Hi Tara and Hada,
The term 100% african is my usage, and I use it to mean negroid which is what is/was used "scientifically". The problem is, in these politically correct days, not many people like the word negroid. I use it (100% african) when I refer to hair types or physical features.
Most people understand what I try to say, which is the point, and I have only had people reacting to it on hair boards. I can use negroid if you prefer.
"African" is a very loaded term, and it always convey all sorts of reactions. I have seen people physically fighting over who/what is African and what is not:
- Some Black americans say they are just as African as today's Africans because both are descendants of the same ancestors, which is quite logical to me.
- Are white Africans Africans? I have this blue eyed blond haired friend from Zimbabwe who got blocked the entrance to the African Students Society because she is white. Of course I stopped attending.
- Are Northern African Africans? Many have stronger links with other non-African Arabics than with us negroid Africans. That's fine with me too as origins, culture and religion are very strong factors here. Those who feel they are Arabs will be arabs to me. Those who feel they are African will be africans to me.
- How African are people from the Islands? My father got his [censored] kicked in Madagascar for telling some people that they were Africans, while many Cabo-verdian will just do everything they can to convince you they are more Portuguese than black. Those are all Africans to me.
- Somebody once told me that everybody is African as all races originated from Africa. That's fine with me too.
Ridiculous issues, no? Well, again, I have seen people fighting to blood over that.
Everybody who wants to be called African is African to me. Anybody who comes from a country located on the continent is African. I am not exclusive, everybody is welcomed in the party.
However, this doesn't change the fact that the immense majority of Africans (whatever the definition) are negroid in type, meanining with 100% African features: thick lips, nappy hair, big noses etc. which is enough backing for my use of the term.
All of those who aren't have mixture (Nilothiques East Africans, i.e. Ethiopians, Somali etc. mixed with the Semites) in their blood or migrated (arabs and Semites and Europeans).
My experience is that whenever people (esp. East Africans) are so quick to tell you how diverse Africa and "Africanhood" are etc... they have some issue with negroidness.
Maybe I never met the right ones, but that's my experience.
I have a very good friend from Rwanda (Tutsi so Nilothique) and we were once talking about the genocide. He the kind of person always praising how tutsi and other East African women have the yellow (light) skin, and soft and curly hair and nice nose etc... looking like Iman, etc... Which is fine with me.
But that day I was trying to understand how the Hutu (bantu type, usually very negroid) came to that extreme, especially since current gospel about the event is that everything was fine between them until the Hutu snapped.
He answered slyly as I squeazed him into admitting: "they were probably jealous". "jealous of what?". "Of us (i.e. the tutsi)". "Why?". "Because we had the power in the country". "why didn't you share it?" Big silence, sly face, hidding eyes.
"You know those Hutus are so black, so *******. They are so primitive, they are like animals!!"
Bam. That was in my face. Suddendly I understood all of the rictus and jokes about us West and Central African as not being only a "cultural" thing, or a "preference" thing.
All those "my father would kill me if I married a West African, they have such thick lips" etc.
All of the stories I heard (the Congolese guy married to this Ethiopian woman being referred to as "the slave" in the tongue by her family, and many others), all fell together.
Why so many Central and West African lighten their skin with bleach or Hydroquinone to the risk of getting cancer, or relax their hair to the risk of going bald (like many of my aunts).
That's why my aunts are all so proud to descend from this grand-mother of theirs with this long flowing straight hair and her light skin (see, not all black people are ******* with the thick lips and nappy hair). Suddendly she is endowed with the best qualities ever. Now it is a sin to underline how she was begotten (her mom got pregant from this white colonial administrator who then went back to his wife and all without even a word), but hey, who cares the origins no? who cares she was a bastard (at the time, that was big sin), who cares the father never sent a dime? She got the best of inheritances: good hair and good skin. That just redeems her, beyond imagination.
Now the worst is if she had come out with negroid features, it would have been the end of her (like happened to others in the family).
All of this, sickens me. All of those comments about our (women in the family) good hair, my mom being so thrilled about my boyfriend being white (you're gonna have beautiful babies), but criticising my siter's choice of a Hutu guy (what are you doing with one of those bantus?) etc.
But of course, no, there is nothing behind. I am probably too closed minded to see that Africa IS diversity.
Whenever people are so prone to snap and tell you how diverse African hair can be, or better that all African are not negroid, my experience is that it hides something.
I might be wrong and too stupid to see the diversity, but hey, that's my experience, in my continent, with my people, even within my family.
F.
edited by SVT to remove offensive words