5 Differences Between African and African-American Culture I Noticed After 20+ Years in Africa

After coming from the States and living in Ghana for over 20 years, it almost feels more difficult to write an article like this now than it was then. Back when I first arrived, I’m sure I was suffering from something like the Dunning-Kruger effect. I believed that I knew more than I actually did. But that’s not to imply that I was cocky. Rather, as time has progressed, I’ve really come to appreciate that Africa is too big and diverse to really try to talk about it as a single entity or people.

But with that being said, there are some general similarities across the board. And in this post I will attempt, as best I can, to respectfully point out some differences I’ve noticed between Africans and African-Americans.

Of course, I can’t speak for the billions of people belonging to these groups. So if you see something in here you don’t agree with, don’t hate, as critics sometimes do when it comes to these topics. This post is strictly for informational purposes, by an African-American whose more or less spent half of his life living in the Motherland.

BELIEF IN JUJU

Africans and African-Americans do share a similar history – up until about 400 years ago. That’s when the Transatlantic Slave Trade took off, and many of the differences that have materialized since aren’t solely due to the these populations developing in different hemispheres. European socialization also played a role. And no large group of Black people were more under the thumb of Whites than African-Americans.

I’m bringing that up because, African-Americans have been more thoroughly brought up under the religion of the Whiteman, i.e. Christianity. I’m not making that observation in any type of judgmental way, like ‘we need to go back to the beliefs of our ancestors’. In fact, there are groups of Africans who are more Christian than African-Americans are.  The intended point is that in the Motherland, Old World beliefs have noticeably endured.

For instance, I can’t count how many times over the years in Ghana, that I’ve had people say to me ‘juju is real’. I’ll admit that when I came over, I didn’t believe in magic as much as I do now. Well actually, juju isn’t magic but more like spiritualism. And even the Bible acknowledges that communicating with spirits is a real thing.

Let me say, with confidence, that such beliefs will never go away in Africa. And the funny thing is, as it currently stands, they’re on the rise in the States also.

For the record, even in Africa, juju is against mainstream religious beliefs such as Christianity and Islam. But Africans who decide to go this route nonetheless usually do so for one of three reasons.

Perhaps they’re looking for some unobtainable information – such as who stole something from them – and decide to consult the juju man for the answer.  Or they’re looking to strike against someone, perhaps in vengeance but don’t want to do so directly and consequently face the law. Or perhaps the most common reason is in search for wealth. And again, even in the States these days you commonly hear about people ‘selling their soul to the devil’ and stuff like that. But when it comes to revenge, African-Americans are definitely more physically than spiritually oriented.

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

African-Americans are a lot less privy to travel internationally. Most of my friends and family in the States have never been overseas, unless they’re from some other country to begin with. And when you to hear of an African-American traveling internationally, it’s almost always for leisure purposes, like vacation.

That definitely isn’t the case in Africa. Virtually everyone I know here has expressed a desire to travel, and it’s rarely for leisure purposes. Rather, the economy in the Motherland is jacked up, with foreign currencies being worth a lot more. So Africans are exponentially more inclined to travel overseas in the name of making money. And as you will see in the next section, this isn’t solely about materialism.

AFRICAN-AMERICANS DON’T OWN ANYTHING APPRECIABLE

African-Americans have access to more money and credit and thus more material goods. But what I’m referring to is wealth that appreciates, rather than depreciates, over time. For instance, land tends to become more valuable as the years progress. Meanwhile, the likes of cars, clothes and electronics don’t.

Most Africans who chase money overseas aren’t doing so simply in the name of materialism. Generally speaking, the people here are adverse to renting a residence, rather preferring to buy land and build a house.

At first, I didn’t really understand this practice. I was thinking like, I’d rather rent a nice place than build one gradually over years, perhaps even decades.  But as time progresses, I’m seeing the light. From a monetary perspective, the sooner you can get out of the renting game, the better.

The average African-American will make more money than his African counterpart. But by the time all is said and done, the former is more likely not to have anything to show for it.  And I’m not saying this in any type of judgmental way, because the systems are different. For instance, when I was coming up in the States, I can’t say I ever even recall anyone really talking about buying land or farms, because generally speaking, they’re not available to begin with. But in Africa, that’s not the case.

PRESENCE OF PATRIARCHY

This is one of my favorites to point out, how patriarchy is stronger in Africa. That’s not to say that every father over here is responsible. Single motherhood is also a growing concern in the Motherland. But when you have men in control and people are able to trace their families back generations, you’d be surprised how much difference that can make.

For instance, a lot of times an African may not do dumb sh*t simply because they don’t want to give their family a bad name. That’s definitely not a prevailing attitude amongst African-Americans. We rather have more of a ‘don’t give AF’ type of mentality. And I’m not trying to insinuate that fathers being around prevents all crime and stupidity. But what I will say is that males tend to have a natural love and respect for their fathers that can’t be replicated with anyone else.

OUTLOOK ON CRIME

Violent crime is an issue in some part of Africa, definitely. But the legal system out here isn’t friendly at all. Just about the last thing anyone wants in Africa is to get in trouble with the law.

There are a couple of reasons for this. First, the prisons in Africa are hell. They’re so bad that, unlike African-Americans, you’re not likely to here an African bragging after coming out of jail, like he accomplished something. I’ve seen Africans get really angry and make questionable decisions. But I never heard any say something like ‘I don’t care if I go to jail’. No one in their right mind would want to go to an African prison.

Second, if you’re caught committing a violent crime, such as armed robbery in Africa, there’s a good possibility you’ll end up lynched. There are stickup kids out here, but you don’t hear dudes openly talking about it like they do in the States.

That’s not to say that all forms of crime are looked down upon in the Motherland. You may not hear someone bragging about a robbery, but fraud, especially on the international variety, isn’t as frowned upon.

Meanwhile, African-Americans have what may be described as a criminal culture. And the United States in general is more of might-makes-right type of society.

Also, the legal system there is a lot more lenient and accommodating. So some young African-American men even see going to prison as a rites of passage. They’re being fed better in jail than many law-abiding citizens are on the outside.

Some subcultures in Africa may also count jail time as a measure of street credibility. But what’s even more idealized is not being caught by the law to begin with.

CONCLUSION

Africans and African-Americans have a common ancestry. But besides having separate histories over the last couple of centuries, these two groups are also situated in completely different environments. So even in the days of global culture, there are many differences in the ways we live. And perhaps we can say, relatively speaking, that Africa is more stuck in time, while the United States has fully proceeded into the New World.