IANA Blog- November 2024

Blog

Happy November,

For last month’s blog, I talked about online diaspora wars within the African diaspora and how those diaspora wars were created to bring division and separation within the African diaspora. I called out anyone involved in diaspora wars, whether you’re African, Caribbean, Afro Latino or if you’re African American/Black American. For those that remember, I also called out members of the ADOS/FBA Movement. I also mentioned that I would make this month’s blog about FBA/ADOS, because I definitely have something to say about them.

For those that don’t know what both FBA and ADOS stands for, ADOS stands for American Descendants of Slaves and FBA stands for Foundational Black Americans. ADOS and FBA refers to African Americans who descended from enslaved African Americans, basically if you can trace your family lineage back to US chattel slavery, you can classify as either ADOS or FBA. ADOS started their own hashtag on social media known as #ados. It would soon turn out to be a political movement, founded by Yvette Carnell, a former aide to former California Senator Barbara Boxer and former Arkansas congressman Marion Berry. Around the same time, the hashtag #fba was also formed, which would also transform into an ideology and a political movement. FBA was founded by Tariq Nasheed, a former pimp, rapper, film producer and internet personality.

Supposedly, both FBA and ADOS main goal is to fight for reparations for African Americans for US chattel slavery. At first, I supported ADOS because they said that they’re fighting for reparations for Black Americans, which I am in full support of. Jewish people have received reparations for the Jewish Holocaust, Asian Americans have received reparations for discrimination and mistreatment during World War II. Hell, France received reparations from Haiti, for basically getting their asses kicked during the Haitian Revolution (even though they don’t deserve it). It’s only fair that Black Americans get reparations for everything. A lot of this country owes its debt to Black people. From the style, to the culture, to the music. The United States of America was built off the genocide of Native Americans and built of the backs of Stolen Africans and Enslaved Black/African Americans, along with the exploitation of Latinos, Asians and poor people…Don’t even get me started on Native Americans, because the US owes them more than just reparations, they owe them much more. But going back to ADOS, I first supported them, because they said that their goal was to fight for reparations and rights for Black Americans, until I noticed something different.

I started seeing more tweets of ADOS, especially from Antonio Moore and Yvette Carnell about how they should separate themselves from other Black immigrants, especially Africans and Caribbeans, because they think that Africans and Caribbeans don’t share the same experience that Black Americans do, or that Africans and Caribbeans are favored over White people, which is so stupid. Then, once I heard of FBA, they pretty much had the same rhetoric, although they were more xenophobic and afrophobic towards Africans and Caribbeans. Both FBA and ADOS had members spewing out misinformation, disinformation and pseudohistory about Africans, Caribbeans and of Black Americans. I’ve seen both FBA and ADOS say ignorant, xenophobic, afrophobic, anti-Black and incredibly stupid comments about Africans and Caribbeans, especially Africans. FBA especially loves calling Africans and Caribbeans “Tethers,” as an insult. The insult came from the film Us, starring Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o and Trinidadian actor Winston Duke. I don’t know how it came to be, but either way it’s a stupid insult. FBA and ADOS have more hatred for Africans and Caribbeans and other Black Americans who disagree with their ideologies and comments over White supremacists. The funny part is that a majority of Black Americans don’t even know about this movement, but then again, the majority of ADOS and FBA are online. Don’t even get me started on what they have to say about Malcolm X or Marcus Garvey.

There is also something that ADOS and FBA love to do, They love to reject their African ancestry, claim they “aren’t African,” they’ll claim that they’re Indigenous to America (even though a majority of them can’t even prove their ancestors are Native Americans), some will claim that they’re the “original Jews,” just like how Black Hebrew Israelites do it and they’ll try their best to separate Black Americans from the African diaspora. They also proudly rep their American lineage over their African lineage, always claiming that their ancestors built this country, even though they forget to mention that their ancestors were brought here by force to build this country. They also like to judge who gets to be Black and who doesn't which is so stupid. Not all Black people, even in America were raised like some of them. Did I forget to mention they have ignorant takes on music, especially hip hop music. Of course Black Americans created hip hop music, everyone should know that, but to act like Caribbeans and Afro Latinos didn’t help in making hip hop success is stupid, especially considering that Jamaican-American DJ Kool Herc, is considered the “Godfather of Hip Hop.” I also saw ADOS and FBA discredit Caribbeans for their creation of Reggae music and discredit Nigerians for their creation of Afrobeat music, just because both Jamaicans and Nigerians were inspired by Black American music. It makes you want to smack someone, right?

The crazy thing I noticed was that the fight for reparations made a huge impact in 2020 during the George Floyd uprisings and the Black Lives Matter movement. I felt this was a perfect time for ADOS and FBA to actually join the fight or at least make an impact during those many protests. Instead, they were online talking s**t about Africans and Caribbeans and whining about how they only deserve reparations or blaming Black immigrants for their failures in the world. They also claim that they are different from each other, but they are the same. They also say they aren’t a movement but a lineage, but slavery can’t be a lineage. There are also others from this xenophobic, Anti-African, sorry ass movement who call themselves other terms like “Freedmen” or “Secure the Tribe” or “B1” but they all still have the same stupid ideology.

There are definitely three problems I have with the FBA, ADOS and others from this dumb movement.

Rejection of African identity- This isn’t the first time I’ve seen Black Americans reject their African identity. For those that have watched the classic Black film, Boyz n the Hood, the scene where the main character, Trey Styles tries to explain the history of Africa in school, and one of his classmates says “I ain’t from Africa, you from Africa you African booty scratcher!” and they both proceed to get into a fight. I’ve seen Black celebrities reject their African lineage from actress Raven-Symone, to hip hop artists Cam’ron and Trick Daddy rather claiming to be “Black American” over being “African American”. Whether most like it or not, history shows that a majority of Black people in North America have ancestors who were stolen from Western Africa. Many Black/African Americans are also taking DNA tests finding out that they have African blood…history still stands. Also, as mentioned, I see them saying they are indigenous to America, which is a slap to the face of the actual Native Americans and other Black Americans who actually do have Native American ancestry.
Misinformation/Pseudo-history- Like I mentioned, they love to spew up misinformation, disinformation, pseudo-history and straight up bulls**t. They love to act like their ancestors were the only ones who suffered from slavery. There was also slavery in Jamaica, slavery in Brazil, slavery in Cuba, slavery in Europe, slavery in Haiti. Did they forget that enslaved Africans in Haiti were the first to rise up against their captors? Did they forget about the Haitian Revolution? Like I mentioned, they also love to bring up how Africans sold other Africans to slavery. Now that might be true, but everyone else was selling everyone else as well. That's how it was in the world. Their ancestors might have been the ones who sold other Africans, so who are they to judge?
Separating from the African diaspora- Like I mentioned, it feels like these FBA/ADOS dummies have more hatred for Africans, Caribbeans and Black immigrants than racist White people or White supremacists, in actuality they would be the biggest allies. The act of divide and conquer is the biggest strategy used, to cause division and weaken us, and of course this is nothing new towards the African diaspora, because it has been used to divide Africans, Caribbeans and the diaspora. Their rhetoric of trying to separate from Africans, Caribbeans, and other Black immigrants is not going to help them gain rights for anything, especially reparations. They also are trying to force other Black Americans to separate and that will not help in the long run, especially when you’re fighting for reparations.

If there is one thing that I do agree with ADOS and FBA on, is how some have encountered Africans who come to America and have disdain for Black People in America. It’s only fair to call them out since there are Africans who look down on, or show their disgust and their bigotry towards Black Americans and they are no worse than the Black Americans who have disdain for Africans and Caribbeans. I have encountered those types, even within my own family. I’m not innocent, I found myself saying disrespectful things about Black Americans when I was younger and realizing how stupid I sounded. Africans who come to America who think they’ll be treated differently from Black Americans need to realize that they’ll be treated the same, it doesn’t matter which part of the diaspora you come from, whether you’re African or not. Although there are Africans who come to America to be “coons,” there are also Caribbeans who “coon,” there are Black Americans who “coon,” there are Afro Latinos who “coon,” coonery is definitely a problem within the diaspora, but to assume that all Africans don’t like African Americans or all look down on them is a stupid narrative that needs to stop.

Over the years, I’ve noticed that a majority of Black Americans still don’t know about the ADOS/FBA movement. A lot of people still don’t know they exist. Many online are calling them a hate cult and they prove it every time they get online. A couple of people from the movement have been exposed as “digital blackface,” aka White people pretending to be Black online. FBA leader Tariq Nasheed is also looking like a hypocrite, because he hasn’t done anything to help FBA succeed in getting reparations except calling people tethers. Not to mention that he lives in a gated community with his family and his mother-in-law who happens to be White and steals money from Black people like the grifter he is. Same can be said for ADOS leaders Yvette Carnell and Antonio Moore. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention how some members of FBA/ADOS are trying to convince other Black Americans to vote for Donald Trump, because he will “get rid of immigrants” and he’ll supposedly provide Black people with reparations…

Let me say this, because I thought about making this month’s blog on the US election, and I definitely had some things to say about that damn election, especially US Vice President and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris…by the way, FBA spent an entire year trying to prove that Kamala isn’t Black, although it’s been proven that she actually is half Afro-Jamaican…but let me say this…

…if you think Donald Trump, who is a well-known racist, who has said incredibly stupid things about Black people, who said that Korey Wise, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salam, Raymond Santana and Antron McCray aka the Exonerated Five/the Central Park Five should get the death penalty for a crime they did not commit, who said disrespectful things about Nigerians and Haitians, who is trying to remove Critical Race Theory and Black History from being taught in schools in America, is going to give you reparations…you’re a lot dumber than I thought.

Let me also say this, if you think calling yourself FBA, ADOS, Freedman, Secure the Tribe or whatever acronym or nickname from this weak-ass anti-African, jingoistic movement will get Black Americans reparations…in this racist-ass country…which was built off the genocide of actual Native/Indigenous people, the backs of stolen Africans and the exploitation of Latinos, Asians and poor people, you’re delusional…you’re the enemy…you’re the opp.

Like I mentioned, this movement is only active online, I’ll go to events where there are Black people and the whole diaspora is shown getting along and hanging together, majority of Black Americans don’t know about this movement and those that do don’t agree with it at all, and I know for a fact that the FBA/ADOS Movement is going nowhere. My organizer friends said it best, in order for a movement to be successful, that movement must have multiple strategies and tactics. FBA/ADOS only have one and that’s to talk s**t online.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that they also brag about how Pan Africanism is stupid and how it doesn’t work. They’ll say Pan Africanism is dead, but they’re too dumb to realize that Pan Africanism is more than a movement…it’s a political ideology. Plus, Ghana just granted more Black Americans citizenship, as mentioned in the August blog, Afrobeats artists and African artists are working with other artists from the African diaspora and are using their music to bring the diaspora together, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are forming an alliance. Those are examples showing that Pan Africanism still works and not to mention there are still Pan African organizations like the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party and the African People’s Socialist Party that are still active and are doing the work, not just being active on social media, unlike ADOS/FBA.

One of my friends said it best, a lot of people, especially Black people should read Mis-Education of the Negro by Carter G. Woodson, because a lot of people, especially Black people, have been misinformed about Black people. FBA/ADOS should definitely read that, along with Walter Rodney’s How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, but knowing FBA/ADOS, they’re too ignorant to actually do that.

When I think of FBA/ADOS and their hatred for Africans/Caribbeans/Black immigrants, I think of what both Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X said. Garvey said that “A people without knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture is like a tree without the roots.” Malcolm said, “You can’t hate the roots of the tree and not hate the tree. You can’t hate Africa without hating yourself.” When talking to Black Americans about their African lineage, he said, “We’re not Americans, we’re Africans who happen to be in America. We were kidnapped and brought here against our will. Our forefathers weren’t the pilgrims. We didn’t land on Plymouth Rock. That rock landed on us.” As mentioned ADOS/FBA notably have some ignorant statements on Garvey and Malcolm. Saying Garvey was a hack or a failure, and they’re back and forth on Malcolm, some ignoring his Grenadian lineage or straight up saying ignorant things about Malcolm too. Either way, both Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X have done more for African Americans than some of these FBA/ADOS dummies will ever do in a lifetime. I’ll take what Garvey and Malcolm say over Tariq or Yvette in a heartbeat.

Although I have problems with this man, I’ll take Dr. Umar Johnson’s word over those two as well. Even though he’s problematic; I could even have a full blog on what I have to say about him, but at least the self proclaimed “Prince of Pan Africanism” preaches unity within the diaspora. As Umar states, “We are one family. Don’t let nobody come at you with a fake movement, talking about we were Black folks and we were already here, n***a you were here, but you came from Africa. Stop lying to our people.”

To our IANA members, Nigerians, other Africans, Caribbeans, Black Americans and others of the African diaspora, don’t fall for ADOS, don’t fall for FBA, don’t fall for that failing movement. They don’t want us to unite, unity is the key. If you’re not cool with that, you’re part of the problem. As one of the protesters angrily stated in a short documentary during the 1992 LA Uprising, “If you ain’t down for the Africans here in the United States period, point blank, if you ain’t down for the ones that suffered in South Africa from Apartheid and s**t, dammit you need to step your punk-ass to the side and let us brothers and us Africans step in and start putting a foot in that ass!!!” I totally agree with that protester.

I know that some will feel a way about it, but it needs to be said. As Burna Boy’s mother stated while accepting a BET Award on his behalf, “The message from Burna I believe that every Black person should please remember, that you were Africans before you became anything else.”

Let me know what you think IANA. What are your feelings on the FBA/ADOS Movement?

More links of people responding to the FBA/ADOS Movement:

Umar Johnson responding to FBA/ADOS-

https://youtu.be/VnM4RCPvDmQ?si=GNhEkbCgMQqHYP73

https://youtu.be/U69QQH6fpjI?si=aiqvvLobdAAKccM8

https://youtu.be/VwQJ3U9KcCo?si=J7CEkZCorMCrsOxC

https://youtu.be/n3jnevbNlvw?si=Hyma9I0NZzh9pX9p

One of my favorite YouTube channels, Afro Think Tank, who advocates for Pan Africanism, responding to FBA/ADOS-

https://youtu.be/jsbu4_vQ-Ms?si=L0f56J7ATpMxkzkK

https://youtu.be/F-9Xp3AtSvU?si=i2mkPDRj_H8SvTwp

https://youtu.be/RbRrY_uO1YE?si=wDndcuJ28pCJDk9m

https://youtu.be/ru_pq7iEcks?si=gd98yesxkpRVK_w3