Black People Nodding At Black Strangers In Europe, In The United States, & Elsewhere

Edited by Azizi Powell

Update: November 17, 2019

This pancocojams post showcases a YouTube video entitled "Black in Paris - It's Different than Being Black in the States."

This post also presents excerpts from that discussion about the custom of Black people nodding at Black strangers.

This pancocojams post is part of an ongoing pancocojams series about the custom of Black people nodding at other Black people who are strangers. This custom is often referred to as "the nod" or "the Black nod".

Click the tag "video, articles, and comments about "the nod" to find other pancocojams posts about this subject.

The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to those who are featured on this YouTube video. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.

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Black in Paris - It's Different than Being Black in the States



Roman Around The World, Apr 19, 2018

Paris is a diverse city. But what's it like to be Black in Paris? Black travel here in France is a bit different than other countries. And that means no head nod here...
-snip-
Here are selected comments from that discussion, including two comments that I added to that discussion, (with numbers added for referencing purposes only)
1. Volcy Thoughts, 2018
"Y’all don’t do the black person head nod in France? Ah man..."

**
REPLY
2. Jordan H, 2018
"SirVolcy No communautarism in France, sorry :)"
-snip-
Here's a French definition of communautarism:
"le communautarisme est un terme socio-politique désignant les attitudes ou les aspirations au sein de minorités et moins couramment au sein de majorités (culturelles, religieuses, ethniques...) visant à se différencier volontairement, pour s'entraider, voire pour se dissocier du reste de la société"
-snip-
Google translate to English:
"communitarianism is a socio-political term designating attitudes or aspirations within minorities and less commonly within majorities (cultural, religious, ethnic ...) aiming to differentiate voluntarily, to help one another or even to dissociate themselves from the rest of society"

**
REPLY
3. "Alia Guerin, 2019
"No its not done, only if you know somebody i wont do it to anybody .. I can say bonjour goodmorning if you like .. but that i do because its considered being polite not because you are black."

**
REPLY
4. francesca, 2019
"It depends on where you live. Like if you live in big cities like Paris, Marseille, etc, you won't get a lot of head nod but if you living in cities (Grigny, Clichy,..) where there is a lot of minorities, then you'll get more head nod. Since we coming from the same backround and stuff you know.. We understand, help and support each other more."

**
REPLY
5. Lunatic Blues, 2019
"We actually do it when we are in room filled with white people.

**
REPLY
6. 9 Lives And Counting, 2019
"Why would you walk around bobbing your head at utter strangers all day? Not a thing in UK either. None of my friends do it."

**
REPLY
7. emma, 2019
"don't do it in the usa either....in fact doing so in NY might trigger a serious beatdown."

**
REPLY
8. Frankeya Atkinson, 2019
"9 Lives And Counting it’s a brief acknowledgement of a shared experience."

**
REPLY
9. Fadzai Chengeta, 2019
"Stereotypes aren’t good man not every black person does"

**
REPLY
10. Chesterfield, 2019
"Actually, it feels weird doing so. For example, when you visit a French village, where there are almost no minorities and you see another black fella, sure you'll notice each other, but it would feel communautarian and awkward to directly go to that person, or even nod at them, especially around other people.

But again, there are different cultures within the same community in the same country. Minorites coming from cities where there is a lot of immigrant descendants will naturally go to their own folk, and even be proud of it. It happened to me when I went to University, where most people were whites. Most of my friends were from minorites because we 'naturally' stuck together"

**
REPLY
11. Azizi Powell, 2019
"@francesca • I'm an arm chair traveler African American who some how happened upon this video. The only international nation I've been to is Canada. I find it and this discussion very interesting. For clarification, did you mean "but if you living in cities (Grigny, Clichy,..) where there aren't a lot of minorities, then you'll get more head nod." ?- Meaning the brief physical acknowledgement of someone else being Black happens more in smaller cities than larger cities where it is more common to see other Black people?"

**
REPLY
12. Azizi Powell, 2019
"And just for the record, as a 71 year old African American, I've noticed that the custom of Black strangers in the USA briefly nodding at other Black people when we pass each other on the street has lessened considerably since at least the 1980s or so, and is hardly done at all now in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, particularly with Black folks under the age of 40. I think that custom changed when gang activity in Pittsburgh got to be really bad. During that time younger Black people in Black poor & working class neighborhoods in Pittsburgh & surrounding areas identified with the neighborhood they lived in and didn't think that they could get support from other Black people just because they were Black (which is what I think the "nod" meant- that we're all in the same boat because of our race and if there was trouble and/or you needed support, then you could turn to someone else who was Black.) While the gang activity appears to have gotten better, I think that way of identifying yourself based on your neighborhood and not just your race (or city) still occurs in this city anyway.

Personally, I miss that custom of physically acknowledging Black strangers. And I still nod at other Black people I see, especially Black people over 40 or so. I believe that sub-set of Black people are (or were) used to that custom, particularly when we are "the only ones" in malls or in other mostly White frequented places which happens quite often in Pittsburgh since that city is only 20% Black and the county is only 12% Black."

**
13. maeva tbze, 2019
"😂😂 you can, we'll understand why you do this if you ever come here! I do it sometimes but most of the time it's more subtle.. we just make eye contact and like we know haha! I have friends with many different origins (white or non-white) but the majority of my best friends have always been black tho... i think from the point of view of any non-white person in France it's hard to say that France is really colorblind... in theory yes the République, but not in real life. And i had this conversation with some of my white classmates and some think there is almost no racism in France bc of this message of equality, and that we have the same life, which is very problematic and they were shocked when i told them that i have encountered racism (especially because I'm a middle-class well-educated black (mixed) woman)... but for me being born and raised in France has been mostly a positive experience"

**
14. Tara Young, 2018
"Just got back from France. I only got the "head nod" from other Black Americans. So glad I saw this before I left cuz I got no head nod from other Blacks/Africans. It was good to understand why."

**
15. ArmandoJaune, 2018
"Black and French, it happens, just not in big cities."

**
REPLY
16. Sebastien Fuger, 2018
"Lol you've never been to France."

**
REPLY
17. ArmandoJaune, 2018
"@Solemn Package Haha jsuis français donc me dis pas que je suis jamais aller en France, de quoi tu parles?"
-snip-
Google translate from French to English
"I'm French so do not tell me I'm never going to France, what are you talking about?"

**
REPLY
18. Sebastien Fuger, 2018
"@ArmandoJaune bah alors tu sors pas assez mon gars!"
-snip-
Google translate from French to English
@ArmandoJaune bah then you do not go out enough my guy!

**
REPLY
19. AdelSd, 2019
"It might appear weird, but from my perspective (French man from Syrian origin) I find it really strange to nod to people just because they share the same "ethnicity" than yours. Imagine, if white people were doing the same, they'd just be called racists (in the way that they don't behave the same toward people of their ethnicity compared to others). Even more when applied to American society, where people from African descent are absolutely not coming from the same country nor share the same heritage. To follow up on my analogy with white people, that'd be the same as having a white Afrikaaner and a Swedish nodding to each other on the street on the simple fact that they are white. Obviously, it comes from the fact that I have a different cultural point of view than US people, due to the fact that I'm French, but that's tough for me to really understand and justify."

**
20. emma, 2019
"And it's not like the "head nod" is frequently done in the usa....In some cities like NY, Chicago just to name a few doing so might start a fight, especially if it's between two guys, sooooooo....."
16. Ron Mosely, 2019

**
21. Ron Mosely, 2019
"The French speakers dont do that ! But Black folks in the UK do that! Black folks relate in London, give you that hey brother , look , but in Quebec and As she says in Paris , they dont give a phuq ~ London has every English speaking nation in Africa and the Carribbean, but dont get into that "where you from" crap! But even at the airport, Black folks will relate! ..She mentions , NYC, no one throws shade at interracial couples, and the opposite is true regarding French speaking African immigrants as compared to English speaking immigrants ! the Senegalese, Cote D;'Ivoire, Gambians, will treat you like family, but the Nigerians and Ghanians will relate , just to be civil or polite ! Black people have been in France for over 1200 years, so now a Black person does not have to have someone White on their arm to make , them fit in or be more French!"

**
22. elena 240, 2019
"I can't stand it when Black People don't speak"

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23. thedarkestcloud, 2019
"This is kind of hilarious that you would acknowledge another person of color in France... Especially in Paris you'd be waving every 5 seconds... imagine waving at every black person in Brooklyn... nonsense, Paris is not Warsaw, it is diverse,and no interracial dating in France is not a way to "solidify your frenchness", it is just two people falling in love and being attracted to each other, there too, Paris is not California, black people don't date ethnic French people to go up in society's hierarchy"

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American Television Show "Black-ish" 's Episode About Black People Nodding At Other Black People Who Are Strangers

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision: November 15, 2019

This pancocojams post presents information about the television sitcom (situation comedy) series Black-ish* and showcases a YouTube video of an episode of series that episode focuses on the custom of Black people nodding at other Black people who are strangers.

Selected comments from that YouTube video and selected comments from another YouTube video of that same portion of that television episode are also included in this post.

This pancocojams post is part of an ongoing pancocojams series about the custom of Black people nodding at other Black people who are strangers. This custom is often referred to as "the nod" or "the Black nod".

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/11/information-and-my-comments-about-words.html for a closely related pancocojams post entitled "Information And My Comments About The Words "Black-ish" And "Mixed-Ish".

Also, click the tag "video, articles, and comments about "the nod"" to find other pancocojams posts about this subject.

The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks to all those involved with the Black-ish television episode. Thanks also to the publisher of this video on YouTube.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT BLACK-ISH
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-ish
"Black-ish is an American sitcom television series created by Kenya Barris. It premiered on September 24, 2014, and has run for six seasons on ABC.[1][2].

[...]

Black-ish follows an upper middle class African-American family led by Andre 'Dre' Johnson (Anthony Anderson) and Rainbow Johnson (Tracee Ellis Ross). The show revolves around the family's lives, as they juggle several personal and sociopolitical issues."...the father "wishes to ensure a balance of black culture is intertwined with his family's ultra-suburban upbringing".

[...]

Throughout its run, Black-ish has received critical acclaim. The show has received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series, and a TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy. Meanwhile, Tracee Ellis Ross has received individual praise, winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress.[6] The show also ranks relatively highly among shows broadcast by ABC in terms of television season ratings, and ranks among the top ten in the United States for estimated total audience size.[7]

On May 2, 2019, ABC renewed the series for a sixth season.

The show's success has also prompted a spin-off titled Grown-ish, which stars Shahidi as her character travels to college.[9] In May 2019, ABC ordered a prequel spin-off, Mixed-ish, centered on young Bow and her biracial* family in the 1980s.[10]"...
-snip-
*In the context of that Wikipedia page, the word "biracial" may mean "interracial" (as in, "a couple or a family that includes more than one race or ethnicity-with ethnicity here-in the United States- meaning Latinx"). However, the word "biracial" has also been used in American English (since at least the 1980s) to mean "mixed racial" (mixed). "Mixed racial ("mixed") means a person who has two birth parents who are different races/ethnicities [with "ethnicity" here-meaning "Latinx"]. Read the quote that immediately follows this note for another example of the word "biracial".

**
The sitcom Black-ish draws from its creator/producer Kenya Barris' real life.
From https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/feb/25/series-creator-kenya-barris-on-abc-sitcom-black-ish
..."[Kenya] Barris’s wife is a biracial** anaesthetist called Bow, just like Black-ish’s matriarch Rainbow, while the real-life couple have six children to the fictional Johnsons’ five. Dre’s central dilemma (which gives the show its name) mirrors Barris’s own anxieties: that by giving his children privileged lives that are so different from his own impoverished childhood, they might lose their cultural heritage."...
-snip-
*"In this article "biracial" means "mixed racial".

Read the Addendum to this pancocojams post about the newly coined words "black-ish" and "mixed-ish".

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SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Video #1: The Nod



David R, Nov 1, 2016
-snip-
Here are selected comments from this YouTube video, with numbers added for referencing purposes only:
1. TheAntiTrope, 2018
"The nod is real 🤣. I'm British and even we know that. Pops got it right, "somethin' wrong with yo neck boi?""

**
REPLY
2. MC Cham, 2019
"Fellow Brit here. I do the saaame thing 😂"

**
REPLY
3. captain dirtypie, 2019
"Even we in belgium and the Netherlands know it
It is a international thing you know"

**
REPLY
4. Amy Victoria, 2019
"Just got to Amsterdam the nod is very real,and I am from Africa lol!!"

**
5. Daniel Kumevor, 2019
"The nod is so so real yeah.. Black bothers know that...!"

**
REPLY
6. Ebizzill, 2019
"the international black anthem for... "watch my back if things go south""
-snip-
“Watch my back if things go south” = Help me out if trouble starts [because of our race.]

**
7. TheLeah2344, 2019
"The nod exists . I’m a black woman and sometimes a black man gives me the nod but I know it’s very important for black boys and men to give each other the nod."

**
REPLY
8. GRIMM_SIMMER, 2019
"TheLeah2344 yeahhhh"

**
9. MélissaEnvy, 2019
"I must admit that I've even seen Africans nodding at each other in Japan lmaooo it really is international."

**
10. jarvis thomas, 2019
"The Nod is International! No matter where i went when i was in the Navy the Nod always happens lol"

**
REPLY
11. Chenai Sabeta-Boadi, 2019
"jarvis thomas Same thing in Africa... sometimes"

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12. FLOWER, 2019
"I can't believe there's some Black people who don't know to nod in acknowledgment. Shame."

**
13. André Lima, 2019
"Here in Brasil when we (blacks) find ourselves '' isolated '' we do the same 😂
But men do that at each other regardless the race aswell"

**
14. Timeyin Olley, 2019
"I recently started schooling in Australia, and anytime i see my fellow African brother even in the city, we automatically give eachoda the nod. Crazy cool"

**
15. Biyi Ogundele, 2019
"the nod is the silent i see u , or sup bro , i see u , gt u back my dude cmon man it sort of like the look ur momz give u to stop actin a fool"

**
16. Matthew Welch, 2019
"There are some variations to the Head Nod. Young Black men up to about 40yrs old always nod their head UP. Black Men over 40 always nod their head DOWN."

**
REPLY
17. RoWdY The 1, 2019
"Wrong over 40 nod there head up as well I’m 42 I nod up same as all 40 above
So you tell me that all the 90s hip hop artists that are now over 40 nod down nope they nod up."

**
18. sweetiiey, 2019
"It's real! I'm born 93 and live in Sweden it's a thing"

**
19. Michael Ndetu, 2019
"Im from Africa ..and it just comes naturally..it's real.."

**
20. Daniel Buval, 2019
"The nod is totally real! I’m French. Even we know that too! My stupid father never taught me that! But to nod another black man made total sense to me specially if there is fewer of us."

**
21. She Wolf, 2019
"I’m live in Utah. Not a lot of black folk. So when we see each other the least we do is nod. I sometimes do it to Hispanics at a few white friends."

**
22. Nawfal Kulam, 2019
"The nod is for all people of color, not just black folks."

**
REPLY
23. Terry I, 2019
"Depends on where they grew up. Some feel they're above it."

**
24. Mum Raymond, 2019
"Kwetu hawafundishwi iko kwa damu tayari"
-anip-
Google translate from Swahili to English:
"For us they are not taught it is in blood already"

**
REPLY
25. Terrence Lufuta, 2019
"Hiyo ni ukweli kabisa... Lakini mimi hufanya hivyo kwa watu ambao najua na sina story kwa huo muda"
-snip-
Google translate from Swahili to English:
"For us they are not taught it is in blood already"

**
26. ValierMary, 2019
"I grew up in Germany in an all-white surrounding (except my immediate family) and the nod always freaks me out - I am with the boy “but I don't know him!“ "

**
27. Terrence Lufuta, 2019
"That's totally true ... But I do it for people I know and I don't have a story for that moment"

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Video #2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0Zn4NCsP9Q&t=1s "black-ish: The Nod" ABC; Oct 9, 2014

[Pancocojams Editor's Note: The YouTube video that is given here about Video #2 is the same as the video given as #1. However, Video #1 was published almost three years before the video given here as Video #1. And, video #2 is a longer version of the portion of the episode of the Black-ish television series that is given as Video #1.]
-snip-
Here are selected comments from this YouTube video, with numbers added for referencing purposes only:

2014
1. Bacall McElroy
"lmao! So true the nod is essential."

****
2015
2. Caleb Walker
"Basic black! 😭😭😭"

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2016
3. Abdullahi Mohamed
3. The nod has been brought down generations to generation"

**
4. Phuture Hi Def
"Same with Mexicans, the nod is everything lol"

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2017
5. Moses Jakur
"the nod is actually a true thing I remember when I lived in China there were very few black people there at the time and every time we saw each other we would nod weather they were French speaking or English speaking it didn't matter"

**
6. InMyOwn Words
"I remember my first US visit and my first experience with "The Nod"... I had to ask my relatives what the frack is that all about. I cannot imagine walking around Jamaica nodding to everyone. It was strange at first, why are these people nodding to me and I do not know them. Now I understand."

**
7. Ryooken
"You know until now I didn't even think about "the nod" but it's true we do it unconsciously. In my day we gave the nod before sayin sup."

**
8. keke10783
"i nodded to a black kid in my neighborhood, while i was riding my bike, and he nodded back.
now, i always thought everyone knew to nod back when you nodded at them, but after seeing this show i wanted to see if their really were any people who didn't know to nod back. So, out of curiosity i tried it with some white people and every single time they either smiled and/or waved😂."

**
9. A2rose2016
“It's not just a black male thing either. I was in Trader Joe's and saw another black women. The store was crowded but we were the only 2 people of color in the entire store....so we gave one another "the nod." It's a way of saying hi, as well as, a way of showing appreciation that you're not the "only black one" in the room. Idk it just helps me feel more comfortable seeing someone else who looks like me... especially when its common to feel out of place.”

**
REPLY
10. Jay Anderson
"Because yall got it from the bruhs lol"

**
REPLY
11. Wayne Hilson
"Love it! It's also the "If some ISH go down, there's at least one other brotha/sista that might squawb wit chu" sign!"
-snip-
Here’s part of that sentence given in Standard English
It’s also a sign to you that “If some trouble occurs, there’s a least one other Black man or woman that will fight with you”.

**
12. Netherwolf6100
"xD funny as hell. I never understood it, nor did I know why we did it. All I knew is, when someone did it to me, I do it back and if I do it to someone and if they don't nod back, i somehow get offended by it."

**
13. jxsilicon9
"That's true. I saw another black guy in Japan.Had to give nod."

**
REPLY
14. lextual, 2018
"If ya'll was in /Japan/, ya'll needed to give each other some dap, having escaped to another country...
-snip-"
“Dap”= Black handshake

**
15. Manny Rosalez
"lmfao I see my black friend do the nod. when he sees other black folks..... we live in a Latino neighborhood..."

**
16. Queen LeLe
"I was walking with my friend and this black guy gave me the nod and I gave it back to him and my friend was like do you know him and I'm like I don't know him . He said hi and I just said hi back ."

**
17. yagerzero
"Too bad the brothas at my school don't nod me back"

**.
REPLY
18. shihoblade
"yagerzero Something must be wrong with their necks. We talking basics here."

**
19. stabkamay
"so "the nod" is a global thing? Interesting,
I have only witnessed that phenomenon in Germany"

**
20. LyricalXilence
"SEE! I knew my dad was always doing something when he saw another black person and I knew it was funny."

**
21. shihoblade
"I didn't even notice that I did this until my white friend at college pointed it out. It's instinctual."

**
22. cubanis82
"tellin our secretes"

**
23. Michael Segura
"It must just be a guy thing, because me and every Mexican does too lol."

**
24. stabkamay
"the show is right, though
it isn't as common anymore as it used to be"

**
25. Garol Stipock
"The nod is crucial. Can mean the difference between you making it home or getting that beat down for being a punk. Basic man shyt. . .you might could maybe retire it when you turn 33, a decade ago I might have said, 28, but sh&t* seems to be less real now than before."
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in this comment.

****
2018
26. Tag T.
"Polynesians got that nod too 😂"

**
27. Loogi Boy
"The Nod is not just a black thing... It's actually an instinct of all men. It's instinctual to nod as a sign of acknowledgement. Downward nod is usually used for strangers while nodding up is for friends or aquaintices"

**
28. bringoutthelegos
"I'm Asian, and I also do this."

**
29. Me Miss Marie
"Very real. Especially when it is an event and we are like the only 3 it is like ✊🏾"

**
30. The Black Kakashi
"I be giving the nod even when I don't want to it's the seventh sense 😂"

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2019
1. guiloro
"I learned the nod when I was like 9. In elementary and middle school I was always in some spelling bee, geography bee, or STEM contest. Rooms full of mostly white kids, a few Asians. There were two Black sisters I'd see from time to time but I was still shy around girls and didn't approach any I didn't already know. But one other Black boy I'd see all the time. The first time we saw each other at the opposite ends of the room-- nod. Both in the same row competing in the same event-- nod. One of us spell a word right, walking back to our seat-- nod, fist bump, high five etc."

**
2. 2Howl
"My wife (who is South American) thought the nod meant I actually knew all those other black people. She thought I was unbelievably popular"

**
3. Dwayne Richardson
"I was shocked to see another brother at a Radiohead concert. Gave him The Nod."

**
4. West Coast Peach
"...real talk, thats what show is about, sharing.💯"

****
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Black People Nodding At Other Black People Who Are Strangers (Article Excerpts & Comments)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents excerpts from four online articles about the custom of Black people nodding at other Black people who are strangers. Comments from some of those articles are including in this post.

This pancocojams post is part of an ongoing pancocojams series about the custom of Black people nodding at other Black people who are strangers. This custom is often referred to as "the nod" or "the Black nod".

Click the tag "video, articles, and comments about "the nod"" to find other pancocojams posts about this subject.

The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

****
DEFINITION OF "THE NOD" [as used in this post]
From https://workinprogress.oowsection.org/2017/06/01/the-black-nod-what-a-simple-gesture-tell-us-about-congress/ "The “Black Nod”: What a simple gesture tell us about Congress" by Guest Contributor, June 1, 2017
..."The nod is a gesture of acknowledgment. The interaction begins with establishing eye contact and then is followed by a subtle lowering of the head. As many participants explained the nod was not a gesture that was unique to Capitol Hill, but that they regularly used to signal solidarity to other Black people in majority-white environments.
-snip-
According to a number of persons writing or commenting online about this custom, "the nod" can either be performed as a quick uplift of the chin or a quick lowering the head.
-snip-
A longer excerpt of this article is given as Excerpt #2 below.

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ARTICLE EXCERPTS & COMMENTS
These article excerpts and comments are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

Excerpt #1

From https://www.beenaroundtheglobe.com/nod-black-person/ THE NOD (WHEN YOU’RE BLACK) BY ROOBENS, 07/01/2019
..."When you’re black and you find yourself in an area with almost no black people, you inevitably went through the famous black nod. A slight nod you do to another black person you see in the street. Very subtle, very quick. If you walk next to me and you look away just for a few seconds, you probably won’t see I just did the head nod to another black person I just passed by. Yeah, that’s how it is, traveling while black, we greet each other!

Generally, we do the nod furtively and quite fast. This is something we do naturally, but it causes confusion and bewillderment among the non-black people who saw me nodding to another black man. “Huh… Do you know him?“, asked an Austrian girl, after watching me greeting a black guy in Samarkand. “Nope, I don’t know him” “But… Why did you say hi to him then???“

[...]

In several areas in the world, you don’t expect at all to see another black person. You spend full days exploring a city/a region/a country, never bumping into a single black person! And all of a sudden, on a beautiful day, you finally spot one! You’re then overwhelmed with a feeling, a mix of surprise, acknowledgement, and support, and instinctively, you’re gonna greet each other. Implicitly, you’re happy to see “a brother, one of us”, in a place where you’re a very small minority. “Cool, I’m not alone!“. There’s some implied sense of “kinship”.

It’s a sign of acknowledgement, of camaraderie, a sign of a bond between us, and it’s also a way to say “I’m right there with you!” It’s a bit weird… In fact, it’s as if you were exploring an unknown territory, potentially hostile (I talked about it in my article about the fear of racism when traveling*), and just the fact to see another black person, makes you feel more comfortable.

[...]

I have to clarify one thing. It only happens when traveling -yeah you’re reading a travel blog- at least in my experience. I never nodded to a black guy -or got the nod- in a city full of black people. Never where I live in Paris, nor in London, in Western Europe in general, or in the US. It returns to and it reinforces what I said earlier : it usually only happens in areas where we’re a very small minority. When it happens, the reactions are different. As I said, usually, the chin rises up a little bit, and returns back to its regular position. Sometimes we shake hands (it happened in New Delhi), sometimes we even hug and we start having a conversation (it happened in Ella, Sri Lanka).

I noticed that usually, black people from the US are more inclined to nod and start a conversation than black people from Europe. It must be cultural, and Americans (in general, not just black people!) travel a lot less than Europeans. I guess they’re even more delighted to see a brother. But yeah, we also do the nod, black guys not from the US. I remember that black girl from the US, her face lit up when she saw me “My maaaaan!!! How are you? You’re on vacation! It’s so cool to see you here! etc…” We started talking as if we were two old friends running into each other and happy to meet up. Black Americans are more inclined to start a conversation “Hey! How you doin? Where you from? What are you doing here? Having fun?” Black Europeans will content themselves with a head nod, and they’ll keep walking.

[...]

However, I never do the nod first to a woman, it can be misinterpreted and I don’t want to get in trouble #metoo. If she does the black nod first, then I’ll respond with a head nod as well. Otherwise I don’t do it.

[...]

As I said, the black nod is mostly done in areas where we’re a very small minority. By the way, you can apply this rule to any minority group. I talked earlier about the white people in rural areas in India, the rare tourists in East Timor… To go further, the bikers and the cyclists also do the nod when they pass by each other (a minority group compared to the cars, and there’s a sense of belonging to a group)."....
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*Here's the link to the article that is mentioned in that excerpt: https://www.beenaroundtheglobe.com/fear-racism-travel/.
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Here's a comment from that article's discussion thread:
Teja says

11/01/2019
"Actually, I’ve noticed white expats always greet each other here. They will tend to nod or even say a greeting, and neither one necessarily knows the other. But they don’t do it to non-whites (like in an elevator, this is very noticeable). It always irritates me, especially when my American white colleague is greeted, and I’m like right next to her and ignored. But maybe it is the same thing as ‘the nod’.

Malaysians tend to be 50-50 – the delight in finding a countryman (and that the countryman was identified correctly and isn’t actually Filipino, for example) has to exceed the natural shyness we have with bothering strangers. But the best example has to be when I did my Masters degree in Wales, where there were very few Malaysians in a small and quite isolated Welsh town.

I was just registered into uni, walking down the hill with my parents, and suddenly a car stopped next to us on the road. Then a window rolled down, and the driver stuck his head out, calling out with a totally typical Malay phrasing, “Melayu ke?” (You Malay?) And that was how I got a surrogate family in Wales (along with the home-cooked meal benefits that come with it!)"

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Excerpt #2
From https://workinprogress.oowsection.org/2017/06/01/the-black-nod-what-a-simple-gesture-tell-us-about-congress/ "The “Black Nod”: What a simple gesture tell us about Congress" by Guest Contributor,
June 1, 2017
..."What does the “Black nod” mean?

The nod is a gesture of acknowledgment. The interaction begins with establishing eye contact and then is followed by a subtle lowering of the head. As many participants explained the nod was not a gesture that was unique to Capitol Hill, but that they regularly used to signal solidarity to other Black people in majority-white environments.

As they put it, the nod meant “I see you.” The nod then became a tool that they used make to themselves and others like them visible. As many participants explained the nod was not a gesture that was unique to Capitol Hill, but that they regularly used to signal solidarity to other Black people in majority-white environments.

As they put it, the nod meant “I see you.” The nod then became a tool that they used make to themselves and others like them visible.

In Congress, the exchange of the nod became a moment in which Black staffers could convey and share, albeit briefly, the struggles and frustrations of working in a majority-white institution.

[...]

In some ways, the limited sample of White staffers interviewed who were unaware of the nodding practice before them confirms the invisibility of Black staffers. Encounters like this fed a general racial paranoia about the status of Black workers in Congress and distributions of power. These perceptions of race and power reaffirmed the importance of nodding.

Respondents said nodding was important, but not everyone nodded. An analysis of not nodding revealed important gender, class, and age distinctions and the performative elements of race.

While Black women participated in nodding, they almost never initiated the exchange as it could be misconstrued as a sexual advance.

In addition, respondents inferred class distinctions about those who did not nod, suggesting that their privileged positon meant they were “not down with the race”. Older and veteran Black staffers lamented that younger staffers did not nod and understand the importance of sticking together even as the size of group expanded in recent decades.

When respondents discussed moments in which a nod was not initiated or reciprocated they unknowingly expressed their thoughts about what the Black community on Capitol Hill should be.”...

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Excerpt #3
From https://www.247liveculture.com/the-nod-the-common-courtesy-every-black-man-needs-to-know/culture "The Nod: The Common Courtesy Every Black Man Needs To Know" By: Omar Cook
...”The nod is the common courtesy that every black man needs to know! I don't know how it came about but the simple fact is that if you're a black man in America, you need to have this as a tool. The act of nodding your heading up or down is a sure sign of acknowledgement, as if you're saying to that person, "I see you, we're in this together." The nod is the next best thing to dapping a person up and it literally takes one second and you go about your business.

There is a difference between the downward nod and the upward nod though. Usually, when you give the upward nod, it's to someone you know, someone of the same age, or you might just be at a considerable distance that nodding your head up is the best way that person might see the gesture. You usually nod your head down as a sign of respect to someone that is older than you or complete strangers. Either you can't go wrong, but you should never let a passing moment between two black men go by without acknowledging him.

Black men share the same struggles together in America and this simple sign of respect is just a small gesture of unity. IF a black ever walks by you, and doesn't look at you to acknowledge you with the nod, thats a red flag and there's a problem. Honestly, I almost feel disrespected if a black man doesn't look to make eye contact and give this universal sign of respect. That brother wasn't raised right! I'm writing this post not only to spread cultural awareness about this common courtesy, but to gather the attention of the black men out there who don't do this! It's 2018, and with racial tensions getting hotter, it's a MUST that black men respect each other, stick together, and at the very least acknowledge each other's presence.”...

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Excerpt #4
From https://medium.com/matter/the-nod-a-subtle-lowering-of-the-head-to-another-black-person-in-an-overwhelmingly-white-place-e12bfa0f833f
"The Nod: A Subtle Lowering of the Head You Give to Another Black Person in an Overwhelmingly White Place", Musa Okwonga, Oct 16, 2014
"If you’re a black person who has ever visited a place where there aren’t many other black people, then you will be familiar with The Nod. The Nod is just that: An almost imperceptible lowering of the head toward any other black person you might encounter on your travels through, say, Slovakia or Russia.

Yet The Nod is also so much more than that: It’s a swift yet intimate statement of ethnic solidarity. The Nod is saying, “Wow, well, I really didn’t expect to see another one of us out here, but you seem to be doing your thing just fine. More power to you, and all the very best."...
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Selected comments from this article's comment section:
a. A Jones, Nov 5, 2015 ·
What some of the people below that are saying that “The Nod” is not a black thing are ignoring the premise of this article. It is not making a statement that Black men created it and are the only people doing, it’s about the what “The Nod” means to us. It is a means of acknowledge of struggle and accomplishment. You might nod to say, “Hey how’s it going?” but it means a little bit more for us."
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This commenter doesn't have a screen photograph.

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REPLY
b. Chaveevah Cheryl Banks Ferguson, Nov 6, 2015
"I agree with A Jones. The author has not said that The Nod is EXCLUSIVE to Black people, that Black people ‘created’ it, etc — only that, amongst Black people, it has a special significance when you see another Black person in a place where you totally did not expect to see them. Why is that such a problem for non-Black people, that they have to generalize — and thereby, dismiss/devalue whatever specific meaning it might hold for the author? Okay, so you’ve also had this experience. Good. That STILL does not lessen the value/impact of what the author is trying to convey. It’s unfortunate, but unless ‘they’ are central to whatever story or example is being offered, some whites seem to be offended by tales of camaraderie that Black people experience with other Black people. One commenter, Jeremiah, was particularly ridiculous — to suggest that acknowledging another Black person in a foreign land, culturally homogeneous venue, etc, is somehow ‘segregating’ is the height of the “me-first” mindset that needs to be checked at the door. Acknowledging ANOTHER Black person doesn’t mean the author ONLY acknowledged other Black people. Get over yourself!"
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The commenter’s screen photo is of a Black woman.

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c. Sigil, Nov 9, 2015
“The nod” is reassurance that you are not alone. That simple gesture can sustain, motivate and give peace to both. The intent of the nod is what is unique."
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This commenter doesn't have a screen photograph.

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d. Nomfundo Sarah Msomi, Dec 4, 2015
"I’m a South African in Hong Kong (via India, a small Liberal Arts college in New York, the Development Studies department at the University of Oxford, and the creative industries in London and New York). The nod — I’ve given it, I’ve received it, it’s very much a part of my life. Great piece."
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The commenter’s screen photo is of a Black woman.

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e. Elizabeth Wright, Feb 23, 2016
"Mexican people do a nod here. I think it’s more like lifting the chin to acknowledge someone from the same background. The same motion can mean a string of other things depending on context, but the acknowledgement gesture is pretty consistent."
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The commenter's screen photo is difficult to decipher.

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