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10/15/1961 - What is Africa to me? by Charles J. Patterson

NOT FOR PUBLICA TION INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS CJP I What Africa October Cornwall Gardens London S W England Mr Richard H NoltInstitute Current W366 Madison Avenue New York N Y Affairs Dear M Nolte Almost three decades Negro American moment anguish passionate ignorance wrote One three centuries removed From scenes fathers loved Spicy grove cinnamon What Africa As probably Negroes America powerful question threatening might possessed_me during tender years childhood unreason eager repression My answer course screaming silence nothing nothing nothing For Africa place savage natural abode banquet annibal blackness itself This knowledge socla important contemporaneou ancestors first availa pages history geography books elementary school There among handsome Nrdics noble Indian dignified Oriental sinewy Polynesian stood naked African elongated prognathous The shortcomings African already fully documented picture further under scored number lectures glories Rome Greece Mesopotamia lecture failure black contribution civilization Effectively buttressing views teacher movies where Africans always seemed dancing nudely lewdly preparing sacrifice young white maiden comically serving bwana Great White Hunter The African knowledge school movie further sustained comic section newspapers where Katzenjammer Kids stalked cannibal Tar rampaging black savages hands Jungle Jim alway match Africans certain knowledge available surprising growing terrible thing anyone addition black nigger black African Forme Negro friends deeply emotionally outnumbered world white goodness black fighting compound basic racial obscenities nigger African Africa ideed source blackness father mother nigger within To honor parents dishonor oneself thousands fellow Negroes answer early years always nothing Africa nothing With Africa written colour theshapeofmynose thesizeofmymouthandthecurlofmyhair becomes clear answer nothing originated severest racial schizophrenia The vehemence Shame denial common Negroes I demonstrated moras hatred which flounder The poignant whole business unchecked subversive ridiculous which image contemporaneous ancestors ourselves became buried inner being Still image never stayed buried magic racial obscenities always around invoke presence Not because skill repression includes skill internment For process worked until thirteenth One I seventh grade geography class Negro thosewords haunt school The teacher grandmotherly benign given attention places peoples earth High among things given particular emphasis classification Indians Asia racially CaucaSian assuring white population majority world In words They really Whie Her remarks curious analogue ancient bluesof hatred choked Fats Waller What Ido black I white inside This dispensation white insidedness freely generously offered Indians Offered school teachers three Africans Cleopatra Queen Sheba Simon Cyrene Having confirmed expounded usual negative AmericanjudgementsonAfricaandblackness andhavingsungthepraises Of world white heritage teacher geography called pupils class demonstrate richness American 6ultural melting listing blackboard front class those cOuntries which their famil hadoriginated One fellow pupils marched front class often flourish pride added ancestral country epresented board In small closer andmy confusion increased first I openly fully confronted question What Africa In naked situation situation nothing young young years would suffice My aloneliness meant Iwas starkly visible others theseothers these generalized others mirror which I clearly beheld darkness A frica written Upon being I arose consciousness anger wrote Africaontheboard Itwasa momentofsel knowledgeandtruth Africa something Africa something Negroes America Over years implicitly explicitly behaviour Americans Negro white attempted specificity something The African revolution decade intensified search andanalysis Published articles haveincreased debate intensified experts forth acrimony risen I would revie vividconceptions relationship which appeared recent months Some direct declaratory others indirect elusive At first glance points appear determined racial affiliation In months white arbors parti cularly riated Negro intellectuals their analysis relation between Negro Americans Africans The controversial annoying Strangers Africa writtenby Russel Warren Howe The Rep June other Back Africa Harold Isaacs New Yorker May The burden Howe article Negro Americans stranger Negroesin Africa They Europeans disguise andthus A frican suspicious persons black Who speak local tribal language whose language African probably speak speaks perfec This means Negro Americans themselves ambiguous situation filled psychological difficulties The State Department university Company thinks because Afro American acceptable African people Butonthewhole thepolicyofusingalargenumber ofAmericanNegroes African dangerous concerned employer usually discontented disenchanted Negro natives United States While Howe discussion primarily concerned African reaction Negro Americans contains within implied answer question Africa American Negroes For place ambiguity psychological difficulties alienation discontent disenchantment danger saacs Back Afri makes direct attempt explore nature Am erican Negro relationship Africa He found practically American Negroes I West Africa ancestral continent their minds They looking freedom racism prejudice least racial situation counted instead provided solace sense identity world where everyone black They looked chance share pride achievement stemmingfrom theblackman reassertionofhimselfandhis African Personality In West Africa small short Negre pilgrim But hardly first flush sensation being place where white master A_l invariably Negro pilgrim Africa finds himself without solace sense identity fighting patterns prejudice suffering pangs outsiderness He thought alien America discovers alien Africa Whether likes American Africa becomes Amer exile Ithis suggests American Ne Africa Gethsemane which emerge themselves confronted burdened cross their American identity Negro reaction melodramatic Howe thoughtful probing Isaacs bitter angry highly emotional It probably exemplified series three articles written Negroes released Associated Negro Press The first these HoraceMannBOnd DeanoftheSchoolofEducation ofAtlanta University consultant number African governments organizations disputed thefactual content Howe article assailed methods study Isaacs Howe offered personal experiences testimonial rebuttal concluded there deliberate malic mischiefunderlying thecommissioningandtiming ofthetwo articles The editors public would welcome articles commissioned written supply waitingmarket Themes Negroes Africans Africans Negroes there mutual prejudice between dangerous American Negroes Africa Dr Bond vigorous sionate reaction Negro father eighteen children informed should practice birth ontrol indignantly replied You white folks nothing The other AJNlm releases written Dr ALee Tinnin travelled extensively Africa representative OIin Ma thieson International Corporation Edward W Brice statione years Liberia U S government official Both follow pattern criticism Bond reflect basic words Tinnin negrQes would crucial juncture history The deeper significance these Negro rejoinders fervor response response For Howe Isaacs articles challenge assumption special privilege Negroes America growing involvement Africa special privilege within American society indeed promising vision Negro Americans Some Negro intellectuals having escaped African education geography teacher years prospective power Pan Africanism basically creation American Negro intellectuals answer problems Negro dignity status prestige acceptance American society TO Negro special privilege fully accepted American government universities corporations represents giant forward Negroes within American society regardless validity validity Negro special privilege assumed usefulness Africa emergent particularly Negro intellectuals athome James Baldwin The New York Times Magazine March pungently It signals Negro situation country known Any effort Negro place extreme unlucky repercussions African uhuru means The American Negro longer again Controlled white America image While these points means exhaust analysis something between American Negroes Africans represent major areas disagreement misunderstanding Howe certainly right argues psychological difficulties American Negroes Africa It doubtful however these difficulties represent danger concerned Such broad assess leaves tremendous range individual differences between American Negroes scattered West Africa The important point Howe Isaacs common color Freedom sharedhistory oppression necessarily basis continuity common understanding common goals They however writing about Negro Americans Africa limitations disappointments their specific situation transferred without critical reservations massive amorphous African Negro relationship developing within United States Isaacs attempt transfer lather analysis implies amorphous Afro Axnerican uhuru hasnot carvedoutaspecialnicheforAfro AxnericansinAfrican societies thoselooking resting place doomed disappointment This piece truth hurtful Negroes because threatens newly gained special privilege consequently blunts weapon America In secretly argued those Negroes terally going Africa visit special assignment potentially traitors cause neurotics misfits bound disappointed disenchanted wherever Their disenchantment exposes intimate social strategems tactics Truly would appropriate target Negro Isaacs Howe Their failure Africa weakens chance American Negro longer controlled white America image What Africa For thousands Negroes heart American society What American Negroes Africans That matter future letters Most sincerely Charles J Patterson Received New York November