Africans and African Americans talk about bonds between Africans and African Americans

We are pleased to bring you some of the statements made by Africans and African Americans we have interviewed one-on-one or covered over the years about bonds between Africans and African Americans.

“Unless we start to believe in ourselves, we will never convince anyone to believe in us. It is time to believe in ourselves, it is time to start believing in Africa.”

The late U.S. Commerce Secretary, Ron Brown, in March 1993 during the opening ceremony of the African Business Round Table in Washington.

 

“You are really not whole until you understand your roots. Our roots belong to Africa.”

Dr. Erika Bennett, African American business woman in a 1999 interview with The African in Herndon, Virginia.

 

 

“This is a great day in African history; we are united again! This is a call for African Americans to wake up and help your homeland as the Poles help Poland, the Irish help Ireland and the Jews help Israel.”

The late Rev. Leon Sullivan, initiator of the African-African American Summit, in the closing speech of the Fourth Summit held in Harare, Zimbabwe, in August 1998.

 

 

“As of right now, policy-makers on the Hill [the U.S. Congress] have no fear. If they want to go and cut something that is supposed to go to Africa, they’ll dot it, because they don’t think that anybody is going to raise any hell about that. We’re changing that. We’ll put them on notice: don’t touch that account.”

Leonard H. Robin, Jr., President and CEO of the National Summit on Africa convened in Washington in February 2000 around the theme “Africa Matters,” in an exclusive interview with The African conducted in February 2000.

 

“It happens that a trip to hell ends with a glimpse of light and leads, with God’s will, to the Promised Land. For many of you now belong to the most powerful country on earth and can, therefore, try and own a part of that power that you build while singing blues and Negro spirituals. We are happy you are among us today to give the word ‘solidarity’ a new meaning.”

Former President of Benin, Nicéphore Soglo, at the opening of the “Ouidah 92 Voodoo Festival” held in February 1992 and attended by Blacks from the Diaspora.

 

“If Africa, first of all, is not recognized by African Americans, and if, secondly, we are not moving Africa forward, then one has reduced the prospect of racial pride.”

Dr. Khalid Abdullah Tariq Al-Mansour, African American scholar, writer and business consultant, in a 2000 interview with The African.

 

 

“Now see that’s just a little piece of how it is (Africa! Africa!)

See, but we can come together and make it ‘lot better back home (Af-ree-caa! Africa!)

So don’t complain about how they treating you here, take your millions of dollars there,

back to (Africa! Africa!)

We own that land, we own those diamonds, (Africa! Africa!)

We kings man, we don’t take orders, we give em.

Think about it.”

African American superstar Akon in his hit “Oh Africa.”