@2nd Chances
first we have to realize that being black and identifying yourself as black is only present and needed when you're in an area where there are others...ppl phenotypically different from you..say americas or europe.. in africa the idea of being black doesnt cross the mind of the average african based on conversation i've had..
If I'm not mistaken today aren't those the conditions peoples in S. Africa faced with the Dutch, in Uganda, and Sudan with the arab sudanese and the african Sudanese, and even a growing issue in Nigeria with the Chinese running in their deep for the oil.
its only when you come to europe or america that you get racialized(mental doctrination) to adopt this broad category called being "black"..thats when you start looking at the next man who looks phenotypically like you as a "brother/sister"..then they all of a sudden stop being THEM..and now start being US...You start for example looking at enslavement of black americans and jim crow and segregation not as their problem anymore..but a OUR problem..
The men who fought for Independence of their respective countries from colonial rule often identified with Blacks in America though. If one could look back in history they'd be able to see how the lack of national identity is what made Africa as a whole susceptible to invasion. It's why the Zulu tribe warred against the other surrounding tribes in order to thwart this mentality and unify a people against the invading British.
so basically being black is a mindstate, its indoctrination and conditioning to strip yourself of any other way that you identify yourself and start identifying yourself according to those that phenotypically look like you..even though you might be different as night and day....they are no longer "them"..they are now "you and yours"..their problems and struggle become yours..
Africa thrived when it had it's own empires from the Egyptian to the Cush to the Coptic these empires forged a national identity and you defended that. Any other way you might identify yourself as according to family line and then tribe, and you could give a damn about anyone else, unless your family and tribe is a million strong that mindset leaves many a person vulnerable to the machinations of anyone even that of an invading people.
When white people first encountered africans thousands of years ago, they encountered the egyptian empire who had a national identity, religion, schools, sciences, resources and it they couldnt come in and just take over shit, they were left no choice but to admit their ignorance and come learn at the feet of egyptian priests. It wasn't until these europeans started interbreeding with the europeans that the vulnerability appeared.
China kicked out Europeans by nationalizing, no matter what village or province you come from fuck all that now we're all Chinese. India did the same thing back when India and Pakistan were one nation. Japan did the same thing, before Japan was just five separate islands and they had to be unified and national identity forged.
National identity is essential to survival and thriving.