Classical African Societies and the Legacy of the Nile Valley
Course Logistics and Academic Expectations
Music Background: The class began with the song "Wagyu" by Bakar. Bakar is an artist from North London who is ethnically Tanzanian. The UK is noted for having a large African population, the second largest outside of the Americas.
Upcoming Midterm: The midterm exam will involve writing an essay based on one of four movies watched in class.
One of these movies is Nile Valley Contributions.
There is a second movie to be watched on Monday. This film cannot be accessed outside of class due to legal restrictions on distributing the link. If students choose to write their midterm essay on this specific film, they will receive extra credit.
For the movie on Monday, there will be an assignment and classwork due by that same day.
Exam Policies: All exams in the course, including the midterm, are cumulative. This means Test or the midterm will cover material from the first day of class up until the day of the exam.
The midterm is expected to take place in approximately two weeks, likely on the Thursday following next week's exam.
Students are responsible for supplemental materials, such as the two biographies of Dr. Diop provided to the class and the textbook, even if not discussed explicitly during lectures.
Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop and the Two-Cradle Theory
Foundational Theory: The course uses Dr. Diop's Two-Cradle Theory to analyze historical societies.
The Northern Cradle: Associated with European and certain Mediterranean societies (e.g., Greece, Sparta, the Roman Empire, and Germanic tribes). Characteristics include:
Patriarchy: Social systems centered on male authority.
Individualism: A focus on the individual over the collective.
Survival of the Fittest: A worldview shaped by harsh environments and competition.
Military and Imperialism: Driven by military might and the desire to expand territory through conquest.
The Southern Cradle: Associated with African and some Native American societies. Characteristics include:
Matrilineal Systems: High value and status placed on women.
Communalism: A focus on community and collective success.
Harmony with Nature: An emphasis on balance and order rather than competition.
Egyptian Identity: Dr. Diop proved that the Ancient Egyptians were black, belonging to the Southern Cradle, and shared physical features with Nubians.
African Geography and Mapping
Cartographic Orientation: The first mapmakers in the world oriented themselves according to the South. In these maps, the South was at the top and the North was at the bottom.
Evidence of this orientation is found in the naming of regions: Upper Nubia is geographically south of Lower Nubia.
The Nile River flows from the south (Upper Egypt/Nubia) to the north (Lower Egypt) into the Mediterranean Sea.
Indigenous Names for Regions:
Kush: The indigenous name for Nubia.
Kmet: The indigenous name for Egypt.
Axum: The indigenous name for Ethiopia.
Environmental and Agricultural Contributions
Controlled Burns: Native American societies practiced controlled burns for hundreds of years to clear the forest floor of dead debris. The US government outlawed these practices, which has contributed to the severity of modern California wildfires. These fires are now so large that the state uses inmates (who are not paid federal minimum wage) and international firefighters to combat them.
Crop Rotation and Irrigation: These techniques were pioneered by the Egyptians to maintain soil health.
The Dust Bowl Case Study: In the s, the United States suffered from the Dust Bowl due to over-farming and ignoring the principles of crop rotation for profit.
Black Blizzards: Massive dust storms that blocked out the sun.
Black Sunday: Occurred on , where a severe storm carried topsoil off the coast.
Impact: Approximately of people in Middle America (Oklahoma, Texas, etc.) moved West to California.
Government Response: The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) planted trees from Abilene, Texas, to Canada to restore the environment.
The Philosophy of Ma'at and Social Ethics
Ma'at: The Queen of the gods who governs all other deities and the universe itself.
The Seven Virtues of Ma'at: The universe and society are governed by these seven principles:
Truth
Justice
Righteousness
Propriety (Reciprocity)
Harmony
Balance
Order
Propriety and Reciprocity: The ideology that your success is my success. It involves performing for others as they do for you, creating a communal bond where members are responsible for one another.
Self-Accountability: Unlike systems of "commandments" used for control, the Egyptian system emphasized personal responsibility for one's own actions.
The Afterlife and the Hall of Judgment
Continuous Life: The Egyptians did not believe in death in the final sense; they believed in everlasting life where the spirit moves from the physical plane to a spiritual plane.
The Judgment Process:
Upon death, an individual's heart is weighed on a scale against the ostrich feather of Ma'at.
Entities Involved: Anubis (the dog god), Jahooti (records all actions), and Assar (the king/judge).
Favorable Outcome: If the heart is lighter than the feather, the soul crosses the Nile into paradise.
Failure: If the heart is heavy (full of guilt or negative deeds), Anubis devours the heart, and the individual must be reincarnated to try life again. One "gets their organs back" to repeat the physical cycle.
The 42 Negative Confessions: To pass judgment, an individual must state declarations of innocence (e.g., "I have not murdered," "I have not stolen"). This reinforces the concept that the person is their own judge through self-accountability.
The Mystery System: Ancient Education
European Confusion: When Europeans first encountered African education, they were baffled by the fact that women and children were educated. This led them to label it the "Mystery System."
Qualifications/Requirements:
Rites of Passage: Practical tests of maturity or skill, such as the survival hunt depicted in the movie Prey.
Intelligence and Rhetoric: Being highly intelligent and well-spoken.
Musical Ability: Proficiency in music was required, as it was considered central to human expression.
Psychic Ability (Empathy): The ability to understand and feel the emotions of others (e.g., noticing if a classmate is grieving).
Good Moral Character: Living strictly by the virtues of Ma'at.
The Curriculum:
Level 1 (The Quadrant/Quadrivium): Consists of subjects: Grammar, Arithmetic, Rhetoric, and Logic.
Level 2 (The Trifle/Trivium): Consists of subjects: Geometry, Astronomy, and Music.
Questions & Discussion
Q: What determines adult status in these societies?
A: Adulthood is not determined by chronological age (like the age of in the US) but by the completion of a rite of passage and demonstrating the qualifications of the Mystery System.
Q: Did the Egyptians keep their knowledge to themselves?
A: No. The Egyptians actively shared their knowledge, creating a cultural continuity across Africa. Even on the West Coast, individuals would be familiar with the concepts of the Ankh and Ma'at due to this exchange.
Q: Why are there negative associations with Egypt in modern media?
A: Western narratives often seek to disassociate Egypt from the rest of Africa or portray it negatively to justify the treatment of brown and black populations. Historical figures like Hippocrates and Plato actually admitted to traveling to Egypt to learn.
Professor's Anecdote: The professor shared a story about a parking ticket at Grizzlies Stadium. Despite paying through a new mobile app, the physical meter still showed a red blinking light, leading to a ticket. It took over a year of fighting the system for the city to acknowledge the error and waive the fine.