Sorry that I have started the discussion thread of this excellent book (in my opinion so late on) So what do you think, and what were your opinions on this book?

Do you feel it opened your eyes or expanded your knowledge more? Or was this book going over a lot of old ground?

Opinions feel free to express them....

more to post later on tonight

Free

@Free..Hmmmm



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Who is the author?

EDIT - Don't worry, done some research...I'll be picking up this book tommorrow, along with The Rebirth Of African Civilization.

I apologise for the lateness of my input...

Let us just put it down to a time management issue.

Destruction of Black Civilisation: Great Issues of a Race from 4500BC - 2000 AD by Chancellor Williams I personally feel was an excellent book. It was also a very sad indictment of not only how far we have fallen...but also how sometimes we have been architects of our own downfall. Either due to disunity; inter tribal wars(which was a lesson which touched close to home for me...in light of current online debates or arguments between a number of brothers who Irespect....you know who you are )... our lack of suspicion of White people (something which was a particulary important lesson to me as I am someone who often advocates tolerance, and reading this book has given me a chance to reconsiderhow trusting I am of some white people)....

Even worse, is that this is the first time I feel that a book has come close to describing the truth about who we are and our identity as a world power and a people...and how it hasbeen completely whitewashed by society as a whole...and the deliberate confusion of the history of Egypt was another issue that irked me...any one who has been arguing on the recent thread 'Why don't Eygptians call themselves Black?' would be well advised to read this book...due to the plethora of information that explains how the racial dynamic and social fabric of this one time African Kingdom...was destroyed by the influx of invaders...

It is amazing on a level how we are selectively fed a daily mix of nonsense to keep us in a state where it is hard to sustain our true legacy as innovators and leaders of culture...an issue that was driven home where in an effort to highlight the plight of 1,000,000,000 children who live in poverty according to unicef...they decided to show Africa...as though poverty is something that afflicts our nation only...which is cheeky considering that if the £55 million a day that we pay in debt repayments was re routed and used for irrigation and agricultural projects that many of the problems that exist in present day Africa could be irradicated...who are only in that mess due to the IMF and the Western leaders holding Black people to financial ransomconfused3We are not financially poor we are just to busy making the west rich...

Or in addition carved up and added into the annals of others peoples history...for example I used to love reading up on Greek Mythology and Roman Mythology when I was young The Fabled Thebes of the Greek Mythology...would never seem as though it was in Africa...in the same way that Egypt inthe current way that it is described in the educational system you would be hard pressed to believe that it was part of Africa...(which is why I am going to be watching the programs on Egyptian Antropology in more depth to see how much they are ignoring in terms of the Black contribution to civilisation)... (I cannot point to a particular page but this theme runs through out the book but the first 4 chapters explore this Blackout in great depth)...

On a more controversial note...I was happy to see that the spirituality of African people and that we had our own monotheism, including chief God and saints...before 'the cult of Christianity' or 'the cult of Islam'...we were not murderous savages in need of a white God to save us...we had our own distinctly African Spirituality in place...and those of you who do go to church...you are free to believe in what you want...however, you would do well to read this book to understand the role that the church had in destroying Africa to a degree...understanding the history of Theology has to be paramount...so I hope those of you who are of other denominations take the time to read this book(pages 135 onward)

The ecology aspect of what happened to our race is important...and gives some valid reasons for why we need to really get up there scientifically and get on top of our game in terms of preserving our enviroment...is the story of the Sahara...a once lush land which was excellent for agricultural endeavours...(Saharan Tragedy page 183)...I wish that Western countries and coporate big business would invest more time in trying to protect our planet rather that plundering it...As in their haste to make money...we are destroying our ecosystem...and the tragedy of the Sahara could be something that happens on a global scale...we should protect the natural assets that we have around us a little more...

A retrospective point that I wish the continent had undertaken was to protect our Coastal borders more...if we had a great wall of Africa, as they had a great wall of China maybe we could have controlled the influx of immigration and protected our assets...it is a shame that strategically we made so many mistakes...hindsight in the case of this book is painfully depressing...

The key element that did uplift me to a slight degree is the fact that it mentions starting pan African organisations...if you are not a member of such a group please make the effort to join up...because if we unify in the way that our ancestors were not able to in the past...we made be able to affect a positive vision for the future...A victory greater than Menes recapturing lowerEgypt (page 39)

So sisters and brothers (in particular sister's) please enrich your minds politically and historically...as in order to reclaim our greatness we must learn from both the triumph and the defeats of our ancestors...this book had moved me to be more political..I know I gained a lot from reading this book...

I just hope that you did too...

On the 8th of November when we were meant to start reading this book, i went to the library to get it, i started reading it and found out alot of things i didnt know for example: that there was a clear divide between black and white arabs in egypt.
I have had to be reading other works for my studies and havent gottenvery far into thisbook, I have it here in front of me now so im going to carry on reading it, as for the last month there has not been any disscussion (that i could find) about the book, which is the part i was most looking forward to so i will, keep posting as i come across things that are new to me or i have strong opinions on.

(just want to add this if i may, free)

Its not too late to start reading this book, as i am not too far in and so far it is very interesting and i think everyone can learn something from reading this book.

definitely agree @ Lucia...

I hope that people do take the effort to pick up the book no matter how late the stage is and learn...

it was an education to me, and explained how 'The land of the Blacks' was broken up and infiltrated by different racial groups...

I personally hope that everyone gets to read this thread and picks up this book

@Imperial... so glad that you are buying this book...once again I cannot say this enough... it is an important book... and I hope it inspires all of us to do both independent research... and internal reflection of how we have both earnt/ and lost our place in the world...

@All...

It also shows how we were not passive victims/ or aggressors in the slave trade... I wish, I wish and wish that we had done to the slave traders what the Mamelukes did as maybe if we had a more bloody and cohesive fight against foreign raids and infiltration of our communities we could have limited the extent of slavery...

and the Mamelukes were:

Mameluke
Member of a powerful political class that dominated Egypt from the 13th century until their massacre in 1811 by Mehmet Ali.


The Mamelukes were originally descended from freed Turkish slaves. They formed the royal bodyguard in the 13th century, and in 1250 placed one of their own number, Qutuz, on the throne. Mameluke sultans ruled Egypt and built a Levantine empire until they were conquered by the Ottomans in 1517.

Even if you haven't finished the book please join in the discussion...I would sincerely enjoy reading what everyone has to say...

@All there will always be a gap of approximately a month so that you have time to read and digest the book on your own...

where possible if I am able to find reading guides that accompany the books so that you have something to refer to as you are reading the books...

@ Free

Does it differ greatly to Anta Diop's 'African origin of civillization'? and if so how?

Fantastic book by a legenday African American author.I read it over twenty years ago while in high school. I think I'll reread this landmark book.

Dr. Chancellor Williams was born in Bennettsville, South Carolina. He received his undergraduate degree in Education and Master of Arts degree in history from Howard University. He studied abroad serving as a visiting research scholar at the Unversity of Oxford in England and at the University of London.

Chancellor Williams began field research in African History in Ghana (University College) in 1956. His primary focus was on African achievments and autonomous civilizations before Asian and European influences. His last study in 1964 covered an astounding 26 countries and more than 100 language groups. His best known work is "The Destruction of Black Civilization: Great Issues of a Race from 4500 B.C. to 2000 A.D." For this effort, Dr. Williams was accorded honors by the Black Academy of Arts and Letters.

A little known fact about Dr. Williams is that in addition to being an historian and professor, Dr. Williams was president of a baking company, editor of a newsletter, The New Challenge, an economist, high school teacher and principal and a novelist.

Dr. Williams remained a staunch advocate that African historians do independent research and investigations so that the history of African people be told and understood from their perspective. Dr. Williams stated clearly, "As long as we rely on white historians to write Black History for us, we should keep silent about what they produce." Dr. Chancellor Williams joined the Ancestors in 1992.

BIBLIOGRAPHY -- CHANCELLOR JAMES WILLIAMS

1. The Destruction of Black Civilization--Great Issues of a Race from 4500 B.C. to 2000 A.D.

2.The Rebirth of African Civilization

@ Free

The AOC was basically about ancient Egypt and who were they. He looks at all the evidence every way and evaluates it all concluding that egyptians were black (great pictures too). He describes the lies and reasons for them and evaluates the alternative theories too.

He doesnt really touch on the Greek and others only so far as that they were derivative of Egyptian civillisation.

I just found a few lines in your description of DOBC to be quite familiar though I havent read that one yet. I wonder what the diferences are. Sounds like a good read anyway.

Maybe someone whohas read both can tell me? perhaps Mansamusa or Maat perhaps?