Well folks, I went to Half Price Books today to read whichever book the universe led me to. I quickly ended up in the history section of the store looking through the shelf titles. I saw titles like Japan, Australia, Great Britain, and so forth. Then I decided well, since I’m in the history section, why not learn more about the history of my race? So I decide to look for a shelf titled Africa. I found it. It was the very bottom shelf, filled with angry books of oppression and tales of the middle passage. Don’t get me wrong, I know that slavery was a 400 year chunk of African history, but we did not begin there. I was befuddled at the book selection in the African section. No books embracing our culture or enlightening the world of ancient art. How disappointing!

Then I turned around and faced another bookshelf (also located on the bottom shelf just above the floor) titled Ancient Egypt. When I saw this I was highly offended because all of the shelves were titled on a grand scale and not by every individual country in the continent. This basically meant to me that whoever arranged the books was trying to separate the grand culture and accomplishments of the Egyptians from Africa. Looking at the shelves they painted a dreary painful picture of Africa. Yet on the opposite side, the Ancient Egyptian shelf gleamed with stories of ancient medicine, glorified art, and the history of legendary Kings and Queens. Is this not all a part of Africa? What would have made me happy is to see all the books (the good and not so good) all on shelves title Ancient Africa. Is that not an appropriate title?

Why am I even making such a big deal about book shelves?? Well I feel that those shelves are a representation of the miseducation of Americans. We are taught in public schools that Egypt is damn near separate from Africa. We are taught to connect negative connotations with the word “Africa”. We are taught to connect greatness & mystery with the word “Egypt”. Egypt is inside of Africa dammit! They are one in the same. The mystifying hieryoglyphics & pyramids were built by AFRICANS! Yet in school or damn near any other institution we are taught to say the pyramids were built by Egyptians, and they were, but Egyptians are Africans. Another reason why this pisses me off is because I feel like the shelves were a representation of America trying to disconnect African Americans & Africans from our true power and history. We are a people which descend from Kings and Queens! Yet in school I was taught as far back as what plantation my ancestors could have lived on. The education system in America makes children subconciously believe that that is as far back as our history goes. NO! Queen Sheba, Cleopatra, King Tut, the Pyramids, the Sphinx…all of that is my people. THAT is where I come from.

When will the American educational systems get it right?

To my best friend Aisha whom is studying to be a diplomat; PLEASE FIX THE EDUCATION AND HEALTH SYSTEMS IN AMERICA! IT’S ALL SCREWED UP!  So I took it upon myself to make my way to the storefront counter to consult with an employee about this situation. I kindly asked him “why is the Ancient Egypt shelf separate from the Africa shelf when Egypt is inside Africa?”. He told me that the shelves were arranged in categories of history and pre-recorded history. Meaning, the beginning of intellectual lettering is considered history and anything before such is “pre-recorded history”. So that means that whoever arranged those shelves considers the hieroglyphics written by Egyptians, not actual writing. How disrespectful! On the contrary, that is where writing descended from! Yes, many words in today’s English language directly stem from Greek and Latin but if you take it back a step further you will find Africa. If you want to question this or simply inquire, study the word “soul” and see what you come up with. (*steps off the soapbox*)

 

 Kitty Katana~