1000 words
Came across this article today from a (totally not unbiased source) person who seems to believe in the myths of Afrocentrism.
I’m always amazed at how many people are so quick to argue that people of color did not exist in Europe during medieval times or that black people, for instance, weren’t around during the Greek and Roman eras. And to include said PoCs during such time periods would be unrealistic and another example of shoving a PC agenda down our throats OH-EM-GEE.
Not that it would be unrealistic, just that those ‘PoC’ get thrown into positions of power in the setting they’re portrayed in, which is not realistic at all. Sure the Romans had black slaves, but that doesn’t mean that any important Senators or Emperors were Negros. Just because they were “around” doesn’t mean they did anything of significance, or even had a large population in comparison to Romans and Greeks.
This usually comes up in medieval fantasy stories. Like say for instance, Guinevere in BBC’s Merlin. Actress Angel Coulby caught heat for daring to be a beautiful powerful black queen.
His last 4 words aside (Kanazawa’s studies say otherwise), what kind of ‘black queen’ was there ever in Europe? Name one, please. Of COURSE she’s catching heat, as that’s not historically accurate, and I’m sure that most people care about being historically accurate in some of the things they watch. I know the show is a ‘fantasy’, but I don’t even think some people could suspend their disbelief to believe that there were ‘black kings and queens’ in medieval Europe.
This nonsense makes me laugh A LOT for two main reasons:
1.) It’s a huge double standard in that whites can always be placed in stories revolving around Egypt, China, Africa, or pre “discovered” America and no one blinks an eye.
Well, think about this. The majority of the country that these movies are made in and mostly come out in are white. Egyptians were Caucasoids, so using whites isn’t too far of a stretch. What about Africa and China and ‘pre-discovered America’? Care to give some examples?
Yet if a PoC shows up in medieval fantasy tale, it’s unrealistic. Talking animals, elves, dragons, gnomes, all totally plausible. Black people in Europe? Too many people can’t suspend disbelief at that.
Some things are just that unrealistic that you cannot suspend your disbelief of them to watch a story. =^)
First of all, people of color have been in Europe for ages. Think about it. Between all the wars, travel, and trade that countries and nations do, it would only make sense that some PoCs have traveled, relocated, and settled in other lands.
OK? Populations migrate all the time, this means nothing. Does that mean they had a strong historical presence? No way.
The Egyptians who dealt with the Romans and Greeks were black. Egypt is in Africa, in case you didn’t know.
No, they were not black. They were West Asian Caucasoids. Genetic testing on mummies from the years 806 BC to 124 AD shows that they have the haplotype I2, which originated in Western Asia. Makes sense, seeing as Egypt is right by the Middle East, and Egypt and Sumeria did have extensive trading with each other. Just because “Egypt is in Africa” doesn’t mean that they were black. The whole of North Africa are Caucasoids.
Rome and Carthage went to war and Hannibal gave the Romans a run for their money. Which anytime you can give the ROMANS a fight, you’re a bona fide badass.
I definitely agree that if you can give Rome a fight, you are a bad ass. But there’s one problem: Carthage was a Phoenician civilization, not sub-Saharan African. The “picture” you use of Hannibal is NOT an accurate portrayal of what he actually looked like.
He looks pretty damn Caucasoid to me. This fantasy of Afrocenstrists to insert themselves into most any important event in world history just to say they did something worth talking about truly shows the inferiority complex of blacks.
Also, to see what Phoenicians really looked like, look to Sardinians. Due to genetic isolation from being on the island, they have hardly any admixture from outside the island. They also speak a Phoenician language.
If you’re a Greek Mythology buff like myself, look up a brother named Memnon. Speaking of Greek Mythology, look up Andromeda, Perseus’ wife and see where she’s from. Here’s a hint. And by hint I mean answer: Ethiopia.
Are we to take all peoples of antiquities word for everything they say? Are we made of corn? Is the story of Romulus and Remus true? Were there gods on Mount Olympus?
Again. Just because they were present, doesn’t mean they had ANYTHING to do with any discoveries of that time period.
Blacks actually ruled in some parts of Europe and could be found in Scotland as early as the 10th century. Funny how that isn’t taught in school.
Funny how you provide no source.
Still not convinced? Look up Othello.
Why should I look it up? Oh, it’s because it’s another thing co-opted to add blacks where it was originally a play involving whites.
Is this guy being cast in this play almost 200 years ago supposed to mean anything?
Amina of Zaria was in fact the inspiration behind Xena: Warrior Princess.
Amina of Zaria is a myth.
Alexandre Dumas, the author of The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Crisco? Black excellence also.
Meaning… what exactly? This is pretty meaningless. OK, cool. Some blacks can write good stories, but they are outliers. The Bell Curve, etc.
And our accomplishments didn’t stop there. As this amazing heroine’s story illustrates.
Who the hell is ‘Belle’? Also, it says it’s BASED on the ‘inspiring’ true story. Meaning, things are embellished to make a better story. Or did you not know that?
So if you’re one of those who constantly gripe about the presence of PoCs in period fantasy as being unrealistic; your history, do learn you some.
No, you learn you some. You’re spreading ridiculous things to people who know no better. Just because ‘PoC’ had a presence in these places doesn’t mean they did anything of note.
I hope you respond to this refutation of your garbage, Nerd of Color.
NotPoliticallyCorrect 
Sardians don’t speak a “Phoenician language”, the Sardinian language is a Romance language, like Italian, Spanish, French, etc. Sardinian is quite an interesting language in it’s own right, though, many linguists consider it to be the most conservative Romance language (ie the closest living language to Latin).
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You’re partly correct.
Each Sardinian dialect has influence from other languages. They still do use some Phoenician words, though. It’s the closest living to Latin because of their genetic isolation. But there other peoples did have an effect on all regional dialects, Phonecian being one of them.
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Got a good look at the article http://thenerdsofcolor.org/2016/02/11/going-medieval/ you mentioned. Agree with your points there.
One commenter (attorneytracey) in that blog mentioned Guinevere from Excalibur and talked about her hair style. Doesn’t she realize that perms (the hairstyle) was quite the fad in the 1980’s? it has nothing to do with blacks.
I’d like to share to you an article in regards to April O Neil from Ninja Turtles; http://tmntentity.blogspot.com/2018/02/was-april-oneil-originally-black-in.html
there’s some relevancy.
One of the most, or possibly the most common route the afrocentrists take is to deliberately ignore North African peoples. Who are just as bad as the afrocentrists? their sympathizers and their white liberal enablers.
Dumas isn’t full black. He’s only quarter. His grandmother (father’s side), was of slave stock. Also, Dumas isn’t “evidence” of blacks holding prestigious positions of pre-modern Europe, too far from it. He’s also too far, once again, as “evidence” to prove that Europe had black nobles. Dumas’ African heritage is the only reason why Afrocentrists (and their liberal masters) hound on him. That aside, he’s no African icon. He’s not even promoting any African culture or heritage. Somewhat relevant to Dumas can be found here https://tightroperecords.com/Black-Invention-Myths.htm search for, “A few thoughts…..”
Bringing up again, “black nobility”, for example in the Spanish colonial period, pure-blooded Spaniards were the ruling class and they were divided into two sub-classes; the top being the ones born in Europe, and below are the ones born in the colonies. The mestizos (offsprings of Spaniards and women of the conquered cultures) were the middle class.
In Jose Rizal’s El Filibusterismo, the reason why Dona Victorina (a native Filipina), is in a high position is because she’s married to a Spaniard. Her ancestry/bloodline didn’t mean jack shit. There weren’t any Black, Filipino, Mexican nobles in Europe.
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Hey, actually a fascinating read. What I hate most about afrocentrism is that it tends to disregard the actually very diverse history of Africa itself. It also very ignorantly glosses over the many hundreds of tribes that each had their own ways of doing things that not only survived but thrived (and sustainably in both short and long term ways) in a very harsh environment.
I feel like a lot of it is indeed the inferiority complex but also the fact that they don’t really have a strong actual relation to their homeland, Africa – like how white mutts in America can only vaguely relate to large swaths of European history, if that makes sense.
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