The immigration act 1965 flooded America with a new wave of nationalities and cultures. Conveniently wrapped into the civil rights legislation that was addressing the cries of African Americans at the time who almost 100 years after the end of legal chattel enslavement in America – Were still fighting for granted liberties. Yet the next 60 years would split the plight and identity of black Americans into a Marvel-like storyline full of unique experiences that have distracted the US from the goal.
Every good timeline movie had a splitting point … In Back to the Future it was the point where Marty McFly. Fly went back to the past in 1955 which set up the events that would change his family’s future in the second movie. In the Avengers it was the events of the Infinity Wars that changed the Marvel Cinematic Universe and took away arguably the most notable modern Marvel Universe character in Black Panther. For our story, this change can arguably be set in 1965. Within the turbulent landscape that was the civil rights movement, new laws and policies were enacted in hopes of advancing America’s agenda at the time of outpacing communist regimes. One huge proponent was showing that America wasn’t as divided as the harsh images of boycotts and protests in southern states, which often turned violent, displaying the hateful violence that was inflicted on African Americans daily.
One of America’s grand ideas at the time was to open immigration. Due to the end of World War 2 and the increasing globalization efforts by capitalist and communist countries, there was a market for encouraging citizens from colonized countries on both sides to fully immerse themselves in their countries. Often at the promise of a “better” life. Yet these policies open the doors for many more African countries to allow their citizens to come to America in the hopes of more. What was once a population of descendants from the Africans who were involuntarily brought over hundreds of years before was now being met with waves of skin folk coming directly from Nigeria, South Africa, Lagos, and the Caribbean islands. Comes to our splitting point.
Within just a generation we begin to see the effects of this new multiverse that has taken refuge within the American borders amongst Foundational descendants of Africans Enslaved in America and the newly arrived immigrants from African and Caribbean islands that have now seemingly masked themselves in with foundational Americans in America. To the primarily racial societal lens of America, these two groups are one, and many pan Africans have attempted to make this same argument only in a different light throughout history (Dr. Umar Johnson, John Henry Clarke, and others). Yet the difference is in the details. To America, these groups are all the same mainly because of their association with Africa which shows up in the pigmented melanin amongst African peoples all over. A black is a black whether they are in America or Timbuktu, it matters nonetheless to the American psyche. To the pan African, they see the underlying sentiment of much of the Western world’s perspective because they understand people of African descent often get mistreated no matter where they are in the Western world and beyond. Both viewpoints ignore the multiverse that currently exists amongst black people in America.
If Who cloned Tyrone was used as an euphemism here I would say that the idea of individuals who look exactly like a carbon copy clone of each other can be living two different lives that ultimately are hoped to end the same way by outside entities. Let’s expand that and dive into sorting this out:
Multiverse 1: Foundational Black Americans
In summation, the descendants of the Africans who were involuntarily brought over starting in 1619 up until the mid-1800s are Foundational black Americans. This category of African Americans direct lineage is the one who built everything America stands on. Literally. Down to every historical government building, street lights, and every major historical event in America’s history Foundational black Americans were there. Position in society hasn’t changed for the foundational black American as much as tokenism and model minority models have tried to say otherwise, the black American’s wealth and life span have only degenerated in America. That’s considering being forcefully subjected to a lifetime of abuse and rape from the conception of birth in America leaves you with no wealth or good health to begin with. This should sound an alarm by itself but the Foundational black Americans’ reality is one of lineage and purpose within every fabric of American culture. The attachment to America isn’t some product of psychological diagnosis but the painstaking cries of the people who built this country looking for the earnings and carrying the aggression of hundreds of years of mistreatment on their sleeves every day.
Multiverse 2: The African/Caribbean Immigrant
The African and Caribbean immigrants forged a different path to America. Through the vestibule of the legislation, I stated that early Africans and Caribbeans who saw the American Dream from afar were able to seek America for refuge as countries in Africa and the Caribbean were plagued with civil war and distrust largely due to the colonial effects on those countries’ people and politics. So the African immigrant has a predisposed view of America. One of hope and acceptance drenched in the color green. A financial promise of a more lucrative life for their families becomes more realistic through immigration to America. This plays into a distinct view of reality in America for many African immigrants. Compared to the sometimes war-torn and deprived homelands of some of the Africans immigrating the reality of America for them isn’t one of deep-rooted abuse and fear like the foundational black American. Instead, the experience is seen as one of respectability politics. The African immigrant often sees order and respect as their route to acceptance. A black conservative stance looks similar in that they retain the issues of black Americans as a whole isn’t a system of oppression but due to the lack of progression in behavior and education of the black American.
Multiverse 3: The first-generation African American
What’s a first-generation African American? Thought you would never ask. The first generation African American is coined because these individuals are the sons and daughters of the African immigrants who came for the promise of better. They were born, raised, and molded by their experiences in America. Those experiences link them to many foundational black Americans who also have only ever considered America home. Yet the first-generation African American is connected and empowered by the lineage of their parents. They are inherently African first within their families and personal identity but will use their proximity and experiences to take on the cultural identity of the foundational black Americans when needed. Look at the black youth in New York and certain areas of Los Angeles and you will see a beautiful sea of browns that encompasses the culture and identity of “black America” yet the differences lie within.
Where the foundational black American has all energy vested in survival and advancement of culture because they understand their long-standing position in American society, the first-generation African American will have steady reminders of a culture outside of the one in America that will support their pride and belief. The foundational black American only has one culture to count on and that is one of self-definition due to the loss of any strongly defining factors to lineage being destroyed, lost, or forgotten in the middle passage.
Multiverse 4: juxtaposed jesters; Mixed in confusion.
The distinguished reality of this next parallel universe comes with an at birth juxtaposition. One parent is of foundational black American descent and the other parent simply is not. Set the backdrop of America’s long sought views on race and relations amongst them and now we have the environment ripe for a double life. On one end the deep ties to America are there and apparent by their direct lineage. So the issues of black America often do fall within their view as long as the connection is there. Yet the other parents’ culture being more than likely distinctly different there is a pull toward a life that does not align. This view causes the individual to try and assert a two-toned approach to culture yet America has constantly been rejective of this ideology. This multiverse can span into many offshoots of itself as the culture of the non-foundational black Americans’ parents breaks the child’s identity into a reality that looks different than the other juxtaposed descendants that may find themselves in proximity with. To state it simply, a bi-racial Latino and black person’s reality differs from that of a bi-racial individual who is rooted in black and white culture. I’ll reference a movie called “Sankofa“ if you want to explore this reality with a visual aid rooted directly in this conflict.
Separate fingers same hand
I use the above analogy knowing its historical reference. Booker T. Washington used this visual to describe a world post slavery where African Americans and whites could coexist as separate fingers that are of the same hand working toward a goal. The assimilated tones Booker T was describing may have been a foundational route for how black Americans wanted to govern themselves after slavery but today this analogy is appropriately being used to describe today’s current landscape for blacks in America of all cultures.
As I described above are just a few ways we can look at black America today due to vastly different starting points many black Americans have. It would be naive to ignore these realities as they define the identities of not just the culture but the individual. I point to these realities not to shun or cast away but to formally wake up anyone who may have been on the verge of falling asleep. Falling asleep to a black American reality that can no longer be looked at as just the struggles of formerly enslaved Africans. As long as America starts with an A its history will be what it is. One rooted in an inherent obsession with the oppression of anyone of African descent. No amount of money, respectability, or masking will take away from this underlying truth.
No matter how we define ourselves as black Americans the time has long passed for a joint agenda. As the tides continue to sway policy, currency, and resources away from black Americans’ hands. A plan has to not only be placed but followed. Many black leaders such as King, Hampton, and X were assassinated for the will to formally join groups of people against the systematic racism that has long been rooted. Economically many leaders sought the answers. With new emerging currency, processes of communication, and the very vast collection of historical data and information still available the knowledge is here. With the precedent of deregulating federal processes coming long before Trump and just before Reagan the loud notion of being anti-government seems more accepted than ever. Not saying it’s safe but accepted. With that said if you are ok with the fence on where you fit into all of this try to remember this famous quote Malcolm X used “A white man’s Heaven; is a Black man’s hell” and decide for yourself and your culture what’s your next move toward finding your Heaven….. by any means necessary.
Discover more from BLKsignal News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
