Click here to watch this content in video format. Most people worldwide, including half of my family of Jewish descent, can trace back their roots and their ancestors’ corresponding contributions to the world today. I am adopted and do not know much about my biological father (my black side). Still, I am very much aware of how history in most countries is taught through a Eurocentric lens that ultimately favors the financial establishment still dominating the world and enslaving global nations in debt today. The narrative is controlled to cover the long list of crimes that still prop up the establishment, give the African Diaspora a self-fulfilling inferiority complex that is now in the process of being broken, and maintain control of the resources in “developing countries”. The denial in the academic community is so strong that many ‘scholars’ claim the artifacts found in the cover picture of this article from the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization depict the original settlers of Egypt, as people of Arab descent.
The defacement of African-style noses and lips chipped off many Egyptian monuments is a more commonly known example of evidence of attempts to rewrite history that can be found with a quick Google search. Below is a picture taken on my trip to Egypt of an even bolder attempt to change the narrative, where subsequent Italian conquerors tried to paint over a temple to take credit for it but stopped before the project was finished.
The Facts
The first recorded history of Ancient Egypt as we know it speaks of two empires coming together – Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt (1). Cairo and the areas surrounding it going up to the Mediterranean were considered Lower Egypt. Upper Egypt was further South, closer to Sub-Saharan Africa (where we see the darkest skin tones in the world today). When I was there a few months ago, I had the pleasure of meeting some local people in Aswan who are direct descendants of Ancient Egyptians of Upper Egypt. Seen below is my new friend Abdo, on the right:
Narmer (c. 3150 BC) was the first king thought to have conquered/united Upper and Lower Egypt (2) (see below for an image of the tablet depicting his achievement). All records show him coming from Upper Egypt (the region closest to Sub-Saharan Africa), where my friend Abdo’s family has been for thousands of years. With the first King likely being from Upper Egypt, much of the political power would likely have remained there, closer to other black civilizations that still neighbor Egypt today.
Seen below in the Valley of Kings is an image of Kings from Upper Egypt (right) and Lower Egypt (left), differentiated by their uniquely shaped crowns, and still depicted with similar skin tones.
According to the Cambridge Fitzwilliam Museum, “Kemet was one of the names given to Egypt by its ancient indigenous inhabitants. In a modern context, the term Kemet has become associated with placing Egypt in its African cultural context. There are many links between ancient Egyptian and modern African cultures, such as headrests and hairstyles like the side lock. This and other evidence support the idea that it was an African culture in addition to being geographically in Africa.” (3)
The term ‘Kemet’ translates to ‘Black Land,’ though many mainstream scholars explain the meaning to derive solely from the fertile land surrounding the Nile, which is dark in appearance. However, it should be noted that the negroid race is the most genetically diverse race, with many shades present in homogenous societies. Ancient Egyptians depicted themselves with varying shades, primarily brown or darker, which matches many Africans today. The most powerful Gods – including Osiris who was said to have founded the Egyptian civilization – is depicted as having the darkest skin tone.
As time went on and Egypt began trading with other Empires, outsiders would start moving in. Eventually, it was conquered by several different empires (European and Arab) that wanted to enjoy its riches, learn more about its mysterious history, and, in most cases, claim it as their own.
“The history and culture of Egypt has always been a source of fascination with academics and the public alike, and for good reason. Ancient Egypt is universally recognized as one of the premier civilizations of the Ancient world and an outlier to the common narrative of the West being the foundation of civilization. Because of this, interpretations of the biological racial identity of Ancient Egypt have played a critical role in forming various ethnic, cultural, and political groups’ perception of their heritage and identity. This has led to conscious attempts of these groups to claim the legacy of Egypt as their own through a variety of methods, creating uses and abuses of history that have been directly linked to the political and cultural concerns of the time.” (5)
Conclusion
Hitler was known as the worst leader of all time, while most people are entirely unaware of King Leopold and his crimes against humanity. Germany paid Jews reparations after crimes against humanity committed against them in World War 2. At the same time, not a single African country or group has been compensated, and sympathizers are labeled as extremists for suggesting their situation, primarily caused by slavery and subsequent systemic racism, be remedied. The same economic interests that profit off systemic racism use their earnings to shape history and education in their favor. You can draw a straight line showing how European elites figured out a few hundred years ago that dehumanizing their fellow earthlings based on skin color and pursuing that strategy overtly then and covertly now results in centralized profits.
Whitewashing the history of Ancient Egypt to minimize the role of some people of the negroid race in establishing the longest-lasting and arguably the most amazing civilization in history, considering its level of achievement, is a small part of the dehumanization agenda. That, along with wide-reaching media manipulation and covert policy, disproportionately impacts people of color and empowers the systemic racism of today. Admitting that Ancient Egyptians were a primarily black culture that got more diverse and then displaced as time went on is a big step to solving our racial problems of the world because:
- It establishes how much narratives need to be questioned.
- It provides a better appreciation for the contributions of negroid people to the world today.
- The self-confidence and pride generated by understanding the past achievements of people they share a race with could inspire more unity and progress in the African diaspora.
(1) Narmer
https://www.worldhistory.org/Narmer/
(2) The Unification of Upper and Lower Egypt
https://study.com/learn/lesson/upper-lower-egypt-overview-unification.html
(3) Black To Kemet: Placing Egypt in Africa
(4) The Wonderful Land of Punt by Jimmy Dunn
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/punt.htm
(5) Ancient Egypt and White Nationalism
Excellent articulation of the results of sane research by an honest and inquiring mind. Thank you.