The year is 2018 and Black Americans, Descendants of the Black Africans who were shipped to North America, and became victims of the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade, still don’t understand that Black people are bigger than African Americans. Black people are global. But even here in The United States of America, these African Americans don’t understand that other Black people, who emigrated from other countries, after the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade, have a different experience from “African Americans.”
Coming to a country on a student visa or travel visa and staying is cheaper than going through proper channels.
Many Black people weren’t born here. Some came legally and others came illegally. The immigration laws worked against people of color, especially Black people, and they still do. Getting here legally takes money. Across the globe, Black people are impoverished. Coming to a country on a student visa or travel visa and staying is cheaper than going through proper channels.
#Therese Patricia Okoumou is an immigrant from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She is an activist. She works hard. It would be easy for her to just live her life and not worry about what happens to others. Why did Patricia Okoumou decide to fight for others? Because she’s a fighter and that’s what fighters do. If we continue to only worry about ourselves, or our immediate families, what kind of world would this be?
Why should anyone be concerned with any issue that doesn’t affect them? Because that’s how change happens.
So when Black people ask why would a Black person worry about the rights or fates Mexicans, it’s quite baffling. And it displays a new level of ignorance. Are there not Black Mexicans? That’s one, and two, no struggle is won without solidarity. Why are we looking at Mexicans as our enemies anyway. Technically, they were here first. And if Black people buy into these immigration policies that wreak of nationalism and racism, why should anyone look at any policies that affect Black people in the majority, if they aren’t Black? Why should anyone be concerned with any issue that doesn’t affect them? Because that’s how change happens.
It pains me to see traditionally educated Black Americans that are ignorant of these facts. It pains me even more to see them speak on these facts with such conviction. Add to this, a huge social media following and it’s a recipe for disaster. It’s can also serve as ground zero for spreading commonly held misconceptions to the young and impressionable who rely on these opinion pieces written by these educated folks to bring them understanding and fresh insight. They aren’t looking for regurgitated garbage but many times, that’s what they find.
We must engage in actions that affect us directly, indirectly and actions that don’t affect us at all.
If we plan to see a different world for our children, we have to make a different world for our children. We must engage in actions that affect us directly, indirectly and actions that don’t affect us at all. Oppression Olympics is useless, Black solidarity shouldn’t stop at borders, and lastly, we, as Black Americans, cannot continue to support oppressive policies because we’re not the drawing the short straw.
ADRIAN MARIE JONES 