This episode focuses on the differences, similarities, and misconceptions about both African Americans in this country and those who have come to America but are born in parts of Africa. I had the pleasure of speaking with my former college professor of political science, Dr. AJ Stovall - Rust College, my alma mater. My fellow Rustite and classmate, Olusola Isikalu, a native of Yoruba, Lagos, Nigeria, and a good friend of mine, Paddy Wonder Dadzie, a native of Accra, Ghana who shared their experiences, both good and bad upon their arrival to America, whether it was to advance in their education or profession career. They each had stories about how they were received and approach in the US by those who look like them. So many misnomers and false information has been put in the minds of both black people in America and black people from the motherland. For African born citizens, the perception of black people in America are they are lazy, criminals, have a bunch of kids out of wedlock, live on welfare where oppose to black people in America and their perception of our African brothers and sisters; they're poor and starving, the assumption that every African is starving, without water and think that 50 cents a day can feed a starving child, that everyone in Africa speaks Swahili, live in trees, or have lions and elephants in their backyards. 

This conversation stems from personal experience that goes back to my days in college (Rust College). In my socio-economics class, Dr. Stovall was my professor who taught us and challenged us learn the system and fight against the systemic and institutional racism that is built within it. A classmate of mine in class stood up to give his thoughts on how black people in America are viewed negatively and spoke arrogantly about the country in Africa from which he comes. Dr Stovall allowed a few of us to rebuttal in class to engage in a dialogue of enlightenment and moments of clarity from both sides.

The Apartheid that occurred in South Africa is equivalent to the civil rights movement that occurred here in the US and around the same time. With that said, it is with the understanding that black people all over the world have been and continue to be treated like less than the human beings that we are. We have way more similarities than differences. We are not each other's enemy. This conversation is the first of many to help bridge the gap between us who black Americans and those of our brothers and sisters who are black in America, to help educate each other on what life has really been like for each other and how the news and media has portrayed such a negative light on us both that influenced our own views of each other until we experienced what it's like to be around each other in real time.

Special thanks to my panel guests for being on the show to share their experiences and ideas as to how to can do better with understanding that we are all black brothers and sisters who are from the motherland and to help educate each other on becoming more intuned with our heritage. With love and unicen, we need to celebrate each other in love because in the end, no one got us like we got us.