A short clip from an interview I did with the Texas Black Expo traveled much farther online than I ever expected. The question behind it was simple and a little dangerous: are African Americans, Black Africans and Black Caribbeans the same or different? My answer was yes. We come from the same place, and we have lived very different histories.

This episode is my fuller answer. I talk about how the particular brutality of slavery on American soil shaped us, and why I believe it left many African Americans with great confidence and a wounded sense of self-esteem, while many of our African and Caribbean brothers and sisters carry something closer to the reverse. I also share a story from a hotel in Washington, D.C. that shows how much a community can build when trust comes first.

We are cousins from different houses. The tragedy is that we have not always recognized the family resemblance, and the opportunity lies in learning one another’s stories with respect. Black America’s spending power, Africa’s young population and natural wealth, and the Caribbean’s place as a gateway for culture, trade and tourism are strengths that multiply when they are joined together.

So get a passport. Visit the motherland, or at least the islands, and when you get there, do more than party. Build relationship capital, start an economic circle, collaborate on business, art and trade. Together we are part of a global majority, and it is time to build bridges with our minds, then our hearts, then our money.

🎧 Listen now — wherever you get your podcasts, or simply click below.

Prefer to watch? The full episode is on YouTube.