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I have recently come to understand, or at least acknowledge w/o bitterness, the importance whites place on feeling included in whatever is going on, be it with Africans, or African-Americans. What is so perplexing to me then, is why it is so hard to fathom that we would want the same thing from so-called mainstream white society, i.e. INCLUSION in your institutions of higher learning, exclusive neighborhoods, seats at the boardroom table of fortune 500 companies, etc. Anyhow. To address your pondering, it depends on what part of the continent you visit, how your whiteness would be received. I can tell you though, that the general assumption in the countries where I lived(Botswana, and most recently, Kenya) is that all Americans are white, and rich. That immediately makes you a candidate to be any local's new best friend, so that you can shower some of this wealth upon them, in the name of friendship. I actually led a group to Kenya this past summer, which was predominately white. When the president came to speak in our village, two of the group members went to the open field to hear him speak. Since they were the only wazungu(white people) in the audience, the president's guards escorted them on stage, to sit in the VIP section, 15 feet away from the president. White supremacy is just as alive and vibrant on the continent of Africa as it is in America though, and it tends to rear its ugly head in the form of a reverance for the "power of whiteness" on the part of some Africans, who don't know any better, and are completely colonialized in their thinking. If you would be flattered by that reverance(sp?), you'll love it in the countries I'VE been to. I cannot speak on any countries of the interior, nor the north, because I have never been there.
The whites in my group found their treatment by the people of our village to be amusing, and flattering. They said it made them feel like superstars, because the children would follow them around in droves when they walked throughout the village, daring each other to speak to the wazungu, and elicit a response from them. Needless to say, I separated myself from the group as much as possible. I enjoyed my anonymity, or partial anonymity, which was only compromised when I would wear pants, or start speaking, during which times people would LITERALLY STOP whatever they were doing, and stare at me, and listen to me incredulously, scarcely being able to believe that I had a real American accent, but a black face like theirs.
I could go on, but I don't want to. I am so emotional about this whole subject. I guess that is another reason why I did not start a post about my second volunteer experience in Africa while I was over there this past summer.
>>That is certainly an important pilgrimage for Blacks and Whites >>alike to make, since all of us ultimately come from there >>anyway. > >thanks for not excluding whites! even thou i don't feel a >strong connection to africa, i really like what i've seen >and experienced from some different african nations and >definitively want to visit the motherland of all human >beings. but i have no idea what people think of us pale >people there..
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Oooo baby I like it raw. Oooo baby I like it RAAAW!(c)ODB- Shimmy Shimmy Ya
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