state of humanity—not their physical color. (Some
scholars of African descent have contested that
people should not be judged or named by their
skin color, but by their geographical, cultural, or
religion’s location and conduct.) All colors have
their places in nature and advantages at a particu-
lar times. However, in a significant number of
African cultures and societies, the color white has
a unique political place, and cultural center—and
spiritual space. For example, Kemet (ancient
Egypt) utilized the symbolism in the white crown
and pyramid; people of Central Africa used white
chalk in societal and cultural rituals; and people
wear white garments and cowrie shell jewelry
in traditional West African diaspora religions
and wear white clothing in Black Holiness-
Pentecostal churches in America during sacred
church rituals.
The white crown (Hedjet) adorned the heads of
the pharaohs of Upper Kemet (ancient Egypt) dur-
ing high ceremonial moments in the kingdom. The
choice of the white crown and its style dates back
in time to the Northern Nubia civilization and
possibly including the predynastic period, approx-
imately 5500 to 3100 BC. During this early period
in the history of Kemet, there were advancements
in constructing permanent agriculture and farm
settlements, which allowed the people’s diet to
consist of nutrients from domesticated animals and
grains. Also, stone and metal tools were in use, and
the construction of baskets, pottery, and weaving
and the tanning of animal skins developed. As
well, burial customs shifted to locating the Dead a
distance from the area of the living, and the spiri-
tual belief inlife after death emerged. An inno-
cence and new human era ushered in the continuing
forward progress of humanity. The Pharaoh’s
white crown was one visual symbol to reflect a
new state and era for humans—a unique and spir-
itual nation had materialized. The white crown on
the head of the Pharaoh encapsulated and symbol-
ized its innocence, its unique spiritual state, and
the rising power of the nation that, in time, would
have its history inscribed in thousands of books in
libraries worldwide, placed in permanent and trav-
eling world-class museum exhibits, and recorded
in the memory of humanity globally.
The zenith of Kemet’s spiritual ascension and
human enlightenment was reflected greatly in
the white monolithic structure that rose from the
Earth and could be seen for miles across the
desert as white-hot sun beamed on it like no other
man-made edifice on the Earth for thousands of
years. In approximately 2550 BC, the masons
and artisans of Kemet encased the most enduring
human-made spiritual structure with brilliantly
polished white granite rock. The newly con-
structed white Pyramid Giza reflected the ascension
of a nation’s engineering and spiritual develop-
ment. The massive white structure for Pharaoh
Khufu consisted of approximately 20 years of
spiritual inspiration, extraordinary engineering
and construction, exceptional artistic creativity,
and a dedicated labor force. The material for the
great white Pyramid Giza for the departed
pharaoh consisted of approximately 2,400,000
large cut granite rocks that ascended 480 feet
and weighed 6,000,000 tons. Still today, human-
ity is in awe of the engineering, size, and spiritu-
ality of the Great Pyramid Giza even stripped of
its brilliant white polished stone casing. When
the Great Pyramid Giza was adorned spiritual
white, Kemet was at a spiritual apex. We can
only dream of the humble, uplifting, and spiri-
tual feeling in our hearts and souls if we could
have stood 700 feet in front of the Great White
Pyramid Giza as it was lit up by the white-hot
sun—7 days after its completion.
A few thousand years from the pinnacle period
in Kemet history (2550 BC) to the traditional
people of central Africa (Lower Congo/Democratic
Republic of the Congo), the color white was used
as a symbolic color language, but in a different
methodology and for different reasons. For exam-
ple, the use of white chalk, clay or powder, and white
cloth and clothing in their rituals and ceremonies
act as social and spiritual catalysts to represent
justice and secret societies initiation, reflect knowl-
edge, invoke healing, and represent symbols of
health, marital harmony, hunting, good luck, war,
and death. White pigment powder was daubed or
poured on people’s black bodies to denote inno-
cence in profane judicial disputes, altercations, and
divorce processes. The whitening of bodies after the
settling of internal disagreements, acts of aggres-
sion, and marriage turmoil impliednot guiltyafter
disputes,beingcorrectafter altercations, andcause
noinjuryafter terminated marriages. Also, the chief
judge during judicial processes is marked with
white chalk to reflect his ability to reason and issue714 White