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We aren't BLACK , We are SOMALI ! : 5 Reasons Why Somalis Reject the 'Black' Label.
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#somali #somalia
There is an exhausting recurring debate taking place online. The question is: are Somali people black? As simple as it sounds, it’s a question that generates differing opinions and passionate disagreement from Somalis and non-Somalis alike. It feels at times that the blackness of Somalis is being uniquely scrutinised, and it’s not only happening online.
The purpose of this video is not to impose our viewpoint on the matter, but to highlight the views of Somalis who reject the notion that they are black. This, in my opinion, is crucial if we are to objectively empathize with both sides of the argument. Here are five justifications given by Somalis and many other African tribes who reject being labelled as black.
1. Race is a Eurocentric Construct that Doesn’t Exist in Africa.
In Africa, generally, people do not specify and identify with being black. This is understandable as they are living in a society where people differentiate themselves by ethnicity and tribes and not by the colour of their skin, as it would be pointless. Those who live in Africa are not burdened with these Eurocentric ideas about race. A racial identity does not exist for them. That is why some Somalis, especially older ones, do not identify as black. Somalis may not identify as "black" because it would then overlook their own specific identity. They have their own religion, beliefs, language, and traditions, but in America, these are ignored and they are considered black? Race is a social construct and one that does not truly exist in Somalia as there is no cultural context for it. Somalis are simply Somalis, a people native to the Horn.
2. Africa is too Diverse to Group all Africans as Black.
Also, because of the fact that people still subconsciously see Africa as one gigantic country, with one huge group of people, we don’t tend to look into the people who live on this second-largest giant continent. There are 54 countries in the Africa, and usually even within these countries, there are different ethnic groups with different languages. You can't group an entire continent and expect them to all look the same. Once again, as I’ve mentioned before, Africa is a continent. An incredibly genetically diverse continent, one where the entire human race came from. Like I said before, the majority of the world only sees a certain group of Africans. And the whole world also tends to subconsciously regard Africa as a country with one huge group of people who all look alike. If you see and understand Africa as a continent instead of seeing black people as "one group," you’d understand why it is not wise to throw all Africans under a single classification.
3. Black Label has Racist Origins.
Race is oftentimes quite arbitrary, and there isn't any way to definitively categorize people according to it. Definitions of blackness are regional, and they're most typically used in the greater context of the transatlantic slave trade. So it may not even be an appropriate label to use on people from the horn of Africa. That is because race is a social construct. During the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and the African Scramble, Europeans used pseudo-science to divide the human race into distinct races, labelling some as inferior and others superior to justify their fellow man's subjugation. Most of the so-called "black features" that they used to categorize "black" individuals were based on West African people. When it came to race, the word "black" was used in a derogatory way, and I don't think it's a good idea to keep this identity that was created out of racism.
4. It’s an Inaccurate Misnomer.
It’s an inaccurate misnomer to call Africans black. I always ask myself, what does it mean to be black? Does it imply black skin? If so, why aren’t Indians black? If anything, a majority of Africans, even sub-Saharan Africans, have a wide spectrum of skin complexions that range from almost pale to dark chocolate. The Kikuyu tribe of Kenya and even the Kamba are mostly chocolate complexioned. Why would you call these people black? The same can be argued for Somalis. Africa is simply too diverse to fall under one singular colour. Africans are not black; it's because of racism that they are classified as such.
5. It makes them more vulnerable to Police Brutality in the West.
Existing at the nexus of anti-blackness, xenophobia, and Islamophobia increases the visibility and vulnerability of Somalis. This has in part led to cases such as the tragic deaths of Shukri Abdi and, more recently, Mohamud Hassan, a 24-year-old man from Cardiff who died shortly after coming into contact with the police. Their deaths serve as reminders that institutional racism and state violence are harsh realities that Somalis encounter due to their being collectively grouped with other black groups in the UK and the States. What’s more, the more Somali youth identify with being black, the more they will be forced to conform to stereotypes of blackness.
There is an exhausting recurring debate taking place online. The question is: are Somali people black? As simple as it sounds, it’s a question that generates differing opinions and passionate disagreement from Somalis and non-Somalis alike. It feels at times that the blackness of Somalis is being uniquely scrutinised, and it’s not only happening online.
The purpose of this video is not to impose our viewpoint on the matter, but to highlight the views of Somalis who reject the notion that they are black. This, in my opinion, is crucial if we are to objectively empathize with both sides of the argument. Here are five justifications given by Somalis and many other African tribes who reject being labelled as black.
1. Race is a Eurocentric Construct that Doesn’t Exist in Africa.
In Africa, generally, people do not specify and identify with being black. This is understandable as they are living in a society where people differentiate themselves by ethnicity and tribes and not by the colour of their skin, as it would be pointless. Those who live in Africa are not burdened with these Eurocentric ideas about race. A racial identity does not exist for them. That is why some Somalis, especially older ones, do not identify as black. Somalis may not identify as "black" because it would then overlook their own specific identity. They have their own religion, beliefs, language, and traditions, but in America, these are ignored and they are considered black? Race is a social construct and one that does not truly exist in Somalia as there is no cultural context for it. Somalis are simply Somalis, a people native to the Horn.
2. Africa is too Diverse to Group all Africans as Black.
Also, because of the fact that people still subconsciously see Africa as one gigantic country, with one huge group of people, we don’t tend to look into the people who live on this second-largest giant continent. There are 54 countries in the Africa, and usually even within these countries, there are different ethnic groups with different languages. You can't group an entire continent and expect them to all look the same. Once again, as I’ve mentioned before, Africa is a continent. An incredibly genetically diverse continent, one where the entire human race came from. Like I said before, the majority of the world only sees a certain group of Africans. And the whole world also tends to subconsciously regard Africa as a country with one huge group of people who all look alike. If you see and understand Africa as a continent instead of seeing black people as "one group," you’d understand why it is not wise to throw all Africans under a single classification.
3. Black Label has Racist Origins.
Race is oftentimes quite arbitrary, and there isn't any way to definitively categorize people according to it. Definitions of blackness are regional, and they're most typically used in the greater context of the transatlantic slave trade. So it may not even be an appropriate label to use on people from the horn of Africa. That is because race is a social construct. During the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and the African Scramble, Europeans used pseudo-science to divide the human race into distinct races, labelling some as inferior and others superior to justify their fellow man's subjugation. Most of the so-called "black features" that they used to categorize "black" individuals were based on West African people. When it came to race, the word "black" was used in a derogatory way, and I don't think it's a good idea to keep this identity that was created out of racism.
4. It’s an Inaccurate Misnomer.
It’s an inaccurate misnomer to call Africans black. I always ask myself, what does it mean to be black? Does it imply black skin? If so, why aren’t Indians black? If anything, a majority of Africans, even sub-Saharan Africans, have a wide spectrum of skin complexions that range from almost pale to dark chocolate. The Kikuyu tribe of Kenya and even the Kamba are mostly chocolate complexioned. Why would you call these people black? The same can be argued for Somalis. Africa is simply too diverse to fall under one singular colour. Africans are not black; it's because of racism that they are classified as such.
5. It makes them more vulnerable to Police Brutality in the West.
Existing at the nexus of anti-blackness, xenophobia, and Islamophobia increases the visibility and vulnerability of Somalis. This has in part led to cases such as the tragic deaths of Shukri Abdi and, more recently, Mohamud Hassan, a 24-year-old man from Cardiff who died shortly after coming into contact with the police. Their deaths serve as reminders that institutional racism and state violence are harsh realities that Somalis encounter due to their being collectively grouped with other black groups in the UK and the States. What’s more, the more Somali youth identify with being black, the more they will be forced to conform to stereotypes of blackness.
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