Some years ago I read a piece in Rolling Stone on Thailand, on its burgeoning (sex) tourist industry. There was one quote that stood out to me: “Thailand is the last place on Earth where you can be a White Man.”

If that’s true, then Brazil is the last place on Earth you can be a Black Man. The writer, Jelani Cobb is a friend of mine. I was talking to him about the Brazil groove before he wrote the piece. Brazil, blacker than every country on the planet except for Nigeria. What he told me scared the hell out of me. Is this what Farrakhan was talking about during his Million Man March speech? This type of deference? You’ve got to be kidding me.

The transnational politics here are frightening to consider. Black Americans have assumed that Pan-Africanism (properly considered) benefits all participants equally. But as this example shows, some sisters and brothers pay more than others.