Understanding the Diversity of the Black Community - Raymond Two Hawks Watson

Thursday, February 10, 2022

 

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Raymond Two Hawks Watson PHOTO: file

Last week my commentary briefly touched on the topic of the diversity of Rhode Island’s Black community. This week I will expand further on this subject matter.

I have come to greatly appreciate the cultural diversity I was immersed in being raised in Providence. I grew up around “Latinos”, “Asians”, and “Whites” and was exposed to the complexity of these communities. Dominicans were not the same as Puerto Ricans, and Guatemalans were not the same as Mexicans, despite all being “Latino/a.” Cambodians were not the same as Chinese, and Hmong were not the same as Lao, depsite all being “Asian.” Irish were not the same as Italians, and Armenians were not the same as the Portuguese, depsite all being “White.” Growing up with this level of cultural exposure and diversity seemed commonplace to me; in Providence it was the norm that you grew up in the same neighborhoods, went to school, and developed friendships with people from different cultures. Traveling to other places and engaging with other communities and cultures soon taught me otherwise.

Note that I did not acknowledge the “Black” community in my discussion about the diversity of cultures that I interacted with growing up; an act intended to call attention to the fact that contemporary society often ignores, undervalues, or outright dismisses the diversity and complexity of the Black community. That is not to say that other communities do not experience similar types of cultural erasure. It is to say that this is Black history month, and my remarks will be focused on the experience of the Black community. As always, I encourage further consideration of how these concepts apply to and impact other communities as well.

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This perspective on and treatment of the Black community has always been perplexing to me. Being a member of Providence’s Black community, I grew up with a deep appreciation for the diversity of Black folk that exists. I learned early on that southern Blacks were not the same as northern Blacks. The differences were quite apparent anytime we went “down south” or when family came “up north” to visit.  I learned that Cape Verdeans were not the same as Black Americans; a distinction that became quite apparent whenever Cape Verdean family and friends began speaking in Creole or debating whether the dish is properly called “munchupa” or “cachupa.”

Growing up with close friends and acquaintances who were Liberian, Nigerian, and Ghanaian, I learned that not all Africans were the same. My perspective was further expanded when I met individuals of Eritrean and Ethiopian heritage and realized that not all Africans were West African. Growing up with close friends from St Thomas, Jamaica, Trinidad, and Haiti I was exposed to the diversity of the Black community in the Caribbean. Regarding Haiti, I learned that depending upon what part of the Caribbean one was from and what European language predominated, Black identity could be code switched for the term “Afro-Latino/a”, despite both classifications acknowledging ancestral ties to Africa. Indeed, many Afro-Latinos/as hail from countries throughout the Americas including Honduras, Brazil, Mexico, and Columbia to name a few. Further in Providence, in addition to many Caribbean Americans and Black Americans, many Afro Latinos/as identify with their American Indian heritage.

Let’s discuss this aspect of Black identity for a moment; the connection with American Indian heritage. To acknowledge this duality of cultural heritages and experiences, the term “Black Indian” is often applied to the American Indian Nations of Rhode Island. In Rhode Island, this term is particularly contentious when one juxtaposes the persisting need for marginalized communities to work collectively to achieve societal change with Rhode Island’s historic use of racial misclassification as a tool for erasure of American Indian identity and erosion of American Indian rights (see Detribalization of Narragansett Tribe of Indians circa 1881).

This classification becomes more problematic considering that diversity of skin complexion among American Indians in the New England region is a trait that predates European contact. In 1524, describing the people he met when sailing into Narragansett Bay, Italian explorer Giovanni De Verrazano stated, “These people are the most beautiful and have the most civil customs that we have found on this voyage. They are taller than we are; they are a bronze color, some tending more toward whiteness, others to a tawny color..."

Being a Narragansett I can confirm that these traits remain prevalent among my people today; not only Verrazzano’s remarks about the diversity of our skin tones, but particularly his remarks about our being the most beautiful and most civilized people that an explorer could hope to meet on a voyage of discovery. This context shared, American Indians often add even more dimension to the diversity of Rhode Island’s Black community. Lastly, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the individuals of European and Asian parentage who, due to societal constructs, are Black presenting and considered a part of the Black community as well.

I share this to say that Rhode Island’s Black community is every bit as nuanced, complex, and cultured as any other community that calls Rhode Island home. Rhode Island’s Black community should be respected and supported as such. As you continue to acknowledge Black History month this year, be sure to celebrate the diversity of cultural heritages and experiences that comprise Rhode Island’s Black community.

Not that you asked, but that’s my three cents, in case you were wondering.

Raymond Two Hawks Watson

 

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