do it. It starts off as trying to fit into the new culture and discarding your own culture. It seems like assimilation, but it becomes a goal because if you cannot lose your accent and mannerisms that scream AFRICAN, you will be easy prey to racist. Then when new Africans arrive, it becomes a moment to climb up the ladder. They become the target, and you find yourselves making the same ‘elephant in your backyard’ joke or the ‘eh eh (mimicking African accents)’ joke.

Anti- Africanism has become a culture of ignorance and segregation within the black community. Our demons aren’t only racism or colourism. We don’t realise we embody the ignorance we accuse white people of. The fact that fufu challenge is a trend that shows this phenomenon. Black people try Nigerian meal pounded yam (which is ignorantly and arrogantly claimed to be fufu) and Egusi or Okro soup. It’s not for everyone. It has a texture unfamiliar to non-natives but to liken a part of my culture to dog food and to screw your face up in disgust is entirely unacceptable. And how about when black love islanders joined in making fun of Yewande Biala’s name? Antiafricanism!

There’s is an obvious hierarchy in race. Black people being at the bottom, but black Africans are essentially dirt to the rest of the world—even other black folks. Not surprising, everyone is itching to one-up another person in the oppression Olympics. To the world, Africa is a charity hub. A ‘country’ (as some people simpleton believe) filled with poverty and neanderthal waiting to be saved. Isn’t that why we see people posting pictures of all the charity work they did in Africa. They take pictures with malnourished children and put them as the header of their dating or social media apps to seem sensitive and philanthropic.

Poverty might be a big heart-wrenching problem on the CONTINENT, but my Africa is so much more than that. We Africans ooze culture and beauty from our hairstyles and languages to our food and attire. Our music and dance are incomparable. No one can dance like Africans dance. Our ability to thrive and push through suffering and corruption is insurmountable. Our tendency to laugh and celebrate in the face of despair is matchless. Yet, people look down on us.

Antiafricanism is so debilitating, Africans in diaspora have accepted the stigma. Why is it that I’m warned to not be too ‘af’ (slur for being obviously African through accent, behaviour, gestures) or ‘fresh off the boat’? These slurs project black peoples need to be Eurocentric and to conform to white standards. However, we can’t even blame this on white people because it is one thing to discriminate against a race different from yours and to discriminate against your own race due to wanting to feel superior to another person or internalising hatred towards your culture and origins. The phrase ‘fresh off the boat’ connotes slavery. It refers to the enslaved Africans who were just brought into Europe or the Americas from Africa. It’s utterly demeaning to you and the person you say it to. Not only do you insult your brave ancestors, but you also insult your heritage and parent. Once upon a time, they, as well as you too, were  ‘fresh off the boat.’ It does not give you credit or status to have a British or American accent as a person of African descent. Neither does it put you above others because you have assimilated into white man’s culture. It is frankly infuriating.  

Finally, there is power in your identity and culture. I urge people to stop making Anti-Africanism a weapon to use in the oppression Olympics. Africa was once who you were, whether through your ancestors or parents. I believe it is time, as African’s, to embrace our motherland. We owe her that much.

“You can’t hate the roots of a tree and not hate the tree. You can’t hate Africa and not hate yourself.”

-Malcolm X