A candid revelation by Nigerian media host Morayo Afolabi-Brown has brought to light a rarely discussed, yet seemingly common, piece of advice many Nigerian parents impart to their children before they travel to the United States: a cautionary instruction to avoid African Americans and instead “stay with the white people.”
Afolabi-Brown shared this “pep talk” on an episode of her TVC program, Your View, exposing a generational fear rooted in stereotypes that creates a wedge between African immigrants and Black Americans.
She described this widespread counsel as being driven by fear and preconceived notions, noting how it inadvertently fosters judgment and distance. This advice, she highlighted, persists despite the profound historical sacrifices made by Black Americans that fundamentally paved the way for African immigrants and their descendants to achieve success and opportunity abroad. While perhaps intended as a form of protection, the sentiment inadvertently reinforces harmful divides within the broader Black diaspora.
“I can’t categorically say every Nigerian got this talk, but–-a lot of Nigerians who travel abroad–-got this talk from their families,” Afolabi-Brown began. “Where they would sit you down and tell you, ‘You’re going over there.’”
“Don’t go talking to those Black Americans, oh..You can get pregnant. You can get into drugs…They give you that talk, ‘Just go to the white community and find a nice place.’ So when you enter America, you already have a perception of African Americans. You judge them, and of course, they can see that judgment. And they see how you, ‘Yes Massa,’ to the oyinbos (whites).”
The savvy media personality candidly expressed how she could see why Black Americans were defensive when it came to Nigerians openly shunning them. Afolabi-Brown also acknowledged that immigrants benefited from Black American labor and struggle.
It’s Onsite Africa’s Instagram page, where the video was posted, and the comments section went up for the difficult open admission.
“It’s always been fascinating to watch Africans, specifically Nigerians, cosplay Black Americaness when it’s convenient for them,” one person wrote.
Social media personality King Keraun chimed in, “We lowkey knew this.”
A Nigerian in the comments section seconded Afolabi-Brown’s charge.
“I have to admit I’m 
and got that same pep talk. Guess who got humbled real quick by them white people in nursing school? Me, they saw me as a threat and hated my soul, so yeah, racism still exists. While I’m proud to be a Nigerian, I got to tip my hats off to the black Americans that sacrificed their lives just for all of us colored people to be in this country. I learned my lesson the hard way.”
“From the way we are treated, we already knew about ‘the talk’”. 
”
The phenomenon Afolabi-Brown described illustrates a complex interplay of identity, perception, and historical understanding among different Black communities in the United States. Many African immigrants arrive with a distinct cultural background, sometimes carrying stereotypes about Black Americans absorbed from various sources, including media and anecdotal tales.
Conversely, Black Americans, having endured centuries of systemic racism and struggle, often view such a separation as a betrayal of shared racial identity and a dismissal of the sacrifices made to create a more equitable society.
Afolabi-Brown’s willingness to address this sensitive topic publicly is a vital opening for introspection and dialogue. It highlights the pressing need to dismantle internal biases within the global Black community, encouraging understanding and genuine solidarity over outdated divisions.
Afolabi-Brown, born in Nigeria and educated in the United States, is a communications executive and television personality with a media career spanning 17 years. She has worked with notable media organizations, including CMC Connect, Cue Media, and HiTV, and currently serves as the Chief Media Consultant of Kabiti Media House Limited. Her first book, Becoming the Queen of Talk TV, further solidifies her voice in the media landscape.
The conversation invites both African immigrants and Black Americans to acknowledge their interconnected histories and shared struggles, ultimately fostering unity rather than allowing systemic prejudice to exploit existing rifts.
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