Mother Knows Best

An email from my mom came this morning:

First, I love the way you handled the food at the service. Makes sensitive sense to me.

Did your mother teach you that it's okay to write "crap" in your blog?

About the first installment of your blog, specifically where it says:

"For example, that there were transcontinental movements of peoples from the east of Africa to the west of Africa, or from the east of Muslim territories to the west is not something that is usually emphasized in contemporary studies of the histories of religions."

The East-West example is fine as long as it isn't used as a generalization, because some ignorant people think that Islam in West Africa and the grand culture surrounding it (the fantastic library in Timbuktu, the mosques, the ancient kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai...) weren't and aren't "really" black African, but Arabic (Arabian?) imports. They weren't imported--they were and are WEST African. This is important so that people see that Black Africa developed cultures with many social classes, armies, etc.--as well as societies that are "just" tribes. (That raises the other problem, the belief that city-based societies are better than tribal societies--what's wrong with tribes?--nothing!!).

I hope this is interesting and not a drag.

Thanks, Mother. That's all for now, folks.