Early, Gerald, Wilson J. Moses, Louis Wilson, And Mary R. Lefkowitz_Symposium. Historical Roots of Afrocentrism_Academic Questions, 7, 2_1994!44!54

8/9/2019 Early, Gerald, Wilson J. Moses, Louis Wilson, And Mary R. Lefkowitz_Symposium. Historical Roots of Afrocentrism_Academic Questions, 7, 2_1994!44!54

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S y m p o s iu m H i st o r i ca l R o o t s o f A f r o c e n t r is m

G era ld E ar ly W i l son J . M oses L ou i s W i l son

an d M ar y R . L ef k o w i t z

G e r a l d T h e r e is o f i d e a s a n d s t a n c es t h a t c o n s ti -arly: c o l l e c t i v e lyr a n g et u t e w h a t i s c a ll ed A f r o c e n t r i s m . S o m e a r e d e m a g o g i c a n d e v e n f a sc is t

o r ra ci st ; o t h e r s a re m o r e n u a n c e d a n d t h o u g h t f u l , a n d p r o b a b l y w o r t h y o fo u r a t t e n t io n a n d e n g a g e m e n t .

T h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t A f r o c e n t r i c t h e se s t h a t ca n g iv e u s p a u s e a r e t h e se :F ir st , t h e r e e x is ts a b o d y o f s c h o l a r s h i p a n d o f i n t el l e c tu a l a s s u m p t i o n s t h a t

e x h i b it a d e c i d e d l y w h i t e o r E u r o c e n t r i c b ia s i n s u p p o r t o f a w h i t e o r E u r o c e n t r i cp o l it ic a l o r s o c ia l h e g e m o n y. S e c o n d , t h e r e is a n A f r i c a n o r n o n - w h i t e ( o r n o n -W e s t e rn ) v ie w o f t h e w o r l d a n d o f h i s to r y th a t h as b e e n s u p p r e s s e d i n a n d b yt h e W e s t e r n w o r ld , o n c e a g a in i n s u p p o r t o f a w h it e o r a E u r o c e n t r i c h e g e -m o n y. T h i r d , A f r ic a n p e o p l e s c a n c o m e t o f u ll se l f - d e te r m i n a t i o n a n d a c h ie v efu ll h u m a n i t y o n ly w h e n t h ey a re p e r m i t t e d t o o v e r t h r o w a n d d e n o u n c e w h i t eo r E u r o c e n t r i c p r e m i s e s a n d w h e n t h e y c an f u ll y r e al iz e a n d a r t ic u l a t e t h e i rv i ew a n d t h e i r c o n s c i o u s n e s s t h r o u g h t h e i r o w n s e l f- c re a ti o n .

T h a t , I t h i n k , is a r e a s o n a b l e s h o r t li st o f A f r o c e n t r i c b e l ie f s , d i f f e r i n g f r o m

t h e p o p - c u l t u r e A f r o c e n t r i s m - l a r g e l y a n A m e r i c a n e x p r e s s i o n - - th a t s p e ak s o fc o n s t r u c t i n g i d e n t it y t h r o u g h a cts o f c o n s u m p t i o n o r m a k e s i r r a ti o n a l a ss er -t i o n s o f b la c k s u p e r i o r i t y, a la r g el y n o n s e n s i c a l r e a s s e r t i o n o f n i n e t e e n t h - c e n -t u r y E u r o p e a n r a ce t h e o r ie s .

W h a t a r e t h e o r i g i n s o f th e s e A f r o c e n t r i c id e a s? I a m n o t s u r e , b u t I su g g e s tt h r e e a r e a s o f in q u i r y. F ir st , t h e r e a r e t h e i n t e l le c t u a l t r e n d s o f p o s t - m o d e r n -i sm , M a r x i sm , d e c o n s t r u c t i o n , a n d o t h e r i d ea s t h a t b e c a m e e s p e c ia ll y p o p u l a ri n m a n y c o r r i d o r s o f t h e p o s t - Wo r l d W a r I I a c a d e m y. ( A f r o c e n t r i s m , a f t e r all,h a s h a d i t s b i g g e s t e f f e c t o n e d u c a t i o n . ) T h e s e d o c t r i n e s h a v e s u g g e s t e d t h a tt h e b o u r g e o i s s o c i a l o r d e r i s c o r r u p t , r e p r e s s i v e , a n d , m o s t i m p o r t a n t , a r b i -t ra ry, t h a t k n o w l e d g e is p o w e r , t h a t t r u t h i s b o u r g e o i s a n d a n y o n e i s c a p a b l eo f f o r m i n g h i s o w n t r u t h t o s u it h is o w n p o l it ic a l a n d s o c ia l p u r p o s e s . T h e r e -f o re , F o u c au l t, D e rr id a , F r e d r i c J a m e s o n , a n d S t e p h e n G r e e n b l a t t h a v e b e e nj u s t a s i m p o r t a n t i n t h e r is e o f A f r o c e n t r i s m a n d i ts o f f sh o o t , m u l t i c u l tu r a l i sm ,

Gera ld Ea r ly is p ro fesso r o f Eng li sh and d i rec to r o f the Af r ican an d A fr ican -Amer i -can s tud ie s p ro g r am a t Wa sh ing ton Un ive rsi ty, S t. Lou is , MO. W i lson J . Mo ses isp ro fe sso r o f h i s to ry a t Penn ys lvan ia S ta te Un ive rs i ty, S tate Co l lege , PA. Lou is W i lsonis p r o f e s s o r o f A f r i ca n - A m e r ic a n a n d A f r ic a n H i s to r y a t Sm i th C o l le g e , N o r th a m p to n ,MA. Mary R . Le fkowi tz i s Mel lon Pro fesso r o f Human i t i e s a t Wel le s ley Co l lege ,Wellesley, MA . Please address corr esp on de nc e toAcademicQuestions75 Ew ing Stree t ,P r i n c e t o n , N J 0 8 5 4 0 . T h e s e r e m a r k s a r e f r o m a n O c t o b e r 1 9 9 3 c o n f e r e n c e o nA f r o c e n t r i s m s p o n s o r e d b y t h e Ma n h a t t a n I n s ti tu t e s C e n t e r f o r N e w A m e r i c a n C o m -m u n i ty a n d W a s h in g to n U n ive r si ty s D e p a r tm e n t o f A f r ic a n a n d A f r i c an - A m e r i c a nStud ies. Pr in ted by pe rmiss ion .


2/11

Symposium 5

a s w a s , s ay, t h e p o l i ti c a l t u r m o i l o f t h e 1 9 6 0 s. I n o t h e r w o r d s , a c l i m a t e in t h e

a c a d e m y i n w h i c h t h e m o s t f a s h i o n a b l e s c h o l a r s h ip is o f t e n s h a r p l y a n ti -W e s t e r n m a k e s A f r o c e n t r i s m , a s a c r i t iq u e o f th e We s t , p o s s ib l e , a n dA f r o c e n t r i s m i n t u r n r e i n f o r c e s t h e i n t e l l e c t u a l t r e n d s t h a t b r o u g h t i t i n t ob e i n g .

S e c o n d , A f r o c e n t r i s m is p r o b a b l y i m b e d d e d i n e ar li e r f o r m s o f b l ac k n a -t io n a li st t h o u g h t - t h e b l ac k a e s t h et ic o f t h e s e v e n ti es , t h e b l ac k p o w e r m o v e -m e n t o f t h e s ix ti es , a n d p a n - A f r i c a n i sm i n t h e v a r i o u s f o r m s i t h a s t a k e n s i n c et h e e i g h t e e n t h c e n t u r y. A s a n i d e o l o g y it r e p r e s e n t s t h e c o n t i n u e d l o n g i n ga m o n g b l ac k A m e r i c a n s f o r s o m e s et o f i de as t h a t w o u l d b i n d t h e m t o g e t h e r

a s a c o m m u n i t y a n d o f f e r s o m e a l t er n a t iv e t o a n a s s i m i l a ti o n t h a t is e i t h e rf o r e c l o s e d b y w h i t es o r s e e n b y b l ac k s a s a n a d m i s s i o n o f in f e r i o r i ty a n d d e -fea t .

I t m u s t b e s ai d , t h o u g h , t h a t h i st o ri c al ly n o t a ll m a n i f e s t a t i o n s o f b l a c k n a -t i o n a li s m a r e o r w e r e a n ti -W e s te r n ; s o m e a r e d e c i d e d l y p r o - We s t e r n i n m a n yr e s p e ct s . N o r i s t h e r e a n y t h i n g i n h e r e n t i n t h e s tu d y o f A f r i c an s o r b l a c k p e o p l ei n t h e U n i t e d S t a te s t h a t is n e c e s sa r il y a n t i -W e s t e rn . I t c o u l d e v e n b e a r g u e dt h a t t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f t h e se f i el ds o f st u d y, a s v i rt u al m o r a l o r e m o t i o n a li m p e r a t i v e s , i n t h e p a s t t w e n t y y e a r s o r s o is p u r e l y a n d u t t e r ly We s t e r n . B u t

t h e s e a rc h b y b la c k p e o p l e f o r a c o m m o n h i st o ri ca l m i s si o n , f o r t h e e l e m e n t st h a t b i n d t h e m t o g e t h e r a s a g ro u p , o t h e r t h a n a c o m m o n h i st o ry o f op p r e s-s io n , e x p l a in s w h y A f r o c e n t r i s m , a s a h e i g h t e n e d f o r m o f n a t i o n a li s m , h a sc o m e i n t o b e i n g a t a t im e w h e n b l a c k s fe e l t h e i r s e n s e o f p h y s ic a l a n d s p i r it u a lc o m m u n i t y t o b e s in g u la r ly u n d e r s ie g e b y m a n y a s p e c t s o f p o s t- i n d u st r ia ll ib e r a l d e m o c r a t i c c a p i t a li s t c u l t u r e .

A s a n a c a d e m i c p h e n o m e n o n , A f r o c e n tr i s m se rv es t h e p u r p o s e o f b i n d i n gt o g e t h e r t h e v a r i o u s s t r a n d s o f A f ri c a n a n d A f r i c a n - A m e r i c a n s tu d i e s , tr an s -f o r m i n g t h e m f r o m a n i n t e rd i s ci p li n a r y h o d g e - p o d g e in t o a u n i f i e d d is c ip l in e ,w i t h i d e o l o g i c a l a n d i n t el le c t u a l g o a ls , p o li ti c al p u r p o s e , a n d a s e t o f c o m -m o n l y u n d e r s t o o d m e t h o d s a n d t h eo r ie s .

T h i r d , A f r o c e n t r i s m a l so h a s r o o ts i n t h e g r ea t A m e r i c a n t e n d e n c y t o s e ekm e n t a l h e a l t h t h r o u g h r ig h t -l iv i ng a n d r i g h t b e l ie v i n g . I n t h a t r e s p e c t C a r t e rG . W o o d s o n ' s c o n f u s e d a r g u m e n t s a b o u t t h e t h e r a p e u t i c v a l ue o f b la c kh i s t o r y i n h i s 1 9 3 3 b o o kThe Miseducation of the Negroa v i r t u a l b i b l e f o rm a n y A f r o c e n t r i s ts , is a s a n i n t e l le c t u a l c o n s t r u c t n o t u n l i k e t h e w o r k s o f t h eg r e a t m i n d - h e a l e r s a n d p o s i t i v e t h i n k e r s f r o m M a r y B a k e r E d d y t o N o r m a nVi n c e n t P ea le , f r o m F a t h e r D iv in e t o E li ja h M u h a m m a d . W o o d s o n m a d e t h ec o n n e c t i o n b e t w e e n b l a ck h i st o r y a n d b l ac k e d u c a t i o n , p r o p e r l y c o n s t r u e d ,

a n d b l a c k s e lf - es te e m , l o n g b e f o r e s e lf -e s te e m i ts e lf b e c a m e a c a n t w o r d i nt h e c u l t u r e .

W o o d s o n ' s c o n t e n t i o n s a r e a t r u is m t o m a n y b l ac k s. B u t t h e r e i s n o r ea le v i d e n c e t o s u p p o r t t h e c l a i m t h a t b l ac k h i s t o r y t a u g h t i n a c e r ta i n w a y p r o -d u c e s b l a c k se lf -e s te e m . I n d e e d , i t m a y e v e n b e a r g u e d t h a t s o m e p e d a g o g i c a l


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approaches suggested by Afrocentrists might simply induce more black re-

sentm ent or intensify black alienation. And neither re sen tmen t nor alienationis a pro per mental or emotional building block for a sense of communit y.

Much of the recent attempt to create Afrocentric schools---or, one mightsay, the black political equivalent of a Heb rew or Catholic school---comes fr oman understandable desperation due to the fact that many black communitiesare so beset by social probl ems that they are ill-equipped to ha ndle.

The re is much to consider in the complexity in Afrocentrism. These fewprelim inary remark s hardly do th e subject justice. I ho pe that this discussionwill take it out of the realm of sensational newspaper stories and emotional

outbursts to a measured deliberation of why America continues to be con-fo un de d by race a nd bef udd led by its inability to ed ucat e all of its citizens well.

WilsonJ. M oses: T h eAfrocentric tradition must be und ers too d as a variety ofutopian or millenarian movement, although the Afrocentric utopia is in a ro-manticized past, rather than in a chiliastic future. Afrocentrism is not a newmove ment. It makes one of its first appearances in an 1827 editorial in Freedom s

Journal , the first black newspaper in the United States, which alleged a rela-tionship bet wee n black Americ ans and the ancie nt Egyptians. Ameri can histo-

rians recognize in the latest revival of Afroce ntri sm patte rns desc ribe d by thelate E. L. Tuveson, of the University of California at Berkeley, and the lateWilliam G. McLoughlin, o f Brown University, who d eve lop ed useful meth od sfor looking at the history of Ameri can millennial move ment s, revivals, awak-enings, and reforms. The Afrocen tric tradition may also be u nde rst oo d withinthe patter n that Haro ld Walter Tu rn er describes in his article Tribal Reli-gious Movement s, in the Encyclopaedia Britannica,1979 edition. Recently, thelate St. Clair Drake, a distinguished Afro-Caribbean anth ropo logis t at Stanf ordUniversity, published a two-volume work, Black Folk Here an d There,offering,among i ts many treasures , a restra ined and compassionate cr i t ique ofAfrocentric utopianism.

Karl Man nheim, in his classic Ideology an d Utopia,defin ed a utopia as an ideaor movement that resembles a religion more closely than it does a politicalideology. Millennialist movements attract the type of person Eric Hoffer de-scribes in The True Believer.Afrocentrists are true believers who have unde r-gone the charismatic experience that the African-American psychologist WilliamR. Cross has called the Negro to Black Conver sion Experie nce. Th ey startout as Saul and end up as Paul. Those who convert to Afrocentrism oftencha nge their names, as a sign that they, to use St. Paul's langu age, have put of fthe old man and put on the new man. Afrocentrists are like the people whocome knocki ng on your doo r to pr esent you with the good news, the truth, thereal truth. You cann ot argue with them, because they are conv inced that y o uare the on e who is confused. They convert because they find t he message ap-pealing, and then they work backward fro m what they need to believe throug h


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Symposium 47

a s y s t e m o f r a t io n a l i z a ti o n s , i n o r d e r to c o n s t r u c t p r o o f s . C o n v e r t s s p e a k

w i t h p r o p h e t i c c o n v i c t i o n , a n d t h e m o r e y o u a r g u e w i t h t h e m l o g i c a l l y, t h em o r e p a s s io n a t e ly t h e y e x p la i n t o y o u w h y y o u a r e w r o n g . A f r o c e n t r i s m is n o ta n i n t e l l e c t u a l m o v e m e n t ; i t i s a s e c u l a r r e l i g i o n . O r , p u t t i n g i t i n K a r lM a n n h e i m ' s t e r m s , i t is n o t a n i d e o l o g y ; it is a u t o p i a .

A f r o c e n t r i s m , t o a s o c i a l s c i e n t i s t , i s a s u n d e r s t a n d a b l e a s C h r i s t i a n f u n d a -m e n t a l is m . I n t h is c o n n e c t i o n I m u s t m e n t i o n t h e w o r k o f P r o f e ss o r D o r o t h yN e l k in , o f t h e s o c i o l o g y d e p a r t m e n t a t C o r n e l l, w h o s e a r e a o f re s e a r c h h a sb e e n t h e p r o b l e m o f c r e a ti o n sc ie n ce i n t h e s c ho o l s. I w a n t t o m a k e u s e o fh e r m o d e l , b e c a u s e I t h i n k A f r o c e n t r i s m a n d c r e a ti o n s c ie n c e a r e i n t h e

s a m e c a t e g o ry, e v a n g e li c al u t o p i a n m o v e m e n t s th a t c o u c h t h e i r b e li e f- s y st e m si n p s e u d o - s c ie n t i f ic t e r m s . T h e y s u b l i m a t e t h e f r u s t r a t i o n o f t h e i r a d h e r e n t s ,a s t h e y a t t e m p t t o c o p e w i t h th e s t re s se s a n d a n x i e t y o f m o d e r n u r b a n l if e.S u c h e n t h u s i a s t s a r e o f t e n w e l l - e d u c a t e d p e o p l e , e v e n p e o p l e w i th s c i en t if ica n d t e c hn i c a l t ra i n in g , w h o f i n d i n r e li gi o us f u n d a m e n t a l i s m s o m e i n s u l a t io nf r o m a s o c ie t y t h a t is c o r r u p t , p r u r i e n t , a n d v i o le n t .

I n d e f e n s e o f A f r o c e n t r i s m , i t m u s t b e o b s e r v e d t h a t t h e f a t h e r o f c o n t e m -p o r a r y A f r o c e n t r is m , C h e i k h A n t a D i o p , i n h isCiv ilization or Barbarism( B r o o k -l yn , N .Y.: L a w r e n c e H i ll B o o k s , 1 9 91 ), d e m o n s t r a t e s a r e s p e c t f o r t h e c o n c e p to f c u l t u r a l l it er a cy. H e is o p p o s e d t o t h e v u l g a r s t e r e o t y p e o f b l a c k c u l t u r e t h a th a s b e e n d o m i n a n t s in c e t h e H a r l e m R e n a i s s a n c e o f t h e 1 9 20 s. D i o p is a ls os u s p i c io u s o f t h e s e n t i m e n t a l b la c k c u l tu r a l n a t i o n a l is m a s s o c ia t e d w i th L e o p o l dS e n g h o r a n d t h e F re n c hNegri tudes c h o o l . L i k e t h e l a t e A f r i c a n - A m e r i c a n c r i ti cS t e r li n g B r o w n , D i o p c o n d e m n s t h e t r e a t m e n t o f b la c k f o lk a s j az z y e x o ti cp r i m i t i v e s a n d e r o t i c b a r b a r i a n s . A f r o c e n t r i st s r e s e n t t h e t e n d e n c y to d e f i n eb l ac k c u l t u r e in t e r m s o f p r im i t iv i sm g r a f t e d o n t o d e c a d e n c e . D i o p ' s a r d e n tf o l lo w e r s a r e a l so o p p o s e d t o t h e p r o f a n e , s c a to l o g ic a l v a r ie t y o f b la c k g h e t t oc u l t u r e th a t is a s s o c i a te d w i t h g a n g s t e r r a p , s i g n if y i n g m o n k e y s , a n d p la y-i n g t h e d o z e n s ( w o r d g a m e s b a s e d o n r i tu a l iz e d in s u lt ). T h e A f r o c e n t r i s td r e a m s o f a p p r o p r i a t i n g t h e h i g h c u l t u r e o f cl as si ca l c iv i li z at io n a n d d i s d a i n st h e lo w c u l t u r e o f g a n g s t e r ra p . A l t h o u g h s o m e m a y d e f e n d t h e r a p - m u s i cg r o u p 2 L iv e C r e w o n F ir st A m e n d m e n t g r o u n d s , f ew a r e s y m p a t h e t i c to t h ep r o p o s i t i o n t h a t 2 L i v e C r e w r e p r e s e n t s b l a c k c u l t u r e . M o s t b l a c k n a t io n a l is t s,i n c l u d i n g B l a c k M u s l i m s a n d A f r o c e n t r i s ts , i n si st , to t h e i r c r e d it , t h a t g a n g s t e rr a p m u s t b e u n d e r s t o o d a s s oc ia l p a t h o lo g y. U n f o r t u n a t e l y, m a n y o f t h e s es a m e b l ac k n a t io n a li st s h a v e u n d e r m i n e d t h e ir c r e d ib i li ty b y t h e ir f u n d a m e n -t a l i s t a n t i - i n t e l l e c t u a l i s m a n d b y t h e i r p a r a n o i d r a v i n g s a b o u t t h e i c e - m a n i n -h e r i t a n c e , J e w i s h c o n s p i r a c i e s , a n d m e l a n i n t h e o r y.

O n e o f t h e g r e a t i r o n i e s o f b l a c k A m e r i c a n l if e is t h a t h i s t o r i c a l l y - n o t s om u c h t od a y , b u thistorical ly b lackn a t i o n a l i s m , w h i l e u rg i n g p o l i t i c a l s e p a r a t -i sm , h a s b e e n a c o n d u i t f o r t h e t r a n s m i s s i o n o f h i g h c u l t u r e . C l a ss ic a l b l a c kn a t io n a l is ts a n d A f r o c e n t r is t s s in c e t h e n i n e t e e n t h c e n t u r y, i n c l u d i n g J o h nR u s s w u r m , F r a n c e s E . W. H a r p e r , M a r t i n D e l a n y, A l e x a n d e r C r u m m e l l ,Ed


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4 8 A c a de m ic Q u e s t i o n s S p r i n g 1 99 4

ward Wilmot Blyden, Pauline Hopkins, W. E. B. Du Bois, and Marcus Garvey

were c om mit ted to a civilizing mission. The y ma de refe renc es to Egyptian civi-lization hop ing to focus the minds o f black folk on noble a nd uplifting univer-sal values, on the best which has bee n tho ugh t and said in the world. Th eywere not cultural relativists; they believed that some cultures are better thanoth er cultures, an d they were no t a mus ed by the spectacle of illiterate school-boys insulting one another's mothers, just for fun. Many people feel that atleast this much can be said in behalf of Afrocentrism: that it focuses youngminds on pyramids and temples, rather than on priapic displays and foul-mouthed monkeys.

It should be rem em be re d that the Afrocentric tradition grew up in antebel-lum America, where nine out of every ten black Americans were slaves. Theeditors o f Freedom sJournalwere called Free Africans, but in reality they werequasi-free Americans, deprived of both their African and their Am erica n heri-tage. Their assertion that knowl edge was deliberately kept f ro m t he m was cor-rect. They and their children were banned by force of law from schools,universities, and libraries. As late as 1960, the year I graduate d from high school,ther e were m any universities in this coun try fro m which I was barr ed by forceof law. In the schools and colleges that I did atte nd I was someti mes drive n tothe verge of tears by the cruelty of student s an d o f teachers. If there is a reac-tive ang er an d re sen tme nt in some Afroc entr ic writing, it is certainly und er-standable. Afroc entr ism is not ha te literature, however. It is a quaint, fantasticrem ind er of problems that our society has not yet solved, but no mo re anach-ronistic than our society's residual racism. Leviticus is not hate literature,nei the r is Twain's Huckleberry F inn ,or Shakespeare's The M erchant of Venice,orMilton's Areopagitica,althoug h each of these classics contains so me ideas thatmost living Ameri cans find embarrassing, offensive, or dow nri ght hateful.

Ano the r point to r eme mb er is that the classics of the Afrocentric tradition,which arg ued that the Egyptians were black, were written at a time when onedrop of Negro blood was enough to make anyon e a Negro. Even today, thisinsane reaso ning rema ins the basis for classifying appreciable n umbers o f peop leas black despite their blue eyes and blo nd hair. Near-white individuals asfair-skinned as Thurgood Marshall and Lena Home are still classified as Ne-groes. Walter White and Ada m Clayton Powell, who were absolutely white inappearance, were classified as Negroes, by persons who could become apo-plectic at the idea that th e pha raoh s wer e not white. It was in the face of thisillogic that t he mu latto aut hor J. A. Rogers classified his phara ohs as black. Infact many of the pharaohs, if transplanted across time and onto the Chatta-

noo ga Ch oo-Cho o in 1945, would have had difficulty obtaining a Pullman be rthor be ing seat ed in a dining car.

These historical arguments do not, of course, excuse the excesses of a fewatypical cult authors, who shamelessly exploit the fears and res ent men ts ofcontemporary readers. Even here it should be remembered, however, that


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Symposium 9

o t h e r w i s e h a r m l e s s t r ad i t io n s o f A f r o c e n t r i s m a r e m o s t l ik e ly to b e p e r v e r t e d

a m o n g t h e u n l e t t e r e d , c u l t u ra ll y d e p r iv e d , a n d s l u m - s h o c k e d c la ss es o f b l ac kA m e r i c a n s . I t is e x t r e m e l y u n l i k e ly t h a t A f r o c e n t r i s m w ill g a i n m u c h o f a f ol -l o w i n g a m o n g t h e e s t a b l is h m e n t a r ia n b l a c k s c ho l ar s, w h o c o n s t i t u t e t h e f a cu l-t ie s o f t h e e l it e u n iv e r s it ie s . T h e y d o n o t h a v e t o l iv e u n d e r t h e v i c i o u s , t e r ri f y in g ,h u m i li a t in g c o n d i t i o n s o f S o u t h e r n s e g re g a ti o n a n d l y nc h la w t h a t d r o v e G e o r g eJ a m e s o v e r t h e b r i n k d u r i n g t h e e a rl y 19 5 0s .

B u t m o s t p e o p l e d o n o t g o o v e r t h e b ri n k . M o s t b la c k A m e r i c a n s k n o wA f r o c e n t r i s m a s a q u a i n t, f o l k sy c u lt u ra l t r a d i ti o n t h a t t h e y e n c o u n t e r f r o me a rl y c h i l d h o o d , i n t h e i r h o m e s a n d c h u r c h e s , t h e i r s e w i n g c ir cl es , a n d b a r b e r

s h o p s . L i k e m o s t m y t h o l o g i e s , it is o n l y h a l f b e l i e v e d a n d s i m p l y r e p r e s e n t s a na t t e m p t o n t h e p a r t o f r e s p e c t a b le , h o n e s t p e o p l e t o c r e a t e a p o s it iv e f o lk -m y t h o l o g y. T h i s m y t h o l o g y is n o m o r e d a n g e r o u s t h a n t h e f ic t io n s a ss o c ia t e dw i t h B et sy R o ss , H o n e s t A b e , o r G e o r g e W a s h i n g t o n a n d t h e c h e r r y tr ee .

P e r h a p s i t is p o s s ib l e to r e d e e m A f r o c e n t r i s m f r o m its m o d e r n m i s u s e b yr ac is ts , a n t i- S e m i t es , a n d p s e u d o - i n t e l le c t u a l s . P e r h a p s n o t . I a m c e r t a i n o f o n et h i n g : A f r o c e n t r i s m , i n i t s m o r e d i s t u r b i n g a n d e x t r e m i s t f o r m s , i s a c h a r i s -m a t i c , n o t a n i n t el l ec t u a l m o v e m e n t . I t is a b o r n - a g a i n , t r u e - b e l ie v e r e n t h u s i -a s m , s i m i la r t o c r e a t i o n sc i en c e , a n d r a t i o n a l i z e d w i t h t h e s a m e s o r t o fe v a n g e li c a l p a s s i o n . I t is n o t l ik e ly to b e s t o p p e d b y i n t e l le c t u a l a r g u m e n t s o rp o l it ic a ll y c o r r e c t d o g m a s f r o m t h e r i g h t o r f r o m t h e l ef t.

Louis Wilson I w a n t t o d i sc u ss A fr ic a a n d t h e A f r o c e n t r i c m o v e m e n t b e -c a u se I t h i n k t h a t m a n y A f r o c e n t r is t s -- a n d t h e r e a r e m a n y t y p e s - s e e A f r ic a ast h e f o u n d a t i o n , t h e b a si s, t h e b e g i n n i n g . A s a t r a i n e d A f r i c a n h i s t o r i a n , li k eW i l s o n M o s e s , I w a n t b r ie f l y t o tr y t o l o o k a t t h a t .

T h e t e r m A f r i ca n i ts e lf is n o t a n i n d i g e n o u s t e r m ; it is a n e x t e r n a l t e r m . I tis e s s e n t ia l l y L a t i n . B e f o r e i t c a m e i n t o u s e , o f c o u r s e , A f r i c a n s w e r e o f t e nr e f e r r e d t o by o u t s id e r s a s E t h i o p ia n s , a g a in a n e x t e r n a l t e r m . W h e n w e u s et h e t e r m s A f ri ca n o r A f r o c en t ri c , w e n e e d t o k e e p in m i n d th a t t h e y d o n o tc o m e f r o m t h e c o n t i n e n t .

H o w d i d t h e A f r i c a n p e o p l e s e e th e m s e l v e s ? T h e y s a w t h e m s e l v e s i n a v ar i-e ty o f wa ys , b u t m a i n l y a s m e m b e r s o f a p a r t ic u l a r e t h n i c / c u l t u r a l g r o u p , a n dc l ea r ly t h e k ey to t h a t w o u l d h a v e b e e n l a n g u a g e . F o r e x a m p l e , w e s p e a k o f t h eE g y p t ia n s , w e s p e a k o f t h e Yo r u b a , w e s p e a k o f t h e A k a n , w e s p e a k o f t h eK a m b a , w e s p e a k o f t h e Tiv, w e s p e a k o f t h e G a , w e sp e a k o f t h e Z u l u - w es p e a k o f p e o p l e w h o s p e a k a p a r t i c u l a r la n g u a g e , a n d t h a t is p a r t o f t h e c u l-t u r e . I t is o n l y w i t h t h e a rr iv a l o f th e E u r o p e a n s t h a t t h e s e p e o p l e w e r e f o r c e d

t o b e g i n t o t h i n k o f t h e m s e l v e s as A f r ic a n s . S o , w h e n w e a s k w h e r e t h e A f r o -c e n t r i s m is i n A f r ic a , t h e a n s w e r i s t h a t i t is n o t t h e r e .

W h e n y o u w a n t t o ta lk a b o u t u n d e r s t a n d i n g A f r ic a, w h e n y o u w a n t t o b r e a kA f r i c a d o w n i n t o i ts v a r i o u s c o m p o n e n t p a rt s , c le a rl y o n e w a y to d o i t is b yl a n g u a g e . T h e r e c o u l d a ls o b e a b r e a k d o w n b y r e g i o n . O n e c o u l d d i sc u s s f or -


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5 2 A c ad e m ic Q u e s t i o n s S p r i n g 1 99 4

T h e b a si c p r e m i s e o f J a m e s ' s a r g u m e n t is th a t G r e e k p h i l o s o p h y is b a s e d

d i r ec t ly o n a n E g y p t i a n M y s t e r y S y s t e m , w h i c h w a s c o p i e d b y G r e e k p h i l o s o -p h e r s w h o s t u d i e d i n E g y p t . B u t in r e al it y t h e n o t i o n o f a n E g y p t i a n M y s t er yS y s t e m is a r el at iv e ly m o d e r n f i ct io n , b a s e d o n a n c i e n t s o u r c e s t h a t a r e d i st in c -t ive ly Greeko r G r e c o - R o m a n a n d d a t e f r o m t h e e a rl y c e n tu r i e s A.D . H o w t h e s ef u n d a m e n t a l l y G r e e k p r a c ti c es c a m e t o b e u n d e r s t o o d a s o r ig i n al ly E g y p t ia nis a f a s c i n a t i n g st o r y, w h i c h I c a n p r e s e n t h e r e o n l y i n o u t l i n e .

I n f a c t t h e e a r li e s t d e s c r i p t i o n s o f m y s t e r i e s ' - - t h a t is, i n i t i a t i o n r it u a l s - - a n da c a d e m i e s f o r E g y p t i a n p r i e s t s , w i t h l a rg e l i b r a r i e s a n d a r t g a l l e r i e s , f i r s t o c -c u r , n o t i n a n y a n c i e n t t e x t, b u t i n a n e i g h t e e n t h - c e n t u r y F r e n c h w o r k o f h is -

t o r i c al f i c ti o n , t h e n o v e lS~thosb y t h e A b b ~ J e a n Te r r a s s o n , f ir st p u b l i s h e d i n1 7 32 . Te r r a s s o n ' s n o v e l w a s w i d e ly r e a d ; it h a d a p r o f o u n d i n f l u e n c e o n p o r -t ra y a ls o f E g y p t i a n r e l i g i o n i n la t e r l it e r a t u r e , f o r e x a m p l e , i n t h e l i b r e t t o o fM o z a r t ' s M agic Flute.I n p a r ti c u l a r, t h e i n i t ia t i o n o f Te r r a s s o n ' s h e r o i n t o t h eE g y p t i a n p r i e s t h o o d s e r v e d a s t h e i n s p i r a t i o n f o r M a s o n i c r i t u a l s . T h e M a -s o n s , i n th e e i g h t e e n t h c e n t u r y, w h e n t h e s e r it u al s w e r e e s t a b li s h e d , r e g a r d e dt h e m a s b o t h a n c i e n t a n d E g y p t i a n , a l t h o u g h i n fa c t t h e y w e r e n e i t h e r. A l la u t h e n t i c i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t e a r l y E g y p t i a n r e l ig i o n w a s i n a c c e ss i b le t o t h e m ,b e c a u s e t h e d o c u m e n t s t h a t d e s c ri b e d i t c o u l d n o t b e r e a d . L i k e M o z a r t , J a m e ss e e m s to h a v e b e e n i n s p i r e d b y M a s o n i c r it u al ; h e s p e a k s o f E g y p t i a n G r a n dL o d g e s , a n o t h e r d i st in c t iv e f e a t u r e o f t h e M a s o n i c O r d e r , a n d c it es M a s o n i cl i te r a t u r e . T h e v i si o n o f a b la c k E g y p t p u t f o r t h b y J a m e s is in f a c t i d i o s y n c r a t i ct o A f r i c a n - A m e r i c a n M a s o n s , w h o c l a im d e s c e n t f r o m a n c i e n t b l a c k E g y p t i a n s .

T h e E g y p t ia n r it ua ls d e s c r i b e d b y Te r r a s s o n a n d h is F r e e m a s o n f o l lo w e r sw e r e a c tu a ll y G r e c o - R o m a n . S i n c e Te r r a s s o n w a s f o r c e d t o r el y o n G r e e k a n dL a t i n l i te r a t u r e f o r h i s d e s c r i p t i o n o f E g y p t , th e E g y p t i a n g o d d e s s I si s a s s u m e sa p a r t i c u l a r i m p o r t a n c e i n h is w o r k , a s w e ll a s in w o r k s d e r i v e d f r o m it, s u c h a sM o z a r t ' s Thamos King o f Egypta n d The M agic Flute.B u t t h e p o r t r a y a l o f I sisa n d h e r c u l t o n w h i c h Te r r a s s o n r e li es is d i st in c t iv e l y G r e c o - R o m a n i n c h a ra c -t er. T h e t w e lv e - d a y i n i t i a t io n i n t o t h e M y s t e ri e s o f Is is t h a t h e d e s c r i b e s i s b a s e dp r i m a r i l y, n o t o n a n y E g y p t i a n s o u r c e , b u t o n t h e d e s c r i p t i o n , i n t h e f i r s t -c e n t u r y B .c . R o m a n p o e t Vi rg i l' sAeneid o f t h e h e r o A e n e a s ' v i s it t o t h e l o w e rw o r l d . Te r r a s s o n a ls o re li es h e av i ly o n t h e s e c o n d - c e n t u r y A p u l e i u s ' a c c o u n t ,i n h i s L a t i n n o v e lThe Golden Asso f h i s i n i t ia t i o n i n t o t h e R o m a n c u l t o f Is is .

I t w o u l d b e u n r e a s o n a b l e t o e x p ec t th a t th e M a s o n s, w h o n e v e r p r e t e n d e dt o b e s e r i o u s s c h o l a r s , w o u l d h a v e s o u g h t t o r e v i s e t h e i r r i t u a l s a n d t h e n o -t io n s o f t h e i r o w n h i s t o r y i n l i g ht o f t h e n e w i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t E g y p t t h a tb e c a m e a v a il ab l e a ft e r t h e d e c i p h e r i n g o f h ie r o g l y p h i c s , i n 1 8 36 . B u t J a m e s ,

w h o p u r p o r t s t o b e w r i ti n g a n a c a d e m i c b o o k , o u g h t to h a v e ta k e n r e c e n td i sc o v e ri e s a b o u t E g y p t i n to c o n s i d e r a t io n . N o n e t h e l e s s , i n s t e a d o f c o n c e n -t r at in g o n w h a t is n o w k n o w n a b o u t E g y p t ia n m y t h a n d r it ua l, J a m e s c ite sAnacalypsis( o r R e v e l a ti o n ) , b y G o d f r e y H i g g i n s , w h o d i e d i n 1 8 3 3 , s e v e ra ly e a rs b e f o r e t h e p u b l i c a t i o n o f th e d e f i n i t iv e v e r s i o n o f J e a n F r a n q o i s


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5 4 A c a d em i c Q u e s t i o n s / S p r i n g 1 99 4

I h av e t r e a t e d o n l y a fe w o f t h e m a n y f r a u d u l e n t c la im s m a d e i nStolen LegacyM a n y m o r e e x a m p l e s c o u l d b e p r o d u c e d ; f o r e x a m p l e , J a m e s i ns is ts th a t t h eG r e e k s d i d n o t w i n t h e i r w a r a g a i n s t P e r s ia i n 4 9 0 a n d 4 8 0 - 7 9 B .C ., a s h a sa lw a y s b e e n t h o u g h t , b u t s t at es , in s p i te o f o v e r w h e l m i n g e v i d e n c e t o t h e c o n -t ra r y, t h a t t h e b a t tl e s o f M a r a t h o n a n d S a l a m i s w e r e i n d e c is i v e . J a m e s m i s r e p -r e s e n t s h i st o r y i n t hi s w a y in o r d e r t o d e p i c t t h e a n c i e n t G r e e k s a s a q u a r r e l s o m ea n d c h a o t ic p e o p l e , i n c a p a b le o f p r o d u c i n g p h i l o s o p h y, w h i c h , a c c o r d i n g t oJ a m e s , r e q u i re s a n e n v i r o n m e n t w h i c h is f r e e f r o m d i s t u r b a n c e a n d w o r r ie s[ 24 ]. S u c h m i s i n f o r m a t i o n e n t i tl e sStolen L egacyt o a p l a c e o n t h e s h e l f w i t ho t h e r h a t e l i t e ra t u r e , s u c h a sThe Secret Relationship Betwee n Blacks anclJewsB u t

i t a l so d e s e r v e s t o b e r a t e d a s o n e o f t h e m o s t s u c c e s sf u l , a n d , a l as , in f l u e n t i a lm y t h s i n r e c e n t h i st o ry. A n d i t is d i s ti n c tl y f r i g h t e n i n g t h a t s c h o o l c h i l d r e n

a r e b e i n g t a u g h t t o b e l i e v e t h a t t h i s m y t h i s t r u e .

A n n a B a l ak ia n , o n e of C o m p a r a t i v eLiterature 's leading scholars, confronts thecu rren t zeitgeist in co nte m po ra ry li terary

studies: the im po rtan ce assumed by crit icismand its devalorization of the l i terary work;the use and m isuse of l i terary texts fori d e o l o g i c a l p u r p o s e s , r e l a t i v i s m a n d

anthropomorphism: and mul t icu l tura l i smand the soc io logica l a pp roa ch to the ar ts .

ON TH E ELFRY

Dogma andDisquietude in

the Crit icalrena

By nna Balakian

288 pages, cloth $39.95

INDIA NA UN IVERSITY PRESS ~ At booksto res or ca l l 1-800-842-6796

Documents

Early, Gerald, Wilson J. Moses, Louis Wilson, And Mary R. Lefkowitz_Symposium. Historical Roots of Afrocentrism_Academic Questions, 7, 2_1994!44!54