La Négritude

An African Social Humanism

by Dr Wacyf H Ghali

Formats

Softcover

$16.99

E-Book

$3.99

Softcover

$16.99

Book Details

Language : English

Publication Date : 8/9/2024

Format : Softcover

Dimensions : 5.5x8.5

Page Count : 218

ISBN : 9781663264251

Format : E-Book

Dimensions : N/A

Page Count : 218

ISBN : 9781663264268

About the Book

La Négritude: An African Social Humanism seeks to tackle accounts of African society—particularly sub-Saharan Africa—from its roots through modern times. La Négritude—meaning Blackness in French—was coined as a term in the 1930s, initially as a strategy for political resistance against French colonialism. As the resistance matured, its namesake developed to refer to being proud to be Black, proud of being a Negro—the true and correct word for defining an African Black man’s ethnicity. Instead of being disrespectful, the word became meaningful and beautiful in terms of what it portrayed. Because of the effects of slavery and colonialism, the traditional Negro-African society transformed into a modern society so different from the old one that many expressed a loss of identity culturally, politically, and economically. This study attempts to redefine and reidentify sub-Saharan Negro-African society using the traditional values that existed before or during the era of colonialism. Its goal is to instill a sense of security and unity among the people—with the understanding that adding changes from outside Negro-Africa could allow positive growth and development without fear of destroying the African character and personality.

About the Author

Dr. Wacyf H. Ghali was born in Egypt of Coptic roots into a family that has historically represented the Christian minority in Egyptian government since the eighteenth century. He completed his graduate studies in the United States and has more than fifty years of experience in corporate America and international affairs. Now retired, he works with his wife in mentoring young people and writes about current geopolitical issues in relation to historical events.

Customer Reviews

This book is an excellent account of sub-Sahara African culture. The information was well researched and excellently written. Great read!

Fjord girl
A Wonderful Educational Read! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Very well researched and very well written. I learned a lot and found it to be very interesting and kept my attention throughout the entire book. Hoping the Author will write additional books.

Patti Jo Walter
THE COVER PAGE The Wedgwood medallion, as shown on the Cover Page, was the most famous image of a black person in all of 18th century art, as it brought public attention to the quest to abolish slavery. The Medallion’s inscription “Am I not a Man and a Brother?” became the catchphrase of British and American abolitionists. Medallions were even sent to Benjamin Franklin (one of the Founding Fathers of the U.S.A.) in 1788, who was then president of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society. It was also used by William Wilberforce (1759-1833) to help abolish slavery in the British Empire. Benjamin Franklin had declared that the medallion’s effectiveness was “equal to that of the best written Pamphlet, in procuring favor to the oppressed People.” WHAT PROMPTED THE WRITING OF “LA NEGRITUDE: AN AFRICAN SOCIAL HUMANISM” Originally written on December 3, 1963, as a Term Paper for the American University in Cairo, Egypt, it was then revised into a shorter version, translated in French, and published in the Egyptian Francophone magazine “Image” in two issues with the first entitled “Le Development de la Négritude” (October 18-24, 1969) and the second entitled “L’Ideologie de la Négritude et son Application” (November 15-21, 1969). The theme and ideology of “La Négritude” as it applies to the African context, was one of many I was attracted to since my years at university in Egypt and later in the U.S.A. In addition, the 1960’s were a time in which many African countries gained independence from their colonizer and so a subject such as “La Négritude” was an important intellectual subject to discuss and write about. Many years later in 2018, I was part of a group debating geo-political issues in Africa whereby I shared what I had initially written in the early 1960’s, when some of my close friends in that group encouraged me to write a book. It is from this perspective that my initial work was revised after intensive and detailed research, further expanded into its current written form which was then published as a book. “LA NEGRITUDE: AN AFRICAN SOCIAL HUMANISM” DEDICATED TO MY ANCESTRY The book is dedicated to Guirguis Ghali (1775-1822), officially known as Moallem Ghali. Moallem was a title granted to someone deemed to have contributed significantly to Egyptian national life and (during Ghali’s era) was the highest title given to a non-Muslim in Egypt. Moallem is an Arabic word meaning Master or Teacher (not unlike the Hebrew word rabbi but without any religious connotation). Moallem Ghali is my direct ancestor (roughly 9th generation preceding me). He was the Prime Intendant of the Viceroy and ruler of Egypt, Mohammed Ali Pacha, in the early 1800s, and therefore, responsible for the entire civil administration of Egypt. Today, the title of Prime Intendant would almost be equivalent to Prime Minister (I say almost because the administrative responsibilities would, for instance, not include the Defense and Foreign Affairs portfolios). He was also the Chief of Coptic Christians from 1817 until his death in 1822 (Chief meaning as the chief of a tribe or ethnic group). He created and embraced the family motto of “Al-Motawakkal ilal Mota’ali” which, in Latin, corresponds to “In Deo Confido” and in English means “Trust In God”. Moallem Guirguis Ghali was born in Tahta, Egypt in 1775 and died in Zifta, Mansoura Province, Egypt in 1822. His death was a direct result of his assassination carried out by order of Ibrahim Pacha, one of the sons of the ruler of Egypt, who saw in Moallem Ghali a threat to his relationship with his father as well as because of the power he held as a non-member of the ruling family. His assassination is recorded in history books. On his tomb Moallem Ghali’s epitaph, translated from Arabic, reads: “Here lies the one who was regarded in glory and in splendor in the State of Egypt, like the ancient Joseph. His Spirit has returned to God and his body rests in this lonely mausoleum. The author of this epitaph stated to this tomb “Keep him with jealous care because he is precious” (the word precious is the English descriptive meaning of the Arabic Coptic name Ghali). The epitaph was engraved on the tomb in 1824 and composed by Basilios Bey Ghali (1796-1847), the eldest son of Moallem Ghali – Basilios was the first Christian and the first Copt to receive the title of Bey (an Egyptian title of peerage) and was eventually appointed to the position that his father had prior to his assassination. Summary of the Dedication Page in the Book. Kudos Dr Wacyf H Ghali, Author of “La Negritude: An African Social Humanism”

Additional Highlights To Universe’s Book Synopsis
This book is a remarkable and factual account of the sub-Sahara Negro-African, even though somewhat contrarian in nature. It is an important read especially for those who want to understand why sub-Sahara Africa is still underdeveloped and how it may be able to develop into a strong economic and political region.

Marie
Excellently researched and written: It is Excellently researched and written by a Very Intelligent man! Look forward to another book!

Charles Hatcher
Reviewed in Spain on September 18, 2024 Long overdue account of Sub-Sahara Africa Mind provoking, well researched, and a great help for those who want to understand how Sub-Sahara Africa can develop into a strong economic and political region.

Riad Ghali

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