Is being called African American or Black Played Out?

In a recent Interview with Oprah Winfrey on the O network Raven Symone, of the Cosby Show fame said "she isn't an African American."  Raven considers herself "just an American."

I hear a growing number of younger people like the super successful Pharrell Williams, today say this about their ethnicity in this purported "post-racial" world. In the 70s saying you were Black despite all the multi-ethnic backgrounds and hues we all come from was like a political and cultural stance of unity.

The younger generation to some extent have lost this sense of unity. I guess we can blame ourselves somewhat for not really making our African culture a central unifying theme like say Jewish people do.

However, a lot of younger people may change they're thoughts with the bias seen growing with the prison industrial complex and police militarization targeted to control people of color. This may make them want to unify with an ethnic identification again. Who knows?

Actor Raven Symone in the Heat of Controversy

Ms. Raven Symone is only 28 and 28 is young to me. Black consciousness was not very high in the 80s at all when she was born.  Hip hop during that time was becoming synonymous with black culture.  If she grew up in the 70s, when being black was a strong commitment to unity, perhaps she would think differently.

Being black really isn't today what it used to be to us "back in the day."  Being black to a lot of these younger adults is speaking or acting in an inner city or hip hop kinda way.  It's a different generation.

An increasing number of these 20 and 30 somethings just don't identify with being black.  They were raised in diverse schools. Therefore, if their parents never taught them about African culture and civilization (beyond just slavery) they just don't have a clue about the significance of identifying with being black.

My Daughter a cultural work in progress

Life is a journey and people probably go through various stages of development in reference to identity.  I'm a single black dad and my daughter has gone through stages of not wanting to be called black.

I don't think she likes being called black still even today. She prefers the term African American because her skin color is beige she often tells me.

She tells me, to my chagrin, she doesn't want to marry a Black man. She says "she wants to marry a white man." I have to remind her that I am a Black man who takes care of her daily. We all can't be that bad.

She says to me 'her dad and her uncles are black men she loves but "she wants to marry a white man."  I try to point out positive guys her age but too many are saggin thug wannabees. LOL!

I've been doing readings about the Civil Rights Movement with her and now I notice she is starting to identify more with being black and proud.  So it may be Raven's upbringing or some personal outlook she has which makes her want to distance herself from the terms Black or African American. However, at the core of being a black person is also wanting to be appreciated as fully human.  So in a way I can understand her sentiments.

Some Young People are still
Lovin Black Culture

Nevertheless, I do reminiscence and feel bad when I look at the current generation because when I was growing up we had just about eradicated the use of the N'word.  Not many Black persons were using it as much when I was a teenager.

Now some Black people, especially younger ones, use the word every 3 seconds.  I feel it was a part of a design in pop culture to split us apart as Black Americans. So I hope we can overcome it.

However, I feel people will always feel the need to describe each other and skin color is one of the most obvious ways to do this. Also people will want to converse about their various backgrounds and experiences.

I feel for many reasons the African American or Black experience is a rich one.  It reveals how a marginalized and brutalized group of people have been able to overcome adversity and create beauty.

While many may want to devalue or forget the Black experience, because it makes them feel uncomfortable or limited, I hope the importance of our experience isn't forgotten.  Using the terms Black or African American will not be played out as long as these distinctions have a role to play in our collective unity and empowerment.

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