My professor says that Whites and Asians have contributed far more than blacks to civilization. Is this true?

Question

My anthropology professor (who is black) told the class that, unfortunately, the contribution of Whites and Asians in terms of scientific and technological advancement, and in political, philosophical thought is overwhelming compared to black achievement.

In fact, he claims that Whites and Asians have contributed about 90%, while black is less than 2%. For example, almost every single household appliance in our houses have been invented by white or Asian people. Most of the social systems such as democracy have also been invented and refined by these races.
Is this true?

What are some scientific or technological things that blacks in Africa or America have invented?

Is my professor, even though he is black, an "orea" or traitor of his race for saying these things?

Many of the answers so far have not answered the question or are just nonsensical.

The professor is not saying blacks haven't invented things, nor is he saying that blacks haven't invented many things. He's saying that, even if it's true that blacks have invented many things, the ratio between non-black to black achievement is still immensely HUGE.

Answer 1

He is completely wrong, did you know the mechanism that makes a light bulb work was invented by a black man. Plus how on earth would we have time to create democracy when we were busy being forced to build this country during slavery and not being allowed to learn! Cant do everything at once!!
There are far too many Black inventors to name , your professor is sadly mistaken and should consider another profession.

Answer 2

He is right. Almost. He must also include arabs (which are not blacks) who alongside white and asians gave civilisation a lot of knowledge include our present day number systems, architecture, and lots of mathematics. And this at a time when whites where still living in the dark ages.

We must not forget other civilisaitons such as the incas etc, who where very advanced for their time. However, possibly due to their isolation when compared, to arabia, europe and asia, their influence on the present day is minimal.

As for the person, who has mentioned that whites have had a 400 year start, this is absolute rubbish. White civilisation has been established 1000s of years ago (at least 5000 before christ). Don't think that the world started when Christoper Columbus discovered America.

Your professor may not be politically correct in saying what he is saying, but he is right.

Having said this, to me this means very little. Civilisaitons rise and fall and the pattern is cyclic. Perhaps blacks so far have not had their day in influencing civilisation in a major way. I suspect that this happening is not as far away as some people think.

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CHRIST, the ignorance of some of the replies here is incredible. Like someone way down below thinks that democracy was invented during slavery - wake up - democracy was invented by the Greeks thousands of years ago.

And another one. Science was invented by America and Europe. Get real. Science has been in existence way before America was discovered by Christopher Columbus.

And antoher one. Blacks could not have invented as much as whites and asians because they where deprived schooling. What a laugh. Who had invented and discovered all the knowledge that went into the libraries of books that where thought to the children and in universities that were present when blacks where slaves in America? Did the aliens plant all that knowlege in America for whites to learn?

Answer 3

Your professor is right and I don't believe he is an "orea" or traitor of his race.He is responsible for instructing you on fact and unfortunately the black race hasn't contributed much to our society in the past. You can't blame them, there have always been very intelligent black people. Most were never in a position where they could contribute or their ideas were rejected because of their color. W. E. B. DuBois a black sociologists (he went to Harvard) may have been the first black man to study empirical data about African Americans and to combat racism. I can't think of anything electronic that a black person invented but I do know they are responsible for the invention of several music instruments. Who invented " Soul "?

Answer 4

I don't like say this but, is true, but because the development in Africa is for the territory reason, the Zse zse fly cause the died of the animals and the domestication's suffer about that, besides, the slavish are another reason, in the society the black people was not allowed to get education and info, the society push them back, because the racism, I think all races have contributions to give to the world, but the black people had less opportunity to develop it, i think we will look invents and more contributions from the black people now and in the future.

Answer 5

I would have to agree with your professor, ifyou look at history from the Industrial Revolution to present. Ask yourself why this is. Over this time period, take a look at history. Blacks finally got treated as equals (some would say still not equals) to whites in the 60's. They could get in the best colleges and get an equal education as whites. So, whites basically had a 160 year head start on blacks. Now look at the Asians. They basically copy what comes out of America, backward-engineering everything and figuring out a way to make things cheaper. So, white America has a 140 year headstart, and Asians are copying everything. Meanwhile, the 40 years that Blacks have had equal opportunity as whites in America is just now starting to effect the marketplace.

Answer 6

Bear in mind that for whites and orientals, up until recently, only a very small percent of the population were the innovators. For whites, the nobility who didn't have to work at other things had the free time to investigate science and technology, as a hobby. The contribution of everyone else was to provide food, taxes, and other support to allow these priveleged few to do something else.

The situation has changed, and most people these days aren't directly involved in producing food. People of any race can become a college professor.

Answer 7

Unfortunately your professor is a reader of a different history book. Although he ran off some percentages, it holds true that Every race has donated some knowledge to this ever growing civilization. That's what makes us unique. Here is a list of Blacks who have contributed something to everyone and we should be grateful:

1.Garret A. Morgan-three way traffic signal. Awarded with a patent on November 20, 1923
2.Lewis Temple-invented a harpoon especially made for whaling, preventing a whale from slipping loose from the harpoon
3.Frederick McKinley Jones- inventions made it possible to transport meat, fruit, vegetables, eggs, butter...
4.Jan E. Matzeliger-Nailing machine(Feb 25, 1896), Tack separating mechanism(mar. 25, 1890)
5.Valerie L. Thomas-1980 received U.S patent for the illusion transmitter(basically used for three dimensional television system to transmit illusion of an object.
6.Julia F. Hammonds-received a patent in 1896 for her "Apparatus for holding Yarn Skeins

There are many, many more but as long as there is ignorance, we'll never hear about them

Answer 8

There are several good examples of important things invented in America by black people, the traffic light and blood transfusions are examples. Rock music, jazz and hip hop and much of current fashion are all products of the black american experience whic dominates the global pop culture

As to being a traitor to his race, this implies that loyalty to a group is more important than love of the truth. It is in the realm of facts that we would determine who invented what. It's not a matter of opinion or group loyalty.

In my opinion the Europe and America took part in the Enlightment which ended the rule of blind faith and appeals to persons of authority. This led to the creation of science and the rise of education and reason. Using reason in a climate of freedom allowed inventors to profit from their inventions and then led to the growth of research and development and then to millions of inventions.

Asia adopted the path of readon by a different path.

Answer 9

I'd like to congratulate your Professor on being honest and telling the truth rather than using his position to preach racism.

Your Professor is telling the truth- he's being honest.

However, theres a small caviet I'd like to point out- ask him WHY there was technological growth.

Consider- in Asia its generally cold- so the people had to develop technology to deal with the temperature extreems. Same with Northern Europeans- right?

Meanwhile, on the African contenet, the temperatures were warm to hot, food was plentifull- in other words, there was no overwhelming enviromental reason for technology to be pushed.

I mean you're warm, your bellys full, you've just had sex with your mate,,,,so you take a nap. That nap time I suspect is what the Asians or Northern Europeans used to develop technologys- such as a heating brazier, or skinning full hides to keep warm- rather than running around almost nude in the temperate zones like they show on the Discovery Channel on TV.

Answer 10

He is a good teacher for not lying to you. I've noticed over the years bad teachers trying to make blacks feel better have told them they invented everything. It's better to except the truth than believe in a lie.

It's easy to verify just look at Africa what do you see? The Egyptians aren't black and probably would be offended if you called them black.

Answer 11

Granted this is a contentious issue, but in fairness to your professor, who i might add is a very brave man for saying it.
His assessment is strictly speaking true. And like all truths isn't in it's self wrong or unreasonable.
That said the really contentious aspect of this point is why.
There are two basic schools of thought with regard to this -
1/ Black people and so black societies are inherently less civilized and so less likely to offer advancement.
2/ Black people are inherently disadvantaged right from the start through prejudice, poverty and lack of opportunity.
Which is right? you decide.