The date is currently September 15th, 2023, and for the past few weeks, there have only been a few things on my mind: life, liberty, and struggle. In my every waking moment, every thought has been directed to the notion of freedom, and the countless injustices that have been directed towards my people over the course of approximately four hundred years. The things they don’t teach you in history classes, the things that aren’t necessarily a part of the curriculum, have always interested me, but I’ve recently gained a newfound appreciation for things of this nature. So, without further ado, I shall dedicate the next two paragraphs to explaining the journey I took to become a black nationalist.
I would like to preface this by saying that I am NOT actually a black nationalist. In fact, the purpose of this article was meant to be satire, but also to express my newfound interest in the historical context and representation of nationalism, not just solely based in the African American community. I first got the idea of writing this article after I saw memes of The Boondocks circulating, but in truth I wanted to write it ever since I watched The Autobiography of Malcolm X in Mr. Hazzard’s African American Literature class last year. When I proposed this at the BALM meeting last week, Amiyah and Angel affectionately (not so much, now that I think of it) told me, “You’re not a nationalist.” And that’s true. I’m not necessarily a nationalist; I'm just interested in it.
​This year, I wanted AP Psychology. Instead, I got AP African American Studies. I was vehemently opposed at first, doing everything to change my schedule, even attempting to take a Spanish course that was two levels ahead of me. In the end, it didn’t work out, and the class was permanently on my schedule. I had nothing against the class; I was just concerned about it being a waste due to the fact that I already took African American literature the year before. It’s now four weeks into the school year, and I’ve reached this conclusion: it’s a good class. I didn’t think I would enjoy it very much, but the class has actually taught me a lot about the historical movement of African people across the continent, the religious and cultural customs of ancient empires, and the decline of the great city states. Of course, all of this information only encompasses approximately 2,000 years of history, ranging from before the common era to the beginning of the slave trade, but I anticipate even more knowledge that I haven’t received yet. It truly is remarkable how innovative African societies were in those times, and the influences they’ve had on the modern world.
It was about a week ago that my friend sent me this clip from The Boondocks:

“What’s up?” 

“Oppression is up my brotha. Struggle is up my brotha.”
For some reason, those words resonated with me. Over the summer, I visited the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, and  saw an exhibit dedicated to exploring African nationalism movements. The exhibit largely focused on how many countries that were under Portuguese influence fought back against it, while maintaining the customs that had been put in place for generations by European colonialism. All of these things interested me, so much to the point that I actually started reading The Boondocks. I also began reading the classic novel Things Fall Apart recently, and I must say, it really is phenomenal. 
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Going by its technical definition, these pieces of media are all showcases of nationalism. So I wouldn’t say I’m a nationalist; I just enjoy media that showcases the possibility of advancement stemming from these ideas. That sounds about right.

Chase Jones