Black People Of the Diaspora: Please Work With Us, Not Against Us

An American CHOSSA’s Plea to Black Folk Everywhere

We need a code. A Black guidebook for this new media age. I celebrate individuality and I typically despise group think, but if there were ever a time for a people to have a hive mind, it’s now. Black people, we simply must fall in line with one another and use that line to form a united front in support of our justice and our interests as a whole. You may not see it now, but anything short of that is causing us harm.

For starters, we need to listen to those among us who have more lived experience in an area and not use our platforms to loudly disagree with their positions. Sure, we are not a monolith and we are all entitled to different opinions, but when it comes to important matters severely impacting Black people, there is value in shutting up and listening. If you must, have conversations with those in the know… those with firsthand experience. Then, even if you still disagree or see things differently, allow time to ruminate on all that’s been shared with you. And always, ALWAYS consider where your lack of experience just may not allow you to see another’s pov from their lived experience. At the very least, think twice, thrice and five times or more before using your platform to say something contrary.

In your state of wanting to be heard, you may not realize how you may actually harm your own people by a rush to spread your largely uninformed opinion online or in the real world. Since I’m from the U.S. and my ancestors have been here since the beginning, I’ll use us as an example here. American-born CHOSSA know how White supremacy works. We were literally bred and born from White supremacy. If we tell you something is racist, it is racist. And I’m not talking about one person telling you this, but if the majority of us hold this position, something’s up. If you don’t trust us on anything else, trust us on that.

So, if you don’t have our ancestral experience — or even if you do, but your people immigrated to this country after the 1950s — , you’re still too new to the game to tell us anything different about what we know. In so doing, you’re literally working against us. CHOSSA in the United States have been the only ones consistently on the front lines of civilizing the U.S. and forcing it to be all it can be. Stand behind us or beside us, but for goodness sakes don’t think yourself strong enough to stand in front of us!

Now, when you find yourself with an opposing view on things seriously impacting Black people and you use your platform(s) to break away from the rest of us to speak on these things, pay attention to those who agree with you. If White people or colorblind others are the main ones applauding your take, that’s a real good indication you’re not helping Black people. In fact, there’s a strong likelihood you may be hurting us by contributing to a line of thinking that doesn’t produce the kinds of change we are working toward. When you find yourself in this position, might I suggest you take a time out to assess things and return to code? Be very careful about doubling-down on your opinion without fully examining yourself first.

There are plenty of things I may think differently about… things I may even disagree with the majority of the Diaspora about. But my heart favors Blackness even more than it does my own ego. I can believe I’m right as rain about a thing, but if this thing impacts Black people and if my difference of opinion might be weaponized against my people, I don’t speak about such things to anyone in the public sphere. We may not have an official code as of yet, but I do understand our unwritten codes and there are some things I just won’t do.

Besides, there are many times I thought I was right or that I knew better, but after sitting with elders, talking to others, listening, reading and studying history, I’ve discovered I didn’t know what I thought I did. I’ve been relieved I didn’t just jump off the bandwagon with opinionated words I can’t take back. This wisdom has saved me more than once and I want the same for you. We need you to always endeavor to work with us, not against us.

See, as Black people, we stay behind the eight ball. Until that’s no longer the case, we don’t have the luxury of moving independently without harming our larger group in the process. We must know this and always be careful about how we proceed.

Let’s Talk, But Also Listen

I think about this often and a larger conversation is definitely needed. But after reading a bit of commentary this morning about America’s racism from Blacks outside of the U.S. who have no experience with America’s racism, I was moved to share my thoughts here and now. Regardless of how my words may be received, I say all of this with a deep love and respect for Blackness.

I can also only speak from the perspective of a CHOSSA whose roots span centuries in the United States. I’m certain other CHOSSA and Africans have similar thoughts and feelings about issues impacting Black people in their countries. So, let’s talk about some of those things. What do you need from the rest of us? Maybe, together, we can actually create our own rules of conduct for the greater good of Blackness everywhere.

And even if you disagree with everything I just wrote, hopefully we can decide right now to agree to disagree without being disagreeable. Let’s not use words against Blackness that our common enemy can employ to further divide us later.

Can we at least do that?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

If you like my work and would like to support me, please sign up for my email notifications and consider joining Medium through my referral link. Thanks!

© 2023 Laura M. Quainoo. All rights reserved.