Tell us about them. Someone made a good point in another thread about Black Americans not knowing anything about your struggles. One of the reasons that I came to this site was to learn about the lives and history and struggles of Black British citizens, but all I usually see are references to black American topics or Africa.I admit, most Black Americans barely realize that there are a significant number of blacks that live in England and throughout Europe. Yes, ignorance and a bit of apathy may play a part in our lack of knowledge on the subject, butI must also admit you all do not do a very good job in expressing to the world that, yes,there is a Black England and that you have a uniqueidentity of your own.



SO give me your story, whether told through first person or links to articles that talk about your story.



Please, this is not a thread to start any arguments of black Americans vs. Africa and the Diaspora, so if you came to argue, please move to the next thread.



Thanks in advance.

@Whatzgoingon.

Bro, I appreciate your good intentions. But this thread seems odd to me in what it seems to be premised on. I suggest if any black person wants to know about another section or nation of black people, they seek that information. Same way most of find out about your country and why we probably know far more about the US than vice versa; and given its role in the world hard not to.

How educating you or anyone into our struggles amounts to what...I am not really sure. Folks in the US who have some of the most concious and advanced people [and equally the most backward], but in the former these are people who actively seek out understanding or through their activities are exposed to things which stimulate their learning.

So to be honest, I am not sure how this is going to help, even though you may well take some important things away and impart some things to people.

But good luck...anyway. It just seem kinda funny to me. But no biggie.

FBniceone.gif

@ FredB

You could see his act of asking peole from the UK their firsthand stories as an example of actively seeking out knowledge.

Anyone can look at a few sites from google but here maybe he can get the kind of firsthand answers that wouldn't show up there... Short of coming here I actually think its a good thread.

Fred Black!! The fact that Black Americans just like anyone have don't know anything about other cultures. Why should we know ? Living in the most richest country does not make anyone and expert on Culture Diversity.

Most Blacks from other countries don't really know anything about Black Americans either. Learning about Black People in America is more Dynamic than reading books about Black Americans. Most people want to know the negatives and not the positives. If anyone really want others to know about their cultures, they would find the communities ,and organizations in which they are apart of. The key is not to look down apon other Blacks because we don't about other people.

As long as you have that attitude you will never know the truth about Black Americans ,and we will never know you. On television they show mainly White British People not Blacks. The only reason I know of your existance because of the history books I have at home and of course BET years ago educated people about Blacks in other countries.

Try to learn before you speak!!

@ Tab

Im not sure what FredB said that upset you or made you react like that especially when you just repeated what he said in different words!!

@Tab you are making foolish assumptions which say more about you than anybody. I just found it bizzarre that's all because if I was on a US site, just sitting back and reading what people are talking about and asking questions, I would have thought would help inform me.

I just thought it odd. I hear DM but just found it weird and as I said no biggie.

My touchy African American sister, I probably know more about your country on my finger tip than you know about mine. And on another day I would even be as bold face to tell you I will teach you your history better than you will teach me it. But not today.

Don't impose your assumptions on me. I have studied with more Americans than I care to mention of every social class, have a library of American books and documents which would probably dwarf yours on black outside your coutry, been to America plenty times, have family who has been traveling to the US since the 1920's where we got a negative view by the way, family who are African Americans and who come back home on a regualar basis. Been working with serious sisters and brothers from the US long long days. Have several of my close brother teaching people like you at University....and exposing you the outside world..and Caribbean intellect..

So you think before opening your presumptious mouth young lady..

So talk what you know...

FBconfused3

@Tab and taught plenty Americans too as it obviously made its impression for me to forget something like that..


FB

@ Whatgoinon

We see your TV and frankly the portrayal of UK blacks or the UK at all is a joke!! Ive seen Geoffrey on Fresh Prince and so on. I remember that annoying Ashley from USA High.... I wanted to wring her neck! NOBODY speaks like that...

Some people obviosly speak well and some don't. Those who do speak clearly and coherently but not in a silly affected accent like on US TV. TO be well spoken is not to be posh...

Those who do not speak in a mixture of Carribean, UK and US slang which has changed and modified over decades to become its own slang and unless you hear it I can't explain it. Also the same way you have regional accents in the US, we do too. We can identify a persons city or region as soon as they open their mouths. London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle and Yorkshire have the most distinctive accents but others are prominent too.All blacks tend to use a simmilar slang thoughwith slight differences (I went to a dance in Birmingham and everyone called me Star!W'appen Star?You cool Star?').

Blacks have been here since slavery times and before though obviously in nowhere near the numbers like in America and those who were generally became assimilated into the white population and dissapearedover generations. In the 50sand60s the country was still massivelydestroyed after the second world war. Britain invited the Carribeans and Indians over to rebuild the country, come to the motherland!!... The blacks and Asians came and settled in large numbers and took over certain towns and areas. FredBand Kunjufu et al are old menso they can tell you more about this period. The rascism and hostility from the locals, the way they had to do all the worst jobs etc etc...

In the 70s and 80s and still now the Africans came. Most Africans here are from Nigeria, Somalia and Ghana though there are many otherAfricans in LARGE numbers.

Most blacks in the UK are2nd or 3rd generation at the most and so still identify with the nation of their origins. Very few UK blacks see themselves as British and and even tinier number would say they were English.

Through all this time the major cultural influences were the working class white population amongst whom we lived (at first) and then the Carribean Culture which obviously is the oldest black culture here so is strongest. American TV, Music etc etc is shown more than UK stuff so its a MASSIVE influence. Recently though African culture is becoming more prominent and something has changed in the last ten years with the youth.

They no longer look to America for the lead on music and culture or stuff like that,as our black population grows the youth reassert their own culture and take on things... Its in its infancy and there are stutters along the way but its growing.

I'll be bak with more in a bit.......

Well, fred, I am a highly educated black american person who has traveled around the world and interacted with people of the diaspora as well as numerous other ethnic groups, if that makes you feel better. That said,most peope including many groups within the diaspora that do not have a direct connection to England know almost nothing about the blacks in England.

I do come here from time to time, but most of the postingI have read deal with anything BUT the unique Black British identity and most of the same dialogue could beread on sites like Black Planet or BET, which I avoid because frankly that type ofdialogueis90%rubbish and adds nothing to my quest for knowledge. Yes, I could google and find out a few things, but only theignorant would rely on the media and/or internet to subsitute the experience of learning about one's culture from the lenses of the people themselves. Which is why I'm here.



I am not an ignorant person and I don't speak out of ignorance, not didI ask the question with malice in mind. I have a specific agenda and I stated it clearly, which is why I started this thread. If people want to contribute what they would like black americans such as myself to know about black british culture, whether it be their own stories or noteworthy historical events, then please do so. If not, point me to a website where the peoplecan satisfy my curiousity.

You can read a book called

AIN'T NO BLACK IN THE UNION JACK!!

Or for black youth culture in UK you can read any Victor Headly book set here, I think his work is very realistic.

http://www.blackpresence.co.uk/



http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/society...ature_07.shtml

The big negative issues over the years

National front, New cross fire, Brixton riots, Broadwater, Sus laws, Winston Silcott, Damilola Taylor, Stephen Lawrence, Equainno um go look all that stuff up...

The big Positive things errr...

Bernie Grant, Soul2Soul, John Barnesumm umm help me out people!!

I was not writing on this website to argue. It is sad that people assume that Black Americans are