Comments From YouTube Discussion Threads About "Ultra Sheen" & "Afro Sheen" Black Hair Care Products

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series about "Ultra Sheen" and "Afro-Sheen" Black hair care products.
   

This post presents selected comments from various YouTube videos' discussion threads.

These discussion threads are from the YouTube videos that are showcased in Part I of this pancocojams series.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/01/five-videos-of-1970s-television-ads-for.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post showcases five YouTube videos of television ads from "Ultra Sheen" & "Afro- Sheen" Black hair care products. 

That post also includes information and commentary about the cultural impact among Black people of these products.

The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Johnson Product Company for creating, manufacturing, and marketing Ultra Sheen and Afro-Sheen products. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
Additional videos of Ultra Sheen and Afro-Sheen product ads can be found on YouTube.

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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM VARIOUS YOUTUBE VIDEOS ABOUT ULTRA SHEEN & AFRO-SHEEN HAIR CARE PRODUCTS

These discussion threads are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

Discussion thread #1

1. @apexone5502, 2015
"That's is one good looking sister. Very attractive."

**
2.@queenofthemarshmallows2875, 2017
"Why can't we have this anymore?

I had an afro just like this girl and I went to school with it. When I sat down next to a group of black men. they called my a dark african and made fun of me for looking "too african". The afro used to be a symbol of black pride and power, nowadays we have all these black men only praising mix race natural hair and making fun of girls with afro textured hair. Why does everyone want their hair curly?"

**
Reply
3. @KittyGrinder,2019
"Because of European conditioning"

**
Reply
4. @karlar8648, 2019
"You can. Wear it with confidence. Pride. Respect.  I was a teen when this commercial aired.  I went from natural to relxed now back to natural forever.  And do not care what others think."

**
Reply
5. @moriahs2338,2020
"Self hatred has deeply been rooted into black consciousness because of colonization and slavery. Don't care what they say be proud of being black. Women here in DC wear afros all the time and men wear dreads, some people are more conscious than others ."

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Reply
6. @starless1444, 2020
"Your hair is beautiful and I hope you wear it proudly."

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7. @kikikareema5912, 2017
"The only people who wore afros were Beja people in Northeast Africa. West African stretched their hair with thread and used braids and puffs."

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Reply
8. @bapyongukgukguk2352, 2020
"Kiki Kareema  My mom had an afro and she grew up in Ivory Coast (western Africa)"

**
Reply
9. @kikikareema5912, 2020
" BAPYonguk GukGuk  I mean historically."

**
Reply
10. @Purplesunday333, 2020
"our ancestors didn't wear.afros. they wore LOCS, braids, even in Ancient Egypt. make-up was even wore back.then. Ain't nothing new under the sun"

**
11. @TheLeah2344, 2021
"I wish we had a commercial like this now. Black women need to see that our natural hair is beautiful."

**
12. @princessfly11, 2021 
" "Beautiful products for a beautiful people." Awww ♥️"

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Discussion thread #2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwSrMh31yiI&t=1s " Ultra Sheen Products (1971)", published by RetroBlackMedia, April 16, 2013

1.@DJADL2K7, 2018
"it Aired in October 9 1971 The 2nd Episode On Soul Train"

**
Reply
2. @gsnman, 2020
"How cool!"

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3.@SODAQUEENBADDIEDIETSODA14AAC, 2020
"We need these products at the stores again"

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4. @rachelthomas858, 2020
"Ayyyeee!! That's my Aunt Dollbaby on the left!  :))))"

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5.@taniaferjones706, 2023
"IM PROUD TO BE A ULTRA SHEEN BABY...ITS 2023 STILL USE THEIR PRODUCTS😊😊😊😊"

**
6. @deborawalton5787, 2023
"Can't find this product anyway. Was told by the beauty supplies store that the blue one has been discontinued WHY they  are still selling the green one! Help me understand why!"

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Discussion thread #3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHo4UDCABUQ "Afro sheen commercial", published by Damien Sheets, July 16, 2006

1. @rudedog4, 2007
"I remember seeing this every saturday when Soul Train was on."

**
2. @HotRadioDJ, 2007
"That brotha has some tight a** corn-rows! Right On!!! (fist up!)"
-snip-
This is the way that comment was written.

**
3. @NappyDiva,2007
"RIGHTEOUSSSSS!!!!!"

**
4.@briggie28, 2008
"I like dude's braids at 0:23"

**
5.@Cookiec1973,2008
"Wow! Back then a afro was considered cool. Why can't it be like that now???? Such a shame!!"

**
Reply
6. @ketket1, 2008
"who said afros aren't cool now?"

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7. @bebreezy93, 2009
"We can bring that back...we really can.

I think black folk gon start rallin' up because of all these rasicts who are coming out bkuz of Obamas presidency.

That pride is gonna come back..under sad circumstances.

But i wish it will. Ima rock my afro. I think I'd look cute."

**
8. @PHlophe, 2009
"lmao! complete with african drums. this commercial is something lol!"

**
9. @snoops71, 2009
"I remember seeing these Afro sheen commercials during "Soul Train"..."

**
Reply
10. @luisosoriothelionelmessian9845, 2022
"Me Too I'Also Remember Seeing These Afro Sheen Commercial During Soul Train in Puerto Rico Spanish Version for The Commercial Translators Located At Department Of Education in San Juan,Puerto Rico I'See it in 1980 On WKBM TV Channel 11 in Caguas,San Juan,Puerto Rico Now The Rebranded 2nd Generation TeleOnce Vívelo ⚽🇵🇷"

**
11. @poke97, 2009
"ha this a cool commercial. I have an afro glad i have one!"

**
12. @Cathalain, 2009
"lmao, that guy has it goin' on with the braids"

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13. @880166, 2009
"@Cathain78  What they mean by  in the "natural World" is reffering to those who where their hair in it's natural state meaning their natural hair texture not chemically treated/altered hair...relaxers ,perms etc."

**
12. @Calinks, 2009
"Damn, I didn't know they were doing cornrows up like that back in the 70's!"

**
Reply
13. @Acire30, 2010
"@Calinks  Try Hair braiding is at least 5000 years old, if not older. Hair braiding in Africa can be traced back as far as 3500 BCE. It has been a large part of many cultures all around the world including Africa,"

**
Reply
14.@srecar6, 2010
"@Calinks yea some grew it naturally but most braided it and than unbraided it like after two weeks you know just to keep up with the times it was like the more hair you had the more black and hip you was blood"
-snip-
I believe that the word "blood" in that last sentence is supposed to be an informal referent for another Black person like the word "bruh".

**
Reply
15. @shmuli9, 2010
"@Calinks Of course!  Though I suppose it didn't become popularly known amongst white people until Bo Derek had her hair done like this in "10", a movie form 1980.  The phrase "24/7", jazz, cake walks, and so many other things weren't known generally until YEARS after they were already popular in black culture."

**
16. @Cookiec1973,2009
"O, ok. Those ppl claiming hateful things about our hair our just plain ignorant! Sad, sad ppl, really."
-snip-
This comment refers to lots of negative comments about Black people's hair that are found in that discussion thread.

**
17. @Phillie103, 2011
"omg. The box is ridiculous. Who has afros like that anymore>"

**
Reply
18. @MsThriller2009,2017
"Phillie103 i do 💂" 

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19.@ubiquitousfacts, 2011
"Let's bring the fro back again, okay? I'm wearing one today."

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20. @chimptor50, 2011
"I'm ruff and tuff with my Afro puffs!"

**
Reply
21. @mochafiend1, 2020
"Rock on, with ya bad self! LOL."

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22.@tsukune54321, 2013
"Its started to make a comeback"

**
23. @dc4ever967,2013
"it weird seeing that guy with braids i didnt know they wear braids back then"

**
24. @talesia, 2013
"Yes I remember my big brothers girlfriend braiding his hair like that while sitting on the front porch and watching the action in the hood back in the day. :>)"

**
25. @legacyrobertson6483, 2015
"ahhhhhhhh Memories I remember my afro was always Poppin Can Ya Dig That"
-snip-
"Poppin" is a now retired (seldom if ever used) African American Vernacular English term that meant "looking very good". "Can you dig it" is a mostly retired African American Vernacular English term that means "Do you understand me?", "Do you agree with me?", "Do you hear what I'm saying?".  

**
26. @simplyjuannie5128, 2021
"Cornrows on men were in style back then?"

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Discussion thread #4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFN8kspRUf0 , Ultra Sheen Hair care Products ad (1977), published by RetroBlackMedia, October 1, 2016

1. @SoSoPrettyMS21, 2016
"This commercial gave me all kinds of life!"

**
2. @petertownsend2255, 2020
"I LOOKED FOR THIS COMMERCIAL FOR AGES OH MY GOSH...I remember watching this as a child on TV in Jamaica"

**
3. @ccth22, 2020
"The interesting thing is these commercials influenced young brothers as well. Because as a kid it made me want to wear a tie and treat A girl like I would see guys in the commercial. These ads were influential. So now they promote pants hanging down below their knees and bad grammar"

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4.@BoyTheBlack, 2021
"I would only see this commercial on Saturday nights at 10:30  while watching Soul Train..."

**
5. @missj1154, 2022
"Ultra Sheen hair Grease and Satin creme press please come back"

**
Reply
6. @amyb7420, 2022
"Ikr and for a reasonable price"

**
Reply
7. @missj1154, 2022
" AMY B  Well i found the Blue and Green Hair grease at a Beauty supply store where i live for 4.00 the satin cream press i had to buy off amazon for $23.00"

**
8. @DJones-xw7go,2022
"Where is it sold nowadays I still use this and I can’t find the pressing cream no where 🧐"

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9. @chaunceyevans5896, 2022
"Very Handsome Man and very beautiful lady"

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Discussion thread #5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxL8R1Atup4&t=1s "Afro Sheen ad" (1978), published by RetroBlackMedia, October 1, 2016

1. @DavidRichardson95, 2017
"They need to bring these types of commercials back."

Reply
2. @ElizabethzW, 2018
"The self hating and racists would have an fit."

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3. @moyahilton, 2017
"slayyy"

**
4. @neptunemoon6644, 2018
"SHE GOT BARRRRRRRRRZ!!!! 😂😂😂😂😂"

**
Reply
5. @carmikuntis8607, 2018
"Right before Rappers Delight 😂😂"

**
Reply
6. @blusky8344, 2021
"My sista!!! Use the Sheen, keeping our hair Clean when we step out on the Scene if you know what I Mean...Right On Right On..."
-snip-
This is part of the rapping words of this ad.

 **
7. @mikaelaburrell1655, 2018
"The third and fourth hairstyle looks soo pretty it was really kinky and thick 🙌🏾🙌🏾"

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8. @user-eh1ku3id7s, 2018
"That was awesome"

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9. @Indiegirl007, 2018
"This was out of sight."

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10. @schmootheonly, 2018
"That second style needs to come back"

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11. @keishajohson2852, 2019
"I miss this looking at black commercials growing up and watching them with my oldest baby this made me proud to be a black woman"

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12. @victornewman06, 2019
"Outta sight!  Can you dig it?"

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13. @Chocolatetv2011, 2019
"That corn row side ponytail was super cute 😍"

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14. @carlosbrown9302, 2019
"Back when black women had there own hair no weaves"

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Reply
15. @Dumbbitchjoy, 2021
"Actually it was black women that was wearing wigs back then,my grandma was one of them after trying to get a perm.Not saying I disagree cause most black women back there was wearing their natural hair more then today.I wear my natural hair but I straighten my hair with heat but it was black women that was wearing wigs back then"

**
16. @karlar8648, 2019
"Darn shame i remember the words to this."

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17. @MsTexas73, 2019
"They need to bring Afro Sheen back."

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18. @vintage1950, 2020
"We never had adverts like this on U.K. TV. Not even now do we have Afro products advertising"

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19. @MrIrrepressible, 2020
"My goodness, black women with long afros are so beauitful.....can't beat God's design"

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20. @jammadamma, 2021
"JUST LET YOUR SOOOOOOOUL GLO! GET IT OH SO SILKY SMOOTH! JUST LET YOUR SOOOOOOOOOOUL GLO BABY"
-snip-
The reference to "Let your "Soul Glow" is the jingle that was used for the hair care product in Eddie Murphy's "Coming To America" movie. However, the fictional "Soul Glow" product in that movie was probably a parody of Jheri curl products. Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jheri_curl  for information about Jheri curls.

**
21. @vintage1950, 2021
"We never had adverts like this on U.K. TV. Not even now do we have Afro products advertising"

 **
22. @tavi5841, 2021
"The amount of seasoning this commercial has"
-snip-
Food with a lot of seasoning" is the opposite of food tasting "bland." Therefore, a commercial that is well seasoned is one that isn't bland. This use of the word "seasoning" to refer to a commercial about Black culture positively reinforces the idea that Black people are good cooks because we know how to add seasoning to our food in contrast with some non-Black people.
**
23. @cazprescott9, 2021
"Those were the days. It took me decades before I knew what a blowout kit was. A low strength relaxer. We used Ultra Sheen more than Afro Sheen, but they were both part of our family hair care supplies. Best Black owned biz ads, too."

**
24. @LANORDA9, 2021
"Gorgeous hair, and I love the styles"

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25. @latriceprice6426,2023
"😂😂I memorized this WHOLE commercial and did it with foiled covered products for a class project!! The applause was very satisfying  😌"

****
This concludes Part II of this two part pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Five Videos Of 1970s Television Ads For "Ultra Sheen" & "Afro-Sheen" Black Hair Care Products

RetroBlackMedia, Sep 20, 2010

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series about "Ultra Sheen" and "Afro-Sheen" Black hair care products.
   
This pancocojams post showcases five YouTube videos of television ads from "Ultra Sheen" & "Afro- Sheen" Black hair care products. 

This post also includes information and commentary about the cultural impact among Black people of these products.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/01/comments-from-youtube-discussion.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post presents selected comments from various YouTube videos' discussion threads. 

The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Johnson Product Company for creating, manufacturing, and marketing Ultra Sheen and Afro-Sheen products. Thanks to all those who were associated with these ads, and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to all those who published these ads on YouTube.  

****
INFORMATION ABOUT ULTRA SHEEN & AFRO-SHEEN
Excerpt #1
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnson_Products_Company
"Not to be confused with Johnson & Johnson or S.C. Johnson.

Johnson Products Company (JPC) is a privately held American business based in Chicago, Illinois. It is best known for manufacturing a line of hair care and cosmetic products for African American consumers under the names Afro Sheen and Ultra Sheen. The company was a longtime sponsor of the syndicated US television dance show Soul Train until that program's cancellation.

History

In 1954, salesman George E. Johnson, Sr., his wife Joan Johnson, and a barber who later left the company formed what would become Johnson Products with a $250 loan.[1][2] The company produced Ultra Wave, a hair relaxer aimed at men that George developed while at Fuller Products, an African American cosmetics company.[1][3] The product was sold in Chicago, Harlem and other African American neighborhoods of New York City to barbers.[3]

Joan repositioned the product in 1957 as Ultra Sheen and marketed it to women.[1][4] The product was aimed at African American women who straightened their hair to eliminate the need to use a hot comb, grease, and frequent trips to the beauty shop.[1][3] By the 1960s had an estimated 80 percent of the black hair-care market and annual sales of $12.6 million by 1970.[1] In 1971, JPC went public and was the first African American owned company to trade on the American Stock Exchange.[1][5]

The company's most well-known product was Afro Sheen for natural hair when afros became popular.[2][4] Marketing for the product featured slogans that encouraged racial pride, as embodied by the "Black is beautiful" movement.[6] These slogans included "Natural Hair hangs out. Beautiful!" and "soul food for the natural."[7] In 1971, JPC began sponsoring Soul Train. The sponsorship helped the program grow from a local show to a nationally syndicated cultural icon, making JPC the first African American company to sponsor a national television program.[3][8]"...

****
Excerpt #2
From https://andscape.com/features/hair-care-pioneer-joan-johnson-made-ultra-sheen-afro-sheen-and-ultra-sheen-cosmetics-a-feature-of-black-identity/ By Lonnae O'Neal, September 10, 2019

Hair care pioneer Joan Johnson made ‘Ultra Sheen, Afro Sheen and Ultra Sheen cosmetics’ a feature of black identity

Her company sold an uplifting version of black hair care — by any product necessary

 It was the product itself, the not-too-heavy blue grease (or green if you needed the extra dry formula) that had one job — to manage (lay down, wave up, detangle and shine) black hair — and always did what it was supposed to do. It became baked into the daily grooming rituals of my childhood in a way that made it a totem for an era. A pre-gentrification, get-your-education, no-frills time when black people needed neatness, at a minimum, at an accessible price point. It was a tool, rather than a status product, which distinguished it from the fancier, more self-important black hair care lines that followed — especially when white companies moved into the lucrative black hair care market they’d long ignored.

[…]

The company’s product line also included other hair care and grooming products. Johnson Products sponsored the syndicated dance program Soul Train, and a huge swath of black America will remember the line “ … makers of Ultra Sheen, Afro Sheen and Ultra Sheen Cosmetics,” voiced by Soul Train host Don Cornelius, for the rest of our lives.”

[…]

“I also remember the joy of putting the sheen on your Afro,” said Lonnie G. Bunch III, who is likely the first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution to have ever voiced that particular recollection. He met Joan and George Johnson when he was president of the Chicago Historical Society, and they talked about the power of those weekly Soul Train plugs. “In a way, the Johnsons captured the tenor of the time and used that desire to express one’s blackness as a key to their marketing strategy,” he said. “Whenever I think about the commercials, I smile and recall a time when we were all discovering our blackness.”

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ADDITIONAL VIDEOS
These videos are presented in chronological order, based on the year that the ad was first aired.*

I don't know the year Showcase video #1 was first aired.

SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Ultra Sheen Products (1971)

Retro Black Media, April 16, 2013

Here's Sunni (?) promoting Ultra Sheen Products with S.T.'s Gang Beverly and Lena.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 - Afro Sheen Commercial 

Damian Sheets, Jun 16, 2006

159,147 views • Jun 16, 2006

This an old ad for afro sheen back in the 70's,I think. -snip- Another video of this same ad gives "1975" as the date that it was first aired.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #4 - Ultra Sheen Hair care Products ad (1977)

RetroBlackMedia, Oct 1, 2016

****

SHOWCASE VIDEO #5 - Afro Sheen ad

RetroBlackMedia, Oct 1, 2016

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This concludes Part I of this two part pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Two YouTube Videos Of The Beja People Of Sudan: The African Population That Is Referred To In Rudyard Kipling's 1892 Poem "Fuzzy -Wuzzy"

Hometeam History, April 6, 2020

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series about the term "Fuzzy-Wuzzy".

This post showcases two YouTube videos of the Beja people of Sudan, North Africa. Some information about the Beja people is included in this pancocojams post along with selected comments from those videos' discussion threads.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-racist-source-of-british-tongue.html  for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post showcases a sound file of a Farnham Town Crier reciting the 19th century poem entitled "Fuzzy Wuzzy" . That composition was  written by English poet Rudyard Kipling. "Fuzzy Wuzzy" was a nickname that British colonial soldiers coined as a referent for the Beja people who they fought in two battles in the Sudan, North Africa in 1884 and 1885. Information about Kipling's composition and the words to that poem are also included in this pancocojams post. 

A YouTube video of the tongue twister titled "Fuzzy Wuzzy Was A Bear" whose author is unknown is also included in this post, along with the words to that composition and brief notes about it.

The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, and educational purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the Beja people who are featured in these videos and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE BEJA  PEOPLE 

Excerpt #1
From http://orvillejenkins.com/profiles/beja.html "Profile of the Beja People of Sudan"

[Pancocojams Editor's Note:
This "Identity" section in this excerpt contains descriptions that I believe are insensitive if not racist.]  

"Location:

The name Beja is applied to a grouping of Muslim peoples speaking dialects of a Cushitic language called Beja, and living in Sudan, Eritrea and Egypt.  They are traditionally pastoral people whose territory covers some 110,000 square miles in the extreme northeast of Sudan.

History:

Many scholars believe the Beja to be derived from early Egyptians because of their language and physical features.  They are the indigenous people of this area, and we first know of them in historical references in the Sixth Dynasty of ancient Egypt.  Over the centuries, they had contact and some influence from Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Turks.

A few Beja became Christians in the sixth century.  The southern Beja were part of the Christian Kingdom of Axum centered in what is now southern Eritrea and northern Ethiopia.  Although never completely conquered by a foreign power, the Beja in the 15th century were absorbed into Islam by marriages and trading contacts with nearby Arab tribes.

In the seventeenth century they expanded farther south seeking better pastures and conquering other peoples along the way.  By the 18th century, the Hadendowa Beja were the dominant people of eastern Sudan.

There has never been an official census in Ethiopia/Eritrea, so figures are estimates from various field sources, notably published anthropologists.  Uncertain data indicates there may be as many as 2,300,000 people total who speak the Beja language and identify themselves as Beja. The name Beja is form Arabic. The language name is Bedawiyet, also an Arabic name, related to the word Bedouin. A large number of the Beja speak Sudanese Arabic as a mother tongue.

Our figures estimate Beja speakers at about 107,000 in Eritrea, about 60,000 in Egypt and 2,134,000 in Sudan.  It appears there are approximately 99,000 Beni-Amer speakers of Tigre. The total number of all Beja people in Eritrea speaking Beja or Tigre appears to be about 206,000.  Some estimates are higher than 500,000.

All the Beja peoples, by our more conservative estimates, number 2,540,315.

Identity:

The Beja people are an ancient Cushitic people closely kin to the ancient Egyptians, who have lived in the desert between the Nile river and the Red Sea since at least 25000 BC.  Various Beja groups have intermarried with Arab or southern (dark) Cushites over the centuries.  All the dialects are mutually intelligible.  Some speakers are bilingual in Arabic or Tigre (Ethnologue).  There are perhaps 100,000 or more who are Beja socially and culturally, but who speak Tigre.

They are sometimes aloof, withdrawn, aggressive and warlike. The Beja have a uniquely huge crown of fuzzy hair, first recorded in Egyptian rock paintings (circa B.C. 2000).  Rudyard Kipling gave them the famous name "the Fuzzy Wuzzies."  Kipling was specifically referring to the Hadendowa, who fought the British, supporting the "Mahdi," a Sudanese leader of a rebellion against the Turkish rule administered by the British.

In this war the Bisharin and Amarar section of the Beja sided with the British, while the Hadendowa gained fame for defeating the British in two battles.  The Hadendowa are thought to be the only traditional warriors who were able to break a British army "square" armed with modern weapons.  In World War II the Hadendowa allied themselves with the British against the Italians who were supported by the Beni-Amer and other Tigre-speaking people."...

****

Excerpt #2
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beja_people
"The Beja are traditionally Cushitic-speaking pastoral nomads native to northeast Africa, referred to as Blemmyes in ancient texts. The geographer Abu Nasr Mutahhar al-Maqdisi wrote in the tenth century that the Beja were at that time Christians.[13] Beja territories in the Eastern desert were conquered and vassalised by the Kingdom of Aksum in the third century.[14] The historian Al-Yaqubi documented five Beja Kingdoms in the 9th century. Originally, the Beja did not speak Arabic, however the migration of the numerous Arab tribes of Juhaynah, Mudar, Rabi'a, and many more to the Beja areas contributed to the Arabization and Islamization of them,[7][10] however the Arabs did not fully settle in the Beja areas as they looked for better climate in other areas.[10] The Beja have partially mixed with Arabs through intermarriages over the centuries,[10] and by the 15th century, the Beja were Islamized.[10] The Balaw of the southern Red Sea coast may have come from the mixing of people from the Arab Peninsula and Beja people, but there has been significant historical dispute on this matter.[15] The Hadendoa Beja by the 18th century dominated much of eastern Sudan. In the Mahdist War of the 1880s to 1890s, the Beja fought on both sides, the Hadendoa siding with the Mahdist troops, while the Bisharin and Amarar tribes sided with the British,[16] and some Beni Amer - a subset of the Beja who live largely in Eritrea sided with the Ethiopian Ras Alula in certain battles, such as Kufit.[17]

[...]

Names

The Beja have been named "Blemmyes" in Roman times,[18] Bəga in Aksumite inscriptions in Ge'ez,[19] and "Fuzzy-Wuzzy" by Rudyard Kipling. Kipling was specifically referring to the Hadendoa, who fought the British, supporting the Mahdi, the Sudanese leader of the war against Turkish-Egyptian rule, supported by the British Imperial administration.[16]

[...]

Subdivisions

The Bejas are divided into clans. These lineages include the Bisharin, Hedareb, Hadendowa (or Hadendoa), the Amarar (or Amar'ar), Beni-Amer, Hallenga, Habab, Belin and Hamran, some of whom are partly mixed with Bedouins in the east.[citation needed]

Beja society was traditionally organized into independent kingdoms. According to Al-Yaqubi, there were six such Beja polities that existed between Aswan and Massawa during the 9th century. Among these were the Kingdom of Bazin, Kingdom of Belgin, Kingdom of Jarin, Kingdom of Nagash, Kingdom of Qita'a and Kingdom of Tankish.[23]".

****

SELECTED COMMENTS FROM SHOWCASE VIDEO #1

Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.

1. @MsAfricanbeauty100, 2020
"My mother’s people :)Nicely done.

Peace"

**
2. @themessis2much632, 2020
"I’m 100% beja, my great grandfather helped fight off the British when they attacked my people. They made a poem about the war called fuzzy wuzzy by Kipling."

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3. @josephmccall5308, 2020
"Brother once again good video but the first appearance of beja people is on the wall of Egyptian temples and tombs you can see beja doing the same greetings as most Sudanese people which is to put the hand on your brother's shoulder when greetings them if you go too Eid or just be around Sudanese men you will see this traditional greetings"

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4. @guleddualeh, 2020
"Beja society was never matrilineal, they always patrilineal even In their pre Islamic history hence why tribes like the Beni Amir and Habab who are Tigre speakers exist was because of Axumite mother and a Beja father created those tribes and Axum is 3rd century before Beja had islam and way before the 15 century like u claimed where Bejas “became patrilineal”. Nubians took the last name and tribe of their mothers before they became patrilineal not Bejas.

Second Bejas were never dominated by Arabs in their history nor were they forced to convert to Islam, Bejas are one of the earliest tribes along with Afars that became Muslim before there was even a “Muslim world” in the gulf states. Bejas don’t consider themselves Arabs nor close to Arabs either. there’s literally a customary law in Beja society that lifts our native languages first and foremost before Arabic. And there were some Beja tribes in history that considered themselves “Arab Bejas” and we’re slowly becoming Arabized 

the Bejas from the hadandowa tribe captured and enslaved those Bejas In large numbers and did public executions on them. This event happened under the Mahadist movement where The Hadandawa were gathering other Beja tribes across east Sudan and parts of Eritrea to join and fight the Egyptians. Even the serf system Bejas had where they had tribes of other origins were forced to let the serfs go and identify as Beja to strengthen the tribe and numbers, the Halenga which were Tigrinyas and etc etc which went from serf to being part of the 11 tribes of Beja federation. There were some small Beja subtribes that  were disloyal to the cause and identified as “Arab Bejas” and wanted no parts in the war. They were punished publicly by Hadandawa it was either join or become a slave or die there didnt want neutrality. 

The Only people in Sudan that are considered Arabs are the north central Nubians that adopted Arabic as their mother tongue, the rest identify as native Africans. This vid minimized the glorious history of Beja as some random Arabized Islamic tribe when Beja history is from Axum, Beja empire, Bahri Nagash, Ancient Nubia, Ancient Egypt(Kemet), the list is endless of what you could’ve chose to discuss about this glorious tribe and their history. This vid did not do the Beja people and their beautiful legacy any justice at all"
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I reformatted this comment to enhance its readability.

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5. @ApstleofJC1, 2020
"I've found that there are many historical things not discussed in totality (e.g. the link of the Beja to Pharoahs and the general population of Egypt and not just mercenaries; much like the link of the Beja to the Taureg and "Berber" dynasties).

Just like anywhere else, there are tribes that had varying historical interactions that not everyone knows. The Beja lived all over that region not just in the modern day location. This occurred primarily through colonialism. To put it into context, Sudan was Egypt until ~1920AD. That means, the Sudanese were called Egyptians prior to that. W. Africa was called Sudan during that time.

A lot of information available is written from colonialism's perspective. Don't forget that people were pushed out when they built the Aswan Dam. In another video, he correctly pointed out that various people groups were put under the "Nubian" moniker. I grew up thinking the Beja were Nubian (by implication: not Egyptian). I was corrected by an elder of the Beja."

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6. @azakzaak1691, 2020
"Beja people are authentic and the origin of the cushitic people. They also speak arabic because they coexisted with arab tribes surrounding the red sea since early start (3000 years ago) when afroasiatic peoples a splintered into different branches of the language family. Some headed south into present day horn of africa ethiopia, eritrea and Somalia. Some Beja clans remained in Egypt/Sudan area."

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7. @Daguitardoctor, 2020

"Osman digna was the most notable beja ( Hadandawa ) He had a magnificent military mind and was a commander in the Mehidi army against the British rule . Also Most famous for breaking the  british military square, if your not much of a reader , glimpses of the story is shown in the movie " The four feathers" "

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8. @misiparham1457, 2020
"I’m of toubou and beja . My mom  always told me we were Cushitic .   I don’t claim being Arab because they don’t consider us real Arabs ."

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9.@filsdusahara579, 2021
"I'm toubou were ar you from me I from France

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10. @y4ska37, 2022
"Yeah u r cushutic be proud

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11. @aminahmed2189, 2022
"I am from Sudan, and I disagree with you on one thing. The Beja don't claim or associate themselves as Arab. They claim themselves as Beja and are proud of that, and obviously they should be proud as they have a very deep culture and history. Also, the leader of the Mahdis forces in the late 19th century was called Osman Digna and his forces crushed the British in the famous Suakin battle.

Respect to your channel and keep up the good work."

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12. @mahadomar9006, 2021
"Beja is Somalis tribe or cushite people not Arab..don't disguide history..orwmo.somali .afar .beja.and others tribe have same root father cushi.anceint Egyptian..old somalids..dadkii firfircona..or pharaoh are somalias..."

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13. @mamukkeleta3744, 2022
"@mahadomar9006  eritrean people have from beja even mine it might be i could have beja blood line, becuse beja is originally from south egypt,so beja was one of Egyptian civilization, so all the mummies queen from phoron they might be beja people, so all the red sea from egypy to djoubti was under beja kingdom i think🤔🤔🤔, even eritrean and Ethopian our present day language driven from geez which beja language. That why eritrean geez language is one of few language they  have words alphabet.it can write with it own alphabet✊️, so beja one of the oldest and the best civilization and people in africa which thier descendants of South Egypt.."

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14. @DiDi-hp2qq, 2022
"@mahadomar9006  Beja not Somali. We are from 🇸🇩🇪🇬🇪🇷 and Beja have no commonality or relation to Afar&Oromo."

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15. @Schopenhappy, 2022
"@DiDi-hp2qq  Commonalities can be seen with language family and genetics. Beja, Oromo, Somali and Afar all share a lot of ancestry and all speak Cushitic languages."

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16. @EritreanGamerOfficial, 2021
"my mother is Beja from the habab tribe in Eritrea. I understand the tigre language and my main language is Arabic."

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17. @kemalemy3158, 2021
"😂😂😂😂😂where is your main language arab"

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18. @EritreanGamerOfficial, 2021
"@kemalemy3158  what’s funny about that?

Both of my parents grew up in Sudan so their main language is Arabic."

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19. @kemalemy3158, 2021
"Blina09 No, your parents may speak Arabic, but they are not Arabs at all"

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20. @kemalemy3158, 2021
"Blina09 The Habab  Eritrea tribe is a Tigrin tribe originally before it converted from Christianity to Islam"

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21. @EritreanGamerOfficial,2021
"@kemalemy3158  i know all of this. I never said we were arab lol. Why did u imagine that?"

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22. @bemnet27, 2021
"Beja indeed speaks Tigre in Eritrea but the majority are Bedouin. We do share some culture especially their dance " Serra" is beautiful."

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SHOWCASE VIDEO 2 -  The Beja People - Egypt North Africa 🇪🇬 🇸🇩 🇪🇷

Afric Network, June 26, 2022 

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Here are a few comments from this video's discussion thread. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.

1. @AfricNetwork_,2022
"The Beja are associated with their hair & Warrior prowess.  You might agree or disagree with lifestyles, but the people still remain"

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2. @1gem116, 2022
"The beja are very good peope, I know some beja in ethiopia and eritrea. They are very kind and inviting but do not cross them."

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3. EritreanKing007, 2023
"There are not Beja in Ethiopia, but only in Sudan, Eritrea and Egypt."

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4. @zenqx4242, 2023
"@EritreanKing007  Tigrinya people came from the beja people"

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5. @naturallybeautiful1344, 2023
"@zenqx4242  u right I’m beja, tigre. We are in Eritrea, north of Ethiopia and eastern Sudan, also we are the indigenous of Egypt"

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6. @TrissTess69, 2022
"Original people of Ancient Egypt !"

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7. @alexweshmshmarwe4732, 2022
"There is so called Beja Land in north Ethiopia!!!"

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8.@makkonen0, 2022
"Southern Beja speak Tigrinya as well."

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9. @EritreanKing007, 2023
"@makkonen0  They speak Tigre/Tigrayeet and Bedawiyeet but not Tigrinya."

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10. @isaiahmichael4450, 2023
" @EritreanKing007  I'm tigrinya from Eritrea and my family is from the beja tribe (deki below)."

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