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Afrocentrist activists and intellectuals are primarily Americans, and have an IDEOLOGICAL agenda to fulfill that revises history from a black standpoint as a reaction to Eurocentric portrayals of history. Some of it to the point that it directly contradicts established facts or history, such as in the case of Egyptology.
To elaborate a bit:
Some is religious in nature, relating to a desire to awaken with blacks a spiritual consciousness of their own cultural identity - even cultural superiority - over the world, and how that culture was robbed from them and co-opted by white people. The black Jesus for instance. Black Israel. The beliefs of the Nation of Islam. Kwanzaa. These are examples of an Afrocentrist approach to counter-history.
Some of them are political in nature, desiring the same thing as the religious Afrocents do, but from a Marxist, or humanist or secularist point of view. They blend such things as critical theory into the mix to create and nurture a sense of revolutionary disenchantment or grievance to be levied against Europeans.
Some of them are both religious AND political - such as with Liberation Theology and other blends of Marxist ecumenicalism.
Yaacov Shavit summaries its goals in the preface to his book "History in Black":
"Thus, if historical myths and legends, or an invented history, play such a major role in the founding of every national reconstruction, the question that should concern us here is the nature of the distinct style in which black Americans imagine their past. The answer to this question is that radical Afrocentrism, the subject of this study, which plays a central role in shaping the modern historical world-view of a large section of the African-American (or Afro-American) community, is far more than an effort to follow the line taken by many ethnic groups and nations in modern rewriting, inventing or developing collective identity and national history. Rather, it is a large-scale historical project to rewrite the history of the whole of humankind from an Afrocentric point of view. The result is a new reconstruction of world history: it is a universal history."
Excellent answer. Spot on. The first sensible answer on the thread.
Part of my lament is that I believe that African Americans do not need to resort to mythical past. They have a real heroic past to draw from. If the afrocentrists win (and I think we see clearly on this thread that they are holding a lot of territory if not outright winning) then we will lose forever all that can be gained by studying West and Central Africa.
There are in the Sahelian cities tens of thousands of untranslated books written with dozens of writing systems that could shed new light on the past. There are archeological discoveries waiting under the desert sands such as a castle in Gao that was recently found. There are songs of the griots waiting to be written down.
But not enough people are interested in doing this work to give it impetus. We see it here on this thread- afrocentrists would rather try to claim Egypt while arguing at the same time that they are not trying to claim Egypt.
I never said any such thing. And again, this is simply straw man/diversion/canard regarding a concept that is remarkably easy to understand: the values of Greece and Rome inform and unite modern European society, the values of Egypt DO NOT inform and unite Africa.
I just want you to answer this simple question that many posters on this thread are probably thinking. Do you hate that most African Americans/Afrocentrists are proud of all parts of Africa, instead of just being proud of West Africa?
So it's ok for White Americans to have a Pan-European viewpoint but not ok for African American to do the same in regards to the Pan-African viewpoint because Europeans share the same cultural ties. That's clearly double standards at its finest and it also proves my point from my earlier post.
Your right, lets forget the Trans-Saharan trade routes that have existed since ancient times. Lets forget the tribes that lived in between those areas. Lets also forget the history and existence of the Nile River while were at it.
Again, very easy to understand. I will explain it a fourth time:
The values of Greece and Rome inform and unite modern Europeans and their ancestors. The values of Egyptians do not inform and unite the decedents of modern Africans. In fact, African Americans are living in societies informed by Greco-Roman values.
It is not a double standard, it is truth. West/Central Africans and their dependents have nothing to do with Egypt. Nothing what-so-ever.
I am a quarter Italian. Part of Italy was Magna-Greacia in ancient times. And regardless of bloodlines, I live in a representative republic as conceived by Rome.
What specific connection are you claiming to Egypt for African Americans? Do they come from Egypt? Are they governed by Pharaohs? Did West Africans EVER build pyramids?
I just want you to answer this simple question that many posters on this thread are probably thinking. Do you hate that most African Americans/Afrocentrists are proud of all parts of Africa, instead of just being proud of West Africa?
Glad to answer.
Yes, I despise it when people try to steal heritages that have NOTHING WHAT-SO-EVER to do with them. It is sick that afrocentrists spin the myth that modern Egyptians are not the same as ancients in an attempt to steal a culture. Egypt belongs to the Egyptians, not to African Americans.
And you have pretty much put out there which side you are on.
And I am being told by some that Afrocentrists are not trying to claim Egypt even as Afrocentrists on this thread are trying to claim Egypt. That is laughable.
Egypt was not largely "black," and its values were not widely transmitted throughout Africa beyond Nubia. African Americans do not come from Egyptians. Any perceived connection is indeed mythical. You would do well to study real history rather than complain about it. And whereas I do think you should re-connect with your real roots, you should also appreciate Greece and Rome, since it is their values are continuing to spread throughout the world.
Egypt, not-so-much.
I don't care about Greece and Rome. I've learned enough. My focus is studying what we have done as a people. If you believe Egypt wasn't largely "black" then that is on you. And please name the Afrocentrists on this thread that is trying to claim Egypt. Two of us have already said we're not.
I never said any such thing. And again, this is simply straw man/diversion/canard regarding a concept that is remarkably easy to understand: the values of Greece and Rome inform and unite modern European society, the values of Egypt DO NOT inform and unite Africa.
What does any of that have to do with discussing Egypt though and I could also say that your comments are a diversion.
Also, who are the Afrocentrists on this thread?
Also, what if people were to say that people of African descent are interested in accomplishments that took place on said continent the same way that people of European descent love to display the values that came from Rome and Greece? I still haven't seen proof that African Americans have claimed Egypt, as you continue to go back and forth between Afrocentrists and African Americans as they are necessarily the same, still.
Yes, I despise it when people try to steal heritages that have NOTHING WHAT-SO-EVER to do with them. It is sick that afrocentrists spin the myth that modern Egyptians are not the same as ancients in an attempt to steal a culture. Egypt belongs to the Egyptians, not to African Americans.
And you have pretty much put out there which side you are on.
Ok so Europe belongs to all Europeans but Africa doesn't belong to all Africans?
What specific connection are you claiming to Egypt for African Americans? Do they come from Egypt? Are they governed by Pharaohs? Did West Africans EVER build pyramids?
You are beating a dead horse.
What part of Black Americans do not claim or think about Egypt as much as you think they do don't you understand?
Afrocentrist activists and intellectuals are primarily Americans, and have an IDEOLOGICAL agenda to fulfill that revises history from a black standpoint as a reaction to Eurocentric portrayals of history. Some of it to the point that it directly contradicts established facts or history, such as in the case of Egyptology.
To elaborate a bit:
Some is religious in nature, relating to a desire to awaken with blacks a spiritual consciousness of their own cultural identity - even cultural superiority - over the world, and how that culture was robbed from them and co-opted by white people. The black Jesus for instance. Black Israel. The beliefs of the Nation of Islam. Kwanzaa. These are examples of an Afrocentrist approach to counter-history.
Some of them are political in nature, desiring the same thing as the religious Afrocents do, but from a Marxist, or humanist or secularist point of view. They blend such things as critical theory into the mix to create and nurture a sense of revolutionary disenchantment or grievance to be levied against Europeans.
Some of them are both religious AND political - such as with Liberation Theology and other blends of Marxist ecumenicalism.
Yaacov Shavit summaries its goals in the preface to his book "History in Black":
"Thus, if historical myths and legends, or an invented history, play such a major role in the founding of every national reconstruction, the question that should concern us here is the nature of the distinct style in which black Americans imagine their past. The answer to this question is that radical Afrocentrism, the subject of this study, which plays a central role in shaping the modern historical world-view of a large section of the African-American (or Afro-American) community, is far more than an effort to follow the line taken by many ethnic groups and nations in modern rewriting, inventing or developing collective identity and national history. Rather, it is a large-scale historical project to rewrite the history of the whole of humankind from an Afrocentric point of view. The result is a new reconstruction of world history: it is a universal history."
How do you respond to the fact of Beta Israel and Igbo Jews or that some estimates state that a notable amount of Africans brought to the US were Muslim before they even left?
Also, is it to counter history or to form an identity due to not having the choice to do so under said groups terms? While I don't necessarily agree with some of the aspects mentioned, I can understand due to this fact and also due to coming into the knowledge of more information pertaining to those that fall under the same social-historical identity.
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