I got an earful last night

[Prometheus]

I stopped at a friend's cafe last night after work for a beer and some schnitzel. When I walked in I saw my friend Juju. She's a doctor here in town but she's from Tanzania. I sat down next to her and we started chatting. Because she's a doctor, the conversation swung around to Covid. She was telling me about how denial of the disease was also rampant in her home country and how they simply just stopped counting the deaths because people were dying faster than paperwork could be filled out. She said that other small African countries were having the same problems.

After a few beers, Juju was getting a bit tipsy and she was bemoaning the lack of a good hairstylist in our city that could work with "black hair." I gave her the name of another friend who had worked with "black hair" before and made an off-hand comment about hearing that even America suffered from a shortage of people who would work with "black hair."

That's when she went off!

I'll paraphrase:

"Black Americans need to stop calling themselves 'African Americans'! They're not from Africa and they don't know shit about African culture. All that 'cultural appropriation' bullshit is just bullshit. Africans don't give a fuck about what clothes you wear or how you style your hair. If Black Americans want to get back to their roots <she said that word with so much disdain> then they need to start running around naked. And braids don't belong to Africans. We don't give a fuck. Bring in a white girl right now and I'll give her cornrows. And don't get me started on dreads. Black Americans that say dreads are an African thing don't know shit about Africa. Dreads are only for priests and Rastafarians... those idiots that think Haile Selassie was Jesus Christ. Before modern hair care, most Africans shaved their heads to keep the bugs out. Long hair was a luxury because it meant you had slaves to tend to your hair and keep it bug-free. That's right. We had slaves, because the only people Africans hate more than Black Americans are other Africans and if we caught them after a battle, they were our slaves. It's not right but that's how it was... and still is in some places. Stories about Africans arriving in America with afros is only because they weren't allowed to shave their heads. No one in their right mind is going to give a slave something sharp! And if Black Americans want to embrace African culture they need to live without their flatscreens, their iPhones, electricity, and their fucking KFC! <Yup. She said that>. And Black Americans need to stop worrying about how dark or light their skin is. No one in Africa gives a fuck!"

There was more, but I think I hit the highlights.

She ranted for a good 20 minutes. When she finally paused, I asked, "Do they prefer cricket or soccer in Tanzania?"

She laughed, "Sorry. No one is more racist towards black people than other black people." We got back to talking about more mundane things but she's not the first African to rant about Black Americans. Africans here don't even hang out with Black Americans except as sort of a token that they can make fun of from time to time and/or to make connections should they ever want to emigrate or simply do business in the west. East Africans generally don't hang out with West Africans...in fact nobody wants to hang out with Ghanaians at all it seems.

Juju and I then shared a Didi (Chinese Uber) since my place was on the way to hers. As I was getting out of the car she said, "You're not going to repeat what I said, are you?"

"Of course I am"

"Good."

We laughed and said good night. I was going to make this post last night when it was fresh in my mind but my fingers were on their way to non-functional so I waited....

[abbey1227]

May 20, 2021 4:47:51 GMT Prometheus said:

She laughed, "Sorry. No one is more racist towards black people than other black people." We got back to talking about more mundane things but she's not the first African to rant about Black Americans. Africans here don't even hang out with Black Americans except as sort of a token that they can make fun of from time to time and/or to make connections should they ever want to emigrate or simply do business in the west. East Africans generally don't hang out with West Africans...in fact nobody wants to hang out with Ghanaians at all it seems.

Juju and I then shared a Didi (Chinese Uber) since my place was on the way to hers. As I was getting out of the car she said, "You're not going to repeat what I said, are you?"

"Of course I am"

"Good."

We laughed and said good night. I was going to make this post last night when it was fresh in my mind but my fingers were on their way to non-functional so I waited....

Your friend Juju sounds like a joy to be associated with.    And wise beyond her years.

One of the more interesting 'documentaries' I've seen in recent years was called Good Hair........with Chris Rock before he went all loony himself.

That entire conversation reminded me of the goings on in Israel of late.....again and again. Cuz the Arab world has usually been quick to decry  the Jews........but they don't want the Palestinians in their countries.

[Prometheus]

May 20, 2021 12:13:37 GMT abbey1227 said:

May 20, 2021 4:47:51 GMT Prometheus said:

She laughed, "Sorry. No one is more racist towards black people than other black people." We got back to talking about more mundane things but she's not the first African to rant about Black Americans. Africans here don't even hang out with Black Americans except as sort of a token that they can make fun of from time to time and/or to make connections should they ever want to emigrate or simply do business in the west. East Africans generally don't hang out with West Africans...in fact nobody wants to hang out with Ghanaians at all it seems.

Juju and I then shared a Didi (Chinese Uber) since my place was on the way to hers. As I was getting out of the car she said, "You're not going to repeat what I said, are you?"

"Of course I am"

"Good."

We laughed and said good night. I was going to make this post last night when it was fresh in my mind but my fingers were on their way to non-functional so I waited....

Your friend Juju sounds like a joy to be associated with.    And wise beyond her years.

One of the more interesting 'documentaries' I've seen in recent years was called Good Hair........with Chris Rock before he went all loony himself.

That entire conversation reminded me of the goings on in Israel of late.....again and again. Cuz the Arab world has usually been quick to decry  the Jews........but they don't want the Palestinians in their countries.

She's a hoot.

Why would the Arabs want the Palestinians? They've got their terrorists. No need to import.