"The xenophobia throughout the diaspora is rooted in ignorance as much as it’s rooted in repressed anger, jealousy, resentment that we haven’t been able to direct at the monster responsible, so we direct it at each other."
I see you, Olayemi. Thank you for your wise insight. Why do people believe that success is limited and if you do not achieve success it is because someone else took it? For us to succeed as a nation we must not be steps for the "monster", we must lift each other up. Success is in solidarity. I am no better than any other human on this earth, when I lift others, I am lifting myself. Division and hate is counterproductive for everyone, except the oppressor.
Woo! A whole sermon. Thank you for sharing this. I am so curious about the anti-Haitian sentiment in Bahamas though. I lived it and observed while living in the DR, but I am shocked about that same sentiment in the Bahamas. Going to look into it.
As a mixed Bahamian from Long Island who grew up in Nassau and now lives in the US everything about this piece resonated deeply with me! This is so simply put and hits every nail right on the head. It’s scary how anti-blackness is on the rise within our own communities despite so much progress.
“The monster told white Americans to recognize European immigrants as white in order to consolidate more power for the white majority, and then the monster turned around and told you to cast out Black immigrants, to see them as a threat to your resources, as both responsible for and indifferent to your plights. The monster is deceiving us as it always has, convincing you to believe that the problem is not the very real monster who can’t find the shame to hide, but other Black people, separated from you by nothing other than oceans and fictional borders created by the monster.“
This was beautifully written, and piercingly accurate! Every day we choose to other ourselves, we lose one another and the monster wins. This Black woman descended from Gullah Geechee and Caribbean roots thanks you ❣️
"The xenophobia throughout the diaspora is rooted in ignorance as much as it’s rooted in repressed anger, jealousy, resentment that we haven’t been able to direct at the monster responsible, so we direct it at each other."
beautifully crafted lesson, Olayemi. thank you for doing the hard work to remind us how and why the Monster does its work. grateful for you.
Perfect explanation of the Diaspora wars. Insightful
I see you, Olayemi. Thank you for your wise insight. Why do people believe that success is limited and if you do not achieve success it is because someone else took it? For us to succeed as a nation we must not be steps for the "monster", we must lift each other up. Success is in solidarity. I am no better than any other human on this earth, when I lift others, I am lifting myself. Division and hate is counterproductive for everyone, except the oppressor.
Woo! A whole sermon. Thank you for sharing this. I am so curious about the anti-Haitian sentiment in Bahamas though. I lived it and observed while living in the DR, but I am shocked about that same sentiment in the Bahamas. Going to look into it.
As a mixed Bahamian from Long Island who grew up in Nassau and now lives in the US everything about this piece resonated deeply with me! This is so simply put and hits every nail right on the head. It’s scary how anti-blackness is on the rise within our own communities despite so much progress.
“The monster told white Americans to recognize European immigrants as white in order to consolidate more power for the white majority, and then the monster turned around and told you to cast out Black immigrants, to see them as a threat to your resources, as both responsible for and indifferent to your plights. The monster is deceiving us as it always has, convincing you to believe that the problem is not the very real monster who can’t find the shame to hide, but other Black people, separated from you by nothing other than oceans and fictional borders created by the monster.“
I LOVE your commentary.
This was beautifully written, and piercingly accurate! Every day we choose to other ourselves, we lose one another and the monster wins. This Black woman descended from Gullah Geechee and Caribbean roots thanks you ❣️
Greatly appreciate you sharing your knowledge, perspective and insight. 🙏