Memorialize Our Ancestors!
Very few historians or educators measure up even remotely to the esteem reserved to Dr. John Henrik Clarke. The master teacher, a shining example of the African potential came to us on January 1, 1915 in Union Springs, Alabama, USA. Today the day of his ascension, July 16th we will we honor the life, heritage and legacy of the late great elder.
Dr. Clarke was characteristically eloquent, astute and unapologetic especially when presenting his research & educating the people who needed his sage like wisdom. Obscured like many of our great African historians, you’ll probably never hear about him where any conventional or major media outlet is concerned. Ironically, because his profound African view of history and the overwhelming evidence he used to shed light matters of history are alarmingly obvious once brought to light.
Thoroughness, was a staple of Dr. Clarke, the man was a literal walking encyclopedia. So detailed and referenced were his work in fact that while as a teaching at Hunter College & Cornell University, the Schomburg Center for research requested copies of his material & notes.
Dr. Clarke has literally contributed to the world-leading cultural institution devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences. His complete works include over 10 authored books, some co-written with the credible scholars the likes of Yosef Ben-Jochannan & Runoko Rashidi (Links to purchase the books provided below).
His most recognized work is Christopher Columbus and the Afrikan Holocaust: Slavery and the Rise of European Capitalism, in the masterpiece he takes a magnifying glass to the Golden age of Europe. He puts this historical period, commonly known as the “slave trade” and known for the vilest forced migration in history as the “Middle Passage,” under the scrutinous eye of truth to the point of setting the record straight on this deplorable time of false heroes, embezzling religions, depraved liars & conquistadors rapists.
In this excellently written book Dr. Clarke also gave African’s a global mission, a sacred mission that we are all to memorialize the 600 million African souls lost during the atrocity of
“History is not everything, but it is a starting point. History is a clock that people use to tell their political and cultural time of day. It is a compass they use to find themselves on the map of human geography. It tells them where they are but, more importantly, what they must be.”
-Dr. John Henrik Clarke
What You Should Know About Remembering The Middle Passage As The African Holocaust
Well for starters, Christopher Columbus was by no stretch of the imagination a “discover” more of a human trafficker but he did set the framework for a political movement into a global system of exploitation, genocide and a renewed western racism resulting in European world domination.
Travelers from the empire of Mali in the 1300’s reported the King of Mali detailing of two expeditions each with hundreds of ships across the Atlantic, along with other historical records suggesting as many as twenty contacts and sighting before Columbus, including probable contact from the Chinese and the Vikings.
Why then is Columbus’ voyage considered the “first encounter” between the “New World and the Old World”
“For the modern ruling classes, the important point is not the actual contact between peoples- it is the world-historic growth of capitalism in Europe made possible by the plunder of the Americas…That did not start before Columbus” John Henrik Clarke, Christopher Columbus and the Afrikan Holocaust: Slavery and the Rise of European Capitalism (Eworld Inc., 1994)
Rarely, if dare I say ever are the conditions of Europe prior to the Middle Passage brought under scrutiny for examination. The deception is that Europe was already in the stages of advancing into a respectable world culture, which is absolutely false. Europe was just getting out of the Middle Ages, a time that had been marked with famine, plagues, feudalism, tribal warfare and heavy taxation from the Catholic church.
Europe had been thrust into the Middle Ages around 700 A.D. when Arabs destroyed the European market and drove them from the Mediterranean. Europe was trying to get a foothold, around 1415 A.D. the Portuguese found one in a small island off of Northwestern Africa called Ceuta and began to access the Mediterranean once again.
The control of Spain, at the time ruled by Africans and Arabs collectively referred to as Moors, began to weaken over disputes over ideologies over women and Islam, while distracted the Moors were pushed out of Spain and Isabella and Ferdinand unified the country under Catholicism. It was at this turning point Spain and Portugal would receive a papal bull the literal pope’s blessing and were “authorized to reduce to servitude all infidel people.”
How Taking A Moment Out Of Each Day To Thank Your Ancestors Can Stop You R Cultural Annihilation
The time is long overdue when we should let the world know that we erected and enjoyed the benefits of a splendid civilization long before the people of Europe had a written language
-Dr. John Henrik Clarke
While the European’s perfected and finalized their method of operation concerning everything. Prior to the kidnapping, separation and displacement of millions of our African ancestors, we were just minding our own business. Building empires, doing brain surgery, being friendly, singing, seasoning our foods (thanks) you know typical African stuff.
Dr. Clarke surmises that African people have had three Golden Ages (two of which rose in fell before Europe was even functional) and are due for a fourth. He speaks of Africa’s age of Grandeur referring to the expansive state and empire-building in the Western Sudan.
All of us are familiar with Egypt and the Nile River, established academia has tried for years to deny that the land of Kmt, known today as the greater Nile Valley culture was not African. I always wondered how one could see that the country is blatantly on the Continent. Anyway this culture was gave us the father of medicine Imhotep, the methods he used in erecting the step pyramid of Sakkarah also revolutionized architecture in the ancient world.
Ghana was known as the Gold Coast, a natural attraction for Arabs and Europeans. The political and social climate back around 1062 A.D. was comparable to the best empires and kingdoms in Europe at the time and stood ready for action with the military might of 200,000 men, described as “The greatest Kingdom of the Blacks”
Timbuktoo stood as the intellectual and economical hub of the Songhai Empire, state building, commerce, trade all thrived because of the trans-Saharan trade. Here African scholars flocked to the educational capital of the Western Sudan, the University of Sankore
The wealthiest man in world to date while adjusting for inflation, is not Elon Musk but the famous Emperor of Mali, Mansa Musa who traveling to Mecca in 1324 carried an entourage of 60,000 people, including 1200 servants, five hundred bondsmen carrying a solid block of Gold and 240 camels carrying 2,400 pounds of gold.
Just to say, when the good ship jesus came around, wasn’t holding any “slaves” but held, doctors, lawyers, mathematicians, merchants, sailors, scientists, nurses, kings, queens, teachers and students.
“I began to suspect at this early age that someone had distorted the image of my people. My long search for the true history of African people the world over began.”
-Dr. John Henrik Clark
Residual damage of Middle Passage has done more to us on a cellular level as African’s than, any race, religion, creed, hell lets be honest sometimes ourselves included would care to admit. But we live with the trauma, whether we are consciously aware or not, we deal with the European mentality day to day.
To remember is a very heavy weight. Yet acting like the nightmare was just some far removed event that our Great-great or how many removed relatives experienced, thinking there are no implications to our lives in this very moment is hubris, the pride before the evitable fall.
We need to individually find a way to honor our ancestors, not at all does it need to be broadcast or made a tv special, or an addition to “black history month” but just for you, just so you know not to forget, so that you learn from those 600,000,000 and counting souls taught you with their lives. Whatever lesson that maybe it’s between us and our ancestors, memorialized in our hearts forever teaching for us to learn. Like the late great Dr. John Henrik Clarke.
Dr. John Henrik Clarke’s Complete Works
- Christopher Columbus and the Afrikan Holocaust: Slavery and the Rise of European Capitalism
- Black American Short Stories: A Century of the Best (American Century Series)
- New dimensions in African history
- Harlem Voices from the Soul of Black America
- world’s great men of color
- Africans at the Crossroads: African World Revolution
- Marcus Garvey and the vision of Africa
- African people in world history
- William Styron’s Nat turner ten black writers respond
- Who Betrayed the African World Revolution and Other Speeches
- My Life in Search of Africa
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