In my previous post, I discussed my experiences during my first trip to Kemet.I was able to take video footage of some very enlightening things. Since one of my reasons for going there was to bring back as much knowledge as possible, it is my objective to share it with everyone. Below are the videos which need no explanation. I will let them speak for themselves.
Visit to a Nubian Village
Visit to a Nubian Village Part II
Luxor Temple
Luxor Temple Part II
Luxor Temple Part III
Karnak Temple
Karnak Temple Part II
Karnak Temple Part III
"Each truth you learn will be, for you, as new as if it had never been written."
Before I begin my latest offering, I would like to apologize to all the Udjat readers for my long hiatus. The desire and the topics to write about was there, but the time wasn't. Unfortunately, heavy traveling this past summer kept me too busy to write as often as I would like, hopefully this latest offering makes up for that. I hope you enjoy.
For students of African history, a trip to ancient Kemet is consider a holy pilgrimage back to the land of their mothers and fathers. This past August I had just that opportunity, and it was as if I had traveled back in time. While your scholarship may have educated you tremendously about ancient Kemet and its great accomplishments, personally witnessing what is left behind is the ultimate capstone to one’s studies.After journeying through the land, visiting all the monuments and interacting with the local people, I feel that I have garnered an invaluable multi-dimensional education that expands and reshapes my consciousness. With much conviction, I can assert that all people of the diaspora should one day make a pilgrimage to Kemet, the home of their ancestors.
For me, this trip was the culmination of a year’s worth of planning. I delved deep into my study of African history and learned a great deal about the significance of ancient Kemet. I then decided that I had to see all that I read for myself because my world view and core values were being reshaped and I needed to confirm all that I was learning. I initially planned to make the journey alone, but my younger sister, Cheryll, was interested in going to Kemet as well, so she assumed the tedious task of planning the trip. LOL. The plan was to spend two weeks in the country and see as many monuments as possible.
We left New York on Friday, August 13th and arrived the following afternoon. After resting for the first day, the next morning our adventure began with a visit to the Egyptian museum. Touring this site first was a great way to begin the trip because the information our guide provided served as a brief overview of Kemetic history. While it was great to see so many beautiful pieces, we were disappointed that visitors weren’t allowed to take pictures inside the museum. Our next stop on the tour was visiting the pyramid tomb of King Teti, the founder of the 6th dynasty from the Old Kingdom. We subsequently saw the tomb of his wife Queen Ipwet. While her tomb was better preserved, his pyramid looked more like a mountain of sand and rubble because it has deteriorated after its limestone casing was removed. We then closed out our first day with trips to a papyrus shop and an essential oil shop to see how these products were made. Sales pitch accompanied the lessons which we rejected since we realized that these stops were tourist traps.
On day two of the trip, we went to visit the Giza Plateau to see the Mrkhuty (pyramids). While I had done substantial reading about these structures, nothing prepared me for the imposing monuments masterminded by these ancient architects. The exposed inner blocks of the structures served as a testament to the ingenuity and the advance engineering of the ancient Kemites. This statement is also applicable to the Sphinx (Hor-Em-Ahket) which is a living example of negative architecture. After spending the majority of our day in Giza, we made our way to Saqqara to visit the Imhotep Museum and King Djoser’s step pyramid. It was surreal to witness the world’s first stone skyscraper and the template which led to the great pyramids we saw earlier that day.
Day three was the last of our stay in Lower Kemet, so we spent the day visiting Coptic Cairo where we visited The Hanging Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the Monastery and Church of St. George. These buildings had exotic sculptures of saints and Christian paintings. We wanted to visit some of the early Islamic mosques in the area, but due to Ramadan they were all closed to tourists as well as the Coptic Museum. One interesting thing we learned from visiting this area is that Christians and Moslems coexist peacefully. This shattered my assumption that followers of Islam were intolerant of Christianity.
At the close of our last day in Cairo, we traveled south to Aswan but made a brief stop in Luxor to meet Kemetologist, Anthony T. Browder, for a private tour of newly discovered tombs from the 25th and 26th dynasties. Earlier in the year, I donated to the Asa Restoration Project which is why I was granted a private tour of the site. It was fascinating to learn about the discovery of the tombs yet upsetting to see the destruction perpetrated by the tomb robbers. Seeing the type of painstaking and tedious labor it takes to restore the site really put in perspective how much this effort needs to be supported. Anthony did a great job of explaining the significance of the find and how important it is to African people that the excavation be financed. We met several African American members of the team and heard their testimonials as to what brought them Kemet. In sharing my testimonial, Atlantis Browder asked me what I was doing with all the knowledge I was accumulating on African history. I explained my involvement with the Center for the Restoration of Ma’at along with my support of other African centered organizations. However, after meditating on that conversation later on, I realized that the most important thing anyone regardless of background can do with this knowledge is change one’s self.
After leaving the excavation site in Luxor, we arrived in Aswan late that night and started early the next day at 3:00 a.m. to visit Abu Simbel three and a half hours away. On that ride, we witnessed a beautiful sun rise which the Kemites would have classified as Khepera on the rise. Like The Sphinx and the pyramids, the two temples at Abu Simbel were monumental and imposing structures. However, they were much more lavishly designed and decorated with beautiful inscriptions. It was easy to see the progression of Egyptian art from the Old Kingdom to that of the New Kingdom during the time of the eighteenth and nineteenth dynasties.
We left Abu Simbel and later on that day visited the Aswan market to shop for souvenirs. Although the vendors were very friendly and hospitable, we quickly learned that you must vigorously negotiate every transaction to avoid being ripped off.Majority of the vendors offered us hibiscus tea once we walked into their shops.They asked us where we were from, and joked with us about any and everything. It was interesting to learn that Aswan was populated predominantly by Nubians. They were much darker, looked more like us, and they therefore assumed that we were natives.Their temperament was much more laid back and easy going compared to that of the modern day Egyptians we interacted with in the north.
On our second day in Aswan, we visited Philae Island to see the Temple of Aset (Isis). Its location out on the Nile (Hapi) added a serene effect to its beautiful design. Sadly, it was upsetting to see how the site was vandalized by early Christians. We later learned this was the norm during the rise of early Christianity as it began sweeping through ancient Kemet. Later we capped off our day with a Faluka boat ride and visited several islands on the Nile. Our Faluka boat captains actually knew Dr. Yosef Ben Jochannan and Ashra Kwesi. We had an enlightening talk about how they met each of them and all the times they visited Kemet with study tours. The final stop of our ride was a tour of a Nubian village. It was a phenomenal experience walking through the area and seeing how the people lived. While the prevalence of poverty was very apparent, the people appeared very happy and at peace. We met a Nubian brother who had a beautiful spirit, and he allowed us to interview him on camera to learn more about Nubian culture. Although these Nubians live a simple life, it is quite remarkable how happy they are compared to us Westerners who have so much but are far more miserable. This encounter served as a great reminder that we should not take the comfort and luxuries we have for granted.
The following day we left Aswan early in the morning to return to Luxor. We arrived early and made the best of our time by visiting both Luxor and Karnak Temples. Since so many different rulers built expansions to each of these temples, our tour was like a walk through several different eras of Kemetic history. We were able to see monuments at each site from the nation’s imperial age to the Greco-Roman and Christian era to the Moslem period. Subsequently, it was easy to see the marks left by each foreigner whether it was constructive of destructive. One of the most surprising things I learned was that early Christians at one point lived in the temples and later turned them into churches. They also began covering up the Medu Neter with plaster and painted their own images on the walls and even began building their churches in the same fashion as Kemetic temples. Both temple complexes had numerous examples of vandalism perpetuated by early Christians and early Moslems. This information was relayed to us in great details by tour guides at each site.
On our second day in Luxor, we visited the Valley of the Kings. There we entered the tombs of two of the Ramesides and Tuthmosis III. The grandeur with which these tombs were decorated evidenced the spirituality of the ancient Khamites and the high regard they had for the afterlife. Vibrant, colorful images covered almost every inch of the tombs, leaving you in a state of awe. We then visited Queen Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple which was built with the same flamboyance. It was so finely constructed that it looks as if it was built just yesterday, and this is after it was vandalized and robbed. Throughout its chambers, it was clear to see the vandalism that might have taken place under Tuthmosis III. This was a sad reminder that for all their greatness even the ancient Kemites had problems and internal strife. Hatshepsut’s temple turned out to be the final site we would see during our trip.
I wanted to visit the temples of Eduf, Abydos and Denderah, but my sister was burned out and asked “how many temples can I look at?” LOL. We decided to go to the city of Hurghada on the Red Sea to finish our vacation in a more relaxing fashion. To get to Hurghada, we took a bus ride through the desert which made for a very interesting and thought provoking experience. The vastness of the desert made it seem like an ocean of sand, yet there were times our bus drove through very intimidating and eerie mountainous areas. However, the view was so divine and magnificent that my sister said she could feel the presence of God. Seeing the vastness of the desert and the mountainous regions put me in a state of deep contemplation. I thought, “ancient Kemet was so great that despite these obstacles many nations from Western Asia still invaded them for what they had.”
In Hurghada we stayed at a hotel directly on the beach front of the Red Sea. It was shocking to find that the entire beach front was owned by Russians and that we were the only black people staying in the hotel. Surprisingly, that was to our benefit because the Egyptian staff treated us exceptionally well because of our skin color. How ironic that my first week back in the states, I was pulled over by police officers in my own neighborhood in front of my own house for doing absolutely nothing wrong. Nevertheless, even though the atmosphere made us feel like we were no longer in Africa but rather somewhere in Europe, we had an enjoyable stay. It was interesting swimming in the Red Sea after reading about it in the Bible as a child growing up. My sister then asked, “Isn’t this the sea that God parted?” I was awed by its vastness which made me ask, “How could thousands of people have crossed this on foot and outrun an entire army.” Upon my return to the states the latest book I read answered that question.
Now, it is often said that visiting Africa and Egypt in particular changes you forever. I can testify that this is an accurate assertion. While reading about the nation can educate one’s mind a great deal,seeing the monuments built by the Kemites in person is the only way to fully understand their greatness. To paraphrase Dr. Ivan Van Sertima, you learn that these are a people who did not settle for mediocrity. As a result, since we are their descendants, neither should we. For me, this realization reinforces the understanding that Africans still have much work to do to resurrect themselves and regain their place of prominence on the world stage. Subsequently, you also learn that people such as the modern day Egyptians are just as miseducated about their true history as Africans of the diaspora. From speaking with many of the guides and the locals, you understand that they believe their ancestors are responsible for the splendors of ancient Kemet. You then recognize that the other daunting task to accomplish globally is getting the colonizers to admit that the ancient Kemites were “black African people” and our black brothers and sisters to accept this fact with pride rather than shame.
This reshaping and reawakening of consciousness is an important step for the preservation and improvement of especially black people across the globe. By living within the context of truth and historical reality, humanity can work towards being the divine vessels of the creator. Since returning home I have been in a state of slight depression due to the realization that we should not be living life the way we currently are. I also feel that I have graduated to a higher state of consciousness. I am now able to interpret certain scenes and imagery from Kemetic art on a level that I was not able to do before.It is as if a third eye has opened within me. This is what my trip to Kemet has done for me. It has provided knowledge, insight, and lessons that none of my readings could accomplish. An ancient Kemetic proverb states it best, “True learning is not an accumulation of knowledge; it is an awaking of consciousness which goes through successive stages.” Thank you for reading.
African American Involvement In The Recent Discoveries Of An Egyptian Tomb
*The following blog/press release was published on Sept 17, 2010. It was forwarded to the Udjat by Jonathan Pourzal of the ASA Project*
September 17, 2010 / I-Newswire
Anthony and Atlantis in Karakhamun’s burial chamber.
On September 15, the Egyptian Minister of Culture announced the discovery of an Egyptian tomb “found by Egyptian-American team” (www.dr.hawass.com). The discovery of the burial chamber of a 25th Dynasty priest named Karakhamun was lead by Dr. Elena Pischikova As with any archeological discovery, one often has to dig deep in order to find hidden treasure.
The hidden treasure in the announcement of this discovery is that the one of the American members of the “Egyptian-American team” is noted African American historian and author, Anthony Browder, who has financed the excavation of the tomb since 2008.
Mr. Browder met Dr. Pischikova in Egypt in 2008 while he was conducting research for a new book. She gave him a private tour of the tomb and discussed its historical relevance to African Americans. Dr. Pischikova said that she may have to end the excavation because of a lack of finding and lamented the fact that traditional funding institutions were not interested in the 25th Dynasty because it was black African.
Understanding the historical significance of this discovery, Mr. Browder made a commitment to assist Dr. Pischikova. In 2008, Browder founded the ASA Restoration Project, a non-profit corporation, to raise funds for the continued excavation of the tomb and to promote awareness of Karakhamun and the 25th Dynasty. The ASA Restoration Project is named in honor of noted African American psychologist and historian Dr. Asa G. Hilliard, III.
Anthony and Dr. Pischikova discuss the importance of their find.
In 2009 and 2010, the Asa Restoration Project sponsored three teams of African Americans to work at the excavation site during the summer excavation season. Dr. Pischikova has acknowledged that without the support of Mr. Browder and the ASA Restoration Project this year’s discoveries would not have occurred.
Anthony Browder has made 45 trips to Egypt since 1980 and has been conducting study tours there since 1987. He is the author of 6 books, including From the Browder File and Nile Valley Contributions to Civilization. In 1989 Browder took his seven year-old daughter Atlantis on one of his study tours and they co-authored her first book My First Trip to Africa when she was eight. In August, Anthony and his daughter became the first African Americans to enter the burial chamber of Karakhamun where they spent a week excavating and photographing the contents of the burial chamber.
For more information on Mr. Browder and the ASA Restoration Project visit www.IKG-info.com.
I am Egypt: The Ankh Ceremony: "Yesterday was a day to remember. I feel privileged to have been invited to my friends' Ankh Ceremony where they received their Priesthood A..."
Last month the BBC reported advancement in radio carbon dating which aided in verifying the historical chronology of ancient Kemet. The process showed the accuracy of the Old, Middle and New Kingdom’s timelines. This development is monumental since the dating of events is a problem of great controversy in Egyptology. This improvement in radio carbon dating will hopefully settle disputes over the Genesis of dynastic Kemet’s history and other points of contention.
For readers not familiar with radio carbon dating, it is the “method of determining the age of organic materials by measuring the amount of radioactive decay of an isotope of carbon, carbon-14 (C14).”This method of dating objects from ancient Kemet has been implemented for a long time but it has been plagued with many errors. However, with the efforts of researchers from the UK, France, Austria and Israel, a very precise statistical technique was used to improve the process.
Some of the oldest writings cataloguing ancient Kemet’s history are the Tablet of Karnak, the Tablet of Abydos, the Tablet of Saqqara, the Papyrus of Turin and the chronology of the famous African scholar-priest Manetho. Under the Greek ruler Ptolemy I, Manetho was commissioned to write a complete history of Kemet which was titled Aegyptiaca. It was Manetho that divided the various rulers of Kemet’s history into thirty dynasties. Unfortunately, much of this work was lost and only fragments of it have survived in the writing of classical writers such as Jewish historian Josephus and Christian historian Julius Africanus. Contemporary scholars have aimed to detail Kemet’s history, however, depending on what publication one reads, numerous dates will be presented as the beginning of Kemet’s dynastic era. The new carbon dating process can now be used to put everyone on the same page and help fill in the gaps when it comes to Kemet’s history, drawing us closer to viewing its astounding legacy in its totality.
The BBC report gave specific examples of the accuracy of the new discovery. 211 diverse samples were accurately dated from multiple museum collections.Samples from the tomb of Tutankhamun were accurately dated along with “seeds from a room underneath the Saqqara step pyramid dated to a specific year of the reign of King Zoser.” It was even calculated that Zoser’s reign on the throne of Kemet lasted from “2691 to roughly 2625 B.C.E.”
While this development is new excitement for students of Kemetic history, I am curious as to what else can it confirm for us? One issue of contention that also needs clarification is when was Hor-m-akhet (The Sphinx) built. Some scholars argue that it was constructed by Kufu or Khafre during the fourth dynasty around 2500 B.C.E.Others argue that it was built long before the dynastic period and is actually 10,000 years or more old. In Ivan Van Sertima’s “Egypt Child of Africa,” there is an essay by historian Manu Ampin titled “Redating the Sphinx.” Here, the author presents several arguments by multiple researchers calling for an earlier dating for the creation of Hor-m-akhet. Based on the erosion of the rocks that comprise the monument, it is possible that it was built prior to a time when the Giza area was subject to much precipitation. This hypothesis has yet to be confirmed but hopefully the new advancements in radiocarbon dating can verify its validity.
This discovery would give us a greater view of the scope of Ancient Kemet’s history and development. It would also allow us to view the evolution of Kemetic philosophy and spirituality. Since Hor-m-akhet is as a symbolic structure, knowing when it was built provides clarity on ancient Kemetic thought.In an interview African-centered scholar Asa G. Hilliared explains that the further we look back into Kemet’s history, the better are its philosophical and spiritual thoughts. It is thus imperative that we continue to get as close to the original concepts as possible to perceive Kemet’s many concepts in their proper context. After all, even the Kemites recognized this fact and left us with the proverb, “Popular beliefs on essential matters must be examined in order to discover the original thought. “ Thank you for reading.
Historian John Henrik Clarke says as an artist, you are supposed to use your art to change the world. Throughout their musical careers Rap artist Nas and Reggae artist Damian Marley have used their craft for that purpose.Being two men concerned with the upliftment of their people and the betterment of the world, it is quite logical for them to unite for their common cause. The duo first worked together on the track “Road to Zion” for Damian’s 2005 album “Welcome to Jamrock.” Because of the success they had with that record they agreed to team up for a full length studio album. After a year and half of recording, they offered the world the phenomenal “Distant Relatives” On May 18th this year.
This monumental work can be viewed as a continuation, synthesis and or amalgamation of their previous albums. The LP is a conceptual recording centered on issues and information pertinent to African people of the Diaspora. The production of the album was primarily handled by Damian who created head-nodding instrumentals that truly captures the sounds of Africa. This album is significant because here we have two high profile artists presenting information to the world that is not really discussed in mainstream media. For instance the second track of the album “Tribes at War” discusses the intra-racial friction amongst black people all over the globe. Fueled by the heavy drum samples of the beat Nas opens up the track with the lines “Man what happened to us?/ Geographically they moved us from Africa/ We was once happiness pursuers/ Now we backstabbing. Combative and abusive.” This track also features Somalian rapper K’naan who offers an impressive verse on his understanding of the root of the problem.
The follow up to “Tribes at War” is the high energy and adrenaline pumping “Only the Strong will Continue.” This track is one of the many high points of the album and one of my personal favorites. Damian and Nas each perform two inspiring and powerful verses that motivate listeners to be their best selves no matter the challenges faced in life. Damian gives such profound advice as “The victory is found in truth/ Like innocence found in youth/ Self defeat is your own dispute/ And when you put yourself in your own shoes/ It’s either you’re winning or losing/ Don’t get it confused/ cause you’re starring inna your own movie.” This track is ideal for fueling the revolutionary spirit in anyone motivated to change the world for the better. The ideal follow up to this song is “Leaders” featuring Stephan Marley. Here Nas discuss the prominence of various types of leaders that exist in the black community. From famous street hustlers, to gangsters such as Bumpy Johnson to revolutionary messiahs Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X, Nas points out their importance while Stephan sings the chorus calling for our leaders to change the world.
To continue the inspiration and positive energy that motivates the album songs such as “Friends” and “Count Your Blessings” respectively discuss the challenges in maintaining trustworthy friendships and keeping a positive world view regardless of one’s unfortunate circumstances. The song “Dispear” (yes that is the actual spelling of the song) which follows is another highlight of the album. The topic at hand is the role of supremacy played by the world’s wealthy elites and the role of servitude or the exploited played by the general masses of the globe. Nas and Damian explain that this arrangement leads to despair among people in the so-called lower classes and that the mind is a modern day spear or weapon to combat these circumstances. Nas drops thought provoking lines such as, “The Masters/ The Wall Street War Chiefs/ The Elitist Groups/The Masses/ They pray Jesus/ Saying he will see us through/ The masters are the aristocratic/ The masses/ ask if the Most High is on his way here/ I’m trying to stay clear/ My mind is my modern day spear.” This song is then closed out by Damian with a very impressive verse detailing the destructive behavior that is a direct result of life’s despair.
The duo subsequently follows “Dispair” with the imaginative “Land of Promise.” In each of their verses Damian and Nas share their fantasies about a prosperous and developed Africa and comparing this vision to different parts of the United States and the affluence of its people. Damian sings “Imagine Lagos like Las Vegas/ The ballers dem a ball/ Angola like Atlanta/ A pure plane take off/ Bush Gardens inna Mali/ Chicago inna Chad/ Magic Kingdom inna Egypt/ Philadelphia in Sudan.” Nas compliments this vision with lines such as “Promised Land I picture Porches/ Basquiat Portraits/ Pinky Rings/Realistic princesses/ Heiresses/ Bunch a Kings and Queens/Plus I picture fortunes for kids out in Port-Au-Prince.” Such imagery is great motivation for Afrocentrics who are working to restore Africa to its position of prominence in ancient times. Nas lets us know that this goal is definitely attainable.
Damian and Nas take their creativity further with the spiritual “In His Own Words.” Here they tackle the way the creator works in our lives from an African-centered perspective. Throughout the song they present African philosophy which teaches that the essence and power of the Creator resides in all things in existence and the importance of living in harmony and balance with all of creation. Damian drives these points home with the lines, “Help who help themselves/ Jah no raffle dream/ That’s why me chubby with Jah Jah like a Cherubim/ Keep me strong through the winter like an evergreen/ And all of us are more connected than it ever seemed/ All things are related/ And creation is a package/ Generate together/ And we increase the wattage.” Such lessons are important for all people to know because this understanding is essential to putting a stop to the self-destructive course the world is currently on.
The album progresses to its climax where Nas and Damian present more insightful lessons with the skills of master teachers on the powerful “Patience.” Infused with emotional and soulful production the song’s lyrics deliver the most thought provoking and beautiful poetry of the LP. Here they cover a lot of ground as they discuss hypocrisy in the world, pointing out the misuse and abuse of funds by world governments, the raping and exploitation of Africa, media bias and the miseducation of the masses. Damian stands out on this track with his best performance sharing pungent lines such as “Some of the smartest dummies/ can’t read the language of Egyptian mummies/ An a fly go a Moon. And can’t find food for the starving tummies/ Pay no mind to the youths/ Cause it’s not like the future depends on it / But save the animals in the zoo/ Cause the chimpanzee dem a make big money/ This is how the media pillages/ on TV the picture is/ Savages in villages.” The words of this song can be viewed as controversial or radical however it addresses topics that are being ignored on the world; and these are issues that need to be discussed and acted on to improve life for everyone on the planet.
After such a profound performance the album concludes with “My Generation” and “Africa Must Wake Up.” “My Generation” serves as a message to the current generation that they will be the ones to change the world. This track features singer Joss Stone and LiL Wayne who is leader of the new generation of rappers and a favorite of the current generation. In his performance Wayne exhibits a level of worldly consciousness and positivity never before seen in his music. On “Africa Must Wake Up” Nas performs both verses of the song calling for a reawakening of African consciousness. He gives an abbreviated history lesson of African people and even mentions Kemet by her proper name while pointing out great accomplishments of black people throughout time. Asking the younger generation to define African people today, Damian sings “Africa must wake up/ The Sleeping sons of Jacob/ For what tomorrow may bring/ May a better day come/ Yesterday we were kings/ Can you tell me young ones/ Who are we today?”
This album in its totality is five stars. The quality of the production and lyrics gives it tremendous replay value. The more I listened to it the more I liked it and each time you hear it, your favorite song may change. It is a perfect addition to anyone’s music collection and people from all walks of life can listen to it. While it is centered on things concerning Africa, it is important for all people regardless of race, ethnicity or social status to know the information Damian and Nas presents. For African people to achieve equality in the world they need to change the way they look at themselves and the world must also change the way it views them. Damian and Nas are doing their part to further this effort by proclaiming our true history to the world. It cannot be stressed enough how important history is. Scholar Howard Zinn accurately explains this fact by stating, “History is important because if you don’t know history it is as if you were born yesterday.” When you know history your have greater intellect, you have a better understanding of the world, where you came from and how you got to your present position. This is a principle important for the restoration of Ma’at. To live in a world that is fair and balanced all of humanity must live in truth. The Khamites accurately stated thousands of years ago, “The key to all problems is the problem of consciousness.” It is therefore essential that we elevate our consciousness to solve our problems. Thank you for reading.
On April 22 the New York Times Op-Ed column published an article by Harvard University professor, Henry Louis Gates titled, “Ending the Slavery Blame-Game.” Professor Gates argues that Europeans and Africans are equally responsible for the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, both sides profited from the arrangement and as a result the African American call for reparations isn’t workable. He believes since the U.S. now has an African American president, this debate can be properly put to rest. Such arguments are quiet disturbing, need to be challenged and require the many pointes made by Mr. Gates to be placed in proper perspective.
Professor Gates asserts that 90 percent of the blacks shipped to the new world and sold to Europeans were Africans enslaved by other Africans. However, he fails to mention that the institution of slavery was introduced to Africa by Asiatic and European people. Before the intrusion of these groups slavery in its contemporary definition did not exist. What could be classified as slavery in ancient Africa actually was indentured servitude. The people subjected to this circumstance were either imprisoned criminals, individuals who were being punished by requirement to perform menial tasks, prisoners of war and individuals working to pay off a debt. These people were not separated from their families, were allowed to marry within the family and society where they worked and could graduate through the social strata to become chiefs and kings. They were not dehumanized and were eventually released from this arrangement. This is a practice that goes back to ancient Kemet and Dr. Ivan Van Sertima explains that even the ruler of Kemet would spend one day during the year working with the indentured servants building the temples. For African people there was nothing demeaning about labor.
Many African centered scholars have conducted extensive field research on African civilizations and arrived at the same conclusion about slavery. Chancellor Williams for example spent 15 years doing research for his monumental work, “The Destruction of Black Civilization.” He traveled to North, South, East, West and Central Africa gathering data and learned that indentured servitude was practiced throughout the continent. In “Christopher Columbus and the Afrikan Holocaust,” Dr. John Henrik Clarke relays similar findings in his travels and research specifically on slavery in Africa. In “Afrikan Theology, Cosmogony & Philosophy,” author Ekow Butweiku I explains that in his research conducted in Africa he learned that a system of wageless labor was practiced known as panyarring. Africans captured in wars were also subject to panyarring however, “they could move about freely and acquire property.” Thus, it can be concluded with much certainty that African people did not engage in the dehumanizing chattel slavery that Europeans instituted.
A friend of mine participated in an exchange program in Ghana for several months while in college. In her interactions with the Ghanaians they expressed anger that they and their ancestors were being blamed for the African Slave Trade. They explained that in the traditional Ghanaian language, there is no word for slave and that no such system existed there. It is quite surprising to hear that in this nation where the slave trade was initiated, there is no word to even describe the system on which it is based. However, the pre-existence of slavery on the African continent has often been used as justification for the holocaust implemented against people of that world. In actuality, the word slave is of European origin. According to the Miriam Webster Dictionary, the word slave comes “from the frequent enslavement of Slavs in central Europe during the early Middle Ages.” We must therefore recognize how problematic it is to use terminology from a European culture and understanding to define a system in Africa which has a totally different connotation. These are points that Professor Gates fails to take into consideration in his piece.
Slave raiders such as John Hawkins learned about the African system of wageless labor and decided that it could be exploited to enslave these people in the new world. Through guile and cunning actions Europeans instigated rifts between African nations and when the groups went to war with each other, captives would be purchased from the winner for transport to Europe and America. The number one weapon in their conquest was religion in the form of Christianity. Missionaries were often the first people sent in as spies in various African nations to befriend and convert African kings. The nation would subsequently convert after the king and then European mercenaries would commit their raids once the people had been subconsciously and spiritually conquered.
Sadly, there were Africans who got involved in slave raiding but such cases were manipulated by Europeans through force and the use of intoxicants. Enslaved Africans captured by the Europeans were used for the capture of additional victims. There were very few cases of independent slave raids by Africans for sale to Europeans. This circumstance clearly proclaims the so called slave trade as commerce purely instigated by European people because it was a demand driven business. Enslaved Africans were not just sitting on the shores of the gold coast waiting to be sold to the highest bidder.
Furthermore, if there were Africans benefiting from the slave trade as professor Gates asserts, what happened to the wealth they amassed from this commerce? The revenue generated during the African slave trade catapulted Europe and America into the industrial age!! If Africans took part in this industry, the logical outcome should be that they would have advanced economically and technologically as well. The reality of the situation is that they didn’t and the entire continent was subsequently underdeveloped due to population loss, the decimation of agriculture and an epidemic of wars.
While Professor Gates articulates the role Africans played in the slave trade, he doesn’t mention the resistance to the system on the continent. Individuals such as Queen Nzingha pioneered wars of defense and national solidarity against the Portuguese occupation of her land. She was able to gain the loyalty of Africans who were being used by the Portuguese as slave holders and waged guerrilla warfare with the enemy. While she had converted to Catholicism, she did so to use it as a means to empower herself and used it as a political tool when it suited her unlike many other Africans who became spiritually enslaved by the religion. Later on in life she even renounced her Christian name Anna and only went solely by Nzingha. Based on the facts presented, it is quite befuddling that Mr. Gates would accuse this African Queen of selling the very people she fought to liberate to the invading enslaver.
In his article, professor Gates also asserts “the African role in the slave trade was greatly reduced after 1807, when abolitionists, first in Britain and then, a year later, in the United States, succeeded in banning the importation of slaves.” However, all the slave trading nations were doing the same thing during this period. At this point in time revenue from the slave trade in the Caribbean was either static or in decline with the exception of a few islands. Furthermore, while abolitionists were fighting to stop the trade, they weren’t in support of emancipation for the slaves. Men like William Wilberforce who championed dissolving the slave trade in Britain opposed emancipation with the following argument, “Our object and our universal language was and is, to produce by abolition a disposition to breed instead of buying.” It wasn’t until 1823 that the idea of emancipation was adopted by abolitionists.
Another rationale for the cessation of the slave trade was international and inter-colonial rivalry. Upon investigation Britain learned that French and Spanish colonies were benefiting from the re-export of slaves shipped into British territories. This circumstance gave Britain more reason to abolish the trading system in hopes of slowing the progress of its rivals. Subsequently, the elevation of revolts also made the slave trade no longer profitable. The successful Haitian revolution led to an escalation of insurrections that spread fear throughout the colonies which further supported the movement towards abolition.
With the above facts inconsideration, the origin, nature and rationale for the African slave trade should place in its proper context that is truly responsible for its perpetuation. What Professor Gates has done in his piece is inadvertently or intentionally placed the blame on the victim for their enslavement, subsequently vindicating the enslaver. Europe and the U.S. still owe the descendants of enslaved Africans a great deal of reparations. This fact is something that is being ignored because the payments would be so vast that it would bankrupt and cripple so many of these nations. When high profile individuals in the African community such as Skip Gates comes out and makes such remarks, it gives these former slave masters reason to not entertain the reparations issue. The record must be set straight and thankfully many African scholars have organized themselves to address Professor Gates’ piece and continue the argument that justice is due to the former enslaved Africans of the world. It is the only way we can ever create a better world and live within the divine principle of Ma’at. The Kemites said it best, “Qualities of a moral order are measured by deeds.” Thank you for reading.
Williams, Chancellor. 1987, “The Destruction of Black Civilization: Great Issues of Race from 4500 B.C. to 2000 A.D.,” Chicago, Third World Press
Clarke, John Henrik. 1993, “Christopher Columbus and the Afrikan Holocaust: Slavery and the Rise of European Capitalism,” Brooklyn, NY, A&B Publisher Group
Butweiku I, Ekow, 1999, “Afrikan Theology, Cosmogony & Philosophy,” Hampton, VA, The Lumumba Book Printers & Co.
Van Sertima, Ivan, 1984. “Black Women in Antiquity,” Piscataway, NJ, Transaction Publishers
Williams, Eric. 1970, “From Columbus to Castro: The History of the Caribbean,” New York, Random House, Inc.
noun 1. Drawn to referrence the falcon's eye of Heru, the udjat is the kemetic (Ancient Egyptian) symbol of divine wisdom and insight. According to folklore, the eye is a mystical replacement for the eye that was torn from Heru's face during the battle with his uncle Set. The left "moon" eye is also representation of the feminine power of intuition.
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