Cheikh Anta Diop
Senegalese politician, historian and scientist (1923–1986) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Cheikh Anta Diop (29 December 1923 – 7 February 1986) was a Senegalese historian, anthropologist, physicist, and politician who studied the human race's origins and pre-colonial African culture.[1] Diop's work is considered foundational to the theory of Afrocentricity, though he himself never described himself as an Afrocentrist.[2] The questions he posed about cultural bias in scientific research contributed greatly to the postcolonial turn in the study of African civilizations.[3][4][5]
Cheikh Anta Diop | |
---|---|
Born | Seex Anta Jóob (in Wolof) (1923-12-29)29 December 1923 |
Died | 7 February 1986(1986-02-07) (aged 62) |
Nationality | Senegalese |
Occupation(s) | Historian, anthropologist, physicist, politician |
Diop argued that there was a shared cultural continuity across African people that was more important than the varied development of different ethnic groups shown by differences among languages and cultures over time.[6] Some of his ideas have been criticized as based upon outdated sources and an outdated conception of race.[7][8] Other scholars have defended his work from what they see as widespread misrepresentation.[9][10][11][12]
Cheikh Anta Diop University (formerly known as the University of Dakar), in Dakar, Senegal, is named after him.[13][14]