KEN-JENNINGS wrote:
Weird that Mac has some weird fetish for euro history but completely dismisses African history under the guise of "they didn't have historically significant empires".
Do you know where Egypt is? Ever heard of Shaka Zulu? The Mali Empire? Kingdom of Benin? It's a bit surprising that in all your European history books you've never come across their descriptions of African kingdoms. You've really never read how Europeans who visited Africa tended to portray those civilizations as having been influenced by Greeks and Romans because how else would they be so advanced?
You're smarter than that, Mac.
Ancient Egypt is not black Africa. No one considers them white either. They are considered outside the racial paradigms we are familiar with.
Did you ever hear of the explorer Ibn Battuta? He travled the known world during the time of those kingdoms newbie references.
I learned about him when I read one of his books on his travels to Africa at the end of his life. It was required reading in my ancient Africa class.
This dude traveled the entire world and then ended up in Africa and said he did not recommend it.
He set out again with a caravan in February 1352 and after 25 days arrived at the dry salt lake bed of Taghaza with its salt mines. All of the local buildings were made from slabs of salt by the slaves of the Masufa tribe, who cut the salt in thick slabs for transport by camel. Taghaza was a commercial centre and awash with Malian gold, though Ibn Battuta did not form a favourable impression of the place, recording that it was plagued by flies and the water was brackish.
But name dropping explorers and European fetishist and their thoughts is as dumb as name dropping kingdoms in Africa that you know very little about besides the fact someone called it an Empire at some point.
Look, you can advocate for the wellbeing of black people in wherever and still not take part in historical abuse by pretending Africa was on its way to Wakanda before white people showed up. I actually looked up African pyramids and the only ones significant ones outside of Egypt I could find were actually a country over from Egypt and can fit in my backyard.
Even the people eaters of Mexico built better stuff before Europeans arrived. And I am sure Dilbert wouldn't want Brazilians visiting either right now.