Afrocentrism: On Black Kings and Queens

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee suggested that violent, destructive hurricanes should be named after blacks — Keisha, Jamal and Deshawn — to raise their self-esteem.

But that’s nothing compared to the embarrassment I feel when “educated” blacks come up with or fall for psuedo-scientific nonsense like afrocentrism (considered a proper noun but not on this blog), something I once believed. The stereotype that blacks are not serious scholars gains credibility whenever one of these people makes headlines.

Afrocentrism in a nutshell: The ancient Egyptians were black, Cleopatra was black, the ancient Greeks stole Africa’s culture (philosophy, medicine) and claimed it as their own, Africans invented writing, had many architectural achievements, developed electricity and “early planes.” They believe that Africa is one homogeneous culture, despite the fact that many cultures exist on the continent, and that all ancient civilizations were either black or stole ideas from blacks.

Here’s the kicker: Jesus was black. Yes, despite the fact he was born in the Middle East of a Jewish mother, he was in fact a black man. Therefore, Jews and Christians hijacked Judaism and Christianity from Africans.

Afrocentrism is currently taught in some government-run (taxpayer-supported) schools. Every subject, even mathematics, is taught from an afrocentric perspective. Its utter foolishness may render you speechless. The academic geniuses in one school district in Illinois are considering offering this junk to students.

According to a story in the Chicago Tribune, “Afrocentric curriculum proposed for District 65″ (registration req.), black residents in Evanston have asked the school board hacks to consider implementing an afrocentric curriculum, which they hope will raise the scores of black children:

After decades of struggle to close the achievement gap between white and black students, Evanston school officials are considering a curriculum that would emphasize African literature, history and arts as a way to improve academic performance….

White pupils in the Evanston district continue to outperform black pupils by wide margins on standardized tests. The differences on the latest 2003 Illinois State Achievement Tests were typical, showing that on 3rd-grade reading tests, 87 percent of white pupils met or exceeded standards compared with 43.4 percent of black children. Similar disparities were seen in every grade and in every subject.

At first glance, anyone with half a brain can see that this is a dumb idea, even without all the evidence completely discrediting afrocentrism. No reputable scholars acknowledge afrocentrism or even take it seriously, yet these parents think exposure to ignorant claims will raise their kids’ test scores? Get me some smelling salts!

Black “scholars” who take this stuff seriously are simply displaying naivety and incompetence. Let one of afrocentrism’s founders, Temple University professor Molefi Kete Asante, expound on this silliness:

Afrocentricity seeks to re-locate the African person as an agent in human history in an effort to eliminate the illusion of the fringes. For the past five hundred years Africans have been taken off of cultural, economic, religious, political, and social terms and have existed primarily on the periphery of Europe. Because of this existence we have often participated in an anti-African racism born of the same Western triumphalism that has entrapped our minds in the West….

I believe that the European scholars who register a negative reaction to Afrocentricity do so out of a case of fear. The fear is revealed on two levels. In the first place, Afrocentricity provides them with no grounds for authority unless they become students of Africans. This produces an existential fear: African scholars might have something to teach whites.

This bogus history (which “scholars” say was destroyed by whites to downplay Africa’s greatness) is apparently designed to raise the self-esteem of black kids, which some surmise is the reason for their poor performances in school. Again, at first glance, it’s obvious that lack of parental involvement and home environments not conducive to learning (no books, too much TV viewing), coupled with unqualified teachers and the indoctrination of politically correct tripe like afrocentrism, are major reasons black children underperform in school. Why black parents allow their precious gifts from God to be experimented on by quacks is beyond me.

For more on the absurdity of afrocentrism, check out scholar Mary Lefkowitz, who wrote an excellent book, Not Out of Africa. Dinesh D’Souza wrote a good article about afrocentrism.

Additionally, University of California history professor Clarence Walker has written extensively on the subject. He says, “Afrocentrism is a mythology that is racist, reactionary, and essentially therapeutic,” writes Walker. “It suggests that nothing important has happened in black history since the time of the pharaohs and thus trivializes the history of black Americans. Afrocentrism places an emphasis on Egypt that is, to put it bluntly, absurd.”

If blacks want to study myth, legend and outright lies, they should do so on their own time with their own money. But they cross the clear line of rationality when they want to poison young black minds with this garbage and make you pay for it.

While the grown-ups are puffing themselves up about so-called African accomplishments, these poor children are taught distortions and lies in the name of “ethic pride.” The result? White students, who study real accomplishments by Western cultures, including the black American sub-culture, will continue to outperform black students. Afrocentrism is just another way to divert the blame for black failures to someone or something else. As usual, it’s the kids who suffer.

But at least they’ll feel good about themselves.