Black intellectuals claimed biblical descent to refute denigration of African ancestry.

Evidence

Rufus Perry traced the ancestry of black Americans to the biblical Cushites, who were the descendants of Cush, Ham’s eldest son. According to Perry, the Cushites were the ancient Ethiopians and indigenous Egyptians whose history exemplified prowess in medicine, war, art, and religious thought. Identifying the Cushite leaders of the Bible, Perry considered the greatness of the African past to be the foundation stone of the African American’s future. — Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, Righteous Discontent, 1357

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to Black counter-discourse of Egyptian/Cushite ancestry (Crummell, Blyden, later afrocentrism) deployed against racist genealogy claims. — connects to: African scholars collectively refute the colonial denial of African philosophy.; Claims about religious disloyalty became claims of racial inferiority — Sahar F. Aziz, The Racial Muslim: When Racism Quashes…, 323; Freed Black people directly refuted racist claims with lived counter-evidence. — Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning: The…, 630 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• African scholars collectively refute the colonial denial of African philosophy. #expands (0.78)
• Freed Black people directly refuted racist claims with lived counter-evidence. #exemplifies (0.75) — Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning, 630
• African thinkers collectively refute claims that Africa lacks philosophy. #expands (0.75)
• Claims about religious disloyalty became claims of racial inferiority #complicates (0.72) — Sahar F. Aziz, The Racial Muslim, 323