Mabi Conti

Why is the division between Africans and African Americans? Part 3



Posted: Wednesday, January 12, 2011

by Mabi Conti
Mabi Conti International Inc

                                                 “You can bend a knee, but not a heart”

Rather than asking why African Americans have achieve so little, it is more appropriate to ask how African Americans achieved so much given the odds against them.

Unlike all other ethnic groups in America, African Americans including Africans were told in words and deeds to expect little from their hard work because America can either take it away or change the rules of getting ahead. Yet that hasn’t stopped successive generations from trying. How ironic it is that white America accuses African Americans of not working hard enough.

For other immigrants, apart from Africans, the American Dream has always been a promise that could be fulfilled; for African Americans, it was never a promise. It is time to stop blaming African Americans to include Africans for not assimilating like other immigrants when they have never had the opportunity to do so.

Years ago, I did a segment of television call “The Forgotten Ones” The reason I chose that name for the piece was the fact that you mostly hear about the bad black males on the news continuously and constantly. They have been used as the scapegoat for America. Yet, no one talks about the black men with very good education and no jobs. No one talks about the numerous black men that are very productive in the society.

For over twenty years I have been preaching about the evils of incarcerating young black men with felonies. The action in Florida, Al Gore and Bush Jr. drama, reveals the effect of the atrocities afflicted on black men. This is the time in American history that black people are aspiring to get into politics at a record number, but guess what, a tree cannot make a forest. It is okay to run for office, but who is going to vote for you? 40 to 60% of young black men cannot vote anyway, so we see how you are going to be elected into office?

Another example is the Cynthia McKinney’s saga in Atlanta, Georgia 2002 election. As I have stated before, African Americans have been disconnected and dis-jointed form the main stream, and that has affected all their dealing with other African in this society.

True, African Americans are the most advanced Africans in the world, however, when they left Africa, they left their minds behind. Just like the UNCF slogan “A mind is a terrible thing to waste” It can be re-worded as “A mind is a terrible thing to lose” They lost their self-sense of identity; no amount of advancement in the world can give you that worth. What a tragedy for any group of people.

History is a light that illuminates the past and the key that unlocks the door to the future. And history is the knowledge of our identity, from our history comes how we see our selves.
Mabi Conti, a seasoned lecturer that has appeared on television and radio discussing issues ranging from business to diversity. I am about to publish a book on Race Relations, title: Africans In America, Hear Our Stories.

Since 1985, Mabi Conti has positioned himself as the bridge between the perceived and the realities of understanding people, race, culture and doing international business.

Mabi Conti is a marketing guru with a mind of a strategist, with a great affinity for reading and writing. Take advantage of my talents and let me watch you grow.


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