Chancellor Williams facts for kids

Chancellor Williams (born December 22, 1893 – died December 7, 1992) was an American sociologist, historian, and writer. He is known for his studies of African civilizations before Europeans arrived. His most famous book is The Destruction of Black Civilization, published in 1971 and 1974. Williams is still an important person in the Afrocentrist movement, which focuses on African history and culture.

Early Life and Moving to Washington, D.C.

Chancellor Williams was born on December 22, 1893, in Bennettsville, South Carolina. He was the youngest of five children. His father was born into slavery but became free and could vote after the American Civil War. His mother, Dorothy Ann Williams, worked as a cook, nurse, and evangelist.

Life became harder for the family in the late 1800s. Laws were passed that stopped black citizens from voting. These laws also created Jim Crow rules, which meant people were separated by race. Young Williams became very curious about why there was so much unfairness. He wanted to understand why black people faced such difficult situations.

He started reading books and newspapers like The Crisis from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). These readings helped guide his studies. He once said he wanted to know how to explain the big differences between black and white people. When told "slavery" was the reason, he then wanted to know where black people originally came from.

In 1910, his family moved to Washington, D.C. This was part of the Great Migration, when many African Americans moved from the rural South to northern cities. His father hoped for better chances, especially for education. Williams graduated from Armstrong Technical High School in Washington, D.C.

Education and International Studies

After working for some time, Williams went to Howard University. This is a historically black college. He earned his first degree in education in 1930. Then, he got a master's degree in history in 1935.

Later, he studied the importance of storefront churches in the U.S. He earned his Ph.D. in sociology from American University in 1949.

Williams also studied abroad. In 1953 and 1954, he was a visiting professor at the universities of Oxford and London in England. In 1956, he did research on African history at Ghana's University College. He focused on the achievements of African civilizations. He wanted to learn about the many self-governing societies that existed in Africa long before Europeans or East Asians arrived. His last study, finished in 1964, included research in 26 countries. He looked at more than 100 different language groups.

Career as a Teacher and Historian

In 1935, Williams began working as a principal at the Cheltenham School for Boys in Maryland. Four years later, he became a teacher in the Washington, D.C., public schools.

During World War II, he worked for the U.S. government. He was a section chief at the Census Bureau. He also worked as a statistician and an economist.

In 1946, he returned to his old university, Howard University. He taught social science there until 1952. Then, he moved to the history department. By the 1960s, he was giving talks and writing about African history. He focused on African civilizations before they met Europeans. He was one of the scholars who believed that Ancient Egypt was a black civilization. He worked at Howard until he retired in 1966. Even after retiring, he kept studying and writing.

The Destruction of Black Civilization

In 1971 and 1974, Chancellor Williams published his most important book. It was called The Destruction of Black Civilization: Great Issues of a Race Between 4500 B.C. and 2000 A.D.. The next year, the book won an award from the Black Academy of Arts and Letters.

In his book, Williams supported the idea that Ancient Egypt was mainly a black civilization. This idea is known as the Black Egyptian hypothesis. However, some scholars at a UNESCO meeting in Cairo in 1974 disagreed with this view.

Today, most scholars do not use modern racial categories to describe ancient Egyptians. They say that ancient Egyptians had different appearances. But applying modern ideas of "black" or "white" races to ancient Egypt is not accurate. Scholars also believe that ancient Egypt was not all one race. Skin color varied among people from Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt, and Nubia. These groups sometimes held power in ancient Egypt.

Even with many foreign invasions, the population of Egypt did not change much due to large migrations. Some scholars suggest that Egyptian civilization began with communities from the Sahara and Sudanese parts of the Nile Valley.

Later Life and Legacy

Chancellor Williams passed away on December 7, 1992. He was 98 years old. He died from respiratory failure at Providence Hospital in Washington, D.C. He had lived at a senior care center for several years.

He was survived by his wife, Mattie Williams, whom he had been married to for 65 years. He also had 14 children, 36 grandchildren, 38 great-grandchildren, and 10 great-great-grandchildren.

His work, especially The Destruction of Black Civilization, continues to be studied and discussed.

Books by Chancellor Williams

• The Raven: A Novel of Edgar Allan Poe (1943)
• And If I Were White, Shaw Publications (1946)
• Have You Been to the River?, Exposition Press (1952)
• Problems in African History, Pencraft Books (1964)
• The Rebirth of African Civilization (1961); revised edition, introduction by Baba Zulu, United Brothers and Sisters Communications Systems (reprint 1993), ISBN: 0-88378-129-8
• The Second Agreement with Hell Carlton Press (1979)

Awards and Recognition

• 1972: Award from the Black Academy of Arts and Letters

See also

• Ancient Egyptian race controversy