Destruction of Black Civilization: Great Issues of a Race from 4500 B.C. to 2000 A.D.

by Chancellor Williams

Book Overview

A widely read classic exposition of the history of Africans on the continent--and the people of African descent in the United States and in the diaspora--this well researched analysis details the development of civiliza

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0883780305
• ISBN13: 9780883780305
• Release Date: February 1992
• Publisher: Third World Press
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

The Destruction of Black Civilization

Those that want to know the Black story will enjoy this read. The author takes you back and brings you up to modern times in relation to the Black experience.

A great launch pad

This book has created within me a need to search more about African and African American history. This is the real stuff, the people, places and things beyond, Martin Luther King, George Washington Carver, and Marion Anderson, Montgomery Alabama, and the "60". No, disrespect to any of these but we are too often taught that these people, and things happened in a vacuum without any reference of what happened before them or at the same time. The most important thing Dr. Williams does for all people is to answer the question of how did Africa get to the point it currently is in. He pulls back the covers to reveal that the rest of the world did not just pass Africa by, but actively saught to keep Africa back. First, Arabia then Western Europe and its satalites have been robbing and suppressing Africa for centuries. This book is a must read, if you want to understand where we are now and how we got here.

You Must Read This

The average reader of this book always misconstrues it's purpose. The purpose of this book is not to be descriptive, but prescriptive. In other words, The Destruction is not meant to serve solely as a history book. The book's purpose is to provide Afrikan people with an historical background into Afrikan-specific problems of the past, while at the same time, giving viable solutions to what Afrikan people should do to solve the same, lingering problems that slavery, colonialism, and neo-colonialism are very definitely at the root of. One of Mr. Williams' most brilliant observances is the politcal role that Arabs and Islam have played in and among Afrikan people. He cogently and correctly exposes how Afrika and her people have been historically duped and demeaned, not only by Europeans [Chrisitans] and Asians, but by Arabs also. This one issue has been the most talked about, but the least understood. To extract the true essence and point of book one need but look at its subtitle - "Great Issues of a Race from 4500 B.C. to 2000 A.D." That says it all right there. Chancellor Williams, visionary that he was, knew that by the start of the new millenium, Afrikan people would be suffering the same problems that Afrikan people of 4500 B.C. suffered unless . . . we took a step back and gave a critical, crucial, and correct analysis of the problems that confront us. At the end of the book, Williams offers what he refers to as "The Master Plan"; to give Afrikan people a blueprint toward true power and an understanding of who they are and who they still have to be in this world. An most excellent read that prompts you to move from theory to practice!!

This book is wondeful

This book without a doubt is one of the most carefully researched books I have ever read. I love the way that Mr. Williams carefully breaks down the history of the early African and traces them throughout their history. He gives proficient details about the accomplishments and failures of the early African people. There is a reoccurring theme in this book. Indigenous Africans gain power and indigenous Africans lose power. That statement sums up this book briefly. Mr. Williams goes into detail to explain how a black Egypt could be viewed by the world as being white. The answers to this question can be found starting with chapter two entitled Ethiopia's Oldest Daughter: Egypt. In this chapter, he proposes "the mulatto problem" which I feel is key in understanding how the face of early Africa was changed. When other groups of people came in from the east the Africans allowed them to assimilate into their culture. There were many interracial unions, which allowed for a mixture of kin. This mixture of kin is what lead to the demise of the total black African state. Time and time of again people who did not have a natural birth right to any African state were allowed to do so based on marriage or kinship. This is why Mr. Williams study shows how indigenous African flip-flop control of power so frequently. Whenever indigenous African took control of Egypt the power was relinquish due to an interracial unions or kinship not to mention the violence and acts of war. Again, in many ways this scenario is a reoccurring them throughout this book. The early African inability to hold on to what was natural his has cause others to question whether he should be given any credit at all. Mr. Williams traces what happen and he gives excellent details. The period of this book is from 4500 B.C. to 2000 A.D. At first glance, some might consider Chancellor Williams to be somewhat of a prophet. This book was published in 1987 yet Mr. Williams boldly took the contents of his study all the way back to the traceable beginning of civilization into the future. Why? When people are asked why do they study history one of the most popular answers is "So that we will not make the same mistakes of the past" In his study Mr. Williams found throughout history African/African-American people had been making the same basic mistakes. It was a trend that kept repeating its self for over 5000 years. Mr. Williams understood that this cycle could not be stop in one or two generations. This is why I feel that he had such a large time period. History is change over time and sadly Mr. Williams looked out and saw no change over time. The structure of this book is very good because Mr. Williams gives detail into the workings of early African civilization. He talks about all of their early accomplishments and all of their failures. He gives the facts as he discovered them, but at the end, his does something different. He offers a plan to help aid all

A brilliant survey by a brilliant visionary.

The average reader of this book always misconstrues it's purpose. The purpose of this book is not to be descriptive, but prescriptive. In other words, The Destruction is not meant to serve solely as a history book. The book's purpose is to provide Afrikan people with an historical background into Afrikan-specific problems of the past, while at the same time, giving viable solutions to what Afrikan people should do to solve the same, lingering problems that slavery, colonialism, and neo-colonialism are very definitely at the root of. One of Mr. Williams' most brilliant observances is the politcal role that Arabs and Islam have played in and among Afrikan people. He cogently and correctly exposes how Afrika and her people have been historically duped and demeaned, not only by Europeans [Chrisitans] and Asians, but by Arabs also. This one issue has been the most talked about, but the least understood. To extract the true essence and point of book one need but look at its subtitle - "Great Issues of a Race from 4500 B.C. to 2000 A.D." That says it all right there. Chancellor Williams, visionary that he was, knew that by the start of the new millenium, Afrikan people would be suffering the same problems that Afrikan people of 4500 B.C. suffered unless . . . we took a step back and gave a critical, crucial, and correct analysis of the problems that confront us. At the end of the book, Williams offers what he refers to as "The Master Plan"; to give Afrikan people a blueprint toward true power and an understanding of who they are and who they still have to be in this world. An most excellent read that prompts you to move from theory to practice!!

A "Must Read" for all Afro-Americans

Chancellor Williams does an excellent job of not only identifying the issues that we have endured as a people but he leaves you with something unique..... An Answer. How often have you read a book telling us about all the problems in Black America and abroad but then leave you with a feeling of " O.K. what do we do about it?" Well this book does just the opposite. You are left with viable solutions. A most-excellent book!!