Troy

The following was excerpted from "African Writing Systems – Where Do We Go From Here?" by Amenuti Narmer. I discovered this article in the Blacknificent Life Newsletter, which you may subscribe to here. You can learn about these two sites and hundreds of more Black owned sites here. Ancient Africa has the world’s oldest and largest collection of ancient writing systems. Evidence of such dates to pre-historic time, and can be found in various regions of the continent. By contrast, continental Europe’s oldest writing, Greek, was not fully in use until c. 1400 BC (a clay tablet found in Iklaina, Greece) and is largely derived from an older African script called Proto-Sinaitic. The oldest Asian writing, Proto-Cuneiform, dates to around 3000 BC (clay texts found at Jemdet Nasr). However, the oldest known African writing systems are several centuries older. Proto Saharan (5000 – 3000 BC) The ancient Proto-Saharan script was a logo syllabic system. The words used to write this script were monosyllabic. Perhaps the world’s oldest known form of writing and are inscriptions of what some archaeologists and linguists have termed, “Proto Saharan” near the Kharga oasis west of so-called “Nubia” that date to at least 5,000 BC. The writings under the image that looks like the Nilotic god Seth show similarities to later writing systems such as Tifinagh and Vai. Nsbidi (5000 BC – present) Nsibidi is an ancient script used to communicate in various languages in West Central Africa. Most notably used by the Uguakima and Ejagham (Ekoi) people of Nigeria and Cameroon, Nsibidi is also used by the nearby Ebe, Efik, Ibibio, Igbo, and Uyanga people. The script is believed to date back to 5000 BC, but the oldest archaeological evidence ever found dates it to 2000 BC (monoliths in Ikom, Nigeria). Similar to the Kemetic Medu Neter, Nsibidi is a system of standardized pictographs. In fact, both Nsibidi and Medu Neter share several of the exact same characters. Medu Neter or Ta Merrian “Hieroglyphs” (4000 BC – 600 AD) The word Medu Neter (MDW W NTR) literally means “tongue of God” or more loosely, “God’s words.” The English word, “hieroglyphs,” is derived from the Greek word, “hieroglyphikos,” which means “sacred engraving,” similar to the basic meaning of “Medu Neter.” This script is an elaborate a logosyllabic writing system in which symbols represent either words (concepts) and consonantal phonetic sounds, or both, depending on the context. The oldest known evidence for this writing system come from pre-dynastic pottery at Gerzeh (c. 4000 – 3500 BC; “Gerzean culture”), which is located about 100 miles south of Ha Ka Ptah (Giza), and from inscriptions found at Gebel Sheikh Suleiman (Wadi Halfa; 4000 – 3500 BC; “Nubian A-Group culture”) in so-called “Nubia.” The next oldest form of Medu Neter dates between 3300 and 3200 BC and found in Abdu (tomb of the so-called “Scorpion” suten in Abydos) on clay tablets that recorded oil and linen deliveries. Read the rest of this article.

@Sara Hayet i have not official released the list yet but Coleman Hill is already an AALBC bestseller months before the pub date! I plan to review it as well 🙂

I’ll look up the book and add it to the site. I’m not sure I’d believe anything in it but if Black peoples are consuming the material it should be more widely known. @Pioneer1 You should still upload the material anyway … please

@Pioneer1 that was the Stern school of Business at New York University. Del was a year ahead of me, though I’m older 😉

I phrased my post’s subject as if the two were in conflict. I did not intend to do that. It probably comes from my personal bias though. I think however religion can be spiritual, indeed it should be. My religious upbringing did not leave me with a sense of spirituality. For me that came later and was distinct from my religion, which was based on a vengeful God that would damn you to an eternity of hell if you did not comply. @Pioneer1 i think many religious people do “experience” their religion and spirituality can be studied. @ProfD as an agnostic do you believe this existence is so there is? Are you satisfied with that? Fits anything inside you suggest there is more? @Delano you’ve previously mentioned the Dogon on this site. I think the people we see today are not the same ones that knew about the star. I did not learn about the dogging until i started this site and heard Saul Williams mention them in a poem and i looked them up. You kinda remind me of ole Saul.

Yeah Dr. Kunjufu is the 2nd bestselling author of all-time on this site. He has made our bestsellers list 100 times! 40 years ago he understand how Black boys were not being served by our "educational" system. I suspect things have only gotten worse today for Black boys.

Yeah NYC can be rough for the poor, handicapped, elderly... It really is a great city for the wealthy and those with high incomes. The debate was between the state of Florida and the State of New York. Deblasio (former Mayor of NYC) focused on NYC and did not make a strong argument for the entire state of NY. Even with our nutty governor Florida is a much easier place to live. I did not know that Florida's 4th grade students out perform New York's. The NY state's tax rate is significant and FL does even levy a state tax. It is not just were retires move. I moved to FL in my late 20s @Delano I moved back to NYC to join you at Stern 😉

"Last year was a banner year for those trading the New York chill for the Florida sun. Thirty-nine percent of Empire Staters packed up and moved to the Sunshine State, more than any year in history. In fact, recent census data revealed 1.6 million former New Yorkers (or 8% of Florida’s total population) now call Florida home — and it’s not just retirees. Favorable tax policies are fueling Florida’s popularity, attracting top businesses, budding entrepreneurs, and so-called one-percenters, such as Donald Trump and Carl Icahn. Does that mean Florida is a better bet? Those who argue “yes” say New Yorkers are heading south where their money can last longer, their health can benefit from warmer climates, and their sense of safety can markedly improve. Others say that ‘blue state’ policies are a better choice in the long run and that as the effects of the pandemic recede, New York will once again rise in popularity. They also say the state’s inclusive practices and cultural diversity will pull people back to New York. It is in this context that we debate this question: Is Florida Eating New York’s Lunch?" You can listen to the debate here. Obviously, since I'm one of those who made the move. Florida offers distinct advantages over NY and at the top of the list is the cost of living. Given the cost of airfare -- I can get to NYC very easily. Indeed, I'm in NYC pretty regularly. Though I have to brace myself each time -- the crush of people, the noise, the concrete, and the garbage on the street takes a minute to get used to. The statement above, "Thirty-nine percent of Empire Staters packed up and moved to the Sunshine State..." this is clearly wrong. Perhaps they meant 39% of the people who left NYC went to Florida. Since I have been here the cost of living has increased quite a bit, but I believe this is true nationally.

"The idea that prisons could reform or rehabilitate is only around 200 years old." During reconstruction and into the present day the use of inmates to do the work for businesses is the most blatant form of the exploitation of the prison system -- comparable to slavery. This video lends credence to the notion that jails are built to make money and Black people, due to a racist system, are disproportionately incarcerated. Today the prisons themselves are the profit centers. Hence the dramatic increase in the number of Americans incarcerated. The recidivism and collateral damage on Black families, communities, and Black people, in general, is incalculable. ...and I doubt we will ever make serious progress toward reparations.

To be clear. I would not allow someone to post racist ideas (falsehoods, distortions, and lies) without them being addressed. To make believe the ideas do not exist is a mistake to have them dispatched so well is actually very valuable. @ProfD I had to look up "VGQ." For the benefit of others who mya have been just as ignorant:

@Chevdove OK I'm just now seeing your video. Yeah, Kadeem sounds the same, but he did "blow up" and I would not have known who he was.

You know that can come back... I approving a lot more accounts now -- but I can see it being a little intimidating to jump in. So people just read, but we will see @frankster I'd never heard of Billy Carson until you posted that video. He is "out there" with stories of aliens modifying ancient hominids to work as slaves mining Africa for minerals. He says these stories are "written in stone." Clearly, ancient Africans had advanced technology. People like John Anthony West, theorize that the Sphinx was built 7 thousand years before many Egyptologists previously believed. Obviously, what we are taught about human history does not make sense if the pyramids were built 10,000 years ago -- before Europeans emerged from caves! When you couple this with the celestial knowledge of the Dogon who were aware of Sirius B. It is not just history that does not make sense -- nothing does This draws me back to the topic of religion versus spirituality.

This video describes Dogon religious beliefs, astrological knowledge, understanding of matter, and the beginning of the universe. How can this knowledge square with Western religion? This brother makes interesting videos.

Hey @Delano are you familiar with this book? I only learned about West this week while reading more about Ancient Eygpt.

Yeah I’m on my 60s man.

@ProfD one of my daily chores is to come here and approve new account request. i probably reject 60% of the accounts before a single post is make. Of the 40% i approve maybe 1 out of 10 actually end up posting. Sometimes someone will get by me and post something crazy and I’ll delete it right away. Sometimes they will start off normal then go crazy. In any event it is not like I’m saying hey racist vine sit in these forum, but your comment was amusing nonetheless. 😉

Every point in this conversation could be a completely separate conversation. I would like to explore the issue of spirituality versus religion, at some point.

Preach! Seriously, as @Pioneer1 suggested I actively avoid a lot of media because i realized the impact on me. This is also why my pop-culture-quotient is so low 😉 Some people can consume hours of social media and TV each day and feel they are not being impacted. I think they are deluding themselves. One could make a strong argument that no one under 18 should not be allowed to watch tv or use social media. I knew a family that did this with their children. At the time i thought it was draconian, but now i understand. These were also very wealthy people.

Word.

I was unfamiliar with Lin Chi @frankster seems i don’t even know what i don’t know sometimes 😉

sorry to hear about your friend @Delano when I was younger I was afraid of dying. Even as a kid it seemed like an irrational fear, as i got much much older i realized it was probably PTSD. That homeless guy may have had the poker for protection; the homeless catch beat downs all the time. but i agree, you still have to keep your eyes open. In the 70s it was a matter of survival. When i was a kid you could get jumped just for walking on the wrong streets. Hearing about DC, Chicago, LA at their worst made NYC seem relatively mild at its worst. The gangs were a problem in NYC but compared to what was published about South central LA — forget about it. A friend — a grown woman — was made to go back home and change her clothes cause she had the nerve to be wearing red (this was in the 80s). I don’t blame women, anyone really, for being fearful in some situations. you have to make fast judgements and these will be based on stereotypes . Which brings me to white women clutching their purse, or crossing the street upon seeing a black man approach. Some people get bent out of shape because of this, but if you consider all of the biased media demonizing, black men, how could you expect any other behavior?

How old are you and where exactly did you grow up? In my youth, there was definitely a danger of getting robbed. Almost every adult woman I know was mugged. My mother was robbed in her own apartment building twice once by gun, and another time the scumbag held a knife to my little sister's throat. This was in the 70's. I'm not aware of this happening now. As an adult living NYC (Park Slope and Harlem) as an adult from 1993 until 2011/17 my biggest threat came from law enforcement -- seriously. Crime is definitely on the rise there. People's cars are being robbed. My kid's bike was stolen (bike lock was cut). I can see why a woman would feel threatened by a group of homeless people in the area of an ATM. When you visit from someplace where you don't see homelessness, seeing it in NYC is jarring. It is hard to understand, from an outsider's perspective, how NYC tolerated this situation. NYC is not unique, I've seen these conditions in Tulsa OK, Sacramento CA, etc... At some point, NYC will need to deal with all of the issues you raised @richardmurray, for the chicken will come home to roost. BTW the PDF file you linked in your blog does not have the "NYC True Cost of Living" document. Here is the direct link: https://issuu.com/uwnyc/docs/nyctcl2023/8

The GOAT of women's gymnastics. I always wanted Simone to marry Kōhei Uchimura the GOAT of gymnastics of any gender. I would have loved to have seen what kind of kid they would have produced 🙂

@mellypops welcome to the forums! You make an important distinction between meeting someone for serious relationship and meeting someone for fun. I don't have data/studies/research to support my opinion, but I think men are usually looking for fun rather than a erious relationships. This difference becomes more profound as people get older. Basically, by the time you are in your mid to late 40's it is difficult to find a serious partner because perhaps all the ones interested in a true romance have been taken Relationships where the man is oblivious to, or does not care, about the woman's desire for a deeper serious relationship and where the woman ignores the clues that the man is only interested in "fun," usually end badly. I don't have the answer, because great relationships can start out as fun, and women who state up front that they want a committed romantic relationship will run off many guys. Actually, this is probably a good thing, because any guy run off knowing a woman wants to work toward a "romantic" relationship is not worth pursuing if that is your goal. And before someone accuses me of being sexist yes it could be men looking for something romantic and the woman who is just trying to have fun. 😍

Hi @isaashmiller thanks for using your first post to congratulate me. Welcome to the forum!