Somalis Are Not Black Americans — But What’s Actually Going On Here?

 

Somalis Are Not Black Americans — But What’s Actually Going On Here?

By SDC News One Staff News Writers 

APACHE JUNCTION AZ [IFS] -- This conversation has been bubbling up online for years, especially on TikTok, Twitter (X), and Instagram reels: African immigrants vs. Black Americans, usually framed as,

“They want our political influence / our culture / our resources / our vote.”

But the truth is way more layered — historically, politically, and socially — than a viral video suggests.

1. Different Communities, Different Histories

Somali immigrants are African, yes. They are talking "literally about the physical COLOR not skin Color."  Some Black Americans are descendants of enslaved Africans whose lineage was severed by the slave trade; however, the majority of Black Americans are Native Americans, born and raised for hundreds of years before the White Europeans even travelled here to North America. Native Black Americans will never be paid reparations because they were considered "Prisoners Of War for whom there are millions." -KHS

Those are distinct experiences, and it’s normal for each group to have its own culture, identity, and priorities.

The issue isn't that they’re “not Black Americans” — that part is simply factual.

2. Where Tension Actually Comes From

The friction usually shows up in three places:

A. Cultural ownership

Some Black Americans feel African immigrants criticize Black American culture while benefiting from it — music, fashion, political activism, and social status in America.

Some Somali immigrants, meanwhile, feel they get lumped into stereotypes that have nothing to do with their own heritage.

B. Political Power

Black American voters have massive political weight in U.S. elections — hard-earned through decades of civil rights organizing.

Any group that joins the American political landscape will naturally court or interact with that power.

This sometimes gets spun online as “Africans want what Black Americans have.”

But it’s really just standard political coalition-building.

C. Resource Competition

In cities with large Somali communities — Minneapolis, Columbus, Seattle — disagreements can emerge around:

• housing programs

• refugee resettlement dollars

• small-business funding

• local political representation

None of this means Somalis “want something from Black Americans” in a sinister sense.

It’s just the reality of multiple marginalized communities navigating the same limited resources.

3. The Hidden Player Nobody Talks About

A lot of these narratives are fueled by algorithm-driven outrage, political operatives, and foreign influence accounts that love stoking division inside the Black diaspora.

“Black immigrants vs. Black Americans” is an easy culture-war fire starter.

Meanwhile, in real life?

These communities often live together, work together, intermarry, and support each other — way more than Twitter suggests.

4. So What Do Somalis Actually Want From Black Americans?

If you look at real data and real community organizing — not viral drama — it’s usually:

• Coalition-building: stronger political voice when they align with Black American communities.

• Safety and civil rights advocacy: they face police profiling too.

• Economic opportunity: shared access to jobs, grants, and social programs.

• Cultural acceptance: avoiding xenophobia on all sides.

None of that is unique or predatory — it’s how immigrant communities have always navigated the American landscape.

Bottom Line

This isn’t a race-war story.  It’s a community story — shaped by immigration, identity, history, and American politics.

And anytime the internet tries to pit Somalis against Black Americans, nine times out of ten, somebody is doing it for clicks, cash, or political leverage.

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