Shedj-her-kek em Maa-aku-neferu

Abstract

This article examines the findings of a shedj-her-kek analysis of select text in the corpus of DuBois's writings on creative matters. It defines shedj-her-kek — a heuristic concept derived and developed from kemetic lexicon and Dogon episteme—“as a multileveled reading and afrocentric analysis that illuminates and clarifies latent ideas and assumptions within both verbal text and nonverbal forms.” Using new Africological (Africana) terminology, this article situates DuBois as one of several major African creative—intellectuals (to borrow a term from Harold Cruse) to write on “the truly beautiful and morally effective” in the Africana intellectual tradition. It concludes that DuBois has made significant statements on creative matters that fall under several themes comprising his particular creative ideal and developing portrait of the creative—intellectual thought. Moreover, it finds that DuBois's creative ideal has practical implications and value as a point of theoretical departure and analysis of contemporary Africana creative production.