Famed Egyptian Archaeologist Travels to U.S. to Promote-Not by Africa

Scientific evidence shows that Africa is the birthplace of humanity, the progenitor of civilization, and the root of the world's major religions (i.e., Judaism, Christianity, and Al-Islam). Many historians and scientists argue that on the world stage of human progress, civilizations began in the Nile Valley, and there were many major civilizations in that area of Africa. However, ancient Kemet reflected humanity's march toward creating the world's first highly advanced civilization in times of antiquity. It played a central role in the development of mathematics, philosophy, medicine, science, government, architecture, a written language, art, monotheism, education, ethics, morals, and religion. Many cultures and nations borrowed from the knowledge and wisdom of the ancient Kemites to push their civilization forward towards the foundations of modern society. Unfortunately, white supremacy and Arab racist have made ancient Kemet a European or Arab civilization. When in fact, Kemet began as a Black civilization. This is because racists cannot accept the genius of Kemet coming from Black people. They had to put a non-African face on Egypt to justify its greatness being white or Arab. Some white supremacist scholars even went further to completely deny Kemet’s role in the foundation of western and modern civilization. Therefore, we as anti-racist educators and activists must work to create curriculums and history departments that include Kemet as the cornerstone of ancient and modern-day history. And must also boldly tell the facts about the original Kemites being Black. Kemet is the original African name for Egypt, which means the land of the Blacks; it comes from the Medu Neter (Europeans and Arabs called the Medu Neter the Hieroglyphics). We have treasures of knowledge on African history and culture written by Black scholars. For example, some of the bedrocks of Africana Studies are the works of Dr. W. E. B. Dubois’ The World and Africa; Dr. Carter G. Woodson’s-The Negro in History; Drusilla Dunjee Houston’s-Wonderful Ethiopians of the Ancient Cushite Empire; Frank Snowden’s-Blacks in Antiquity; J.C. DeGraft-Johnson’s -African Glory; William Leo Hansberry’s-Pillars in Ethiopian History; Dr. John G. Jackson's books-Introduction to African Civilizations and Christianity Before Christ; Dr. George G. M. James’-Stolen Legacy; Okot P’Bitek’s-African Religions in European Scholarship; Dr. Chancellor Williams’-The Destruction of Black Civilization; Dr. Maulana Karenga’s-Introduction to Black Studies; Dr. Molefi Kete Asante’s-Afrocentricity; Dr. John Henrik Clarke's-African People in World History; Professor Anthony Browder's Nile Valley Contributions to Civilization, and Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop's books-African Origins of Civilization: Myth or Reality and Civilization or Barbarism. Just to name a few in a long list of scholars and intellectuals that documented athe facts on African history and culture. Dennis S. Boatwright, II, a committed community activist and Pan-Africanist, penned a blistering op-ed about the international attacks on Africana Studies by Dr. Zahi Hawass called-Famed Egyptian archaeologist travels to the U.S. to promote ‘Not by Africans’ tour.

P. E. A. C. E (Proper Education Always Corrects Errors)!
Hotep (An Ancient African / kemetic / Egyptian Written Word to Offer Peace)!

-Bashir Muhammad Ptah Akinyele is a history and Africana Studies teacher in Newark, NJ. He is also ASCAC's (the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations) Study Group Co-Coordinator in Newark, NJ and an Active Member of the Muslim community in New Jersey.

Famed Egyptian archaeologist travels to U.S.
to promote ‘Not by Africans’ tour

by Dennis S. Boatwright II

Former Minister of Egyptian Antiquities, Dr. Zahi Hawass, is the superstar of a growing movement whose main mission is to erase people of African descent from their pioneering role in ancient Egypt. Mr. Hawass, the mastermind and inspiration of this revisionist movement, is scheduled to begin his 23-city Grand Lecture Tour in the United States this May. Separating Egypt from Africa and denying the Blackness of the founders of Dynastic Egypt are the cornerstones of his popularity.

For instance, in the Daily News, Hawass fictitiously theorizes that “the origin of Ancient Egyptians was purely Arab based." This so-called "discovery" was made by white hegemony's British Egyptologist Flinders Petrie at Naqada. They are fabricating a lie that the Ancient Egyptian civilization did not occur in Africa.

Hawass' unscientific conclusions are based upon anti-Black biases. He contradicts the DNA evidence, historical eyewitness accounts, and self-depictions by Egyptians themselves.

For instance, around 430 B.C. Herodotus described the Egyptians as “dark skinned with woolly-hair" like their neighbors to the South, the Kushites. The Kingdom of Kush is primarily located in modern day Sudan. Unlike many Europeans, and Middle Eastern historians, Herodotus’s observations were not corrupted by racial superiority. That is, this Greek historian had no agenda other than to describe what he saw during his visit to Egypt, known as Kemet at the time.

On the other hand, Hawass intends to accomplish what ethnocentric Professor. Mary Lefkowitz failed to accomplish this in the 1990s. She promoted similar anti-Black ideas on speaking tours for her book-'Not Out of Africa.'

Had it not been for a severe and expeditious response from the community of African-
centered scholars, led by Drs. John Henrik Clarke, Molefi Asante, and Leonard Jeffries, Lefkowitz’s
Eurocentric theories may have penetrated deeper into academia. In fact, the very presence of African-centered scholars of that golden period forced Lefkowitz and other ethnocentric scholars into hiding for nearly three decades.

But, Hawass wants to revive false notions of Egypt, once again.
Hawass is a de facto "scholar" promoting a ban on certain aspects of Black History from being taught in Egyptian institutions if those facts threaten his misleading view that Arabs were the original Egyptians. His African xenophobia turns him away from a glaring fact: Arabs did not enter Egypt until 639 AD. Yet, The Step Pyramid was built around 2630 B.C., over three-thousand years before Arabs invaded and conquered Egypt during the Caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab.

Hawass styles himself as an Arab version of Indiana Jones.
Despite his Hollywood antics, his stature as the godfather of
non-Black Egyptologists makes him a serious concern to
Blacks. His reputation as the authority on ancient Egypt won
him the distinction of being the personal tour guide for former
U.S. Pres. Barack Obama and many Grammy Award winners
including Will Smith. In addition, his anti-Black
pronouncements are considered mandates by those he
inspires.

One fanatical admirer of Hawass is the group called-Egyptian Consciousness.
This radical Middle Eastern group is the intellectual watchdog for anti-Black organizations based in Egypt. Egyptian Consciousness displayed the degree of its
power against Akhet Tours/HAPI film in 2021. Taaqiy Grant, the founding director of Akhet Tours/HAPI film, related to this writer that HAPI, and others, were set to travel to Egypt with over two-hundred people when Egyptian Consciousness led an organized effort to prevent HAPI from holding a conference in Aswan, Egypt. This extremist group led a petition with Change.org to stop Akhet / HAPI film that was signed by almost two-
thousand supporters. Signatories of that petition expressed racial hatred towards people of African descent in words unsuitable to print here. The quote that follows satisfies the point being made, “[The] Afrocentric movement is a pretender and thief of the ancient Egyptian civilization. Egyptian murals and ancient statues testify to the falsehood of that movement. The Egyptians now resemble the ancient ancestors and do not resemble the Afrocentric Negroes. Stop this claim and this lie.” The above statement is an example of one of the most disturbing remarks posted by Hend Ghani, an Egyptian Consciousness member. As a result of this campaign HAPI rescheduled their trip. Upon learning of the rescheduling, Egyptian
Consciousness triumphantly gloated: “A communication was officially submitted to prevent the most prominent members of the organization from entering Egypt completely for any reason and to prevent them from excavating antiquities in Egypt.”

But HAPI is not the only victim.

The Center for Pan African Studies (CPAS) strongly suspect that Egyptian Consciousness-affiliate groups are behind the abrupt cancellation of Kevin Hart’s first comedy show in Egypt last month. Hart was swiftly targeted after he said: “We must teach our children the true history of Black Africans when they were kings in Egypt and not just the era of slavery that is cemented by education in America. Do you remember the time when we were kings?”

To be sure, a growing African consciousness is stirring anxiety in the minds of racists who share the views of Hawass. These Middle Easterners are deliberately targeting the philosophical progeny of Cheikh Anta Diop and Dr. Asa Hillard whom they deem are manifested in groups like HAPI and the Center for Pan African Studies. Moreover, they view these groups as part of the current vanguards of African-centered/Pan African thinking. Hence, in recent years these Middle Eastern hate groups have intensified their opposition towards Black educators, on par with the hatred exhibited by white supremacists in the U.S.

To be honest, it seems like Hawass and others are trying to outdo the racism towards Blacks promoted by people like Gov. Ron DeSantis. These attacks occur at a time when they believe people of African descent are exhausted by other pressing issues and thus are incapable of responding thoughtfully or collectively. Hawass is taking advantage of our confusion. He is making a daring 23-city tour in cities that have significant African American populations. Hawass wants Black kids to believe that they are incapable of producing anything noteworthy. His tickets cost up to $1,000. One of his stops is in Detroit on May 26, 2023--the current hometown of this author. I am certain that a Detroit delegation will be waiting outside the event protesting his anti-Black propaganda. It will be prudent if Black organizations, and especially Black Studies departments, mobilize members and students to show up at other events on his itinerary.
Unfortunately, many African-centered scholars have chosen not to respond directly to Hawass out of fear that he may ban future travels to Egypt. However, some years ago I decided not to travel to Egypt because I did not want to contribute to the billions of dollars the Egyptian government receives from tourists each year.

In conclusion, if Blacks do not strongly oppose Hawass and his minions, we risk losing all the hard-fought gains made by historians such as, J.A. Rogers, George G.M. James, and Master Teacher Dr. Josef Ben Jochannan.

Dennis Boatwright is the founding director of The Center for Pan African Studies, a Detroit-based think tank, that was established to further the works and spirit of Drs Ronald Walters and John Henrik Clarke. Since George Floyd’s murder in May 2020, Mr. Boatwright and his wife and kids have traveled over 140,000 miles in just 11 months, crisscrossing the United States to show solidarity with victims of police brutality.
Dennis can be reached at (https://centerforpanafricanstu...).