History parallels present

The Sphinx and pyramids came to life Monday night in Houston Hall, where community members and students previewed a soon-to-be-released documentary. The documentary, First People, Our People: Ancient Egypt Revealed, a collaboration of Motivational Educational Entertainment Productions and scholar Asa Hilliard, uncovers the glories of the African civilization originally known as Kemet and aims to raise awareness of Egyptian and African history. About 75 students and Philadelphia residents attended the event. "No matter where you are in time, the past matters," said documentary-maker Hilliard, a professor of urban education at Georgia State University, who narrated the film. "Part of the reason why so many young [African Americans] are destroying themselves is because they are not conscious of how important they are." The film celebrated the Kemet's Four Golden Ages, which were the peaks of its scientific, architectural and theological achievements. Taking the audience on a visual tour of the Nile Valley region, the video provided footage of more than a dozen landmarks from the era, including the pyramids at Giza and Saqqara. The 30-minute segment pointed out accomplishments of the Kemet people that have become lost in history. Debunking myths that philosophical thinking and the scientific method originated in Greece, Hilliard's film claimed that the Kemets were the first to make these discoveries. "[The Egyptians] were a connected, not alienated, people, who had a great cosmological understanding," Hilliard said during the the segment. The documentary also confronted the persecution of Africans throughout time, encouraging the audience to see how history has been tainted by a predominantly Western perspective. "Oppression has certain rules," Hilliard added. "You have to make sure that the oppressed group loses its identity, and you must teach that the group that is oppressing is genetically superior." A brief question and answer session followed the screening, where Hilliard explained the 30 minutes of the film that were not shown. Audience members said they were impressed with Hilliard's representation of history -- a new perspective of Egypt. "I liked what I saw," said Reginald Platts, 23, of Southwest Philadelphia. "It makes me look at things differently -- not just Egypt, but everything in the past." Terry Reynolds, a College sophomore, agreed. "It was an excellent opportunity to see something different from Eurocentric ideas on history," she said.

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