Reference no: EM133264534

Paul Robeson's thesis in the I Want to be African states that since the term "negro" has African roots, it should be simple for African Americans and other colored people to fit into African society. This is a false statement due to the fact that African history has been forgotten (Robeson, pg. 1262, para.1).

To start off with, African Americans and other black people, in my opinion, are alien to African culture mostly because they were obligated by their country to adopt the lifestyle and culture of that civilization. According to Robeson, it has been instilled in the 'American negro' lives that the white man is superior, and it is only logical that his ambition is to resemble a white man's life as possible (Robeson, pg. 1262, para. 5). I could agree with Robeson because many older black generations lack the ability to read or write, which was a tactic used by white people to discourage African Americans from being able to think independently or possess the same skills as white people. Also, I think that white people felt entitled to control black people's lives as they saw fit, including the employment they should hold and the removal of anything they did not consider to be American.

Also, I agree with Robeson that people of color had to change their nationality in order to fit into the cultures of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, etc. Since that is what they are accustomed to, and as a result, they have gradually distanced themselves from African culture (Robeson, pg. 1262, para.6). Because I am a black female who was born in the United States and is Haitian American, I can identify with feeling cut off from African culture. I am aware that both of my parents' families are from Haiti. Since I have never truly identified as African, I could honestly say that I am unaware of any possible African ancestry. Like myself, I'm sure there are many more people who are unsure of their African ancestry. I have no connection to African culture in any way. My grandparents are not aware that they are of African descent, so even if I could ask them about the subject, I doubt they would have any knowledge about it.

Furthermore, Robeson's comparison of "negroes" to Jews removed from Palestine is one I find intriguing. I believe that Jews are a nation that, like African Americans, were taken from their culture, enslaved, and brutally treated. As a result of their continued attachment to their traditional religious rituals, they were a nation that could not be destroyed. According to Robeson Jews and Jews are bound together by their recognition of their shared ancestry, species, interests, and attitudes; similarly, negro and negro will be bound together (Robeson, pg. 1264, para.21). Having some understanding of their culture's history will strengthen the connection to their roots, even though the generations of people who lost their culture due to being displaced from their homeland won't know all about it.