Leaderboard

Hope the day was enjoyable and your friends and family showered you with affection.

Happy b'day @Cynique and wishing you many more.🎂🎁 I know you get tired of reading the SOS (same ole sh8t) from some of us. 😁 Still, it's a blessing to have your presence, perspective, wisdom, wit and cynicism here. You make this forum an even cooler place to hang. Enjoy whatever you decide to do on your day.🤗😎

This issue of who was "black" in ancient times can be very contentious, a reflection of the racism in our society which often affects peoples' interpretations of history. "Oh, they HAD to be black," or "Oh, they HAD to be white,"... and why? Because we want them to be one or the other. We have to define the terms if we pursue this. What does "black" mean? Here in the USA we labor under a one-drop notion that any discernible "blackness", evidence of African ancestry, makes one "black". So, if we saw an Egyptian from 3000 years ago who was actually 1/4 African, we'd call the person "black". Well, I had a friend who was caramel-colored, she went to Africa to visit, expected people to welcome her back home, and instead in Nigeria people laughed at her and called her "chicken flesh". To them she was essentially "white". Hmmm. so what does "black" mean? The Bible doesn't often mention skin color because it was not an issue then. They were not in the USA raised in this color-obsessed culture. What we know about Egypt, looking here at scientific data rather than the Bible, is that the civilization began in Upper Egypt among a mixture of Nile Valley Neolithics and Saharans. Both groups were African, which is to say, "black". Very quickly Egypt became rich and powerful and attracted many migrants. and so by the Middle Kingdom, Egypt was quite mixed. Many people there in fact therefore looked a lot like many African-Americans. Many like to look at Eurasian DNA found in Egyptian mummies from the Middle or New Kingdom and then proclaim that, "See, Egyptians were just like today's Arabs or Berbers." But of course they're ignoring Egypt's origins and the changes which were always occurring as more people came into Egypt both from Eurasia and from the South (Africa). As for Israelites, the same dynamic applies. They enter history already mixed, like many of the Semites of the Levant and Mesopotamia. Some of their ancestry did come in from the north. The peoples in the various hills and mountains of the "Fertile Crescent" were quite diverse, from the Zagros Mts. to Anatolia and the northern Levant, but all of Eurasian types. Likewise, there was migration out of Africa, especially through Yemen, of "black" people. so that today in southern Arabia genetic studies show the population to be of 22% African descent. The Israelites, as well as the other Semites, therefore had African admixture in their population. So... who was "black"? If we went back to the time of the Kingdom of Israel, we'd see many Israelites whom in the USA we'd call "black". Most would have looked like what we loosely term "Mediterranean" today... like Greeks, Moroccans, Lebanese, etc. To anthropologists "race" is interesting only as it indicates migrational history and mixing of various groups. What really identifies people is their culture. Again, in the USA we've a confused view of this, since 2 of our ethnic groups are named after colors (black anad white)! And so, in the USA we are often confused about all of this, not understanding that ethnicity has nothing to do with race, really. But for both of these 2 groups, ethnic ancestry is very mixed. Whites are Scottish, English, German, Irish, Italian, Dutch, etc. Blacks are Yoruba, Bambara, Mandinke, etc. Then in Virginia in the 17th century the categories "black" and "white" were codified, creating an oppressive social division (which worked against working class whites as well as blacks) and engendering an obsession with color which is still with us, as evidenced by the intense arguments over whether Egyptians or Israelites were "black" or "white". The joke's on us, since most Israelites in ancient times likely wouldn't quality as "white" even if they weren't "black". So... what was Jesus? Answer: He was a Jew.

Black Women & Blonde Wigs; What About Black Men? The Origins of It Wongel is fast becoming one of my favorite youtuber to watch. This recent video had me almost in tears from laughing. She revisited this topic because just recently, Kenya passed a new law in which their judges and lawyers are no longer required to wear the colonial wigs. Furthermore, Wongel did brief research of the origins of these ‘blonde’ wigs and powered white wigs that Black African men and women wore in their courtrooms in certain African countries. However, it should be obvious to most of us that the origins of it stems from the colonial movement from Europe due to the early portraits that are depicted in history books of European men that set up the Colonial Empire all over the world. But why blonde though? Why did Black Africans choose blonde or white horsehair wigs? Yes, that right, I said ‘horsehair’; the wigs were made out of horsehair. But why not wear black wigs like some of the Colonial Frenchmen wore? From a scientific Point-of-View, and even though the world has become obsessed with European traits and therefore associate blond hair as such, ironically though, blond hair stems from a Black African origin. Nevertheless, many African people do not like these wigs and feel that the huge amount of money spent on getting them from Europe could be put to better use.

@Del @Troy@ProfD Thanks, guys!! Nice to be remembered by my online buddies! What would I do if I didn't have you to keep me on my toes? For now, I'm enjoying my day. Hope we can do this again next year. 😉

@Pioneer1, as we say in the hood "you tried it" with that generation definition or leap. 🤣 If there is an age difference of 20 years or more, it's a different generation. IMO, it's a very cool thing to have generational separation because it gives us a living historical perspective. However, not to be ageist but I don't agree with people over 70 years old running the country. I think they should be consultants sought out for knowledge, wisdom and guidance...if they have any left. But, there is no reason for POTUS Papa Joe Biden to be falling asleep at the podium while trying to read the teleprompter and stumbling around nor should Rep. Nancy Pelosi be modeling her outfits as Speaker of the House.🤣 H8ll, there's a reason our social security system provides full benefits at 67 years old. 😁😎

Yes Happy Birthday Connie may you have many more!

I'm sorry man it does not work that way. You are identified with the generation your were born into. I, for example, am a young baby boomer. most of my children are millennials, and kids born this century are Gen Z. Get it?

Exactly which is why it's called a generation gap. We are part of the same era but we come from different generations. You can't have a productive discussion if you have your own definitions of words. Maybe forget about having a"High Intellect Forum" until you can use standard or widely accepted definitions of terms. Please note I am not saying you have to change, but doing so would facilitate clearer communication. Unless obscuration is part of your strategy in discussions

The video is hilarious on several levels especially to someone like myself who finds humor in d8mn near everything. 🤣 It's amazing that Black folks hold on to the goofiest BS left behind by their colonizers. Those wigs have always looked ridiculous even back in the 1700s. Unfortunately, AfroAmericans are spending a sh8t ton of money or hair and wigs nowadays. Many of them look just as ridiculous. In as much as some things change, a lot of it stays the same. Thank goodness I'm totally comfortable in my baldness. 😁😎

Black folks should not be applying for jobs with companies that are overtly racist and discriminatory. The interview process contained enough red flags to warrant getting up and leaving immediately. Imagine working there. 😎

"The forum is under constant attract by trolls they are not extended invitations as some might believe. Most of the accounts that are created here are banned after they are created. I'm sure I've banned legitimate posters, but I find it is better be overly cautious rather than too lax. I don't remember when I approved your account @Michel Montvert, but most of the accounts I do approve never post." You just approved my account in the last 2 days. Yes what you're saying about the internet---sad but true. Oh I'm no troll. I'm just an old guy frustrated with the way the world is going looking for intelligent discourse. You are fighting an uphill battle, I say that not to discourage you but to say HOORAY for you for putting in all this effort. In my experience, ANY forum or chatroom labelled as "African-American" will attract Kluxers and other assorted racist scum. A Jewish forum attracts Nazis. Native American forums are crawling with white racists. It's sickening. This is not a Golden Age of civilization. sadly...

The colorful art work depicted in tombs, on pyramids and in hieroglyphics should be an accurate indicator of the color of the people who are the subject of such illustrations. Are there any artifacts that actually show people with black skin? All visual records seem to be of people with a neutral skin shade like King Tut's. (Oil paintings by latter day artists don't count.) To me, the bible has always been a case of who is doing the interpretation of the lore and legend being hyped by priests or translated by drunk monks. And, apparently, even waaay back then the deepness of skin tone was associated with being cursed, so colorism has always been a factor that inspired prejudice. BTW, has any one ever determined what "god" looks like? There's a rumor going around that she's black. 👩🏽 I will stand corrected on any of the observations I expressed here because I'm definitely not a student of the bible. which I've never believed to be divine in origin; more like an ancient almanac. 😜