My dad was black American, my mom was from the Caribbean. [was because they have both passed] Saying that there isn't intra-racial discrimination is very much like white people saying that they don't see color. My mom's side of the family does not like black American people. I have numerous black friends who are kids of immigrants from nigeria, ethiopia, Etc and they have told me that their parents dislike black American people. That they get into arguments about it at family gatherings. I have friends who are nigerian, who took multiple years to acknowledge that they are viewed the same in America as black American people. And therefore had to think a lot about their time growing up in America and acknowledge racism for themselves.
There is a negative portrayal of black Americans inside and outside of the United states. This is just a fact, it's understandable, not acceptable to have prejudice against a group of people who've been portrayed negatively in the global stage. However to pretend that that prejudice doesn't exist is ignorant and harmful.
Again we are all different, not a monolith, and have a lot of different experiences. However it is important to acknowledge the lived realities of all people in the diaspora. Ignoring or trying to say that talking about this is divisive is the problem itself. It doesn't have to be divisive, it doesn't have to be an argument. But there has to be honesty and openness.
Just because you don't do it doesn't mean it doesn't happen, some of us are taking this uncomfortable conversation too personally. But we all need to support each other, and that also means acknowledging that intra-racial discrimination happens. To not just sounds like I don't see color tbh. ❤️