is it reasonable to assert that white scholars obscure black contributions to civilization?

Question

I've noticed a lot of white people will deny that egyptians were Black saying that they need "facts". The so-called "facts" or proof that they are looking for is probably covered up. Since the british buried the ruins of Nubia (Ancient Nubia lies beneath Lake Nasser which was created by the British when they constructed the Aswan dam) before they could be studied.

Still, there are numerous depictions of Black Egyptians all over Kemet (Egypt). So only common sense is required.

They deny that Blacks invented the study of science and earth. despite the fact that the word chem-istry (kem-istry ... kemet) literally translates into "Black magic."

Im not going to rant on and on about this, I think you get the picture.

My question is: what is the reason for the persistent denial?

Toffee - fair enough. Indeed, some scholars not all.

Answer 1

white male scholars have obscured the contributions of everyone that wasn't a white male

but 'black magic' has nothing to do with race

Answer 2

Great Question... but some of your examples are problematic. I am glad you did not mention the old saw about Cleopatra being a black Egyptian (she was Greek, her title handed down from Alexander the Great). I have been to Egypt and I have seen the depictions of blacks that you mention, but I have also seem far more of what looked vaguely like Arabic people (which they were not). Nubian culture was a dynamic and integral part of the ancient world, but it was not the same as Egyptian, it was a power unto itself. The real reason we don't see much about Blacks in the fields of science is not just the casual and caustic racism of white male scientists and historians that you mention, its the fact that the very climate and environment of lower and central Africa is not conducive to the making of large scale monuments, repressive empires and continent spanning trade and the keeping of permanent records. An excellent book on the subject is the Pulitzer prize winning Guns, Germs and Steel, by Jared Diamond, in which he explains why China was ahead of the world in technology and then fell behind, how Europe 'magically' pulled ahead, and how Africa and the Amercia's were never in the 'race' at all. In other words its not really about race, its about Geography. That said, the legacy of racism is deep and still ever present. I think our culture has accepted black dominance in music and athletics, but is perhaps not yet ready for science as well.

Answer 3

I've wondered about that too. I mean egypt is in africa, so it makes enough sense to say that some egyptians were black. I mean the egyptians looked to me like they were a little on the dark tan side and you can't say there were never any black egyptians. maybe they think black people just popped out of nowhere and came to be. As far as the denial, maybe they just need more proof. I mean in science you have to have a lot of proof before something becomes a fact and maybe they have conflicting data. Maybe they are just plain and simple in denial and don't want to see otherwise.

Answer 4

Specifically to your stated question: No, it is not reasonable to assume there is a persistent denial of any facts of history. A true scholar, like a true scientist relys on a preponderance of evidence and hard facts no matter what the outcome may be.

Opinions and concensus are not valid in scientific or historic pursuits. As much as we might wish something was or was not, the facts should be what they are.

The key is a PREPONDERANCE of evidence.

Nubia was south of Egypt on the Nile River. Both civilizations traded and engaged in war with each other. Obviously at the nexus of both cultures there would be a blending - That said however, as you moved either to the north or south on the Nile both groups became obviously different in both physical attributes as well as cultural attributes.

As for the British Museum's work in Egypt, they would have no motive for electing to obscure anyone's contributions to civilization. Such an opinion to the contrary would be ethnocentric.

As for the "study of science" that is a very broad catagory and there are numerous groups and civilizations who probed that path to development - the Nubians perhaps being among them as well.

Having several Egyptian associates, I doubt very much that they would entertain the notion that their background was any different than what they have been taught.

Answer 5

HEY< finally somebody that knows the truth. I hear you, man.
Yes, people do try to deny, or at least minimize what black scholars have done through out history.
Did you know this, the first Egyptian king to unite both lower and upper Egypt, known as the SCORPION KING(by the way) is most likely the first person to actually have created a written language that beat the oldest known written language by at least 50 years?

He needed a way to keep track of taxes and such, and he is fundamental in the creation of the Egyptian Hieroglyphics.
COOL, HUH?

Answer 6

I've heard this statement alot. That Egypt was black, etc.
Many different peoples ruled Egypt through the times. Why does it matter who built the pyramids? Even if the pharaoh wasn't black at the time of construction, you can be damn sure some of the people involved were black. even when the Greeks ruled things there, there was still black contribution to the civilization. But why does all this matter, anyway?

Answer 7

You do realize that you have to take the good with the bad, right? Meaning, you have to accept that your people engaged in much longer peroids of slavery than white folks ever did. Are you willing to accept that, and everything it entails? No more reparations requests? No more demonizing whites? No more "victimhood" status because of your ancestors involvement in slavery?

Besides, saying that Egyptians were black in the "African American" definition of the word is as truthful as saying that person from Spain is actually German because they both came from Europe. Just because Egypt is in Africa does not mean that everyone from Africa belongs to the same cultural group that people from the Congo or Nigeria belong to. It's a big continent, man. Many different cultures. You PROBABLY did not descend from them if you are the average black American. And if you are simply basing it on the color of skin being close...then what is it going to accomplish? We know that dark skinned people can accomplish things. Indians (from India) are dark skinned and they are great in academics. So what? What does that mean to you and other balck Americans? That black skin means something?

Really. Who really cares? It's such a primitive concern. Grow beyond it.

Answer 8

I suspect that it is part of an attempt to justify a world that benefits wealthy white people at the expense of people of color. Clearly, there is an attempt to misinform on the part of a certain faction of the wealthy, white hierarchy; but many who have been misinformed have a strong desire to cling to their incorrect beliefs in spite of all evidence to the contrary. The religious crowd is a good example of this type of mindset that is found in certain people, but it is not limited to them. Politics is also filled with those who embrace concepts that they cannot defend.

Machiavelli was well aware of this tendency when he wrote about politics. There is a tendency for those who work hard for a politician and develop a strong belief in him to turn a blind eye when corruption begins to embattle that candidate. One need look no further than the liberal crowd who still cling to the Clintons today even as they have done little to nothing for liberals. Additionally one can look to those who still cling to G.W Bush even as his lies have been exposed and the entire neocon agenda is in a shambles.

Answer 9

I'm in agreement with the poster that stated White male scholars have always obscured facts about anyone that isn't also White and male. So that includes women and other non-White ethnicities. That is why it is critically people do their own research because if we all relied on someone else to tell us what is what, we'd all be some dummies!

Well wait, some people DO take the word of other people without doing any investigating themselves. Pretty sad. I'm just glad I'm not one of them!!

Answer 10

Wrong AGAIN 2 cents. First of all -even IF!! blacks had something to do with the construction of the Egyptian civilization (why Egypt isn't black is a mystery); black American ancestors came from West Africa NOT east which means you people have zero claim to the Egyptian civilization. The only thing your people created was dung huts and primitive art. Sorry to break your bubble but you are a victim of false pride syndrome.

Answer 11

LOOK AT THE PIC they look at every day blk man just like ME. the nose is big, the head is the same as mine im blk so they much be black!

white ppl are just jealous the fact that so much things have come from blk ppl

have you been to Egypt? how can they not be black look at the shape of there heads and there nose come on that is a blk person nose.

I've been Egypt and studies blk history all my life its just a way to keep us out of the history books

of course Egypt was a blk mans country b4 the templers from UK went to middle east killed off the ppl for there blood line..

yes they was blk

the first telephone was made by who? Granville Woods yes it was a blk man he was a slave to alex bell who took the idea and made it his own.

so much other ****. loads of stuff.

go on to yahoo and type black inventors you will be suprasied trust me