tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post3909175504560908830..comments2024-03-28T07:58:41.643-04:00Comments on pancocojams: Akata Is A Mean Spirited WordAzizi Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-79106431804759265102019-11-03T10:23:52.491-05:002019-11-03T10:23:52.491-05:00Thanks for sharing your perspective on this Lisa.
...Thanks for sharing your perspective on this Lisa.<br /><br />You wrote that "Africans don't have that internal dialog -at least not naturally". <br /><br />I'm curious, what African nation do you live in or are you from? Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-22264298482261783262019-11-03T10:20:25.125-05:002019-11-03T10:20:25.125-05:00Lisa, colorism works both ways- some lighter skinn...Lisa, colorism works both ways- some lighter skinned African Americans look down on darker skinned African Americans and vice versa...also some lighter skinned African Americans wish their skin were darker, especially now when a lot of Black people in the USA are talking about "Black girl magic" and "melanin poppin"...<br /><br />I've read some really problematic comments from darker skinned Black people about Black and Brown people whose skin isn't as dark as dark as theirs.Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-52804742524307528452019-11-03T02:12:48.799-05:002019-11-03T02:12:48.799-05:00I think the word was meant to be "other-ize&q...I think the word was meant to be "other-ize". As in lighter skinned AA's treat darker skinned AA's as lesser than themselves.Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08618211907926175238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-69267101185869833272019-11-03T02:01:26.893-05:002019-11-03T02:01:26.893-05:00Here is an example of the stress that I think j2y2...Here is an example of the stress that I think j2y2k3 is referring to: You have an encounter with a White person, a Black American's internal dialog after said encounter will generally include any of the following "Did he say that because I'm Black? Was I treated that way because I'm Black? Did she look at me like that because I'm Black? Would my experience have been different if I wasn't Black? " and so on. Africans don't have that internal dialog, at least not naturally. We have grown up with it and it is so ingrained in us that we don't even realize the stress it causes.Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08618211907926175238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-23335455436436313272019-10-31T16:25:25.463-04:002019-10-31T16:25:25.463-04:00Anonymous, thanks for sharing your comments about ...Anonymous, thanks for sharing your comments about the n word and about the word "akata".<br /><br />I appreciate reading readers' opinions about these words and about people using either or both of these words around them.Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-11932370126120474432019-10-31T13:00:36.758-04:002019-10-31T13:00:36.758-04:00You're welcomeYou're welcomeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-10425008563064251612019-10-31T12:59:02.579-04:002019-10-31T12:59:02.579-04:00As an African American woman, I would be offended ...As an African American woman, I would be offended if anybody called me the " n" word and there are other African Americans who wouldn't like it.I don't even like it when we use it. Not only is it racist/ disrespectful but I wouldn't want for anybody to think that would be down with them using it. I have actually told some of my family,friends and acquaintances don't use that word and other anti Black descriptions around me. I love who I am and to call yourself that means you must not. I don't see anything "friendly"about it.<br /><br />As I said before, I wouldn't want anybody to say " Akata" around me. I will never accept that word as being complimentary. My ex fiance was Nigerian and he never used it around me and I wouldn't have tolerated him if he would have,just like I would deal with any non Black person call me the "n" word.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-52621385204451172332019-10-20T07:54:32.551-04:002019-10-20T07:54:32.551-04:00Thanks, Temitope for your perspectives on the word...Thanks, Temitope for your perspectives on the word "akata" as a Yoruba. <br /><br />I agree with you that "Any word could be used in a positive and negative manner, 'akata' is no different". <br /><br />If indeed the word "akata" is changing its meaning "as it is used by people who have no knowledge of its meaning or history", that wouldn't be any different than a lot of words in any language.<br /><br />You wrote that you have heard the word "akata" being used to describe a more educated member of their family". I'm curious if you were referring to the contemporary use of the word "akata" by Yorubas and/or other people from Nigeria. Also, was the referent meant to be positive or negative or neutral as just a referent for someone who talked or acted like African Americans or other Black people from outside of Africa such as the United Kingdom?<br /><br />Here are the hyperlinks that you included in your comment: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4jurS64zEQ" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4jurS64zEQ</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/61076345281/posts/evergreen-song-of-the-day-kii-seru-akata-released-in-1975-this-is-another-one-of/180968998587861/" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/61076345281/posts/evergreen-song-of-the-day-kii-seru-akata-released-in-1975-this-is-another-one-of/180968998587861/</a>.<br /><br />I used to be friendly with a Yoruba woman who lived in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but she returned to Nigeria years ago. Ditto, for an Igbo woman who I was friendly with. Unfortunately, I don't know any other Nigerians now. <br /><br />Thanks again!Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-11274848453869596312019-10-19T23:57:04.002-04:002019-10-19T23:57:04.002-04:00Hi Azizi,
I'll be pointing you to a music trac...Hi Azizi,<br />I'll be pointing you to a music track released in 1975 as well as a facebook link from the musician.<br />Akata was and is still a word that means jackal or black panther, as a matter of fact, jackal is more accurate as African black panthers are just melanistic leopards.<br />The title of the track is derived from a Yoruba proverb (which I'm too lazy to translate right now) and the word actually meant a jackal as the singer was using the proverb to refer to a rival in the song.<br />The fact that some people do not of a word does not give them the right to change its meaning as 'Yoruba Man in the UK' tried to do, there are lots of words in the English language that modern speakers don't know about, it would make no sense to change their literal meaning for that purpose. 'Akata' is a single word.<br />The word has been abused to an extent that its origin is now being blurred and its meaning obscure; the first step towards a discussion on this word starts with its literal meaning, we can then proceed to having a proper discussion about its colloquial meaning as is used by Africans in the US today.<br />'Anonymous September 23, 2019 at 6:13 PM' is closer to the point about the original usage of the in relation to African Americans. I have heard the word used by people used to describe a more educated member of their own family, but I am a Yoruba man and so have a better understanding of the word and the context in which it is used. Any word could be used in a positive and negative manner, 'akata' is no different. In addition, the meaning seems to be changing as it is now being used by people who have no knowledge of its meaning or history. Someone mentioned an Ethiopian using the word, the distance between Nigeria and Ethiopia is more than that between the east and west coast of the US, not to mention the language diversity so I find it impossible that an Ethiopian would understand the meaning of the word other than a perception of it gleaned from some ignorant people.<br /><br />Note: If you have a Yoruba(not just Nigerian) friend, I'd suggest you have him/her translate the music for you in case you have any doubts.<br /><br />Youtube:<br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4jurS64zEQ<br /><br />Facebook:<br />https://www.facebook.com/61076345281/posts/evergreen-song-of-the-day-kii-seru-akata-released-in-1975-this-is-another-one-of/180968998587861/Temitopehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14810045860235525269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-89316726900595839172019-10-07T14:59:40.005-04:002019-10-07T14:59:40.005-04:00Team Abel, thanks for your response to the questio...Team Abel, thanks for your response to the question about the n word, and thanks for sharing your opinion about the word "Akata".Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-81845930179658602052019-10-07T14:58:08.101-04:002019-10-07T14:58:08.101-04:00Unknown, thanks for your question.
One response t...Unknown, thanks for your question.<br /><br />One response to that question is given below.Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-87391870737923742452019-10-07T12:14:14.585-04:002019-10-07T12:14:14.585-04:00I really don’t think so. I, being a first generati...I really don’t think so. I, being a first generation Nigerian in America who frequently travels back to Nigeria, hears the younger generation call each other the N word all the time. <br />Maybe if you were trying to be malicious with the word, yea. <br />Akata is the name that has stuck but I’m not sure if the original meaning had a negative connotation. If it did, I would say that it ought to not be used anymore. <br />Follow our Instagram @team_abel, we’re bridging the gap so that we may walk freely back and forth if we wish to do so. Team Abelhttps://www.instagram.com/team_abel/?hl=ennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-39902635241726486882019-10-03T22:24:06.815-04:002019-10-03T22:24:06.815-04:00Would an African be offended if I called them the ...Would an African be offended if I called them the “n” word? Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07668214753034674121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-79408947569008299232019-09-23T22:17:28.978-04:002019-09-23T22:17:28.978-04:00Anonymous, thank you for sharing your experiences ...Anonymous, thank you for sharing your experiences with the word Akata in Nigeria.<br /><br />Your experiences/perspectives add to the information about this word - experiences and perspectives that I haven't found elsewhere online before your comment. <br /><br />I appreciate it.Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-46801104785983300162019-09-23T18:13:02.387-04:002019-09-23T18:13:02.387-04:00The perspectives so far is interesting. I do not a...The perspectives so far is interesting. I do not agree 100% that it is derogatory. It may be, based on the intent of the speaker and in what context it is used. I grew up in Nigeria admiring "Akata". When you use it to classify someone in my locality it meant respect, when you speak like an "Akata" you are admired by the girls, as a matter of fact we imitate their dress style and imitate their intonation for effect as we called it then. When someone says he is from Akata it means you just came from the U.S.A. We even coined the word "See Akata and Die" meaning it is desirable to visit the land before you pass on. In Nigeria any word can be used as an abuse irrespective of it's original meaning. A well learned intelligent man when he errs can be called an "Educated illiterate". An intelligent student who is on point all the time can be called "oversabi" meaning he is showoff. In the same context "youtoosabi" meaning same thing is used as praise for knowing too much or the opposite. In my summation I think the original intent when the word was coined was not intended to slight African Americans. In the context of Nigerian/African culture, one African American who errs can be referred to as Stupid Akata and that individual may get stuck on the word Akata instead of the word stupid. In all when an indidivual tells me I do not like to called XYZ I desist. That does not mean I was originally disrespectful. My 2 cents.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-21315401236708978062019-08-26T15:54:17.271-04:002019-08-26T15:54:17.271-04:00Anonymous, August 26, 2019 at 12:55 PM
I strongly...Anonymous, August 26, 2019 at 12:55 PM<br /><br />I strongly agree with your opinion about the derogatory word "Akata".<br /><br />Thanks for sharing your comment on pancocojams.<br /><br />One love!Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-38382287695861958452019-08-26T12:55:55.380-04:002019-08-26T12:55:55.380-04:00The first time I learned about the word Akata was ...The first time I learned about the word Akata was from a YT clip that I viewed on Asian Men/ Black women dating. The creator, a young Ethiopian woman was being nasty to African Americans..saying that no Asian men would want to date them and just kept going of saying " Akata...slave"( for the most part,she wasnt nothing to brag about). That was 20 years ago.<br /><br />The second time I learned about the meaning of Akata was when I read a book by a Nigerian( Ibgo) woman. The book called " What Will My Mother <br />Say" by Dympna Ugwu-Oju described the word as " derogatory" and in her country , African Americans or those who were descendants of slavery were classified "osu" to distinguish free born Nigerians from those who weren't.<br /><br />My opinion of the Akata word. So far, I haven't heard any Nigerian Ive been around saying it and hope that they never would. I dont find a thing flattering being compared to an animal.<br />Even in African-American culture for any White/ non Black person to compare us to animals is considered to be racist.<br /><br />I dont care what context Akata is put in, I want no part of it.Everytime that word is used, it is never good ( eg .the " Stupid Akata" clip. Yes, White folks are called" Oyimbo" but it just mean " White"..seemingly there is no xenophobic" attachment to it. At best, it can be seen as a racial classification or racist..not in the same way that Akata isAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-44298388057108895442019-08-26T12:18:12.157-04:002019-08-26T12:18:12.157-04:00Btw, Yoruba man in UK, with regard to your comment...Btw, Yoruba man in UK, with regard to your comment:<br />"In the elite schools of Nigeria, for example, if you had a reputation for grammatical errors in English or your intonation was not Queen's English enough, you'd practically have no friends. In fact, it's not too dissimilar to the American situation where lighter skinned African-Americans other[w]ise darker skinned African-Americans." did you mean that lighter skinned African Americans are held in higher esteem by White Americans than darker skinned African American?<br /><br />If so, that was generally true in the past, but not necessarily true now.Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-36298829089673891072019-08-26T12:03:56.712-04:002019-08-26T12:03:56.712-04:00Greetings, A Yoruba man in UK.
I appreciate the ...Greetings, A Yoruba man in UK. <br /><br />I appreciate the information and the perspectives that you shared in your comments. <br /><br />Your comment is the first time I've read that "a ka" in "akata" means "someone who plucks". Previously, I read that "akata" meant "panther" or "wild cat". <br /><br />I agree that African economics and African socio-cultural interactions within and outside of that continent with Africans and non-Africans including the African Diaspora are complex issues. Sharing information and opinions helps.<br /><br />One love!<br /> Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-76944568404858498862019-08-26T00:13:02.436-04:002019-08-26T00:13:02.436-04:002 of 2: A Yoruba man in UK
It’s a complex issue, ...2 of 2: A Yoruba man in UK<br /><br />It’s a complex issue, Azizi. It’s a complex issue that necessitates African countries to plunder their respective treasuries for the benefit of Western financial institutions, rather than for their own benefit. A complexity entailed in the ‘pact for the continuation of colonisation’, for example, that puts France in control of the currencies of its former West African colonies, to date. A complexity we will deliver ourselves from, ultimately. But, make no mistake the elites (aka the 1%) of the African nations that slaves were sold/taken from have as much to answer as the Westerner constructors of racism and divide-and-rule (aka the 1%).aHoGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02864372019925047754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-23732347243005922172019-08-26T00:11:35.111-04:002019-08-26T00:11:35.111-04:00We - Yorubas - may not, now, know what the word, A...We - Yorubas - may not, now, know what the word, Akata, means, but, have no doubt that its original intention was to derogate. And, I'll give you a clue that will remove all doubt as to this intention. Yes, it has come to be used to, faux-mockingly, refer to any Nigerian who may have lived in the US for any period of time; even those who have been merely for a few weeks' vacation. Its intention was to derogate.<br /><br />First, the fact we, Yorubas, who coined the term, now, struggle to define it speaks volumes. Without going into too-long-a-tale, we struggle to speak our own language because of the legacy of colonisation that brainwashed us into disparaging our language for the 'superior' Queen's English; this is what Fela Anikulapo-Kuti referred to as colo-mentality. In the elite schools of Nigeria, for example, if you had a reputation for grammatical errors in English or your intonation was not Queen's English enough, you'd practically have no friends. In fact, it's not too dissimilar to the American situation where lighter skinned African-Americans otherise darker skinned African-Americans.<br /><br />Yes, centuries of enslaving and colonising Africans came to 'end', but, it didn't at the same time. Over all those centuries, the interests that had become vested in the benefits of slavery and colonisation could just not be ended by abolishing slavery and granting independence, can it. We’re talking money, here!<br /><br />So, we had the constructs of divide-and-rule (that created the ‘accident of geography’, called Nigeria – the most populous black nation, for example) and racism (to take care of the diaspora of the formerly enslaved). It’s out of this construct that colo-mentality was borne, and it necessitated that we coin the Yoruba term ‘akata’; equivalent terms exist in all 200+ Nigerian languages and dialects. So, I’ll hazard a guess that it exists within most African languages.<br /><br />I came across this webpage because I, too - a Yoruba man, needed to know the exact meaning of the word. The ‘ka’ in akata means ‘to pluck’. When you preface to become ‘a ka’, it means ‘someone who plucks’. So, I wondered if ‘ta’ stands for cotton, hence my search for a translation. But, whether there’s a term for cotton in Yoruba or not, I have no doubt, and I have context, that it’s a derogatory term, because, the Yoruba term that is used to refer to another significant diaspora, in the Caribbean, leaves to room for ambiguity. That term is ‘ireke’, which means sugarcane.<br /><br />Every Yoruba kid, bar none, who got sent to Britain and US to pursue further studies left with a warning, ringing in their ears, to steer clear of Akatas and/or Irekes. By and large, you hardly heed what your parents tell you, as a kid, thousands of miles away, and, although we used the terms irreverently, I’d like to believe that many of us did not mean harm by it, especially because, in a rather perverse way, we, ourselves, took pride in been called an Akata or Ireke; it meant we looked and sounded less African.<br /><br />However, the fact that we left the shores of Nigeria with such a message in our ears became a source of great shame for me, because our parents meant it when the said it. I often think that it ought to be a source of great shame for Nigeria, in particular, and Africa, in general that we seek to distinguish ourselves from descendants of enslaved Africans, in the diaspora; to otherise our brothers and sisters. I wonder how the goal of Africa, now, is not to govern and develop itself as to make all these descendants of enslaved Africans proud and, perhaps, even want to return. But, then again, I wonder where; which of the countries will an African-American return to.<br /><br />1 of 2: A Yoruba man in UKAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-59419161976882932222019-05-27T08:20:12.102-04:002019-05-27T08:20:12.102-04:00Hello, unknown.
I appreciate your comment, but I ...Hello, unknown.<br /><br />I appreciate your comment, but I don't agree with what your assessment of my thinking or feeling. I also don't agree with your conclusions, and I definitely don't consider myself belonging to any panther or Akata tribe.<br /><br />That said, I'm proud to be of African descent.Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-14634000146250108552019-05-27T02:10:27.298-04:002019-05-27T02:10:27.298-04:00Azizi, you are better off in America if you still ...Azizi, you are better off in America if you still don't understood what these people are trying to say to you. Nigerians often insult other Nigerian tribes, and some of them consider black Americans to be our own tribe, the Akatas. Yes, it can be used in a negative way as well as a positive or neutral way. Think about the word "special". It can mean extraordinary or retarded, depending on how you use it. You seem to be expecting special treatment from them for some reason, or maybe you're under the impression that all Africans get along -- they don't. In fact, that's probably why they split into so many different tribes...lol. At the end of the day, they aren't discriminating against you. They're just talking sh*t the same way black Americans like to talk sh*t. Now you know where we get it from...ha! Welcome home.<br /><br />And akata means "panther" in the Yoruba dictionary. It was what they labeled the Black Panthers when they visited Nigeria back in the 1960s. It's really not a big deal and it would be stupid to ban it. That would just make them use it even more. Stop being so sensitive and just embrace it. Personally, I'm proud to be a part of the Akata tribe. We experienced a lot during our time away from Africa. We left in iron chains and came back with gold chains. They tried to destroy us but we're still here. Be proud of that. Be proud to be an Akata.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-17681621938998557542019-02-03T20:58:12.644-05:002019-02-03T20:58:12.644-05:00My apologies for my typos and grammatical errors i...My apologies for my typos and grammatical errors in my last comment in this exchange. Regarding my last point I meant to write that I believe that [the stress regarding African Americans' identity/culture in white places] is felt to a greater or lesser degrees dependent on the [particular] American who has some Black ancestry and the location and context that that person is in.<br /><br />With regard to you question about whether I'm familiar with the concept of double consciousness, yes.<br /><br />And at this point, I'll leave the discussion floor open to whoever wants to continue this discussion.<br /><br />Thanks for your comments, j2y2k3.<br />Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-14407816781061260682019-02-03T16:39:06.384-05:002019-02-03T16:39:06.384-05:00Hmmm, I don't think I got my point across.
A...Hmmm, I don't think I got my point across. <br /><br />Are you familiar with the concept of double consciousness? <br />j2y2k3https://www.blogger.com/profile/14068882692350939603noreply@blogger.com