“The One Truth Amidst a Realm of Falsehoods” A Presentation on Cheikh Anta Diop and the legacy of his work, beliefs, and ideals. By DeLandis K. Brooks

Main goals of this presentation:

Who is Cheikh Anta Diop? Born on December 29, 1923 in Diourbel, Senegal. A well renowned scholar as well as a groundbreaking scientist whose scientific methods are still being widely used to this day. Like many other conscious members of the African population, Diop was an avid political activist. Passed away on February 7, 1986.

Insight into Diop’s early life, trials, and tribulations……. Studied Physics at the prestigious University of Paris, Sorbonne in the country of France.

Insight into Diop’s early life, trials, and tribulations…(cont’d) While studying in France, Diop held a position as Secretary General of the Rassemblement Democratique Africaine (RAD) from , a political group dedicated to the liberation of the African peoples from outside the walls of the motherland.

Insight into Diop’s early life, trials and tribulations…(cont’d) In 1951, Diop helped to establish the very first Pan-African Student Congress in the city of Paris, a group of students dedicated to” lifting the shackles of colonialism that existed in Africans and the African people dispersed globally”.

Insight into Diop’s early life, trials, and tribulations…(cont’d) In 1951, Diop applied for his initial doctorate with a dissertation based on the premise that Ancient Egypt of the pharaohs was without a doubt an African civilization contrary to the stories many were told of the history of Ancient Egypt.

Physical and historical evidence of the truth……….. Narmer (or menes), the first pharaoh of Egypt. He unified upper and lower Egypt for the first time. From this picture you can tell that he is unquestionably African.

Physical and historical evidence of the truth…(cont’d) Protohistorical figure of Lord Tera Neter, of the Negro Anu race, who were the first inhabitants of Egypt.

Physical and historical evidence of the truth…(cont’d) Mycerinus of the Fourth Dynasty. Built the Giza Pyramid. Unquestionably African.

Physical and historical evidence of the truth…(cont’d) Pharaoh Mentuhotep. Founder of the Eleventh Dynasty. (circa 2100 B.C.)

Physical and historical evidence of the truth…(cont’d) Pharaoh Sesostris I (Twelfth Dynasty)

Physical and historical evidence of the truth…(cont’d) Pharaoh Ramses II(left) and a modern Watusi(right). The Watusi hairstyle can only be achieved with wooly hair. The small circles that appear on the statue would indicate the wooliness of the Pharaohs hair himself.

Physical and historical evidence of the truth…(cont’d) Queen Ahmes Nefertari(left/middle) and modern African woman(right).

Physical and historical evidence of the truth…(cont’d) The Great Sphinx as the first French scientific mission found it in the nineteenth century. This statue is not Greek or Semitic. It is said to have been modeled for Pharaoh Chephren (2600 B.C., Fourth Dynasty) who built the second Giza pyramid.

Scientific evidence of the truth………. Diop did not stop there, however, he also invented a scientific method of determining the melanin content of mummified and badly burnt deceased peoples called, Radiocarbon dating. It is with this test that Diop proved without a doubt that the Ancient Egyptians were unquestionably dark skinned Africans, contrary to what we are told or believe.

More trials and tribulations……….. With all of this information as proof of a stolen legacy, Diop’s initial doctoral dissertation was turned down in 1951 and it was not until 1960, after the publication in 1955 of his doctorate as, “Nations Negres et Culture” won him international acclaim, and after numerous additional attempts that he was finally granted his doctorate degree.

What does all this mean? Frederich Hegel, the German philosopher who claimed that Africans had no ability to reason, obviously had no idea what he was talking about, which dispels the myth that Africans played no part in the age of reason or had no ability to reason. Contrary to what Hegel claims, Diop has proved, if anything, that Africans were the catalysts that helped to spawn development and reason.

Impact on the scientific and international community……. In 1966, the First World Black Festival of Arts and Culture held in Dakar, Senegal honored Dr. Diop and W.E.B. Dubois as the scholars who contributed most to the influence on African thought in the 20th century.

Impact on the scientific and international community…(cont’d) In 1961, six years after “Nations Negre et Culture” was published by Diop, anthropologists all over the world began flocking to Africa looking for remains of the earliest humans which the Leakey family did find. The remains of the oldest humanoid(3.2 million years) where found in Africa and the Leakey’s named her “Lucy”.

Impact on the scientific and international community…(cont’d) The scientific method founded by Diop is still being widely used throughout the world by scientists and police forensic labs to identify the remains of badly burnt victims of homicide.

Diop’s thoughts on Pan- Africanism…….. “I want my accomplishments, our accomplishments to be known so that through the cultural unity of the African peoples dispersed globally, we as a people can finally liberate ourselves with the power of our minds.”

Thank you for your time……… This concludes my presentation………..THE END.