Théophile Obenga facts for kids
Théophile Obenga was born in 1936 in the Republic of the Congo. He is a very respected professor who taught at San Francisco State University. He strongly supports Pan-Africanism, which is the idea that all people of African descent should work together for their shared interests. Obenga is an expert in many fields, including Egyptology (the study of ancient Egypt), Linguistics (the study of language), and history.
Early Life and Education
Théophile Obenga was born in 1936 in Brazzaville, which is a city in the Republic of the Congo.
He has studied many different subjects and earned several important degrees. These include:
- A master's degree in Philosophy from the University of Bordeaux in France. Philosophy is about studying big questions about life and knowledge.
- A master's degree in Education from the University of Pittsburgh in the U.S.A. This degree helps people learn how to teach effectively.
- A master's degree in History from the University of Paris, Sorbonne, in France.
- He also did advanced studies in History, Linguistics, and Egyptology in Switzerland. He studied Prehistory (the time before written records) in Paris and more about languages and ancient Egypt in France.
Théophile Obenga earned his Ph.D. (a very high academic degree) in Letters, Arts, and Humanities from Montpellier University in France.
Contributions and Work
Théophile Obenga is a member of important groups like the French Association of Egyptologists. He also belongs to the African Society of Culture, which promotes African heritage.
He helped with a big project for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This project was about writing the "General History of Africa" and the "Scientific and Cultural History of Humanity." These books help people around the world learn about different cultures and their past.
Until 1991, he was the Director General of the Centre International des Civilisations Bantu (CICIBA) in Libreville, Gabon. This center works to study and preserve the cultures of Bantu-speaking people in Africa. He is also the director and chief editor of a journal called Ankh.
In 1974, Obenga, along with another famous scholar named Cheikh Anta Diop, represented Africa at a special meeting in Cairo, Egypt. This meeting, organized by UNESCO, discussed the ancient people of Egypt and how to understand the Meroitic script, an old writing system.
See also
In Spanish: Théophile Obenga para niños
- Afrocentric historiography
- Black nationalism
