The Overview: Land of the Blacks

Now we have gotten through the Preview, this is the second chapter of Williams text, "The Overview," and is filled with A LOT of information! You'll be seeing that I may or may not upload 1-3 post in a day, just because I like to keep them brief and not overload you with all of my notes at once. Please feel free to ask questions, leave feedback or suggestions :).

ANCIENT "EGYPT"

You will become very familiar with maps of Ancient Egypt, and likely see it in my blog in different forms. It's important to know firstly that LOWER EGYPT is actually the NORTHERN Egypt, around the Delta (The Nile Delta) where the river splits into the Mediterranean Sea.

UPPER EGYPT is actually SOUTHERN Egypt. Because the Nile flows northward, this area is known as "upper" Egypt as it is closer to the source of the Nile, in the south. Also, keep in mind from earlier posts that Ethiopia and Africa are used nearly synonymously as Ancient Ethiopia was a HUGE chunk of Africa, the east side! This means all of Egypt would be Northern Ethiopia (north eastern part of Africa), while the Nubia (present day Sudan) would be Southern Ethiopia (south of Egypt). The term "cataract" simply refers to rapids/ripples in a river, or a large waterfall (hazardous when it came to crossing them).

This "Land of the Blacks" was a huge land with millions of square miles (12 million to be specific!). What is now "Egypt" was once known by Africans as many different names all with the same meaning, "Land of the Blacks". The name I use most often is Kemet, sometimes named Chem or Chemi.

If you ask the Internet, they will say "Land of the Blacks" was an ancient name used to describe the black soil along the Nile. Was the soil black? Yes. Does it have anything to do with the origin of Eygpt's true identity? Not at all. This land was named after its FOUNDING people; "black" people.

Ancient Ethiopia in its entirety once expanded from the Mediterranean Sea all the way to the Nile. It's the heartland of African race, where evidence of the first black civilization is still found, even after centuries upon centuries of trying to cover them.

The "Heartland of the Race" and "Cradle of Civilization" was centered around Napata and Meroe (listed in map below the 4th cataract). From here, the civilization expaned and went north (Egypt!)

During early times, there was a strong brotherhood amongst African people, who supported and looked out for one another, though writers of today and past time have tried to convince us of otherwise.

Below I've attached one of my favorite short clips about this glorious land once known as Kemet and African American achievements. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WOZ0C4gPAI

Source: Williams, Chancellor. The Destruction of Black Civilization: Great Issues of a Race from 4500 B.C. to 2000 A.D. Chicago, Ill: Third World, 2002. Print.

Prehistoric Egypt - Ancient Man and His First Civilizations. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 June 2017.