I still have not quite worked out the subtle differences in Black Britain and Black America. Generally I have noticed through discussions and observation that there is an admiration that Black Brits have for Black Americans, but generally speaking Black Americans do not share the cosmopolitan world view held by Black Brits. Guardian writer Maxine Williams really nails it when she writes:
For many African-Americans, claiming the nation of their birth as their own has been critical in establishing strength and confidence in the face of centuries of subjugation. Thanks to American movements such as theHarlem Renaissance of the 1920s and the civil rights struggles of the 50s and 60s followed by the "black is beautiful" push of the 70s, we can all stand a little taller.
As island identities go, it is interesting that in the UK it is not uncommon to ask someone where they are from and to be told "Yard", a slang for Jamaica – and that is more than 60 years after the Empire Windrush brought the first West Indian immigrants to Britain. That is despite the fact that the person and their parents have been born in Britain, and have never seen the island they claim is so central to their sense of self.
In a "you're cool, but you do not get out much do you?" tone Maxine Williams throws a little shade on Michelle Obama in a Cif (Guardian Comment is Free section) article:
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