There is something about Twitter that just seems to fuel diaspora wars for no apparent reason. A few weeks ago, I witnessed an interaction which I can thankfully only describe as nothing short of amusing: Black UK Twitter vs Black French Twitter – or as it became known, ‘Top Boy Twitter’ vs ‘Oui Oui/Baguette Twitter’.
The exchange, characterised by banter and playful jabs about each other’s culture at a surface level, evidenced the differences in lifestyle and trends amongst young black communities from the different countries and highlighted our perceptions of each other. Like the ever-present “African American vs Black Brit” conversation, it had me thinking about the experiences of the black diasporic youth across Europe, our differences and similarities, and how this influences our experience of life in the continent and our relation to each other. It also reminded me of the ignorance surrounding black history in Europe, outside of Britain. Beyond this, it made me ponder on the unifying experiences, if any, we share as young black people in London, Paris, Amsterdam or Oslo.