The prevailing opinion among scientists today is that race has no genetic or scientific basis and is purely a social construct used to establish and justify systems of power, privilege, disenfranchisement, and oppression. The idea of race as a social construct is not new. This concept was first introduced into American society by W.E.B. Du Bois in his 28-page essay entitled "The Conservation of Races." Du Bois was concerned that race was being used as a biological explanation for what he understood to be social and cultural differences between two populations of people. He spoke out against the idea of “white” and “black” as discrete groups, claiming that these distinctions ignored the scope of human diversity. What scientists are now coming to understand is that while a person’s skin color may be superficial and seem to possess no scientific or biological significance, race (as in racial identity) and skin color are altogether two separate notions. One cannot necessarily determine a person’s racial identity by skin color alone! Such is the case with many Albino people of color.

The truth of the matter is that the term “race,” as in skin color, is insufficient at describing the components that constitute a shared racial identity. Racial identity, or Ethnicity as a more appropriate choice of words, is a term used to describe how we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us with respect to race and/or ethnicity. Ethnicity specifically refers to ethnic traits (including skin tone, eye color, hair texture), constitution, background, association, or affiliations. Prior to the enslavement of our ancestors, what distinguished one group of African people from another was culture (art, beliefs, customs, institutions, religion, etc.). Nevertheless, even as a purely social construct, the concept of racial identity is scientific in nature. Science, by definition, is the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation, experiment, and testing of theories against the evidence obtained.

We cannot hope to put an end to racism by ignoring the ethnic identity of millions of people of color displaced throughout the world. Why must we deny ourselves and our children the rich inheritance of our ancestry because of the myopia of America’s racist past? To suggest race as purely a social construct and without significance would be to abate the long suffering of our ancestors and to diminish the significance of their contributions to civilization. To this very day, mainstream American society is still attempting to reduce us to a color, a derogatory term, and a conquered people. As of this writing, there is a push by right-wing conservatives to write us out of U.S. history due to their own guilt and fear. What our ancestors knew and what many white Americans are beginning to realize is that there is far more shame in being the descendant of a slave owner than being the descendant of a slave!

Since the first captives arrived on the shores of America, we have been searching to restore our stolen identities. Identity can be defined as the set of characteristics by which a person or thing is definitively recognizable or known. Despite the diversity of kingdoms, queendoms, and civilizations from which we originated, once here we were homogenized into a single, overarching racial category, primarily defined by skin color. An 'ethnic group' regards itself or is regarded by others as a distinct community by virtue of certain characteristics that help to distinguish it from the surrounding community. As it regards Nuwaubian people, our racial identities, languages, religions, and traditions have largely been imposed upon us by dominant Western cultures. Within the Christian community, we are African American. In the Nation of Islam, we are the Lost Tribe of Shabazz. In the community of Black Hebrew Israelites, we are Hebrew, Chosen of Y'srael. To the Moorish Science Temple, we are the Moors of northern 'Africa'. For some, we are the various indigenous tribes of North America. In all cases, we are supposedly from a land, culture, or religion that is dominated by a people other than our own, who either refuse to acknowledge and accept us or are incapable of assisting us in restoring our sense of dignity and self-worth. A genuine ethnic identity is not created for, nor enforced upon, you by an abusive dominant culture. It is instinctive, autogenous, and does not result from restrictions imposed upon you by your oppressor.

The word Negro is a term previously used to identify People of Color. According to the Farlex, Inc., Free Online Dictionary, a Negro is any member of the “Negroid” race and may be distinguished by physical characteristics such as brown or black skin, and tightly curled hair, and includes people indigenous to sub-Saharan 'Africa'. Although the terms Negro and Negroid are no longer in scientific use, the term was coined as a scientific racial categorization in the 1800s. The term black, as it relates to racial classifications, is defined as an “American” ethnic group descended from "African" people having dark skins. The progressive term “African American” is defined as “A black American of African Ancestry.” Note that the word black is not capitalized and implies that the term black, as it is used above, denotes a color of the visual light spectrum and has absolutely nothing to do with race or ethnicity. As eloquently stated by our 44th President Mr. Barack H. Obama "Black has no standing at law."

Our Moorish brothers and sisters often point to the following noteworthy hypothesis as evidence to support the adoption of the term Moor as our true ethnic identity. It is supposed that the term Africa originated from Roman general and consul Scipio Africanus who invaded and perpetuated war on the continent known today to us as 'Africa'. It is true, Africa may in fact be named after a hostile Roman invader. Nevertheless, this does not justify Moor as our true historical identity. The term Moor denotes membership in a specific, traditionally Muslim, society of mixed Berber (Berber is a Greek word for Barbarian and was used to describe members of a particular ethnic group indigenous to what is now northwest Africa) and Arab ancestry. This is supported by the Spanish etymology of the word Moor. The Strait of Gibraltar which separates Spain and Morocco is only ten miles across. You can literally see Spain from Dalia Beach in Morocco. Nevertheless, Moors only constitute a small part of our ethnic heritage and apply specifically to the mixed Berber and Arab Muslim community of northwest Africa. This pattern of ethnic stratum is not exclusive to Nuwaubian people. Today, we refer to the indigenous population of America by various names such as Indian, Hispanic, or Latin. However, Spanish, and Spanish people are European. Latin is an Indo-European language spoken in ancient Rome. Obviously, Indian people are from India!

Today, we are largely without a distinct collective identity separate and apart from the racial and social narrative created for us by a dominant American society that has historically been indifferent to our suffering. Those among us who have chosen to reject the restraints of social colonialism often find themselves in the position of adopting or mimicking identities and cultures dominated by those with whom we share no recognizable kinship. Our holidays, holy days, heroes, villains, language, even our names are all sanctioned to us by the broader American society. For most Nuwaubians, our holidays and holy days consist of Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, New Year, Independence Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Halloween, and Valentine's Day. None of which, with the possible exception of Memorial Day and now Juneteenth, have anything to do with “African Americans”.

 

Our lack of a collective ethnic identity, cultural heritage, and history that honors human dignity has plunged “black” America into a widespread identity crisis. This predicament is only exacerbated by the derogatory, often self-perpetuating, identity imposed on us by the broader Eurocentric American culture. Systemic racism, indifference, the privatization of criminal justice, racial terrorism, political violence, and covert government operations such as the FBI's COINTEL Pro or the CIA's IRAN Contra Scandal all work in concerted effort to undermine the African American community's ability to fulfill their broader roles as Americans.

Nuwaubu encapsulates the essence of an ethnic identity, embodying the cultural, social, and physiological attributes that distinguish Nuwaubians from the broader mosaic of American society. These attributes encompass not only physical traits traditionally associated with race —complexion, hair texture, and ancestral lineage—but also the social and cultural signifiers like language and dialect, social status, and systems of belief. Furthermore, the rich heritage of Nuwaubu includes culinary traditions, attire, and artistic expressions that are integral to the Nuwaubian identity. The term ethnicity is often used interchangeably with 'nation', particularly as it relates to a collective bound by shared customs, core values, and language. The overlap is especially pronounced in the context of ethnic nationalism. For the Nuwaubian community, ethnicity is both an inheritance and a societal imposition, the duality of which frames our place within the American narrative. Nuwaubians may be further divided into subgroups or tribes such as Moor (Nuwaubian Moor or Moorish Science Temple of America), Shabazz (Nation of Islam), or Nazarene (Various forms of Christianity) which underscore the dynamic nature of Nuwaubian ethnicity and highlight the intricate process of ethnogenesis that shapes our unique position in the historical and cultural context of America.

The onus is not on ‘America’ to forge for us a respectable ethnic identity, culture, and heritage. However, our situation has led to the creation of a new, syncretic identity that, while not tied to a single African culture, reflects the shared history, struggles, and resilience of a particular group of African people. Nuwaubu is the result of our desire to forge an identity that honors our African roots while acknowledging the unique cultural developments that have occurred in the diaspora. The culture, language, and science of Nuwaubu emphasize the importance of self-definition and the rejection of identities and values imposed by a historically oppressive society.

There are numerous cultural, social, and political benefits associated with the adoption of a distinct ethnic identity (Nuwaubian). A collective ethnic identity would serve as a vehicle for preserving our cultural heritage, traditions, languages, and customs. The preservation of these cultural heirlooms is critical for the maintenance and continuity of our cultural identity across generations. A distinct ethnic identity can also foster a sense of pride and solidarity among Nuwaubian youth, reduce feelings of alienation and isolation, and promote social cohesion and mutual support within the community. Further, a single ethnic identity would serve as a platform for Nuwaubian people to demand recognition and representation within the context of the broader American culture, ultimately leading to greater participation and influence within the broader American political system.

Ethnic identities often create bonds that can strengthen social ties and cooperation among their members. I have often heard our people ask, how is it that other races come to the U.S. and prosper, yet we who have given our freedom and lives to this country suffer without acknowledgment, let alone reward? My conjecture is that one of the primary reasons we are unable to excel as a people is because we have no true ethnic identity outside of the one that America has created for us. As far as identities are concerned, those that provide us with a sense of pride and self-worth are normally those that we choose for ourselves. Those identities heaped upon us by others are usually derogatory and work toward undermining our sense of dignity and self-worth.

Ethnic nations contribute to the diversity of human culture and society, enriching the global tapestry of tradition, perspective, and experience. Celebrating and preserving ethnic diversity is essential for fostering mutual understanding and tolerance among the various ethnicities of the human family. Ethnic nations often engage in cultural exchange with other ethnic groups, fostering mutual understanding, cooperation, and appreciation for diverse cultures. This exchange can lead to innovation, creativity, and the enrichment of collective knowledge.

To be clear, a Nuwaubian is a person of color born in the Americas who, through centuries of ethnic and cultural oppression, is no longer able to identify with any individual tribe on the continent known today as Africa. This is a term created by us for all of us. You are Nuwaubian irrespective of your religion! You are Nuwaubian regardless of your skin tone! We have earned the right to carry a name deserving of a people who have contributed to the world such gifts as language, medicine, astronomy, philosophy, geometry, algebra, chemistry, art, music, and so much more! We will always be the descendants of African slaves, and Africa will always be a part of us. But we are a new people, Nuwaubians, bound together by the unique legacy of our ancestors. This is the opportunity for us to write a new legacy. Join us in celebration and let the world know that we are Nuwaubian, our culture is Nuwaubu, and our language is Nuwaubic.

Let it be known to all, that this is who we were, are, and shall be referred to henceforth!

 

Please visit our website at https://iamnuwaubian.com/