Anthony T. Browder knows about all there is to know about African and African American History and Culture. He’s an author, publisher, cultural historian, artist, and an educational consultant. He’s lectured throughout the United States, Africa, Caribbean, Mexico, Japan, and Europe. As the founder and director of IKG Cultural Resources, Browder has spent 30 years researching ancient Egyptian history, science, philosophy, and culture. He is currently director of the ASA Restoration Project, which is funding the excavation and restoration of the 25th dynasty tomb of Karakhamun in Luxor, Egypt.
Through IKG, Browder hosts lectures, seminars, cultural field trips of Washington, D.C. He also publishes his research through IKG as well as conducts study tours to Egypt, West Africa, South Africa, and Mexico since 1987. Browder’s publications are used in classrooms worldwide.
Here are 10 things you should know about Anthony T. Browder.
Browder studied at HBCU Howard University’s College of Fine Arts. On his own, he learned about African history. “Browder’s three decades of study have led him to the conclusion that ancient Africans were the architects of civilization and developed the rudiments of what has become the scientific, religious, and philosophical backbone of mankind,” according to the IKG website.
Founded in 1981 by Browder, IKG is an educational organization that is “devoted to the re-discovery and application of ancient African history, culture and wisdom” and “to challenge the distorted perceptions of Africa that are perpetuated in the media and in classrooms worldwide,” according to the website.
IKG hosts lectures, workshops, and conferences that have featured presentations by renowned historians, scientists, psychologists, and scholars discussing aspects of African, African American and world history, culture and philosophy.
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Browder has traveled to Egypt more than 54 times since 1980. Having conducted more than 23 archeological missions to Egypt since 2009, he is the first African American to fund and coordinate an archeological dig in Egypt.
Browder is the author of six publications (including the best sellers, “From the Browder File” and “Nile Valley Contributions to Civilization”) and the co-author of six publications, including two written with his daughter, Atlantis Tye.
Browder is the first African American to lead and fund an archeological excavation project in Egypt. “In May 2018, Browder, his daughter Atlantis Tye Browder, and the ASA Restoration Project excavation team discovered 2700-year-old Kushite artifacts that were recently installed in the Egyptian Museum in Luxor,” The Los Angeles Sentinel reported.
Currently, Browder is excavating and restoring two 25th dynasty Nubian Kushite Tombs built 2700 years ago for the Kushite noblemen and priests Karakhamun and Karabasken, the mayor of Luxor and assumed member of the Royal Kushite Family.
Browder sponsors lectures, seminars, and cultural field trips of Washington D.C., and continues to publish research and to conduct study tours to Egypt/Kemet, West Africa, South Africa, and Mexico.
For Browder “Avatar” was more than a film. He said it was full of symbolism.
“As an African-American male, I’m always very conscious of how we’re depicted,” Browder told AL.com after a lecture he gave at Alabama A&M University campus. “A lot of my friends and family members get sick of me sometimes because films that they like, I tell them why I didn’t like the film.
“African-American males, specifically, are shown in a demeaning light. If we don’t voice our displeasure with something, people will continue to do it.”
But he was impressed with “Avatar,” the highest-grossing movie in history, surpassing “Titanic,” another James Cameron film. “The film is about race,” Browder said. “But it’s not a racist film.”
“I saw over and over again that Cameron was making a conscious effort to depict aspects of African and indigenous culture in this film,” Browder said after the lecture. “That gave me greater respect and appreciation for Cameron as a filmmaker and a writer.”
At the same Alabama A&M lecture, Browder explained “agitprop” — a combination of propaganda and agitation used to influence moviegoers.
“Propagation acts on the mind,” Browder said. “Agitation acts on emotion.”
According to Browder, director James freely used “agitprop” in making “Avatar.”
“It’s a common Hollywood tool, Browder said, pointing to such movies as ‘Gone With The Wind,’ ‘Network,’ ’Platoon,’ and ‘Michael Clayton’ as being films where ‘agitprop’ is prevalent,” AL.com reported.
Browder’s IKG offers several tours, including: “Secrets Hidden in Plain Sight,” which unveils the ancient African culture and influence is found in and around DC; “Study Tour in Egypt,” an annual trip to the Nile; and “Excavation in Egypt,” an ASA Restoration Project was established in 2008 to honor the work of Dr. Asa G. Hilliard, III and support the archeological research of South Asasif Conservation Project, which she directs.
