Inheritance

I had never truly understood the depth of my antecessors in Egypt. I knew that the Egyptians had built one of the greatest ancient civilizations. I knew that they were the vanguards of knowledge in the world west of India. I knew, but I never understood. I had never recognized that I am of their blood. I had never considered Egypt and everything they had built to be apart of my heritage until now.

I suppose that a few of us would take this as a justification of black superiority. Personally, I don’t think that superiority was the goal of our ancestors, and it shouldn’t be our goal in this day and age. One of the three important facets of learning is the student. It is the student that will gain knowledge and pass it on to others. My ancestors not only passed on what they learned to their own kin, but to other peoples as well. They understood that knowledge shouldn’t be stowed away in secret like a cache of precious metals and jewels. It’s meant to be shared with others; family, friends, even total strangers are worthy recipients.

Embracing Egypt as a part of my heritage was one of the proudest moments of my life. I’ve never been one for ancestral arrogance though, even now. I have great reverence for the Egyptians, and I acknowledge what they have done for all civilization, but I don’t like to put myself on a pedestal upon the accomplishments of others. Rather that boast about my people, I’d rather take up a few of their cultural practices: to revere, seek, use, and pass on knowledge to the next generation.  Personally, I will do all that I can to learn as much about them and other African cultures in the future.