I think that there are levels to an individuals identity. I feel as though identifying primarily as an African is silly. I’ve seen people from the diaspora refer to Africa as if it is a country instead of a vast continent. Referring to yourself as an African primarily is just silly to me because it just denotes that you are from the continent ( South American, North American, Asian, etc) there is no weight in that identity versus ethnic or national identity. As there is real history they’re. People who talk like this from the diaspora feed into the false idea that Africa is a country.
I’ve spoken to some pan Africanists who believe that African should be the primary identity. The problem I have is that in saying that you let go of what makes Africa special, which is diversity. In believing that you have trapped yourself into a label that carries no weight. And smears Africans into a monolith. Whenever you bring up diversity pan Africans get upset and say that your being divisive.
Also I was wondering about anyone’s thoughts on identifying as concepts like Bantu, Nihlotic, Cushitic, “Bushmen” Khoisan, etc. personally I can identify them if you lined up a member from each group. Or if you heard they’re languages. I think that it would be the same as a European saying that they’re Slavic or Nordic, it’s just an extra level to an identity I guess.
What are you thoughts. And what do you identify as?
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