Blog Assignment1. First view - read this actual Blog page that seemingly has an "Afrocentric" viewpoint to it.
Think about the following questions: Why does the blogger have this sense of pride about the race of
the earliest Egyptians and Ethiopians? Is the blogger justified to feel this way based on the evidence they
have? What is that "evidence"?
2. Next: Go to the National Geographic's website and watch the 2 video clips about "Race" in Egypt.
Video Clips entitled: Color, Symbolism, and Race and What Genetics Can Tell Us
3. Knowing that the person whose blog page you read first is African American, takes a great deal
of pride in their African history, and feels that the Egyptians and Ethiopians were black, what might
you blog back to the writer of that blog page in light of what we discussed in class (Jan 22, Jan 23)
and the 2 video clips you watched from National Geographic? What information from the clips that you viewed would you point out in your response to the Afrocentric blogger?
4. *Click on the pencil icon and post your comment. Please respond in the usual way on this blog site.
Include your name and class Period number at the start of your blog response.
66 comments:
Shane McDevitt pd 5 --
I think that the author of the actual blog page could be correct about the first race as being black, but he has no evidence. Evidence could tell historians if the black race existed before anyone else in asia or europe. People in the northern areas could've moved south into Egypt before the black people of Africa. That would make the people of Egypt white.
To comment on the blog that is written in the afrocentric view, i think it's good that person was able to share his feelings with everyone. It makes people feel better when they know that they are noticed as looking different from everyone else. Being a person of a white race, i feel like it would hurt me too if everything was painted in white, instead of using colors like tan or honey or the different shades of white that are used in paintings or sculptures. In order for the egyptian people to see what they looked like, the video was talking about using cat scans to look at people of the lower class. The royal class or the artifacts are not accurate ways to see what egyptian people used to look like. To be put into groups, such as the video was saying, was a persons way to classify you. No group of should be classified as one color, so therefore i see where african people are coming from when they say they don't like how they are never in shades of brown. It's either black or gold, and i feel that's wrong.
danielle strauss
period seven
I think the blogger has a sense of pride about the Ethiopians and Egyptians were black because they were successful with their kingdoms. Black people weren't known as much in the past and this is only thing the blogger probably had to be proud of his people. Yes, because he doesn't talk about other African history that he would be proud of, but emphasizes on Egyptians and Ethiopians how great they were and what their race was. The blogger mentions only about African past and says good things about his/her race.
-Brian Lee
Period 7
Brian Lee
Period 7
#3
I would blog that it makes a lot of sense for Egyptians and Ethiopians were black because Africa is a really hot continent with a lot of sun, which causes more tanning and darkening. It is alright to be proud of your history and there cold be a good chance that Egyptians and Ethiopians weren't black because researchers are barely sure what they were and have proof they were and weren't black.
John Files
period 4
In "What genetics can tell us" we are told that Egyptians were, and are, of "local origin". This means that they didn't migrate there or settle in there from somewhere else. They are from right there in Africa, that is some reason to believe that Egyptians were black. Also, in that same video clip he said that basically black people today have many of the same features that they did back then. So, with technology like the CAT scan, we could compare those features on a mumy to those of some African americans of today.
Carolyn DeLucas
Pd. 5
I'm pretty sure some Egyptians were really black, but you have to take into account of some things. Some famous Egyptians were depicted as having a darker skin tone, but scientists have figured out that they might have darker skin to symbolize a sense of fertility. That's how they wanted to be seen. Some may have been a lighter skin tone, but the way they wanted to be seen was to have a dark and rich complex to stand for Egypt's fertile soil and to be a fertile ruler. How their statue looks might be totally different than what they really looked like. You have to realize also that race didn't really matter to them. It all depended on culture and that's what a Egyptian person was seen as, not their race.
Emily Towey
Pd. 4
I learned a lot of things about the first egyptians from the blog page, videos, and class discussions. The blog clearly showed an afrocentric point of view on the past times of Ethiopians. It showed me how a person has great pride for there race. It looked at the good pastimes of Africa like the Queen and beautiful artwork made by the anscestors. From the 2 videos i Also learned a lot. The first one showed that the artwork and scriptures from Ancient Egypt may not relate to the color or race of the people. For example sculptures being painted black could lead to the race or the fertility of the land. As well as gold, IT could show the tone of skin or the sun. All the colors have symbolic meaning. And also the video made me realize that artifacts didn't show the common people because many artifacts were from the wealthy and powerful so they differed from the average person to the rich much like today. So to find artifacts of the common wealth of ancient egypt were actually more valuable. The second video basically said that race wasn't by skin tone but from area of land. Also that video showed that diversity was present there due to migrating so we aren't totally sure of the real ethnicity of native. Basically those are the points I would mention to the blogger with and afrocentric point of veiw.
Stephen Woll Period 5
Dear fellow blogger, from your page I am able to tell that you are very proud of your "Black" history. The only problem is that you say everyone in Egypt was black, but it might not neccisarily be true. Egyptians used black in their arts to represent the fertility of the land and not just the color of their skin. Also, there could have been extreme differences among the races there. You might be somewhat right that most of the people in Egypt would have black because most of the people were Northeastern Africans. Plus, on the tombs, where we learned the most about Egyptians, the artists painted what they thought what the perfect Egyptian was. Genetically we all came from one pure being, so who relly knows? Just something to think about. It's to be proud of who you are, just use facts to back you up. Sincerely
Steve
Renee Tornea - Period 7
The blogger has a sense of pride about the race of the earliest Egyptians and Ethiopians because they are said to be black; they had dark skin complexions. I think that the blogger does have good reason to feel this way based on his evidence. The evidence that they have is the movie "The Prince of Egypt" and the February 2008 issue of National Geographic, which gives plausible reasons that show that the first Egyptians had dark complexions.
In response to this blogger, there is not enough evidence yet to determine whether ancient Egyptians were black. According to the first video, "Color, Symbolism, and Race," Egyptologist Zahi Hawass says that black is a symbol of fertility in the land. So, ancient artifacts and statues in which the peoples' skin colors are of dark complexions could mean that their land was very fertile and were giving it a good name. Also, the paintings on the walls of peoples' tombs could depict what they wanted to be or what they wanted to look like in the afterlife, not what they really looked like. In the second video, "What Genetics Can Tell Us," geneticist Dr. Shomarka Omar Keita explains that Africa is a very diverse continent, and we cannot be sure that the ancient people with these dark skin complexions were originally from Africa; people most likely migrated there from other countries nearby. Although we can imagine that people of ancient Egypt were as diverse as they are now, we do not have the proper amount of ancient DNA studies to show that this is true.
Julian Keys
pd. 4
I think the author has this sense of pride because he/she is probably black. The author feels that the first Egyptians were black people. The author's evidence were pictures of people that looked black, and a cartoon movie that had characters that also looked black. So the author feels that the first Egyptians were black.
I would blog back to the author that he/she doesn't have enough evidence to conclude that the early Egyptians were black. In the first clip, the man said that just because the people in the pictures or the stones look black, doesn't mean that they are black. The man in the second clip said there is not enough evidence to make a scientific conclusion about the early Egyptians. So I feel that there isn't enough evidence.
Nathan Sims
Period 5
1/28/09
1. The blogger has an obvious sense of pride about the earliest Egyptians and Ethiopians because of his descent from these ancient races of might and power. He feels this way because ancient Egypt was led by black pharaohs.
The blogger is somewhat justified to feel this way based on the evidence he presents. He claims the National Geographic article gives firm proof that black individuals ruled ancient Egypt. This is true, but his other sources, a Disney cartoon and another movie, are not so firm.
2.If i were to respond to the blogger, i would respond saying that there is very well proof that there may have been Black pharaohs, but there's been no concrete discovery to prove this. Nevertheless, I think it's great for him to have pride in his race, despite these facts. In the video, there was evidence against, and for the idea of Black Pharaohs, so i have no true standing.
christina geating
pd. 5
The blogger probably takes great pride in the earliest Egyptians and Ethiopians because they too were black and the civilization that they began was amazing. But the blogger never stated where they got the information from, and there is evidence that contradicts it. According to the videos, the pictures of the early Egyptians were only black to show and symbolize the black fertile soil they had. Also, though many who live in Africa were “black” they are still diverse and have varied skin tones, so not all of them were “black.” So even though the afrocentric blogger thinks the first Pharaohs and such were black, they might in not, they might be just Egyptian, since the pictures were not drawn realistically, but symbolically.
Sean Lawrence
Pd 7
I completely agree with your post. The ancient Egyptians were in fact Ethiopians (black). Our race is forever being robbed of their achievements. People believe the Egyptians were white, european; they couldn't be more wrong. Based on archaeological discoveries (carvings on pottery) we have been able to discover that the ancient Egyptians were in fact black. The reason people believe they weren't is because of society and its need to dumb down the african race.
Phalon Thornhill
Period 5
Honors World Civilizations II
I believe that the blogger made a very good point in stating that the movie showed diversity when it comes to skin pigmentation. In movies like the old movies made about moses, the actors are all white. That may raise a few eyebrows. It raised mine. I was worried that african culture didn't mean enough to the director or caster to put at least one african american in the movie. I feel that the videos were very educational when it comes to the genetics of skin pigment. There is no real way to know that the Africans were actually that chocolate brown hue, due to the fact that blacks and dark browns symbolized fertility of the ground and soil.
The blogger has pride in the sence of race of the earliest Egyptians and Ethiopians because they were thought to be of black skin toned. That the Egyptian queens were black and that the first black pharoah's had no different skin tones.
The evidence that we have is pictures of Egyptians and Ethiopians that are drawn with dark skin, but that doesn't mean anything. It could mean showing fertility of the land.
The king is suposto bring fertility. The colors are symbolic. That the color black means fertility of land.
I would point out to the blogger that there are not many DNA discoveries that show what the color of there skin was, but there are diversity discoveries that would show that there was a very in skin tones.
Alison Kenny Period 4
Amanda Kida
Period: 7
I think the person who made the blog has a right to be prideful about their race, however i don't think they should sound so sure about the ancient people. The National Geographic videos were really convincing in talking about how there is different evidence about whether or not the ancient Egyptians were black. In the video Color, Symbolism, and Race, the man talks about how the color black represented fertility of the land. I don't think there is ever really going to be a way for us to really figure out whether the ancient Egyptians were black or not because there isn't enough evidence. The evidence we have now is contradictory, if that makes sense. What I'm trying to say is that the evidence could be taken a different way than it was originally taken. It's like the only way we're ever really gonna know their color is if we meet an ancient Egyptian, which we all know wont happen.... hopefully. :-)
Kelly Lyons
Period 4
Dear Blogger,
The blog in which you talk about the black Ethiopians provides some very good points. I can see that you take a lot of pride in your race, and that shows through your blog. Two videos in which relate to your blog can help you better understand African culture and the way black people are viewed. Dr. Shomarka Omar Keita from the second video talks about genetics and diversity within Africa. The question that he asks is whether or not the diversity we see in Africa is indigenous. This question explores the main origin of black people and where they are really from. Overall, your blog brings up a great point. Were the Ethiopians really black? Looking at the first video, this question can't really be answered. The man in this video explains how when kings were painted black,but it doesn't necessarily mean they were truly black. It could just be they were trying to show they had very fertile land. In the end, having pride in your race is a very good thing, and by looking at these videos, I believe you were right and the first Ethiopians/Egyptians were actually black.
Ian Farrell
Period: 5
I think that his evidence is not enough. The evidence he has is the hieroglyphics of the Egyptians and The Prince of Egypt. They might have been painted or colored (in the movie) that way to symbolize status. I would say that colors in ancient Egypt were symbolic for different things. Also that the color black was a symbol for fertility, that if a Pharaoh was depicted with the color black it could mean that he was in charge of a fertile land.
Jake Randazzo
Period 7
While I do believe that it is important to have pride in your own race, i do not believe that deciding something such as the appearence of an entire civilization that lived thousands of years ago should be based off of statues. I also believe that less time should be spent on figuring out what Egyptians looked like and more time learning about how they lived.
Jason Haug
Period 4
I believe that egyptians were not all black. Even though there are sculptures, statues, and paintings showing that the skin of the Egyptians are black, i dont believe they were black. I agree that they used black in order to symbolize the fertile land. Kings were colored in balck to show the fertility of the land. I dont believe there is enough evidence to show that egyptians were black because black could either be race but also assuring the fertility of the land. There is no evidence so support each side fully. What i would respond to the blogger would be that there is a possibilty that the egyptians were black but you have to keep in mind that maybe it could just be a symbol for the fertile land of egypt.
Dear Mr. Blogger Dude
I don't think you should believe a Disney cartoon to be historically correct. Scientists are still unsure if Egyptians were black. They are painted black on walls because black was a sign of fertility. Many walls were painted as a picture of the perfect world in tombs or temples. The dark skin tone would symbolize fertility, not necessarily sin color.
Marissa Jones
Period 5
Shipley
Shane McDevitt pd 5 Resubmitting my answer--
I would ask the author of the afrocentric point of view if he had any evidence of black people being the first race. Many of the Egyptian paintings, statues, and pictures were black because it showed the fertility of the land. As Egyptain civilaization progressed, the land might have become unfertile and artists may have changed the color of the skin they painted to suit the soil status.
Jenna Im
Period 4
If I would write back to the blogger, I would say that I agree with the idea of Egyptians being black. There is no real evidence to this idea but according to the videos that I just watched, they said that the most of the statues and paintings were painted black. Black also meant fertility to the egyptians. Also, in my opinion, since most, about 90% of the population in Africa were Black, there are more chances of Egyptians being Black.
Furthermore,movie," The Prince of Egypt," from the blog, had showed that black people or the Ethiopians were the first Egyptians. Also, the movie showed the different black tones of the people.
I think that the blogger should know that the statues of the people were not made black just because that's possibly what they looked like. They were also created like that to show how the land was fertile. Look at the gold statues. They were gold because the sun's rays were gold. Also, I think that the people who the statues and things were made for, wanted to be like that, like how all the women wanted to be beautiful in the afterlife, maybe they wanted that color skin.
Period 7, Michelle Ratka
Brady Knight, pd. 7
1. The blogger's pride of the Ethiopians and Egyptians stems from the fact that he is himself black. I don't believe he is justified. His "evidence" is a picture of Queen Nefertiti and the cartoon movie "The Prince of Egypt".
3. I would point out that the movie and the picture weren't necessarily historically accurate, and that evidence suggests that ancient Egyptians were not black, but were of mixed race. Specifically, I would point out the end of the second video, when Dr. Keita points out that the idea that all Africans have the same skin color is wrong.
Joe Hegerich
Pd.5
Based on the two videos, I don't know why the blogger is taking so much pride in being black. The Egyptians only cared about skin color because it symbolized things for them, not because they believed that they were better because of genetics. Also, one of the videos said that there is no pure line of Egyptian or Ethiopian skin color because it is a mix of northeast Africa. So, the blogger clearly doesn't get why skin color mattered to the Egyptians.
//Chris Finestone
//Period 7
In response to the blog, I would say that this person is very proud of their ancestry. This person seems to be happy that the people of Egypt were Black. I would also say that even though these people are painter as black, that may be so to represent fertility of the land. I would say although the Egyptians probably were black, they might not have been painted as such to represent their skin color.
Jackie Boyd
Period 5
The blogger has the sense of pride about the race of the earliest Egyptians and Ethiopians because they were such strong people who were all very proud of their race. They were such beautiful, strong individuals, and they weren't ashamed of their race or their culture. They did so much which still affects our society today. The blogger isn't, however, justified to feel that way based on the evidence we have, because we don't know much about the everyday people. There is stuff about the rulers, and the royal families, but there isn't much evidence about just the average everyday people, proving they were really black.
If i was writing to the blogger, I would be sure to tell her that it’s not a proven fact that the earliest Egyptians were black. Even though all the art, statues, and paintings of them were of them as African American, doesn't mean that's what they actually were. Black was the sign of fertility of land, meaning that its possible the kings and rulers who had statues with black skin could have actually been white. It could easily not be realistic, and she shouldn't base her opinions on just the artwork and the statues.
Jade Smith pd. 4
The blogger has their sense of pride for their race because they're only basing that pride on pictures they have seen, and in the pictures they show the Egyptians as black people. The Egyptians were a great civilization, so that's why the blogger has pride for their race. The blogger isn't justified to feel that way based on the evidence they have because the evidence they have is artwork, and most of the artwork discovered was in tombs, and artwork in tombs is idealistic. For example, the people in pictures were painted black to represent fertility, not necessarily to show that they were black people.
If I were to blog back to the blogger, I would say that the Egyptians and Eithiopians may not be black because the color black back in ancient times represented ferility, not their skin color. Also, back then, race was based on culture not skin color. So, the evidence that the blogger isn't enough to say that Egyptians and Eithiopians were black.
Amy Yang
Period: 5
1. Blog page: I think the blogger have a sense of pride about the race of the earliest Egyptians and Ethiopians is because they were the first ones to show their different black skin tones. No,the blogger did not justify to feel this way based on theevidence because all they had was artwork.In addition, most of the artworks were discovered in tomb.
2. Video questions:
The writer of the blog page is very proud of his/her ethinicity, and the world that Eyptians/Ethipians were different from the others. For the video clips, i think that Egptians/Ethiopians may not have been black because they just wanted to show their land was fertile. Again, they were black to show their fertile land.
Dear Chocolate City News,
Not to rain on yourparade or anything. But just because the paintings on the inside of tombs were portrayd as black doesn't necessarily mean they are black. Black was a sign of fertility and pharaohs liked being painted that color as a symbol of their countries prosperity. Also, the paintings on the insides of tombs were supposed to be the ideals for the people. The only real proof there is that they were black is in the bone structure of the mummies in those tombs!
just being informative,
Isabelle Martinez
Period 5
Kelsey Hughes
pd 7
Dear Blogger:
We live in a very different time than the time of the Egyptians. The minds of the people now are very oriented on separation, categorization, by things like skin color, so much so that when we come to think of the term "black" it is associated with a skin color. However, back in the time of the Egyptians, everything was symbolic. Colors, designs, shapes, all had a higher meaning usually relating to some kind of religion. So, while some rulers of Egypt were referred to as "black pharoahs", this does not necessarily mean they are of a darker 'black' complexion. Most likely, the black had to do with the fertility of the region, and this is why the rulers were displayed as black, to symbolize or bring good fertility of the land. Also, even if the Pharoah were black, we can not allow this to determine the race of the entire civilization, because the phraoahs may not have been the best representation of the people as a whole. It is very likely that there are people who came in from other countries to egypt, creating a diverse population.
Furthermore, i do not understand why the race of the Egyptians should matter. We are all people, and we as a whole all have the possibility of descent from Egypt and regardless of whether we are descended from there or not, we can be appreciative of their achievements.
Ryan Woerner
Period 4
To start off, I would say that with all due respect, the blogger might not be correct in saying that the first Egyptian pharaohs were African American. Like the man in the first video explained, the color black in Egypt symbolized the fertile soil, so that could be why the kings were colored black in statues. Also, everyone shown is idealistic, each painting is what people desired, or what they wanted in the afterlife, so maybe they painted them black because of the fertility thing. Unfortunately for me, the sound on my computer doesn't work, so i was only able to read the blog and watch the video that had subtitles. Also, whoever wrote the blog should learn how to use the word 'Addition' correctly. This is not math class, the word is 'Edition'.
Kyle Lee
Period 7
The blogger has the sense of pride because they made a movie of what seems to be of his heritage (or so he thinks). Although there are evidence that ethiophians were pharaohs at one point in time theres also some evidence saying that it can't be a hundred percent certain that these pharaohs were all black. The black statues they found could have meant that the soil of the land was fertile instead. I'd tell the blogger to do some more research on the subject before making groundless statements like these. Oh and also that i think it's great he's got so much pride in his heritage everyone should be proud of their heritage.
P.S.
Kyle Lee
period 7
One last thing not all of the characters had white voice actors.
the role of Jethro was played by an african american named Danny Glover
Rachel, Period 4
I think that I would point out to the afrocentric blogger that the egyptions where not necessarily of a dark skin tone. Egypt would, being sort of a gateway from the Middle East to the continent of Africa, contain a diversity of people. Of course, it can still be said as residents of the continent Africa, being born and raised there that they are still Africans, but the colors in statues and paintings could have been created with the use of symbolic colors, not necessarily colors portraying their skin tones.
Carly Christian
Period 7
I do not think that the writer of "Chocolate City News" had much evidence to support the idea that the first Egyptians were black. It seems that the author simply looked at the cover of National Geographic and watched The Prince of Egypt and believes that he has gathered enough evidence to push his belief of the earliest Egyptian race. Counterpoints, however, are presented in the National Geographic videos which are presented by experts.
In response to this blog, I would probably write that the term "Black Pharaoh" and even the color of statues of the pharaohs do not necessarily show skin color, but rather that the pharaohs held power at a time when the soil was fertile. Even a genetic expert says that it is almost impossible to know the race of the earliest Egyptians, but he assumes that it was just as diverse as it is today.
Max Breitkreutz
Period 4
If I was to talk to the person who wrote the blog I would probably tell him that I think it is good that he has pride in his ancestors, but he shouldn't let that pride overshadow the truth. Personally I don't know if the Egyptians were from Ethiopia and had dark skin or had a lighter complexion. Honestly I don't think it really matters at all what skin color they were, but they should be looked at as a great civilization that brought many new things to the world and that the color of their skin is irrelevant.
Jordan Rights
Period 4
I believe everyone is entitled to there opinion on this issue. I cannot really take either side on this discussion because as other people said, there is really no way to 100% tell whether the Africans were black or white. I think some people make good points when they say they might be painted black to represent the fertility of their land, and I think other people make good points on saying because they are painted black, that they were black. I might have to side with the Africans being more "bronze" than black, only because there are white paintings of the Africans to , mabey representing gold, as told in the video. If they are depicted in 2 different colors I think it is more possible for the Africans to symbolize things in their color, rather than to describe their actual color. But then again, I could go either way.
The blogger had a lot of nationalism when writing his blog, but it seems to me that this blog isn't very well put together and not as accurate as the videos. In the videos the speakers seem to know a lot about what they are talking about. they say that black refers to fertile land and not skin color which is true because we discussed this in depth in class. they also state that the black might also change meaning on different items such as paintings and tombs. I agree with the video bloggers and can say that the regular blogger didnt have proper evidence on his subject matter, just a lot of pride.
Hadley Rosenbaum Period 4
Alex Braunschek- Period 5
When they drew people in ancient egypt, they didn't necessarily draw the skin color according to its actual shade. They used colors to symbolize status or fertility. So the reasoning that we see black people in the paintings and think they are black could be completely wrong. The color could have just represented fertility.
And the fact they used white people for the voices in the movie doesn't really have much relevance. We don't know what people sounded like back then so making a black person speak wouldn't matter much.
Talya Greenblatt
Period 4
Dear Chocolatecity News,
I am sorry to say that though you have given evidence that Egyptians are black, I do not agree with the evidence. First, Egyptian artists often colored people of high status in a dark color to represent the rich fertile soil of the area, not to literally show that they had black skin. It is similar to how the Egyptian artists used gold to represent the sun. Also, there were immigrants from other areas of Africa that could have contributed to the genetics of the Egyptians. So i believe that using evidence from a cartoon movie on why Egyptians are black is not solid evidence.
After viewing the National Geographic videos I would like to point out that the people of Egypt were not only Ethiopian. Dr. Shomarka points out that the people of Africa were probably diverse, not just one race. He also points out that the mixed ansestory was already there at the time of acient Egypt. I would also like to point out that getting your facts from a Disney movie probably isn't the best idea. Zahi Hawass points out that most of the evidence found are religious artifacts, and not realist in the way the people looked. The black artifacts were supposed to mean fertility.
Although this blogger wants the Egyptians to be all Ethiopian, they were not all Ethiopian.
Wes Rines
Per.5
Taylor Lentz
Period 7
After reading the blog and watching to videos I would say to the blogger that no one is looking down apon the black race. Im not saying that it's no okay to have pride in ones cutural but it kind of bothered me. In the videos, they describe and tell you why the sculptures and painting were the way that they were. The people of Egypt were nothing but of that middle east origin and that's why there ski is the way that it is. There are Ethiopians and Nubians and others of the middle east. Sometimes the sculptures would be painted black for reasons to show that there was fertility in Egypt. So just because there was a movie with actors that weren't quite black, not everyone in Egypt was black to begin with.
Derek Gallo
Period 7
I didn't see any pencil icons so i'm just gonna post here.
Well the chocolate city news guy was very Afrocentric and you could probably assume that by just reading the name of his little blog, but if i had to blog back to this guy, id tell him that yeah, most of the Egyptians were black, but they weren't all black, or fully black and you can gloat about it if you want but i wouldn't. i would tell him that his stance and backups/ reasons aren't all correct because in the first video, the man explains that a lot of the sculptures colors were symbols and they weren't all meant to show the actual color of the people. Then id talk about how the second guys main point was that Egypt wasn't all one nationality and that there was more of a mix so not everyone there was Ethiopian so i'd prove this guy wrong but its good to be proud of your race.
Hunter Maerz- Period 4
In light of what we talked about in class and the two videos we just watched I would have to disagree with the Afrocentric blogger's point of view. Both videos were against the assumption that all Egyptians were black and gave reasons of why they came to believe this. The first video clip suggested that just because some of the statues and paintings of Egyptians were used to make their skin look black did not necessarily mean that they were black in skin color. It could of been because of the type of stone they were using or because the black color represented fertility in the land, among other reasons. The second video was more of a scientific approach, using the idea that basically viewing the history of the genetics of the people and taking a scholarly look at their history, shows that Egyptians were culturally diversified and came from many different backgrounds. All of this evidence is pretty substantial to make a strong case against the Afrocentric blogger.
Randi Spitko
Period 5
If I was going to blog back to the Afrocentric blogger, I would point out a few key points that the National Geographic videos showed. On the blog page, the blogger was very proud of the race (black) of the early Egyptians and Ethiopians. One of the videos talked about race, and the genetics behind it. Also, as stated in the movie about color and race, black was a very symbolic color. Therefore, people, and especially kings, were depicted as black - which meant the land that he ruled was very fertile. Since this was a very positive thing to citizens, most people were drawn in black coloring. This could be one reason of why the ancient Egyptians and Ethiopians could have been 'black'. The blogger finds great pride in this color black and the ethnicity of his race of the earliest Egyptians. These would be the points that I would point out to this blogger.
The blogger on the blog site has a sense of pride about the race of the earliest Egyptians and Ethiopeans becasue he or she takes pride in the race he or she is, and has an afrocentric point of view. The blogger is free to have whatever opinion, although they should not jump to conclusions, because the "evidence" they have is not necessarily correct evidence. The "evidence" is the movie Prince of Egypt, which may not be a perfectly true movie.
Too blog back to the blogger, I would include that it is very difficult to know what the race and origin of the ancient people in Egypt was. The art evidence found from tombs and others,may not have been to take literally, for colors of ancient things were based on religous symbols. People buried in and who made these tombs and temples were royal people, which was only 20% of the ancient population. It is not known about the origin of people, whether they were one pure race, or already had "heterogeneity." It is important to consider all of the facts and evidence before coming up with a beleif.
Niki Fedorowicz
period 7
Stanley Taylor
Per5
To be honest the blogger does have a big encouragement and enlightenment in his work. He shows that he has no doubt that the women were black in the picture. Also he shows that how me woman was a queen. What i found very astonishing is that he took complete consideration and pride into saying that the Egyptians and Ethiopians were indeed black and achieved a vast majority of things.He is trying to justify that the pictures are black-africans just by skin tone which i think is a poor amount if evidence. I think the blogger would need some definite information to say so much. In fact the video on National Geographic made some good points. They were saying that people skin tones in picture meant like the fertility in the land. So everything couldn't have been all black it could of meant the land was very fertile and good to grow crops. The only time if they could really be sure what the race of someone, was said if the stone was made of durite. Also it was said in the video's that most the the artifacts they have are symbolic and for religious use.So in my opinion the blogger doesn't have enough information to conclude to something so big.
Michael Zimmermann per.5
The blogger had pride and a very afrocentric point of view saying that the first Egyptians and Ethiopians were black. It maybe true but there could be more evidence. From the two videos they talked about how the colors could mean different things and not just the color of someone's skin but could be symbolic or religious in some way. Color could symbolize different things from culture to culture, or religion to religion. It reminded me of the color red. Red symbolizes luck, or happy feelings, or strength in one area, but also can mean death, destruction, bloodshed in another area. There are different meanings for the same color and depending on the context or culture, any color could mean just about any thing. In the second video the guy talked about genetics and hetrogenity. He talked about how a group of people become a "pure" group or genetically or physically similar, and how Egypt could have been like that at one point but not always. I think that Ancient Egypt was a very heterogenic society because it was a big trading center where there was cultural diffusion. Ancient Egypt could have been a range of people with different ethnicities and looks.
Emily Geliebter
Period 5
I think the author of the blog is right to have pride in thinking that the first Egyptians were black if that's what they really believe. I believe that there is no actual proof that the first Egyptians were black and that the color of the statues may have been representing the fertility of the land. The people of Egypt could have been any race, not just black or white, but there isn't any evidence that suggests either. If the author wants to believe that they were black and take pride in that, that is their own right.
I would blog back that that it does make sense that Ancient Egyptians were black, or at least a dark bronze, based on the evidence. I doubt that the Egyptians were so enamored with concept of fertility that they felt they needed to make every single drawing of a person have black skin, unless they actually had black skin in real life. Also, it's not like almost every single other person descended from the continent of Africa doesn't have a dark complexion.
I also think the blogger does have a reason to feel proud about his or her African heritage. All sorts of great art and science has come out of Africa; Pyramids, Muslim scientific developments etc.
Julia Piotrowski Period Seven.
In response to the blogger I would advise them to watch those videos, to inform themselves a bit more. There are always two sides to a story and you should be well informed on both sides before making a decision. From viewing the video about genetics, you learn that they way the Egyptians portrayed themselves weren’t always the way they really were. Sometimes the pictures we see today were of what they wanted to be and not what they were. Science has proven to be very true in most cases, and watching this video helps the average person learn more about the past by using science.
Jasmine Goodwin
Pd.5
I believe the blogger who wrote from an Afrocentric POV has a right to be confident in thinking the Egyptians were black. They were of African decent because they were born there. These weren't people who settled in from somewhere around the world.Besides the fact i feel that this is an incorrect way to determine the color of these Egyptians skin. The heiroglyphics that were painted on the walls shown in "Color Symbolism, and Race" they have several of meanings. The people painted weren't these people's actual identities.These were photographs of how these individuals wanted to appear in the afterlife. Not who they were currently.
If i were to respond to the blogger i would express that his feelings about who these Egyptians, and Ethiopians were is a great guess,but you have to think beyond the expected.
Juliet Montefusco
Period 7
Regarding the afrocentric blog, I think it`s good for someone to have pride in their race. However, i dont believe that there is any evidence to strongly enough point out that the first egyptians were black. In the one video, Color, Symbolism, and Race, the man even speaks about how black was used to represent fertility of land meaning that egyptians may not have actually looked as they were portrayed, it may just be to represent fertility. Overall, I think there just isnt enough evidence to definitively say the first egyptians were black.
Tyler Conroy pd7
.I think that the person who wrote the blog page we first looked at thinks that the original race was black. I would say to the author of chocolate city news that this could be true judging from statues and paintings that were found. Though the statues and pictures may have been black that could have stood for fertility. Like the man in the first video talked about. Overall though i think that there is not enough evidence to say that the first race was black. But this could be true because their is not enough evidence to say that they were not black.
Devin Gannon
Period 7
I think the blog was good, and its true that we don't know what the real race of the egyptians was. The drawings and tombs can tell us somethings, but they don't give us enough back up support to prove the egyiptians and ethiopians were black. it doesn't seem to me that back then race would really matter to them, and it shouldn't matter to us today. we don't need to spend so much time trying to figure out weather they were black or white, the egypians built the great pryamids, and that is what we should be looking at, their achevements.
Breeana Darden
Period 7
I am certain that it is a fact that the ancient Egyptians were Black people because just this past Sunday, I attended a lecture by a renowned anthropologist/photojournalist who prepared the audience for racially biased people who make excuses for the color of the Egyptians' skin. Earthquakes and other disasters were named as reasons for the blackness and features of these statues. The man on the video who claimed that the black skin symbolizes fertility seemed to only want to believe that true Egyptians could not be people of color. Nevertheless, the features on the statues and the paintings on the tomb walls have lips and noses resembling African-Americans (me). Also, Egypt IS IN AFRICA!
I agree with The man from "Chocolate City" because I believe that the people did have dark skin, but personally, I don't mind that white people portrayed them because a REAL historian knows the truth--these people were black and no actors or historians who are in denial can change this fact. Egyptians were/are BLACK....LOOK AT ME.
The writer of the blag seems to have an Afrocentric POV and shows much pride in their African roots.
But to assume by looking at artifacts that they were black is quite an assumption. After watching the video there are many things that could prove the blogger wrong in regards to his/her belief that ancient Egyptians were black. For example in the video "Color, Symbolism, and Race" Egyptologist Zahi Hawass says that black was a symbol of fertility in ancient Egypt and so these paintings and artifacts could just be black to represent the fertile soil, a source of pride in Egypt. And in regards to the blogger to use a cartoon movie, "The Prince Of Egypt", as a source/as evidence that the first Egyptians were black is ludicrous. There is nothing factual in this blogger's research that would lead me to believe that the first Egyptians were or were not black. They let their pride of their heritage get in the way of their research.
Maureen Bowler
Period 4
Jennifer Bender pd.4
I think the person who made the blog has a right to have pride about their race.Even though everything was painted with black, that doesn't mean that the race was all black. They don't have any evidence proving that the first race was black. They used Prince of Egypt as a source to prove they were black but it is just a cartoon. Overall they have no evidence to prove that black was the first race.
Lupo Zeneli
Period 7
If I were to write to the blogger I would disagree with his statement. First the blogger is African American and his sources aren't that accurate. His sources are a picture of Queen Nefertiti and a cartoon movie,The Prince of Egypt. Before he jumps to conclusions I believe he should collect more evidence on his statement.
The video supported that even though the paintings of Egyptians are black it doesn't have to mean anything. The artifacts are religious, which means it isn't realistic. The black color could be assuring the fertility of the land. There are gold artifacts as well which symbolize the sun rising. Another reason is that all the people painted couldn't have been that beautiful, or slim so its possible that, that couldn't have been there skin color either. The Egyptians were painted as how they wanted to look like in the after life. The source said that Africans were of mixed races which i believe is true, so the Egyptians could have been black, white, or a tone in the middle.
Its good to have pride in ones heritage.
Hannah Comins
Period 4
I think that it's good that the blogger has pride in the Egypatians being black, but they do not know for sure that they were. Some might have been, but many countries have mixed races. Black symbolizes fertelity, so that could be the reason why the egyptians were painted black.
Nadia Korsun
Period 7
I believe that the author of the blog does make a good point. They said that they want to show where they are actually from and would rather have an egyptian/black person do the voice for the character. Overall the blogger does make a good point and shows pride but he doesn't actually give enough evidence to say that Egyptians were actually black. They could be dark because of the sun but that is not enough evidence. Also with the paintings, they were colored black not just to show their skin color. They were colored that way to show fertility and how rich their actual land is. But at the same time I do not beleive that every single Egyptian was black. Same with every other country, everyone is not the same. People can be different shades of any color. So that may be what Disney was trying to show. To sum it up, I am really undecided on whether to believe what color Egyptains were because both, the video clips and the blogger, do not show enough evidence.
Heidi Jeong pd.7
I would tell the blogger that he could be right about the first Egyptians being black but he doesn't really have any hardcore evidence. Also, I would tell him that he could be wrong because the black in the statues of early Egyptians could have symbolized the fertility of the land. Also, I don't think he should trust some cartoon movie that the first egyptians were black.
i believe that some of the first egyptians may have been black, but the evidence to support this assumption is inconclusive. the black sculpures could mean many different things. i belive that the black sculptures do represent fertility, a black pharaoh represents a good king, who brought prosperity to the land. the evidence that historians have found is not enough, however, to come to the conclusion that egyptianss were in fact black.
NIK JARKOWSKY PERIOD 7
Echo Sullivan, Pd 3
In my unprofessional opinion, I don't actually think there's enough information in the little blog to give enough evidence that this blogger thinks that the first race was dark toned. If this person wasn't busting with pride, which I'm happy for them if they're happy, we could learn something. However, if the person watched the videos, I have 'reasons' why they may be proud. Like a person needs a reason to like or dislike themself. Anyway, the person could get very high since the metals and architecture in the tombs and temples, but as Mr. Hawass suggested is that the tombs are the ideal afterlife, what the people of Ancient Egypt wanted to be. A little insecure, or in another light, maybe the Egyptians thought they were the best. As for the diversity, no one can really tell. But as Mr. Keita said, at periods in time, there was indeed cultural diffusion between Egypt and other countries.
Now, comparing the videos to what we've talked about in class. You did narrate some of this the day you assigned it, so we talked about this in class. But going a step above that, I can see how the Egyptians were high and mighty. They did have some association with the stone talked about, since durite and black meant fertility to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians had fertile land and soil, due to the Nile. One of the few places that does, since Africa is mostly desert from what people think.
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