The Painful Demise of Eurocentrism: An Afrocentric Response to Critics [Paperback]

Molefi K. Asante (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0865437432 | ISBN-13: 978-0865437432 | Publication Date: February 2005

Dr. Asante combines cultural studies, linguistics, historiography, Kementology, and Africology in this brilliant response to the critics of Afrocentricity. He demonstrates that the principal problem with the critics of Afrocentrics is their disbelief in the agency of Africans ¡V that is the ability of Africans to create society, community, culture and civilization. Asante challenges the basic arguments of the critics and reiterates the correctness of the Afrocentric vision for the African world.

In a successful balance of polemics and analysis, the author engages Stephen Howe, Mary Lefkowitz, Kwame Anthony Appiah, and others, with wit and intelligence. The book is useful for the readers interested in the general studies of ancient Africa as well as the continuing discourse around the Afrocentric idea.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"Molefi Asante, the founding and preeminent theorist of Afrocentricity, is one of the most important intellectuals at work today. This work continues his tradition of combining an extraordinary intellectual range with an impressive ability to identify and clarify central issues in the current discourse on Afrocentricity, multiculturalism, race, culture, ethnicity and related themes. Dr. Asante offers an insightful and valuable response to Eurocentric critics of the Afrocentric initiative while simultaneously addressing a wide range of issues critical to understanding this important intellectual enterprise, including African agency, location, orientation, centerdness, subject-place and cultural groundedness. The volume is thoughtful, multifaceted and rewarding, and yields a rich sense of the contours and complexity of the Afrocentric project." --Dr. Maulana Karenga, Chair, Department of Black Studies, California State University, Long Beach

Dr. Asante combines cultural studies, linguistics, historiography, Kemetology, and Africology in this brilliant response to the critics of Afrocentricity. He demonstrates that the principal problem with the critics of Afrocentrics is their disbelief in the agency of Africans--that is the ability of Africans to create society, community, culture and civilization. Asante challenges the basic arguments of the critics and reiterates the correctness of the Afrocentric vision for the African world.

In a successful balance of polemics and analysis, the author engages Stephen Howe, Mary Lefkowitz, Kwame Anthony Appiah, and others, with wit and intelligence. The book is useful for readers interested in the general studies of ancient Africa as well as the continuing discourse around the Afrocentric idea.

About the Author

Molefi Kete Asante is professor of Africology at Temple University. He is the author of Afrocnetricity; Kemet, Afrocentricity and Knowledge; Malcolm X As Cultural Hero and Other Afrocentric Essays; The Book of African Names, and Thunder and Silence: The Mass Media in Africa--all published by Africa World Press, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Africa World Press (February 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865437432
• ISBN-13: 978-0865437432
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,585,439 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The difference between apples and oranges lol, March 26, 2005

By 

Byoba - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Painful Demise of Eurocentrism: An Afrocentric Response to Critics (Paperback)

To the pc critic who claims that the Egyptians spoke a semetic language. The first dynasty builders of the Old Kingdom were indeed observed as being Hamitics who spoke a Nubian-Sudanic language. As it was recorded and known, the Black Egyptians(Kemetans) allowed different ethnic groups or races to enter their civilization as settlers or ppl who were coming to learn. Egypt doing the later part of the Middle Kingdom, was under the influence of outsiders such as, Hyksos, Assyrians, Jews, Greeks, Romans, etc. who, when were at a position of either being a Pharoah(for a short time) or having the same power of influence, changed what was necessary to fit their world-view, such was the case with whatever non-Egyptian(emphasis) language through out each period. Indeed, it is useless to argue or debate with ppl who dissect in favor of their own erroneous means.



The negetive reviews of this particular book, further supports what Mr. Asante has indeed proven or at least, has shed some light on. Eurocentrist cannot make up their mind, when it was proven that the original Egyptians were Hamitic, all of sudden Hamtics can no longer be negro's or Negroid because, then, Eurocentrist would have to admit to being influenced by negro's. Whatever gives black ppl worldwide, empowerment, must some how be trampled under the feet of Eurocentrist.



So many examples: The great walls of Zimbabwe, white scholars claimed they were the builders,lmao!, The civilizations of Nubia, again white scholars claim they were the builders, West African civilizations, white scholars claim that they civilized these empires, The Swahili States, white scholars claim that, that was the work of Arabs, negro's couldnt have built it, etc.



See the pattern of racial neurosis, and the pre-assert that no one white will agree with what I have written, considering that I am not a racist indiviudual, which, in the end when analyzing this subject, one can indeed arrive at the view of eurocentrist as being very vain and self-misguided.



This is a sad case of Eurocentrist and supporters not being able to take their own medicine, and, as a result, uprooting the foundation of logical discourse in view of rationality, objectively speaking, eurocentrist, by refuting was is easily arrived at, reference wise, in the end, supports the claims of this book.


For better words, poster children of a supremacy complex.....................p.i

7 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Be sure to back up your statements!, March 11, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Painful Demise of Eurocentrism: An Afrocentric Response to Critics (Paperback)

When make you make a statement (about blacks coming from the south)"friend" back up with a fact that you know and not present day european assesment.I am not here to argue arfrocentrism of eurocentrism only that your coments have nothing to with the way the ancient world saw blacks etc.People are afraid to look something that Is an alternative to the way they have been taught to see things.Also to the idiot that wishes to call people kooks the only punks I know hide behind the Internet and make comments such as yours.Anyway, loved the book and hope people will read with an opened state of mind.

14 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why continue to argue with the truth!, July 2, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Painful Demise of Eurocentrism: An Afrocentric Response to Critics (Paperback)

This book hits the mark.I am always reading reviews on books of this type and the word wishful thinking comes up, but I can see who Is doing the wishful thinking.Not one of them comes up with an reasonable argument.Egyptain sculpture proves exactly that they were africans as they ressemble blacks In africa and In the diaspora today.Besides the greeks saw them as blacks and they were comptemperaries(and did have the racial bias some have today).Great book Mr. Asante, I hope to read more of your works In the future, and those of you who call it hokey,get over your fear!