In a message dated 3/14/1999 1:39:02 AM Eastern Standard Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< Much of your opinions on this list are purportedly backed up by your
knowedge or personal or secondhand experience of the topics under discussion
(you seem to have "relatives ' in every country that comes up, not unlike Mr.
Haney in the old sitcom "Green Acres"). >>
Please don't be confused by African concepts of kinship and friendship (highly
practiced by african americans, i.e. play cousins, mom's, neighborhood aunts,
godfather's god mothers) , or by the facts of my having a non-american born
parent, having relatives that work, travel, were born, live, study in many
countries and who marry people of different countries. I also have traveled a
bit, and have close relationships with many of the people that I meet - and
work in international affairs, so of course I meet and become close with
(kinship and friendship) with people.
You also wrote " You undercut your self-proclaimed bases for the validity of
your own opinions if you subsequently maintain that knowledge and experience
count for nothing, and that one should not pursue them diligently before
claiming to speak from some position of authority. "
I have not undercut any of my own validity - and that validity is not granted
by anyone on this list, least of all you mr. dees.
I have not maintained that knowledge and experience count for nothing, however
I have noted that the paradigms with which we were raised substantially alter
our perception of life - at least until we challenge those fundamental
perceptions - they can even allow us to avoid certain kinds of knowledge that
don't fit with our preordained understand. We also experience things in
different ways, based upon who were are - I experience the klan in a far
different way that you, dees, experience the klan, because of who I am and who
you are.
When I am talking about various african, islamic issues, I have more than just
a passing knowledge with quite a bit of it, so I am comfortable speaking on it
- based upon knowledge, experience, exposure and perspective.
My personal exposure, including how I was raised, certainly aided me in
understanding and learning. I also make a point to learn from the "sources".
When I wanted to know more about afro-brasilians, I studied the culture and
history, brought my knowledge of the language up to an advanced level, spoke
to afro brasilians, contacted afro brasilian organizations, drew upon friends
from brasil, relatives who traveled there, and eventually went there myself
and lived with the family of a close friend. As a black person, I could
understand in a personal sense when they talked about many issues about
racism, culture, African identity - this also help me blend in quite well with
afro-brasilians and get a very familial reception. As a pan african person, I
was accepted into pan african circles, and by people of like mentalities, to
work on mutual causes that are personal to us, and have experiences which
provide a tactile understanding. I also was raised in a family that introduced
me to perspectives and thinking that allowed me to take in such experiences in
a particular way.
With the family in Brasil, I talked to their friends, relatives, neighbors,
traveled a bit in the country. I tutored ESL as a second language and ended up
having several afro-brasilian students. I also worked in an african diaspora -
afro-latino cultural center before I went to brasil. Read brasilian
newspapers, novels, magazines, including the popular afro brasilian "raca". I
have maintained those relationships, activities. I have sought out and brought
afro-brasilians involved in UN issues, into the African Caucus and into
African meetings, gatherings, events, in a variety of places. Also share with
afro-brasilian groups information that I come across which I knew would be of
mutual interest, and connect them to other afro-latin, african, pacific
islander groups - other pan african activities.
Last week attending a meeting I was surprised to find that one of the speakers
was a woman who heads a palmares organization in brasil. I knew of the
organization and its strong pan african focus.
She spoke about the impact of globalization and economic meltdown on black
women in brasilian. After her speech, I spoke to her and we found we had many
friends in common from my work at the afro diaspora center, as part of the
Afro-mundo group - over 200 afro latino organizations in the south, central
and caribbean americas - and we exchanges cards, she asked me when I would
next be in Brasil, told me to visit her when I am there, and hopeful come when
they are meeting with the afro-brasilian senator Benedita da Silva who is a
strong woman on afro-brasilian issues, forged many links with africans,
african americans, So initiates the making of another goes another learning
experience which will lead to many others.
All of this is my funny little way of learning about something when it is
really important for me.
I like things to be wholistic - seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching
and immersive . In my life because my personal, academic, professional
interest are so interlinked, much of what I do enriches me in all three areas.
I enjoy it tremendously and when I enjoy something like this, when I am so
immersed in it, what I take it, what I learn is heightened so very much and it
has a deeper meaning to me.
So then, if I talk about the afro-brasilian experience, I feel quite
comfortable on a foundation of a combination of this acquired knowledge,
experiences and exposures.
I don't find anything wrong with it, and it has worked well for me.
Nicole
