Josiah McElroy — Why Black Americans Identify as Black

Many conservatives on Twitter seem to get upset whenever a Black man or woman proudly declares the obvious. It seems as though they think that we must forget our color completely to become fully American. However I’ve never seen anyone get angry at my grandfather for being proud of his Irish heritage. Nor has anyone chided my grandmother for proudly declaring her Italian ancestry. However, when an American Black celebrates his blackness, there seems to be a problem. 

Most American Blacks who celebrate their blackness are not doing so because they think black is better than white. Furthermore when black Americans celebrate, they are celebrating their history and culture. They cannot celebrate being Jamaican, Nigerian or any other nationality of origin because they are American, and they know not which exact tribes or countries they came from. 

However, the American Black is fully American, yet peculiarly different, as are Irish Americans, Italian Americans and others of European ancestry. Those of European ancestry can celebrate the culture they came from. They have festivals and local holidays. However, the American Black has none. There are African Fests, but the American black is hardly African and many times will not connect with that festival. Some do, and others are immigrants from Africa. 

Read more: https://sonoftheredhairedlad.wordpress.com/2015/03/10/why-black-americans-identify-as-black/