I’m glad Juneteenth was an opportunity for (descendants of) Black immigrants to understand how Black American cultural traditions are often usurped under Pan Africanism, but understand that this extends from Black immigrant casting for Black American roles to

Black theory that really centers Black Americans being blanketly applied to the entire diaspora to Black immigrants being disproportionately represented in college institutions to the prevalence of hoops and nails and even to

the entitlement many descendants of Black immigrants feel to Black American creative spaces (including but not limited to music, art, and writing).

This is not only particularly harmful to Black Americans but to ourselves as a larger Black community when we fail to recognize the complexity and diversity that emerged as a result of slavery.

We need to really begin to understand how American culture is quite literally built on systems preestablished by Black Americans. So the art, music, political work, and overall culture of Black Americans is what we as Black immigrants are navigating when we are arrive here.

We need to stop staying that hoops, braids, food etc in Black American culture are “remnants” of Africa. Like the rest of the Black diaspora, they BUILT their own culture.

The US as the greatest colonial power to exist to date relies on us erasing these facts so that we can forget what they specifically owe Black Americans (which is everything) and what they owe colonized Black nations. It’s a cover to give a sliver of pie for ALL of us to share.

This is why, for ex, descendants of Black immigrants (who can have particular privilege that Black American don’t—whole other thread) are used as examples of America (fake ass) institutional reparations when Black American communities are still disproportionately denied access

It’s also fundamental that we as descendants of African immigrants engaging with Black radical trandition towards global Black liberation understand that majority of that work towards that goal was laid out by Black descendants of slavery—not us.

For all Black immigrants residing in America, CENTER YOURSELF in this fight for freedom. Learn about the ways slavery and colonism impacted your ancestral lines, think critically about your status in America and how it fits into this larger narrative, and

fight to have an accurate representation of yourself and ancestors—one that doesn’t take space from Black American voices.

And yes, as hurtful and isolating being called an “African Booty Scratcher” or “Goya Bean” etc was, this is about a systemic issues Black Americans particularly face in their sovereign land.

Also, I used the phrase “(which is everything)” inspired by a tweet about the US owing Black Americans everything. I wanna give credit but I forgot who wrote it so feel free to tag the tweet if you know.