Does a black person in America need an African culture?

Or better yet, would they even embrace it?

My roommate yesterday had returned from her observations at a elementary school that is predominately black...one thing she kept complaining about was the whole name thing.

She made a major fuss about it. These names are what one would call "black names". I personally do not like black names. The idea and concept of black names is to have some identity with Africa, only problem is, that these names are not African. In fact, one name she started complaining about actually sounded African, and I was like, "that one sounds African, is he African?" she says no, only to say 2 seconds later that the boy's mom is from Africa, and then she said that name could be excused.

She was making fun of the names because she couldn't pronounce them. She found it funny that these names are not pronounced how they look.

I was kinda annoyed at this. Even though I do not like these black names myself...I still felt she and my other roommate were being insensitive about it. But I wasn't surprised, she spent 30 mins telling me she was scared of going to this school because she is white and is from an upperclass town and this is an urban school...(her idea of urban is anything next to or within the city)....she kept on worrying how she was going to be treated, and I said, that she shouldn't bring attention to herself, and she'd be fine. Don't go in there with the whole "I am better than you" attitude.

Her complaining of African names, plus a video I watched earlier in English were the girls at the end talk about Africa, made me think for a little bit.

The reason I hate black names, is that they draw too much attention. One should be unique enough that there name isn't too common, but is normal enough. One should not pair a common name with a common last name, if the last name is uncommon, then a common first name is encouraged. Also, professionally, a "white name" could help you out more....a very Afrocentric name could work against someone, it almost confines them into a box without being seen or known. And besides, nothing worse than one who can't pronounce your name.

My name is a white name, I am the only minority I know with my name, but its common enough that I have known other girls with my name, but it was just enough uncommon that I did not have too many classes with people who had my name (most classes I would be the only one with my name).

But I was thinking about the African culture. Many of the black girls in the video (i posted in the last post), talked about missing that piece of identity. But I can't help but ask, would they even embrace it? Most likely they just want to know where they hail from, but more than likely would not embrace it. Its the same with all the people who go around bragging they are Irish (even though that happened 100 years before them), other than St. Patrick's Day, they do nothing that would be considered in the spirit of the Irish.

We as Americans have the tendency to pretend America has no culture, therefore creating the need to say we are from such and such place, even though ourselves, our parents, grandparents, etc were never there.

This actually annoys Europeans and Africans, and Native Americans, when people do this.

I can understand wanting to know about your African roots...I was never too affected by not knowing, I guess its because I know some of my white side (not all of it though, as my mom doesn't know much about it)...But none of those ever honestly shaped my identity. Having Irish, Blackfoot Indian, and African in me, has not shaped me at all, I celebrate none of these heritages. But being black and white has shaped me though....

Does one who never stepped foot in a country, need that country (or continent) to help their identity, to feel more complete?

Sometimes I wonder, whats the point in knowing, if you don't bother to embrace it, or if you don't have any recent connections with it.

I guess, what I am saying is that America should just accept that it does have a culture of its own, and no, its not a culture that is a mix of other cultures. America does have its own culture (think along the lines of the British). We are quick to point out what is mainstream. What is mainstream stands for what is the culture of this country. Yes each indvidual has their own culture within this culture, but they still live in a country with a national identity.