28 Comments
User's avatar
Iykechi's avatar

I have heard this statement made so many times but it never dawned on me how general the statement is until you pointed it out. I don’t know why but it brought me back to this book series I was really interested in at one point called When The World was Black. It’s also interesting to read this cause I’m on the journey right now to be more deeply connected to the cultures I come from

Expand full comment
xɨʍǟ's avatar

I’m in a full-on history and religion mood, just started reading the Bible today. Fascinating.

Expand full comment
Iykechi's avatar

Oooooooo! I would love to hear more. Any intentions for your reading, how are you breaking it up and how are you liking it so far?

Expand full comment
xɨʍǟ's avatar

I started revelations today. like it but it’s a lot. I’m pacing myself. I want to understand and dissect every word

Expand full comment
Iykechi's avatar

Nice. Nice. Love that you’re pacing yourself with such a big read and I see that engineer coming out in the dissecting of every word lol. I’m interested to hear what you’re gonna make of the stories like are you taking them as largely literal or largely metaphorical?

Expand full comment
xɨʍǟ's avatar

lol the analytical side of me. I love critical analysis and literature

Expand full comment
Iykechi's avatar

Lol yes, the analytical side of you. I love critical analysis as well. I could honestly do it so much more since it’s such an attractor for me. It’s inspiring for me to see you really give what’s pleasurable for you the space it deserves. If you’re taking a bunch of notes and wanna share, please send em my way! I’d enjoy looking at them

Expand full comment
xɨʍǟ's avatar

I need to read that. Sounds interesting.

Expand full comment
Iykechi's avatar

It was VERY interesting. I had got it at the library in college for a 2 week period but didn’t get to finish it before I had to give it back.

Expand full comment
Salvin Sawyerr's avatar

Wow, this is a first for me.

Lovely perspective, too. 🧡✨

Expand full comment
xɨʍǟ's avatar

Thanks! 🙏🏽

Expand full comment
Abir (The Spiritual Trenches)'s avatar

Thank you for your perspective, especially since it was personal. Most so called “Black” Americans are in fact indigenous to America and furthermore indigenous to the planet earth. Do the knowledge first before you do the wisdom because the understanding will show your all 196 million square miles of this planet were inhabited and civilized by the same people you might be dividing into groups.

Expand full comment
xɨʍǟ's avatar

I’m still learning. I need to research and read further before attempting my part two. Fingers crossed. Please send me info if you run into any. I really want to do this justice

Expand full comment
Abir (The Spiritual Trenches)'s avatar

Oh absolutely I’d be honored to assist you in whatever way I can. #Humbled

Expand full comment
xɨʍǟ's avatar

For sure! I for sure need your assistance if you’re more knowledgeable. I feel this is one of my main goals and purpose in life.

Unity, understanding and really digging into our history and divisiveness among black people. Especially things like tribalism and how all of it was used as a weapon against us

Expand full comment
Cosmic Sushi's avatar

I feel as if a lightbulb just illuminated. Please tell me there is more forthcoming on this.

Expand full comment
xɨʍǟ's avatar

thanks!! I need to do a deeper dive into this topic. I find it fascinating so I’m probably going to. I hope to atleast have more answers than questions 🤞🏾

Expand full comment
Cosmic Sushi's avatar

I’m here for it 👏👏👏

Expand full comment
Mohamed Ashraf's avatar

I was oblivious to all of this till I read your article 😂, if you ever get the chance to visit Luxor or Aswan, the guides will regale you of our endless mythical takes of royals back-stabbing each other, and priests promoting whatever propaganda gets them the most sacrifices

You definitely were NOT mocking, you're actually giving the rest of Africa a chance to enter the minds of the general public, which is huge.

Quick ted talk: Any place that had people who survived and didn't hurt each other was a cradle of civilization 😂

Expand full comment
xɨʍǟ's avatar

This part sums it up: “Given how little control Egypt has had over itself for so long, the idea of ‘look at us, products of whatever era this is—ain’t that funny? I wonder who will be the next overlords’ really runs deep.”

I think where we going next is countries saying it’s enough and taking their power back. Look at West Africa and the formerly French-colonized countries slowly reclaiming control. I think a slow shift is happening right now.

Expand full comment
Mohamed Ashraf's avatar

They will, they are, my rambled point was to appreciate what comes out of any sliver of expressive freedom in any place. Let it be mythically captivating too. It's like the "star wars: from a certain point of view" series. The magic exists now as it did centuries ago.

Expand full comment
xɨʍǟ's avatar

You weren’t rambling lol 😂 you made great points. I appreciate you giving me some knowledge 🙏🏽🖤

Expand full comment
xɨʍǟ's avatar

This part!! 😂

“… royals back-stabbing each other, and priests promoting whatever propaganda gets them the most sacrifices”

And that’s why people are so fascinated by the culture.

Anyway, I’m glad I gave you a neutral outsiders perspective. 😂

Expand full comment
Mohamed Ashraf's avatar

I guess, if you're interested in culture in an era where everyone wasn't a slave, and people could….if nothing else…write freely without the tyrants occupying their every waking hour ---- nagib mahfooz would be a better look at Egyptian culture

So would some Egyptian theater that's been filmed and translated -- they’re long, but it doesn't get any more expressive of an era -- I think there are fan translations of “Al motazawegoon”, which would literally be played at my house every sprint season for whatever reason growing up

i mean, I see no reason why not to pretend we’re from the year 3000 and we dug up these stories lost to time -- if there must be some inheritance narrative tied to it for anyone interested in their Egyptian ancestry, I'd say it would be finding humor in the gutters, living out the full tragedy and finding folks who will have a good laugh about it afterwards, but all countries have some version of that, no need to get nationalism involved

With that said, it ain't about appreciating the art of humor, it's about appreciating the joke, a joke, or several, taking in the scene -- that specific scene might have similar brothers in other countries, but each gutter looked different, and so the humor looked different.

Same premise, but maybe this is when seeing the fundamental make-up of something, only, falls short

the outer asthetic of it, the timeline that leads to it, those might seem superficial, but nonetheless they're the character people are after -- they're “deep” enough and they're worthy of appreciation too imo

Given how little control Egypt has over itself in the greater scheme of the world for so long -- I'd say it really does run deep the idea of “well look us, products of whatever era this is, ain't that funny, wonder who will be the newest overlords after that?”

We also got people that fight for freedom and struggle to give science a voice -- but they’ll enjoy the laugh too -- see it isn't as fun when we’re just talking fundamentals 😂, go watch a funny thing we made

Expand full comment
Mohamed Ashraf's avatar

As an Egyptian, I assure you, we probably talk about the Nile and the Mediterranean sea more than we ever did about our deserts. Let alone the rest of the giant continent that is AFRICA

When we watched Madagascar as kids, we didn't think about it like "oh yeah, Madagascar on the east side, I should visit my long lost uncle there"

People in America are probably more well travelled across north America, than we are across Africa -- even our cultures aren't as blended between north, south, east and west.

If I go to south Africa, I'm buying souvineers -- it'll feel as big of a culture shock as if I went to Taiwan

Expand full comment
xɨʍǟ's avatar

Omg, thanks for commenting! 🙏🏾

From my experience, many Egyptians I have met in LA don’t usually participate in the global Egypt hype. No offense, it is like they are a bit oblivious and not really concerned lol, and part of that is understandable because these conversations can turn into a racial war. Some even downplay Egypt being the “cradle of civilization,” with the pyramids and all their mystique.

And on the other side, it is fascinating how many people feel a personal or ancestral connection to ancient Egypt, even if it is symbolic.

I don’t want to come off like I’m mocking because history shaped all of this and slavery contributed to the confusion. I feel blessed knowing exactly where I come from. I just wish we would all stop holding so tightly to the idea that we are all connected to Egyptian history and culture. That’s why I ask: why Egypt, and who started the idea that we are all connected to it? If there is truth to it, I’d love to hear a historian explain it thoroughly.

There’s even an Egyptian CNN pundit who gets a lot of backlash for saying Egyptians are not African.

Anyway, thanks for your honesty. I want to be respectful to all cultures, but sometimes we have to point out when something doesn’t make sense.

Expand full comment