A Call for Understanding, Not Division
The relationship between African-Americans and African-born Africans is one of deep historical ties yet filled with misunderstandings. Both groups share a common origin, but their divergent experiences—one shaped by the brutality of transatlantic slavery and systemic racism, the other by colonialism and its lingering effects—have created gaps in perception and understanding.
A recent video highlights this tension. A Ghanaian man, speaking to two young African-Americans, conveyed a sense of Pan-African pride and history. However, his tone came across as condescending, reinforcing the frustration many African-Americans feel when encountering this type of dialogue. The message itself was not the issue—it was the delivery. The conversation reflected a broader issue: the disconnect between Africans born in America and those born on the continent.
This article is not about pointing fingers. It is about fostering a deeper understanding between both groups. We are one people, but we must address the ways we misunderstand each other if we are ever to truly unite.
The African-American Perspective: More Than Meets the Eye
Many Africans who immigrate to the U.S. do not fully grasp the depth of what Black people in America have endured. Slavery in the United States was not just about labor—it was a complete erasure of identity, culture, and history. African-Americans were stripped of their languages, spiritual systems, and direct lineage to their homelands. What remained was an uphill battle against systemic racism, discrimination, and economic oppression that continues to this day.
African immigrants often arrive with the perception that Black Americans are lazy, unmotivated, or too focused on racism. What they fail to realize is that African-Americans have fought relentlessly for every inch of progress, only to be met with constant obstacles—from redlining and Jim Crow to mass incarceration and corporate glass ceilings. It is not a matter of “pulling oneself up by the bootstraps” when the system is designed to keep you from ever owning boots in the first place.
The American Reality for African Immigrants
Ironically, African immigrants benefit from the struggles African-Americans have endured. The Civil Rights Movement opened the doors for immigration policies that allowed them to come to the U.S. and gain access to opportunities that Black Americans had to fight tooth and nail to achieve. The white power structure often prefers African immigrants over native Black Americans because they are seen as less of a “threat” and more willing to assimilate.
However, this privilege is often misunderstood. African immigrants think they are simply being rewarded for their hard work and discipline, not realizing that the system treats them differently because they do not share the generational trauma and resistance that make Black Americans a target. They do not see the glass ceiling until they hit it.
The African Perspective: Why the Disconnect Exists
Africans born on the continent have their own struggles. Colonialism drained Africa of its resources and set the stage for the political and economic instability that still plagues many nations today. The scramble for independence was brutal, and in many ways, the wounds of colonization still shape the realities of the continent.
Because of this, many Africans see African-Americans as people who, despite their hardships, live in a country with economic opportunities that most Africans could only dream of. They see America as a land of wealth, where even the poor have access to things that are unimaginable in certain African countries—clean water, public schooling, and government assistance programs.
From their viewpoint, they see African-Americans as a people with access to power but unable to fully harness it. They may not understand the deep systemic oppression that keeps Black Americans disenfranchised because, from the outside looking in, America is a land of opportunity.
However, the biggest divide comes from the simple fact that they were never enslaved in America. They were not forcibly cut off from their heritage. Even in poverty, they still had access to their cultures, languages, and identities. This fundamental difference in experience makes it difficult for many Africans to fully grasp the psychological and emotional toll that 400 years of dehumanization has left on Black Americans.
The Reality: We Are Foreigners Everywhere
One hard truth that both groups must face is that we, as a collective Black people, have no true home.
African-Americans are not fully accepted in America, where they are still viewed as second-class citizens.
Africans who immigrate to America face their own forms of discrimination but still have a home to return to.
When African-Americans return to Africa, they are often treated as foreigners, outsiders with money, but not true members of the community.
This leaves us in a unique position: we are scattered, displaced, and divided, yet we are still one people.
African-Americans who visit Africa often experience warmth and hospitality, but they also face overcharging, cultural misunderstandings, and the reality that they will never truly be seen as native. Africans who move to America face economic opportunities but also experience racism and the realization that their home countries may not be as welcoming if they return.
We exist in a limbo between two worlds, neither fully at home in America nor fully at home in Africa.
How We Heal: Moving Toward Unity
- Africans Must Stop Looking Down on African-Americans
Africans must recognize that African-Americans have been fighting an oppressive system for generations. If they do not know their history or struggle with systemic poverty, it is not because they are lazy—it is because they were never given the tools to thrive. African-Americans were not “left behind” in America—they were kidnapped and enslaved. There is no comparison.
- African-Americans Must Stop Expecting Immediate Brotherhood
Africa is our ancestral home, but we must recognize that we are returning as strangers. We must take the time to learn the culture, build relationships, and prove that we are invested in the continent beyond just romanticized ideals of “returning home.”
- Both Sides Must Recognize the System Keeps Us Divided
The white power structure does not want African-Americans and Africans to unite. Divide and conquer has always been the strategy. The same tactics that separated tribes during the transatlantic slave trade are now being used to pit Africans and African-Americans against each other. Memorandum 46, a U.S. government document from 1978, explicitly outlined the need to prevent African unity with Black Americans. This is not by accident.
- Pan-Africanism Must Be Based on Mutual Respect, Not Arrogance
True Pan-Africanism is not about one group “teaching” the other with a condescending tone. It is about recognizing our shared history and fighting for a future where Black people worldwide can reclaim economic, social, and political power.
Conclusion: One People, One Struggle
The divide between African-Americans and Africans is deep, but it is not unbridgeable. If we listen to each other with open hearts and minds, we can dismantle the misunderstandings that keep us apart.
African-Americans must understand that Africa is complex, not a utopia. Africans must understand that African-Americans have survived a genocide of identity and still stand strong. Neither side is superior, and neither side is to blame.
Our collective struggle is not about who has suffered more—it is about how we move forward together. The world has spent centuries trying to keep us divided. It is time we start building the bridges back to each other.
It is time we realize that whether in America, Africa, or anywhere else in the world, we are all we have.
