Books like Nile Valley Contributions to Civilization: Exploding the Myths

Exploding the Myths is a quintessential read for any and everyone who claims Afrikan descent. It encapsulates the key ideology of Afrocentrism better than any other offers before it. While not a perfect book, this work otherwise succeeds in demonstrating that collectively, people of Afrikan descent have contributed greatly to the world. However, as the name suggests, Browder is more concerned with reclaiming and defending the most famous of Afrikan civilizations: the people of Kemet. Thus, those looking for a more general survey of Afrikan contributions will be unsatisfied. Of course, the success of this book also brings to light other questions and cultural dilemmas that still have not been answered, which I will pose.Exploding the Myths shines when Browder focuses on what he has lived and breathed: the field of Egyptology. His overview of the Dynastic period and their culture - along with his tidbits of surprise information- is breathtaking and extensive. From their rise to their fall, he acts as a muse for history, stopping along at key moments to contemplate various details, such as their mark on other civilizations, including our own. He's a tour guide, and we are the tourists that he clearly enjoys spending time with. The well-documented whitening of Afrikan history is explored, and as a true critical thinker, Browder poses interesting questions without forcing us to accept his point of view. The evidence - or lack of- is there, and it is in this avenue where I find Browder is at his best in presenting his thesis. But, it is a joy as a person of color when he challenges the faulty logic of racism by demonstrating Nile valley society's influence throughout the US, especially; his section on contemporary Egyptian symbolism will interest most, as well as his later examination of Eurocentrism and white supremacy.However, as a cultural critic, Browder's book fails to hold water, and his attempts to examine Black contribution outside of European influence in some occasions rings false. Take for instance, the popular book The Stolen Legacy, which has been debunked for its poorly researched thesis. Some of James' key arguments were founded on profound historical errors. Ivan van Sertima's arguments on an Afrikan presence in the Americas, which Browder relies on primarily for his arguments regarding Afrikan influence on Native American populations, especially the Olmecs, also have been debunked. As noted, Browder is more adept at challenging the biases of Eurocentrism and exploring its effect on our world history, Kemet's legacy, and Afrikan consciousness than he is at shaping a convincing global narrative of Kemetian influence.This brings me to the questions that Exploding the Myths and countless others like it have inspired, though not deliberately: why aren't other Afrikan civilizations and concepts explored, especially those in the Southern region of Afrika? Should we really "claim" the accomplishments of a society that was inherently a mixed racial population as uniquely "Black"? Why must we continuously appropriate the accomplishments of other cultures - the latest being Asian- instead of acknowledging a more diverse ethnic heritage? One of the key aphorisms that Browder offers in the steps to fulfilling one's purpose is that we must reclaim our history in order to understand who we are as a people. Yet, in respect to Native American culture, Browder falters by trying to interpolate any non-european similarities other cultures have as specifically of Kemetian origin, when his book would be better served investigating the histories of other Afrikan nations like those of Ghana in order to display a profound sense of Pan-Afrikan unity. One of my key problems, as a Black Nationalist, with contemporary ideas of Afrikan identity is that Eurocentrism itself has now influenced what we are willing to accept within our own culture, oftentimes becoming reactionary. The ethnic conflicts in this country as well as the motherland are evident of this. With respect to the deviations Exploding the Myths takes in its thesis, this behavior often relegates us to parroting out responses that coincide with what white supremacy has established as acceptable. Instead of a whitened Christianity with a white God and savior, we have Christianity with a black Christ and, in Albert Cleage's case, a Black God that cares specifically for Blacks. I'm not speaking of the obviously Afrikan extension of the Christian religion when I offer this example. I'm merely outlining a certain trend that has taken root in our effort to combat white supremacy which has led to an equally deceptive period of myth-making, due to the relative ignorance of many regarding our culture's diverse history. However liberating this cultural tug and war game may feel, few of the people initiated are actually learning something meaningful and in the worst cases, exhibit prejudices that further compartmentalize the Pan-Afrikan experience into a culturally naive and nostalgic perspective. How many, for instance, can speak of the Pharaohs, yet can't speak of Akan Linguists, Babalawos, or - from a Black Latin American perspective- Yanga, for that matter?While Browder largely avoids the pitfalls of this biased form of thought and makes arguments for Afrikan unity- casting away the Afrikan-American label so that they can reconnect with the heritage torn from them- and a respect for all religious concepts, I'm afraid many will miss the larger message Browder tries to convey with his survey of Kemetian influences on our society. As a work challenging Eurocentrism and making an argument for the worldwide cultural impact of Kemet, he succeeds and enlightens many. Browder rarely falters, and instead of arriving at baseless assumptions, he always allows the critical mind to decide for itself, which is proof of his merit as an exemplar and true student of both his field and his personal beliefs.There is no doubt that many minds will be changed, and hopefully, those who truly adhere to his ideas will seek to broaden their Afrikan history beyond one that revolves around merely one location in our great continent. I strongly recommend this piece on Kemet as the launching pad for a journey through Afrika's many civilizations and their contributions to the world. Exploding the Myths is a triumph.