LinkedIn
linkedin.com › pulse › words-inspiration-our-sacred-mission-dr-leonard-jeffries-bomani
Words Of Inspiration: "Our Sacred Mission" By Dr. Leonard Jeffries
February 11, 2019 - So once he was prepared to give up my pyramid—and I always carry an image of the pyramids around—once he was prepared to give them up, I said I would come down. And he called in from Hong Kong to tell his people, "Tell Jeffries he can have his pyramids back."
Reddit
reddit.com › r/askhistorians › were the pyramids built by black africans?
r/AskHistorians on Reddit: Were the Pyramids built by black africans?
September 30, 2023 -
I was reading a book by Kehinde Andrews called the ' New Age of Empire' that made the claim the pyramids and ancient Egypt were populated by black descendents from Nubia; His content was based on a famous book by Cheikh Diop 1974, called "The African origin of civilisation'. There has been controversy about this in the news recently: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/18/world/middleeast/egypt-african-dutch-museum.html I am wondering what evidence there is for both sides and if anyone has a critique of Diops work.
Top answer 1 of 2
11
It depends on what you mean by black. There is a certain popular fascination with proving that ancient Egyptians were or were not "black". It is a pity that the few times someone asks a question about Africa in this subreddit, most of the time it is either about slavery or about the race of ancient Egyptians, and the latter is a topic that most Africanists (specialists in African studies) have a hard time communicating the reasons why it is actually misguided. I’ll try my best, and if you are interested u/khosikulu answered a related question long long time ago. You mention Cheik Diop’s 1974 “The African origin of civilization”. Cheik Anta Diop was a well-known philosopher, physicist, and politician from Senegal. Around the time he was writing, social movements like black power and the black nationalist movement were active in the United States, and most African nations had already become independent. Regrettably, the fruits of both the civil rights movement and of decolonization were still far from what was expected from these movements. In this context, it was natural for a movement seeking to re-center the history of Africa within the experience of Africans and the wider African diaspora to emerge. We nowadays call this worldview Afrocentrism, and though Diop never described himself as such, much of his writings became the basis for this reinterpretation of history. This ideology also made it into UNESCO's General History of Africa, and its presence in book 2, chapter 1 is one of the reasons why AskHistorians' booklist for Africa includes the disclaimer “Please note that much of the scholarship is upwards of 30 years old, and may not represent current consensus based on new evidence.” It is expected that a new volume which reviews this controversy will be published at the end of the year, and I am looking forward to it. Afrocentrism must be seen as a reaction to the Eurocentrism of the historical community in the 70’s. Things have changed, yet it was not so many years ago that professional historians would speak about “Western civilization” as the benchmark against which every other culture had to be measured. I am not saying that this no longer happens, but these days you are more likely to hear it from a conservative politician than from a young historian. Did you ever notice how older museums used to present a sort of "linear evolution" of human civilization? Something along the lines Egypt -> Greece -> Rome -> Europe? And why is Egypt so often presented separately from the rest of African history? Africa is a geographic convention, and of itself there is no doubt that Egypt is located in the continent. Well, Diop argued that actually, “Graeco-Roman civilization” took all its good ideas from Egypt; hence, from Africa. Some classicists took offense at this suggestion, no doubt traces of institutional racism and elitism in the ivory tower played a role, however what really took this theory into the realm of pseudo-history was conflating being African with being “black”, especially “black” as belonging to a monolithic “black civilization” common to every person whose skin tone was/is on the darker side. This is not to say that people with a darker hue have not been racialized by contemporary society, the effects of the transatlantic slave trade unfortunately are still present and discrimination is common on both sides of the Atlantic; yet, it is not possible to assume that the experiences of the every black person to have ever lived were common to what it currently means to be black. Moreover, looking for proofs of this theory, Afrocentric scholars often essentialize "blackness" by stereotyping the cultural, phenotypic, genetic, or intellectual characteristics of “black people". Your mileage may vary, but it is not uncommon to find Afrocentric aficionados discussing “subnasal prognathism”. Research results consistently show that there is more variation within human populations than between them. I am aware that race as a concept has a very peculiar meaning in countries such as the United States, yet as a social construction, it is historical malpractice to apply our cultural logic to a society foreign to it from the past. Back to your question, it is very likely that some of the Egyptian pyramids were designed and constructed by humans with a darker skin tone. We know that the 25th dynasty originated in Nubia; however, this doesn’t prevent other pharaohs or dynasties from also having a similar skin color. On the other hand, current Egyptians are extremely sensitive to images of Cleopatra that present her with a dark skin tone; blackness and Islam are a topic for another question. I understand the irritation that foreigners misrepresenting their proud past cause, nonetheless, I have never heard them complain about the lack of black extras in movies set in ancient Egypt; banning a TV series is too much for me. I personally find Afrocentrism annoying, but would I ban it? No. The reason I am writing this long text is to have an answer to which I can redirect future questions. Afrocentrists tried to substitute “white civilization” with “black civilization”, not realizing that neither of them exists at all. Clarence Walker is even more severe, calling it “Eurocentrism in blackface.” (Walker, 2001). For my part, I have tried to make it understandable why such a movement developed; nevertheless, there is no need to plagiarize from ancient Egypt in order to have African history to look up to. Egyptian history is African history, yet there is way more. The continent is so complex and diverse that it would be great loss for humanity to concentrate only on sphinxes and pyramids, and it does a disservice to countless African societies worthy of study on their own. Sources: Banner-Haley, C. P. (2003). Review of “We can’t go home again: an argument about Afrocentrism”, by C. E. Walker. The Journal of Southern History, 69(3), 663–664. DOI: 10.2307/30040016 Bernal, M. (2014). Black Athena. In R. O. Collins & R. Iyob (Eds.), Problems in African history : the precolonial centuries (fourth updated edition). Markus Wiener Publishers. Diop, C. A. (2014). The African origins of Western civilization. In R. O. Collins & R. Iyob (Eds.), Problems in African history : the precolonial centuries (fourth updated edition). Markus Wiener Publishers. Hall, B. (2011). A history of race in Muslim West Africa, 1600 – 1960. Cambridge University Press. Lefkowitz, M. & Rogers, G. (Eds.) (1996). Black Athena revisited. The University of North Carolina Press. Mauny, R. (2014). A review of Diop. In R. O. Collins & R. Iyob (Eds.), Problems in African history : the precolonial centuries (fourth updated edition). Markus Wiener Publishers. Walker, C. E. (2001). We can't go home again: an argument about Afrocentrism. Oxford University Press.
2 of 2
1
Welcome to r/AskHistorians . Please Read Our Rules before you comment in this community. Understand that rule breaking comments get removed . Please consider Clicking Here for RemindMeBot as it takes time for an answer to be written. Additionally, for weekly content summaries, Click Here to Subscribe to our Weekly Roundup . We thank you for your interest in this question, and your patience in waiting for an in-depth and comprehensive answer to show up. In addition to RemindMeBot, consider using our Browser Extension , or getting the Weekly Roundup . In the meantime our Twitter , Facebook , and Sunday Digest feature excellent content that has already been written! I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
Were Slaves Used To Build The Pyramids? Debunking A Long-Standing Myth Dec 24, 2023
r/history 2y ago
TIL The pyramids weren't built by slaves, but a complex system of voluntary, privileged laborers. Nov 30, 2018
r/todayilearned 7y ago
IsItBullShit: Slaves did not build the Egyptians Pyramids, and the builders who did where highly respected. Feb 11, 2021
r/IsItBullshit 5y ago
were the pyramids of Egypt constructed by slaves or paid builders? Jun 13, 2020
r/ancientegypt 6y ago
Faithweb
xenohistorian.faithweb.com › holybook › articles › race.html
What Race Were the Ancient Egyptians?
In 1996 a Milwaukee teacher promoted self-esteem among his black students by teaching that the ancient Egyptians were black men with wings, who flew around the pyramids until some evil white men came along and killed them off! Another Afro-centric teacher, Dr. Leonard Jeffries of New York, ...
Open Culture
openculture.com › home › who really built the egyptian pyramids—and how did they do it?
Who Really Built the Egyptian Pyramids—And How Did They Do It? | Open Culture
April 5, 2025 - They know who built the pyramids …. It was the Nubians (modern Sudan) they ruled the upper and lower. They were black Africans
Mailstar
mailstar.net › diop.html
Diop: the Black African presence in Ancient Egypt
Since then, the label "Afrocentrist" has been attached to a number of intellectual positions ranging from "All good things come from Africa," or as Leonard Jeffries puts it: "Africa creates, Europe imitates," to those, among whom I see myself, who merely maintain that Africans and peoples of ...
IMDb
imdb.com › title › tt39365782
Paul Mooney: Black People Built the Pyramids (Video 2001)
IMDb is the world's most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. Find ratings and reviews for the newest movie and TV shows. Get personalized recommendations, and learn where to watch across hundreds of streaming providers.
YouTube
youtube.com › watch
The Great Pyramid of Giza was built by a Black Man 4700 years ago - YouTube
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
Published: June 13, 2025
Quora
quora.com › Who-built-the-ancient-Egypt-pyramid-blacks-or-whites
Who built the ancient Egypt pyramid, blacks or whites? - Quora
Answer (1 of 17): Neither Egyptians Built them. Not black sub-Saharan or white Europeans. This race baiting questions need to stop Egyptians come in all colors some even black but not Negroid . This obsession with skin color is just the lowest form of ignorance And just straight up racism. We Eg...
SF Bay View
sfbayview.com › home › black genius built the pyramids, not slave labor
Black genius built the pyramids, not slave labor
May 22, 2019 - Black Genius built the pyramids, not slave labor. Black hands have built pyramids all over the world. In Afraka, Asia, Amerika and, apparently, even ancient Atlantis! I mention this because there are some very schizophrenic people out there ...
YouTube
youtube.com › watch
BLACK People Built the Pyramids! - YouTube
BLACK People Built the Pyramids! Part 3. Visit HAPIFilm.com and pick up a copy of our award winning documentary HAPI - The Role of Economics in the Developm...
Published: January 18, 2023
Blackpressusa
blackpressusa.com › commentary-black-genius-built-the-pyramids-not-slave-labor
COMMENTARY: Black genius built the pyramids, not slave labor – BlackPressUSA
January 17, 2019 - Black Genius built the pyramids, not slave labor. Black hands have built pyramids all over the world. In Afraka, Asia, Amerika and, apparently, even ancient Atlantis!
Quora
quora.com › Did-black-people-build-the-pyramids
Did black people build the pyramids? - Quora
Answer (1 of 19): No. They would have more closely resembled this guy, his likeness here, including a restored statue, that was severely damaged. Yes, it had a head. Hemiunu is a man who lived in ancient Egypt, and who is believed to have been the architect of the Great Pyramid of Giza. As vizie...
Final Call
finalcall.com › artman › publish › Perspectives_1 › article_9564.shtml
Ten Best Lies of Black History
January 29, 2013 - Black slaves were on loan to build ... America’s infrastructure, including its buildings, roads, bridges, and railways. Blacks built America—just as they built the pyramids in Egypt—and then gave civilization to the new man on earth, the European....
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Leonard_Jeffries
Leonard Jeffries - Wikipedia
June 24, 2026 - Leonard Jeffries Jr. (born January 19, 1937) is an American political scientist and former academic. He was the departmental chair of Black Studies at the City College of New York, part of the City University of New York (CUNY). He was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey.
The Conversation
theconversation.com › racism-is-behind-outlandish-theories-about-africas-ancient-architecture-83898
Racism is behind outlandish theories about Africa’s ancient architecture
December 2, 2025 - Despite all this evidence, some people still refuse to believe that anyone from Africa (or anywhere in what is today considered the developing world) could possibly have created and constructed the Giza pyramids or other ancient masterpieces.
Quora
quora.com › Did-black-Africans-build-the-pyramids
Did black Africans build the pyramids? - Quora
Answer (1 of 20): No. > Hemiunu (fl. 2570 BC) was an ancient Egyptian prince who is believed to have been the architect of the Great Pyramid of Giza. As vizier, succeeding his father, Nefermaat, and his uncle, Kanefer, Hemiunu was one of the most important members of the court and responsible f...
AALBC
aalbc.com › authors › Yosef-Ben-Jochannan
Yosef Ben-Jochannan | African American Literature Book Club
But Ben-Jochannan goes against the grain and charts African history from the Nile Valley and ancient Egypt as his starting point. “You have to look to the Nile Valley to understand black history,” he said. "Black people built the pyramids.
Quora
quora.com › When-did-the-black-people-of-Africa-truly-build-the-pyramids-of-Giza
When did the black people of Africa truly build the pyramids of Giza? - Quora
Answer (1 of 7): A quick Google search will tell you when the pyramids of Giza were built. The Great Pyramid of Giza (built for Pharaoh Khufu) was built around 2580 to 2560 BC. That’s over 4500 years ago. The other pyramids at the Giza site were built around the same time, as was the Sphinx. Ho...
Wiki2
wiki2.org › en › Leonard_Jeffries
Leonard Jeffries — Wikipedia Republished // WIKI 2
July 1, 2019 - "The Triangular Trade: A Global Systems Analysis" - Dr. Leonard Jeffries (Feb 15, 2021) Black People Built the Pyramids! - PART 2: Featuring Dr. Leonard Jeffries · HAPI Talks with Prof. James Small & Dr. Leonard Jeffries about "High Valued Men" in African Culture ·
Cambridge Core
cambridge.org › core › journals › cambridge-journal-of-postcolonial-literary-inquiry › article › invention-of-race-and-the-status-of-blackness › F84CE9314AAF6AE349B470346CD4B75F
The Invention of Race and the Status of Blackness | Cambridge Journal of Postcolonial Literary Inquiry | Cambridge Core
February 21, 2022 - Allen demonstrates another strategy when he pushes the conclusions of Black Athena’s readers to cartoonish extremes. Allen deems Black studies scholar Leonard Jeffries “self-serving, to say the least” and derides his “showing pictures of various pharaohs to his class and referring to them as ‘brothers.’” Allen oversimplifies Jeffries’s proposition by stating that its “logical conclusion would be that the Greeks of the Bronze Age were Black Egyptians, something even Jeffries’s followers would find hard to maintain…