i really dislike how American celebrities portray Africa as this fetishized land that serves as nothing more than an aesthetic backdrop for them in the face of their own internal conflict or whatever journey they are currently undergoing.
Spotify just dropped a teaser for a mini-documentary following Kendrick Lamar's trip to Ghana ๐ฌ๐ญ
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why not just give us a documentary on the people of Ghana, have us experience their culture through their eyes & their own narratives ?
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@Whitb_xx
my problem is not it being out, it's the subject matter... American media only ever cares to engage Africa when an American celebrity is affiliated, people aren't tuning in for Ghana, they are tuning in for Kendrick thus putting Ghanaians on the backburner
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& this is my problem with y'all.
no critical thinking whatsoever. do you not think we should ever get media that prioritizes African stories ?
no, because you only ever care to engage Africans, when they are in close proximity to American celebrities
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@thaddeusmacabee
i'm begging you to read. at what point did i claim he has no right to reconnect to his motherland?
i explicitly stated that my issue was with how Africans are placed on the backburner whenever an American celebrity is associated, and these are the only projects that are greenlit
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these are the faces of my students at Blessed Elite Primary school...
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@tees_17
I get what youโre saying but realistically how is what Kendrick doing any different from the portrayal of Young, Famous and African on Netflix because to me that narrative is more if not worse than what Kendricks doing
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@blekjpg
His roots are most likely west African. Iโm glad Kendrick had an opportunity to go there and is sharing his experience with us.
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@blekjpg
You niggas still don't understand TPAB and UU and how his journey to South Africa in 2014 changed his perspective on life. I can't believe people missed the turning point of one of the greatest albums of all time!
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@blekjpg
First itโs: โAfrican Americanโs need to learn their culture/history and explore their roots.โ
Then in the same breath: โAfrican Americans, stop coming to Africa.โ
So what yโall want people to do? How shall they proceed when it comes to a country that NONE of us truly own.
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@blekjpg
Yโall havenโt even seen the full documentary and making commentary ๐ You donโt even know what was included in there. Geez
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@blekjpg
I think this is such a fair critique for 100% everyone else but black Americans. There is such a specific & solemn history many AAs have with longing to trace roots, to see where ancestors came from, find connection, see a place where everyone is black. Itโs well deserved for us
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@blekjpg
It's very hard for anyone but someone born black in America, regardless of upbringing or background, to understand why many go to Africa as a personal experience.
The best I've seen explain it is a literal children's show.
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@blekjpg
I am equally tired of African nations ignoring their role in the Slave trade. Ghana was a major port where Africans sold and traded other Africans into slavery
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@blekjpg
For Black Americans, thatโs what Africa is. We literally have a yearning for what was taken away from us.
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