December 01, 2014
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The main group that appears to have an emotional problem with the idea that ancient Egypt was not ruled by coal-colored, woolly-haired men of distinctly Negroidal features would be Afrocentric scholars. Sure, the earnest Asian or European ethnocentrist might like to claim Egypt as a notch in their ancestral belt, but they don”t absolutely depend on it like the Afrocentrist must.
So why is ancient Egypt the Crown Jewels, the Hope Diamond, the Holy Grail, Excalibur, and the NASCAR Sprint Cup all rolled into one for the Afrocentrist?
Stepping on this topic as gingerly as I can manage emotionally, let’s take a deep breath and look at it from a different angle: What has the area that is now known as Swaziland really ever given the world in terms of culture and technology? How about Gabon? Dare I suggest the Central African Republic? No? What about Angola? Hmm? Still drawing blanks?
Ancient Egypt was undeniably African. But was it “black” in the commonly understood modern sense? Probably not. And if you remove ancient Egypt from the “black” column, some cruel-hearted types might suggest that you”re left looking at an appalling dearth not only of technical innovations, but even of recorded history, originating from the wild southern lands that are kept safely away from Egypt by the massive and deadly Sahara Desert. If they can”t claim Egypt, they can”t claim much.
I could be wrong. But it”d be nice to see some proof. Typically when I ask people to show me any compelling evidence of high civilization and technological achievement that developed south of the Sahara, they usually point me back to Egypt.
