At the Skyline book club last night, Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was discussed. How does a non-American black begin to understand our tribal system in the USA? (By the way, if you like to read and discuss the books, please come at 7:30 PM each month on the second Monday in the Sky Club Lounge. Find the book list on the pages above or give Don Phillips a call). Adichie wrote these thoughts about our tribal system as a Nigerian black coming to our country with fresh eyes and an incredible command of our language.
“In American, tribalism is alive and well. There are four kinds – class, ideology, region, and race. First, class. Pretty easy. Rich folk and poor folk.
“Second, ideology. Liberals and conservatives. They don’t merely disagree on political issues, each side believes the other is evil. Intermarriage is discouraged and on the rare occasion that it happens, is considered remarkable.
“Third, region. The North and the South. The two sides fought a civil war and tough stains from that war remain. The North looks down on the South while the South resents the North.
“Finally, race. There’s a ladder of racial hierarchy in America. White is always on top, specifically White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, otherwise know as WASP, and American Black is always on the bottom, and what’s in the middle depends on time and place…Or as that marvelous rhyme goes: if you’re white, you’re all right; if you’re brown, stick around; is you’re black, get back…..The longer you are here, the more you start to get it.”