What is Africa?
Remember when we were younger and went to our parents for everything? And as we got older we started to stray away from them. Back then they were all we knew so maybe we appreciated them a little more. There was a time when they meant the world and nothing else mattered. Our parents helped us take our first steps, kissed our scars, and kept us safe from danger. Even though they still may mean the world to us, it is not shown as much. Could you imagine abandoning your parents after all they have done for you? Well, this is exactly what we have done to Africa.
Africa was an abundant land full of life and strength which has somehow “lost” its value. And just like our parents raised us, Africa helped raise the world that we know today. Similar to the way we may have did our parents, Africa does not get all of the attention and respect that it deserves. Human civilization originated in Africa; however, we never hear of it. In fact, the children of the world have completely turned its back on Africa. Only to make matters worse, we never even gave Africa a thank you. It is now said that civilization did not begin in Africa. Some might even say that civilization began in Greece. However, this is a myth supported by an altered history. The out of Africa theory was highly supported by a scholar by the name of Cheikh Anta Diop. He felt so strongly about this cause that he spent the majority of his life proving this theory. Diop says “the birth of Egyptology was marked by the need to destroy the memory of a Negro Egypt at any cost and in all minds” (1955, p. 45). The ignorance of the situation can be blamed on early scholars and philosophers. Philosophers falsified information in early history changing it so that it looks as if Africans did not make civilization what it is today. In fact Davidson (1989) claims, “the scholarship of the last thirty years has tipped into exploded fantasies”. This idea is still an issue because today’s schools and universities rarely teach the origin of civilization from an African viewpoint. Thus, Human civilization did originate in Africa but it is not discussed due to lack of knowledge, racism, and a struggle for power.
Most people who disagree with the out of Africa theory, primarily do so because they are lacking knowledge on the matter. For so long the out of Africa theory was not discussed. The out of Africa theory is a belief that life began in Africa and eventually led to Europe and other parts of the world. “Few studies, however, admit the significant, indeed predominant, role of Africans in the building of this civilization” (Van Sertima, 1989, p. 3). The open discussion of the origin of civilization with just facts and no opinions may be exactly what the world needs to change some people’s mind.
The fact that human civilization began in Africa may be denied because of new found racism. Europeans refuse to accept the fact that they came from a place in which they consider to be “inferior”. Discoveries by early anthropologists show that the first humans were indeed black and came from Africa. Skeletons found resembled the ‘typical” negroid type with the bone structure and wide span noses. As Egypt grew closer to Greece, its ties with Africa grew smaller. Diop argues that we are all the same on the inside and that blood does not have a race. In fact the belief that ancient Egyptians were black wasn’t denied until 1830. “It is denial, in short, that belongs to the rise of imperialism, and has to be explained in the terms of ‘new racism’, specifically and even frantically an anti black racism” (Davidson, 1989, p.40). Early Egyptian paintings show that the Egyptians painted themselves as black. If ancient Egyptians were not black then why would they paint themselves that way? This is where Egyptians began to contradict themselves.
The rest of the world does not want to accept the out of Africa theory due to a struggle for power. “The center of power, leadership, and spirituality was deep in the south of Kemet most of its existence” (Hillard, 1989, p. 212). Kemet was the center of power of the world for about five hundred years. This power came from the fact that all of the royalties were the first of their kind. With all of this power it makes it harder for Europeans to appear dominant. This is the primary reason for the denial of the belief. Since the beginning of time, Africa has been a very powerful place. Diop’s work shows that Egypt’s language and some of its culture stems back to Africa. In fact migrants and invaders made very little impact until late in the day. The Europeans figured that if it robbed Africa of its greatness, that Europe would then be the center of power. Egypt was so desperate that they captured the Africans. “They were hired for cheap labor, if any at all, and without will (Diop, 1955, p, 24). Slavery of the Africans helped Europe gain more power. They were now known for breaking the African civilization. This was very powerful. After being enslaved, Africa was no longer looked at as the powerful place that it is. The people in the land were captured many times. This is how society developed to other parts of the world.
References
Davidson, B., Hilliard, A.G., Sertima, I.V. (2008) Egypt Revisited. (P.3-212)
(Original work published 1989)
Diop, C.A. (1955) The African origin of Civilization (p.24)
Eighteenth dynasty painting from the tomb of Theban governor Ramose Dier El- Madinah
Date Retrieved: October 23, 2010
http://www.solarnavigator.net/geography/egypt.htm
