It is important that we as African people know our authentic history. For many of us, our pride and knowledge of self have been weakened and compromised. Due to many historical and contemporary factors that hovers over the head of most African people. We have been tied to a narrative that is not befitting of our authentic history, narrative and position. For so long we have been victim to other people's stories, perceptions and at the mercy of their history books.
As a African person of South Sudanese background, I am interested in knowing my authentic history. ''A people without knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots, '' as the wise Marcus Garvey stated is the issue of the day. We have become a people that don't know our truth. We waver bewteen definitions, classifications and categorizations designed, defined and implemented by non-Africans. African people have played a vital role in world history. We will begin with books by Cheikh Anta Diop to start. We will be focusing on , ''The African Origin of Civilization Myth or Reality. '' It is important to understand the nations and societies we have been conditioned in and their motives for our future. Who are we to them? And what is the fixation on our supposed ''inferiority'' that is constantly played out through many western and various non-African media outlets. ''The birth of Egyptology was thus marked by the new need to destroy the memory of a Negroe Egypt at any cost and in all minds, '' - Cheikh Anta Diop, African Origins of Civilizations, page 45. What is it about ancient Africa, that many scholars would go out of their way to ensure an alternative history that weakens the image of the African people and her achievements. Why would they work so hard to have the falsifications be presented and wildly accepted as truth? We will cotinue.......
4 Comments
Bech
6/22/2019 11:31:53 pm
Very nice Nyabuoy. God bless you.
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I have truly enjoyed reading this post. Not only have i gotten an insight understanding about the history of my continent, I have an added understanding why we open a conversation about our history.
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10/17/2019 08:53:44 am
Great work.
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2/4/2022 04:15:17 am
We need more of this as Africa unifies, African renaissance dawns and finds its place in the world. I think that if only Diop’s 2-Cradle Theory was taught in schools, say from the 60’s from class 4 primary to undergrad, it is conceivable that we would not have corruption, weak families, conflicts, some diseases, teenage pregnancies, low productivity, inertia, awful politics, neo-colonial control and the other banes we currently have.
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AuthorNyabuoy Gatbel is a South Sudanese Canadian currently living in Calgary, AB. She was born in Ethiopia in 1993 and moved to Canada as a refugee in 2002. She's currently a undergraduate student at the University of Calgary. Besides her studies she's a social entreprenuer focusing on the, ''Paarman Centre project,'' a fashion model, writer and author of the book, ''The Fire Within poetry in Thok Nath and English.'' Archives
December 2020
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