I think you've been very diplomatic.
I am bemused by some of the references made below, and - unless I have misunderstood completely the point being made- rather resent the suggestion that "Black and Asian Studies Association" is a name which at the bare minimum plays into racist ideology.
I agree with points made by previous contributors to the BASA list that "Black" is a convenient shorthand for members of the African Diaspora, and would be keen retain this.
From: Marika Sherwood <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: FW: FW: black? should read African and Asian studies association
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Wednesday, January 28, 2009, 11:10 AM
I shall be away January 28 until February 17
-----Original Message-----
From: Charlie Bins [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 28 January 2009 10:23
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: RE: FW: black? should read African and Asian studies association
Importance: High
Thanx for the reply. You call yourself 'Hungarian' you don't say 'white and Asian studies', for e.g. there is no 'white history month' projects in any African countries.
We ask that you re-name the org 'African and Asian studies.' Africans here are referred to as African British, African-Italian, etc, those in the US , note: the white settlers of America are referred to as 'American' not, European Americans. They are not the indigenous, Africans are: see, http://www.amazon.com/They-Came-Before-Columbus-Presence/dp/0394402456
Did you also know that the original Israelites/Hebrews are African? (The letter 'J' was not used in Europe until the 1500's, so who were the Jews? I'm glad you know of the Africans in India -but why isn't this common knowledge? Because the white supremacists don't want Africans to know who they are. Many tricks are used, e.g naming orgs black and Asian studies, 'Ballet Black-dancers of black and Asian origin'. So will you be changing the name, if not, why not?
Why not just call it 'black and brown studies?'
Remember many of our African Ancestors, were not given a decent burial, raped, murdered, flogged, buggered and more, by the enslavers.
See: http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/63/090.html
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Marika Sherwood" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: "'Charlie Bins'" <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: RE: FW: black? should read African and Asian studies association
> Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:10:51 -0000
>
>
> Charlie,
>
> I have not read the book you mention by Runoko Rashidi. I do know of the
> African presence in India , but probably at a much later period that what you
> say Rashidi claims.
> >
> However, I do not see what makes you say 'peoples (Africans), that gave
> knowledge, architecture, farming, Yoga, religion, etc to the present day
> Indians, have no nation?' I do not understand this at all. Surely you are
> not claiming that all Africans, in that huge continent with eg over a
> thousand (I believe) languages, was/is one nation?
>>
> I use the word Black with a capital B as I am not referring to colour, but a
> certain experience here in the UK . If people here of African descent wish to
> be called Afro/African-British, then I shall, ofcourse, use that term in my
> writing.
>
> > But what are you going to call the Africans in Africa or European descent?
> >
> You wrote 'regardless of current nationality, all are African'. But this is
> contradicted by my experience with many Black Brits and Americans, who do
> not at all claim to be African. You may argue that this is because of their
> misunderstanding of Africa , but I would disagree. Why would you claim to be
> African when your ancestors might have left there hundreds of years ago? How
> much of that language/culture has been retained?
>
>> Certainly my grand-daughters do not claim to be Hungarian, just because I
> am. They do acknowledge their ancestry, Budapest is important to them, their
> politics (eg now towards Gaza/Israel) is influenced by the murder of my
> Jewish relatives by Hungarian Nazis. But they would never say they are
> Hungarian.
> > >
> And what is the problem with 'sub-Saharan'?
>>>
> Marika
