“DAN BROWN NEW MASONIC BOOK: SOLOMON KEY WILL NOT REVEAL ANYTHING NEW”
by:Fahim A. Knight
Dan Brown came to national prominence based on his book titled, “The Da Vinci Code” in which he decodes the symbolism associated with the man known as Jesus the Christ to the western world, but better known in the East as Yeshua Ben Yosef (Jesus the Son of Joseph). The authenticity of Jesus divinity and the misconceptions associated with his earthly existence has been shrouded in secrecy for over 2000 years; in particular how the European Bishops at the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. set up Christianity and mystified the man called Jesus. We have known for a very long time that Jesus was of human extraction and he was married and had children. (Reference: “The Hiram Key” by Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas and “Turning Hiram Key” by Robert Lomas)
Dan Brown’s so-called novel “The Da Vinci Code” only further exposed the erroneous belief that Jesus divinity and celestial persona was all concocted by Constantine and the Roman Catholic Church. The Priory of Sion is a Masonic styled organization and for generations has held the secret that Jesus bloodline was passed down through Mary Magdalene (Perhaps only a Masonic organization could conceal a secret like this for 2000 years) and Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci's masterful piece the last supper depiction of Jesus and his disciples actually shows a woman and some scholars of the Holy Grail maintained that Jesus was intimately involved and married to the biblical Mary Magdalene. “The Da Vince Code” was full of Masonic enigmas and brainteasers. (Reference: “The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown)
Dan Brown strikes me to be an intellectual genius, and yet simultaneously an intellectual coward. This writer believes that he chooses to classify his “non-fiction” works as “fiction” and better yet as novels in order to elude and shirk scholarly requisites associated with nonfiction work as it pertains to meeting the higher standards of evidentiary proof and documentation verification. Moreover, by exposing some of the hidden inner secrets that have been tucked away by the Vatican, Christendom, Freemasonry, etc. Brown’s esoteric revelations (hidden truths) is portrayed by the Hidden Hand as one having a colorful imagination, and in the same breathe dismisses his findings as mere conspiracy theories and the discussion of truth possibilities are strategically relegated to unempirical speculation and the ignorant masses remain confound because they find more credibility in the arch deceivers spin rooms.
The rulers of this world have always been operating off a higher knowledge base, which is covertly communicated and displayed in codes, symbolisms, metaphors, cryptogram, secret language, etc. There is without a doubt that the Founding Fathers of the United States were ignited by the knowledge of Scottish Rite Freemasonry and York Rite Freemasonry in the form of Speculative (philosophical) Freemasonry (although that wisdom and knowledge never exceeded 33rd Degrees) that arrived to Europe from Kemet (Egypt). These so-called enlighten men by embracing Freemasonry delved deeper into the esoteric, occult, metaphysical sciences, etc., which externally transformed itself into mastering the seven liberal arts or sciences that under girds the philosophical foundation of Freemasonry—Grammar, Rhetoric, Logic, Arithmetic, Geometry, Music and Astronomy (the number seven is a Masonic number and in numerology it is interpreted to meaning completion).
Kemet (Egypt) introduced to the world a higher form of creative and intellectual civilization. For example, the building of the Great Pyramid sits on 13 acres of land and in the center of the earth, it took two million five hundred thousands stones to construct the pyramid. Moreover, each stone weighed two and one half tons and the stones were dug from a quarry 800 miles away (some even believe that stones were transported by sound). The scholar Erich Van Danikens in his book titled, “The Chariots of the Gods” maintained that space aliens descended from outer space and they were the ones responsible for constructing these spiritual temples. The ORIGINAL MAN WAS THE FIRST MASTER BUILDER and the secret of the temple still remains a mystery today and the majesty of its architecture is unduplicated.(Reference: “Freemasonry: Ancient Egypt and the Islamic Destiny” by Mustafa El-Amin).
Freemasonry espouses these sciences as building blocks to creating the macrocosm and microcosm universe that exist within and without the human being and the Founding Fathers embraced Freemasonry and stood as the so-called enlighten ones stimulated to lead the uninitiated (those that wallop in “darkness”). The Founding Fathers actually discovered the greatest hidden secret of all times, which is MAN IS GOD AND GOD IS MAN and the Egyptian Mystery Systems taught this reality and on the Temple walls in Kemet (Egypt) the Metu Neter (hieroglyphics) read “MAN KNOW THAT SELF” and next to that understanding, is to know that The SECRET TO FREEMASONRY, IS THERE IS NO SECRET, BECAUSE ALL THAT IS UNDER THE SUN HAS BEEN REVEALED. (Reference: “Stolen Legacy” by George G.M. James).
Freemasonry also teaches the importance of mastering the five sciences of architecture—Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite (viewed in Operative Masonry and worked in Speculative Masonry) these lessons are imparted on the second degree—Fellowcraft level. There is without a doubt that Greece and Rome were fed by Kemet (Egypt) and George G.M. James in his monumental book titled, “Stolen Legacy” thoroughly documents this history. (Reference: “The Lodge and the Craft” by Rollin C. Blackmer).
If Dan Brown truly wants know or solve the mystery to the United States Capital and its Masonic influence, which there is overwhelm evidence that leads to Kemet (Egypt) and the answers to this conundrum can be found right there, in which Freemasonry borrowed over 90 % of it present day ciphers, secret codes, rituals, etc. And the layout of the US Capitol is a miniature duplicate of landmarks found in Kemet (Egypt) before Alexander raided the libraries in Kemet (Egypt) in 332 B.C—Ramsees, Akhenaton, Imhotep, etc., had built a marvelous civilization that even when Count Volney arrived in the late 1700s he was amazed at the Majesty of Sphinx. (Reference: “African Origins of Freemasonry” by Zachary P. Gremillion).
Some scholars argue that the British settlers in 17th Century had been introduced to Freemasonry in England and on the European side, Freemasonry sought of formalized itself in around 1717 and the United Grand Lodge of England was established. Thus, the Masonic influence in the United States was here as early as the 1770 and some scholars maintain that the Boston Tea Party was initiated and instigated by Freemasons which eventually led to the American Revolution (1776). This act of economic and social rebellion aimed at the tyranny of Great Britain set the stage for Freemasons to exert political influence in America for many years to come. There is also a belief that the Illuminati under Adam Weishaupt had co-opted American Freemasonry and some believe a more sinister agenda evolved and the Founding Fathers were under the political influence of this Bavarian secret society. (Reference: “The Meaning of Masonry” by W.L. Wilmshurst).
This writer loves the gamut of literature and has a deep sense of appreciation for fictional writer’s creative, artistic, and imaginable talents to turn words into thought provoking novels, scenes, plots, settings—genre and literary exploring without boundaries or intellectual restraints, fictional writing in one sense is freedom—consisting of no confined limitations or boundaries . Webster’s Dictionary defines the word novel as, “a fictional prose work with a relatively long and often complex plot, usually divided into chapters, in which the story traditionally develops through the thoughts and actions of its characters” And define the word fiction as being “something that is untrue and has been made up to deceive people.”
Dan Brown has the autonomy of writing as a novelist and taking on serious scholarly topics that are ordinarily associated with history, religion and social science, but by classifying his works as fiction; he is not obligatory to meet the scholarly guidelines and requirements of those that write pure history. However, he has strategically given himself room for creative maneuvering which also allows him to hide behind the word “fiction” and more importantly permits him to circumvent the scientific approach to research and stringent required citations constraints, as well as meeting all scholarly objectivity prescribed by the history profession.
Historians and social scientists understand the concept of objectivity and most historians look to peer review in order gather some assessment and general knowledge about how their work is being received by the scholarly experts; because as Historians it is important to know what others think of your work and scholarship, within the historical profession. Those who write and submit scholarly papers and those who author manuscripts are all subject to peer review (positive and negative feedback)
These works like “Da Vinci Code” and “Solomon Key” by mere fictional definition do not have to meet the evaluation, quantitative and empirical academic guidelines ordinarily applied to certain type non-fictional research. But scholars like Dan Brown want it both ways, by writing aspects of legitimate and pure history which is comparative to any historian’s works, but without the benefit of historical critical analysis and review. He’s fully aware by deciding on declaring his works fiction and he doesn’t have to face off with the historians head on and defend the contentions of his theses from the basis of history.
The so-called historians then dismisses the likes of Brown as journalist (arrogantly referring to them as non-historians) with an attempt to diminish their scholarly credibility and in a sense demean them for daring to take on history half-heartily and producing “unscientific” work that is quasi-historical in intent and demeanor. Thus, he just proclaims “fiction” and all academic scrutiny dissipate in midair and he is not obligated to defend his intellectual discourse because he can just hide behind the title fiction. By definition novels do not have to be consistent with the discipline of history in accuracy or truth, as far as, meeting the standards of objectivity that is associated with developing pure empirical historical research that is void of emotionalism. Moreover, having a focus of allowing the data be the guide of the research and the determining factor of how the facts play out and this alone will determine, how the of study of events, persons and dates will be interpreted, documented and recorded as our written testimony.
Dan Brown’s new book that is projected to be in print sometime in December 2008 is titled, “Solomon Key” which he is going to illustrate the Masonic influence; in particular on the Washington, D.C. and the Capitol in general. Many Freemasonry scholars have dealt with this subject on a grand scale. The architecture and the layout of the United States Capitol were physically laid out by Masons.
Allen E. Roberts in his book titled, “The Craft and Its Symbols: Opening the Door to Masonic Symbolism” he reproduces a picture for Acacia Mutual Life Insurance Company it stated, “Shown above (the actual photo depicted in the book) is President George Washington, in full Masonic regalia and surrounded by brother Master Masons, laying the cornerstone of the United States Capitol Building on September 18, 1793. It is believed that during these ceremonies he used the square and level to lay the stone according to traditional Masonic rites. This cornerstone laying is one of the most important events in the history of Masonry in the United States.” (Reference: “The Craft and Its Symbols: Opening the Door to Masonic Symbolism” by Allen Roberts).
The majority of the so-called founding fathers of these United States were Freemasons. For example, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and the Capitol were designed based on construction style and philosophical outlook indigenousness to the East. There appeared a recent article on internet titled, “US Author to Unveil Washington's Masonic Past” authored by Virginie Montet.
The article gives the readers somewhat a prelude to Brown’s book as stated above titled, “Solomon’s Key” stated, “The first US president after whom the city is named, George Washington, was a Mason, as were his fellow founding fathers James Madison and Benjamin Franklin, plus James Hoban, the architect of the White House. The broad steps, stone sphinxes and colonnades of a Masonic temple dominate a corner of 16th Street near the city center -- one of a number of Masonic lodges in the capital -- and just a stone's throw from the White House. Elias cites theories that the city's streets themselves are laid out in the shape of secret Masonic signs. "It may be a coincidence, but there are indications that are difficult to ignore," he said. Establishing the nation's capital, George Washington is said to have demanded that it be laid out in a symbolic square. "It's fascinating. If you take an aerial view of Washington, you cannot but see the perfect square and the compass which are the universal symbols of Freemasonry ... meaning rectitude and equality," he said. "Was it on purpose? I don't know, but I think it's difficult to ignore those mysterious aspects," he added. "It adds another level of mystery to the city of Washington." The shape of a square and compass is also formed by drawing a line on the map between two of the city's major landmarks, the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial, and along the walls of the White House and the Jefferson Memorial.” (Reference: “US Author to Unveil Washington's Masonic Past” by Virginie Montet).
Brown set out to prove that the Capitol from its monuments, architecture style, and the position of certain streets are tied to Masonic occult and esoteric ideology. He was very successful with his book titled, “The Da Vinci Code” and in fact the book ranks number 14 in the history of best sellers all time list. Brown’s book eventually made its way to the big screen and he made a sizable amount of money for that non-fictional novel. But the curator and archivist Mark Talbert for the George Washington Memorial Museum in Alexandra stated that he was anxious about Brown’s new Masonic novel. I have had email contact with Talbert back in the summer in reference to his 5000 Masonic book collection. He stated, “"I'm nervous about it because I don't think he does very good research," Talbert said of Brown and his new book.”But fiction writers are fiction writers.”
Anthony Browder in his book titled, “Nile Valley Contributions to Civilization” he stated, “There are a number of cities and monuments in the United States that were influenced by Nile Valley architecture and symbolism. Probably one of the most easily recognizable symbols can be found in the nation’s capital, Washington, D. C. Of all the monuments that could have been built to honor George Washington, one has to wonder why and obelisk was selected. It is not a structure indigenous to the United States, nor does it represent the cultures of France, Germany, Britain or any other European nation. The obelisk’s relationship to Egypt, Egypt’s relationship to Masonry and Masonry’s relationship to George Washington and the Founding Fathers provides the only logical reason for the selection of the obelisk as a fitting memorial to George Washington.”
Browder goes on to state, “The Washington Monument was completed on December 6, 1888. On that day, a Masonic ceremony was performed to formally dedicate the memorial to George Washington. This structure is 555 feet 5/8 inches and is the tallest obelisk in the world. Current architectural restrictions in the District of Columbia forbid the construction of any building taller than 13 stories. The unique height regulation has been in effect since 1894, when objection was made to the height of the newly completed Cairo apartments and hotel in Northwest Washington.” (Reference: “Nile Valley Contributions to Civilization” by Anthony Browder).
The Capitol City is geographical set-up on the points of the square and compass and we are taught in Masonic History that King Solomon’s so-called Temple had different gates—East, West, South, and North gates. The three conspirators who murdered Grand Master Hiram Abiff tried to bury his body in different parts of the Temple and it was King Solomon who sent trackers out in the four directions to seek and find those responsible for kidnapping Hiram Abiff and disrupting the unfinished work left on the trestle board.
King Solomon was eventually informed that Hiram Abiff was found murdered and buried in a shallow grave. BUT IT WOULD BE KING SOLOMON WHO APPLIED THREE GRIPS AND ON THE THIRD GRIP, HIRAM ABIFF WAS RAISED FROM A DEAD LEVEL. Dan Brown choosing to title his book “Solomon Key” was perhaps based on the essentiality of King Solomon and his KEY role in the modern evolution of Freemasonry and lastly KING SOLOMON gave the Masons the “substitute password” which so-called revived the Craft. There is a lot of allegory in this legend. (Reference: “Who was Hiram Abiff” by JSM Ward).
Ed Decker who authored the book titled, “The Dark Side of Freemasonry” stated, “I discovered in Washington, D.C. that the streets around the White House were laid out by a Masonic Architect, and they are laid out in the form of the Goat of Mendes and compass and square of Freemasonry. The Capitol building and its streets actually form the Goat of Mendes, and the square and compass of Freemasonry intersect the Washington Monument right in dead line with it. The left leg of the Masonic compass sits on top of the White House, and the right leg sits on the Jefferson Memorial.” (Reference: “The Dark Side of Freemasonry” by Ed Decker).
Brown’s proposed new novel “Solomon Key” in order to make a serious impact will have to delve deeper than re-exposing the Masonic Architecture layout of the Capitol because this is erstwhile revelation. For example, why did the so-called Founding Fathers thought it necessary to construct the seat of the United States Government in relationship to Masonic Code? What can we ascertain from these Freemasonic edifices as far as, ideological and philosophical intent of the Founding Fathers?
Browder Stated, “In 1790, a permanent site was chosen for the capital of the new nation. One hundred square miles of rural land from Maryland and Virginia banks of the Potomac River were ceded for the creation of the new Federal City. George Washington was responsible for determining that the new city would be diamond shaped (ten miles on each side) and tipped so as to include as much of the port city of Alexandria as possible. The square shape of the city and the horizontal, vertical, perpendicular, and diagonal streets, along with its many circles, represent just a portion of the Masonic symbolism which went into its creation.”
The Declaration of Independence was inspired by Masonic Free thinkers and the jurisprudence system as well. Paul Foster Case authored the pamphlet titled, “The Great Seal of the United States” stated, “Seven signers of the Declaration of Independence are known to have been Freemasons.Probably there were more, but in those days lodge records were not so carefully kept as now, and research by competent Masonic Scholars has failed to produce adequate evidence to support the claim, sometime advanced, that a majority of the Continental Congress of 1776 were members of the Craft. Yet we know that the great leaders of the Revolution, civil and military, were Freemasons, and many were as prominent in the fraternity as they were in the affairs of the new nation.”
This perhaps got by a lot of people; moreover, at the swearing in of the 109TH United States Congress, Congressman Keith Ellison, Democrat from Minnesota who is Muslim and of the Islamic faith became a lighten rod for controversy. Congressman Ellison desired to be sworn in on the Islamic Holy Book which is the Holy Quran rather than the Christian Holy Bible. The neo-conservatives, Rightwing Christian Evangelist and the Israeli Lobby used media propaganda (electronic and print) to persuade the American people to view Congressman Ellison requested to be sworn-into public office on the Holy Quran as being sinister. He was immediately nabbed as being un-American and it created a false sense of patriotism and the question of First Amendment Rights along with debates relative to the separation of Church and State arose.
It was Congressman Virgil Goode out of 5th Congressional District of Virginia who was leading this charge against Congressman-Elect Ellison and openly condemning the religion of Islam for the problems we are experiencing in the United States. Congressman Goode showed very little religious tolerance for Islam and Ellison, in fact the majority of the Congressman Goode’s remarks were steeped in bigotry, ignorance and misconceptions. Goode’s position was the epitome of political hypocrisy because the majority of his Congressional constituents were Masons and was very familiar with the Holy Quran and they themselves had taken Masonic oaths on the Holy Quran at their Mystic Shrine Temples and the book sits on the alter as part of the GREAT LIGHT.
Also, Congressman Ellison in a sense was no better than his critics; they questioned him on his affiliation with the Nation of Islam as headed by Minister Louis Farrakhan which this writer believes that at some point he was affiliated with the Nation of Islam, but assured his enemies that he was never a part of Farrakhan’s organization. However, this writer thinks he lied about his involvement with Nation of Islam who the Zionist has characterized as an anti-Semitic organization; in order to appease the Zionist Jews who were hot on his political trail he categorically denied any relations to the Nation of Islam.
The majority of yesterday and today’s politicians were/are Freemasons and many of them are HIGH DEGREE MASONS which at the 32nd Degree styled as the Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret and the 33RD Degree styled Sovereign Grand Inspector-General and on the York Rite side the Knights Templar Degree can petition membership into the Mystic Shrine which is based entirely upon Islamic principles and theology. This writer is not going to go to far into this, but the readers can Blog Search an article this author wrote a few months back titled, “Freemasonry (Moslem Sons) and Islam: What do they Share?”
These politicians that condemned Congressman Ellison because he desired to take his private oath ceremony on the Holy Quran, but they were playing political games with the American people and saying what was politically expedient. The politicians understood that the majority of the American citizens had been duped by the 9-11 hoax and the radical Muslim Cleric Osama Bin Laden, along with Islam had been made a scapegoat for a criminal act they did not commit. Therefore, the political castigating of the Muslim Congressman Ellison was playing to fears of the ignorant American masses.
The majority of the United States politicians are very familiar with the Muslim’s Holy Book, the Holy Quran because they themselves had taking HIGH DEGREE MASONIC OATHS ON THE QURAN IN THEIR MASONIC LODGES AND SHRINE TEMPLES. We have had about 20 or so American presidents that have been Masons and as many vice presidents; either this is mere coincidental or these power symbols have found something compatible with the teachings of Freemasonry that compliments their quest for power and ruler ship over the uninitiated.
Masons may meet on the SQUARE AND DEPART UPON THE LEVEL and whatever those pristine lessons that encourages MORALITY, FRIENSHIP AND BROTHERLY LOVE, it has sparked so-called enlighten men to build and formulate the United States Capitol in messianic symbolism. The book, “Solomon Key” will not unlock the intent of these great hidden mysteries because behind the mysteries are DYNASTIC FAMILIES with real names and they have pulled the purse strings on all world events. This writer is quite sure that Dan Brown even writing as a novelist will be required to shield the names and identities of some of the faceless powerful players. The Bible in Luke 11 & 9 stated, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock and it shall opened”. POWER CONCEDS NOTHING WITHOUT A DEMAND. (Reference: “The Committee of 300” by John Coleman).
Tynetta Muhammad stated, “In the layout of the basic scheme of buildings and landmarks in the central part of the Capital, we can draw lines on a map connecting the Lincoln Memorial on the West to the Washington Monument in the center to the US Capitol Building on the East. This would represent the base line of a pyramid. If we were to draw a line East from the US Capitol Building to the White House, which is North of the Washington Monument, we would have drawn the Northeast side of the pyramid. Drawing a line from the Lincoln Memorial going North, again towards the White House, we would access the Northwest side of the pyramid. The position of the Jefferson Memorial in alignment with this pyramidal shape envisioned above would symbolize the position of the Sphinx acting as a guardian over the secret wisdom of all ages.”
Brown has chosen to title his book “Solomon Key” either he is going to go after the legend that King Solomon’s Temple was totally destroyed and rebuilt in Jerusalem (And The US Capitol is perhaps representative of King Solomon’s Temple). The present day Muslims and Jews are fighting over ownership of this sacred Temple that is coded in the Knights Templar Red House lessons , which is the steeped in the Masonic right to exist. It is all correlated to this un-collaborated illusion, legend and allegory that serve as the cement that has held this fraternal order together for centuries. Who will give the world THE REAL WORD (TRUTH)? (Reference: “Freemasonry Interpreted” by Martin L. Wagner).
Lastly, since the Dan Brown’s book “Solomon Key” has yet to be published and in one sense, it is totally unfair to render a critique of a book that you have yet to read, but the publicist has given the public some idea of what Brown is attempting to uncover. But the readers should know that it’s perhaps common knowledge that the United States Capitol was laid out by Freemasons and the gamut of Masonic influence runs deep in the Executive Branch, Legislative Branch and Judicial Branch of our government. Thus, everywhere you turn there is Masonic influence at the highest level.
Fahim A. Knight Chief Researcher for KEEPING IT REAL THINK TANK located in Durham, NC; our mission is to inform African Americans and all people of good will of the pending dangers that lie ahead; as well as decode the symbolisms and reinterpret the hidden meanings behind those who operate as invisible forces, but covertly rules the world. We are of the belief that an enlighten world will be better prepared to throw off the shackles of ignorance and not be willing participants for the slaughter. Our MOTTO is speaking truth to power. Fahim A. Knight can be reached at fahimknight@yahoo.com.
Stay Awake Until We Meet Again,
Fahim A. Knight
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Sunday, December 16, 2007
JENA SIX PROTEST WAS JUST A FEEL GOOD DAY
“JENA SIX PROTEST WAS JUST A FEEL GOOD DAY”
by FAHIM A. KNIGHT
The small town of Jena, Louisiana back on September 2O, 2007 became a magnetic pole attracting over 50 thousand people mainly African Americans who had come to protest what they perceived as injustice and a heavy handed prosecutor that had tried and convicted six (6) black teenagers Mychal Bell, Robert Bailey Jr., Carwin Jones, Bryant Purvis, Theo Shaw and Jesse Ray Beard—were originally charged with attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy, according to LaSalle Parish District Attorney Reed Walters. The six young men allegedly attacked Justin Barker and three other white teenager for using racial epithets and hanging nooses from a tree (the tree was described as a meeting place for white students only) on public school property.
This is what led to an allege physical assault on the white teenager Justin Barker by black teenagers; it was described by many, as just an old schoolyard brawl and should have been resolved by the school administration, but the young white teenager and his parents filed criminal warrants against the allege six black assailants. This incident set the political and social stage for black leadership to revert back to the strategies and tactics that the “Big Six” Civil Rights leaders—Martin Luther King, Jr., Ralph Bunch, A. Phillip Randolph, Roy Wilkins, Whitney Young, and Bayard Rustin used over forty years ago in their fight to end segregation, discrimination, racism, and injustice within American society. The political strategies ranged from picketing, sit-ins, boycotts and marching as forms of social protest against a vicious racist system in the United States with an objective of altering social, political, and economic change and with a long range goal of dismantling institutionalized racism.
The enemies of change and social progress overtly opposed the United States Supreme Court Decision of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, which declared separate but equal as being unconstitutional. Violence and the threat of violence permeated this timeframe in history; this writer can mention two names Medgar Evers and Emmett Till who were innocent victims associated with the viciousness of Jim Crow. The Jena Six generation need to be introduced to some real Civil Rights history and as Malcolm X was stated, “The revolution will not be televised.”
Michael Eric Dyson is his book titled, “Race Rules: Navigating the Color Line” stated, “The anointing of a few to represent The Race is an old, abiding problem. For much of our history, blacks have had to rely on spokespersons to express our views and air our grievances to a white majority that controlled access to everything from education to employment. For the most part, powerful whites only wanted to see and hear a few blacks at a time, forcing us to choose a leader—when we could. Often a leader was selected for us by white elites. Predictably, blacks often disagreed with those selections, but since the white elites had the power and resources, their opinions counted.”
The Jena Six issue reached national prominence mainly due to an African American radio announcer named Michael Basiden who has a syndicated radio broadcast program out of Chicago that is very popular in large urban city markets. Basiden began to sound the alarm that an injustice had occurred in Jena. He pointed to racism as being the variable and factor which led to one of the black defendant’s Michael Bell, a juvenile that was charged and convicted as an adult. Basiden summoned the community to pay close attention to this issue and for months used his radio program to inform the black community, as well as agitate and in loose way organized the black community around the issue of racism and injustice.
Many listeners telephoned into the Basiden show to express their support for six black teenagers that came to be known as the Jena Six. Basiden unlike most black radio announcers used his programming in a constructive way other than clowning and “buffooning” but he used the airways as a two way communication and social apparatus as well as, a political and social instrument to foster meaningful dialog centered on the issue of injustice and racism. The Reverend Al Sharpton teamed up with Basiden and became the official voice of the Jena Six movement, Basiden gave Sharpton airtime three or four days a week leading up the March which to verbally editorialize and in Op-ed fashion build his case of why blacks needed to be in Jena.
Thus, Sharpton’s social activist record in New York as a post Civil Rights leader, established credibility to Basiden’s clarion call to bring national attention to what many become aware of as a highly racially charged environment in Jena, Louisiana. Jena in many ways appeared stereotypical of the “Old South” where segregation uses to rein under Jim Crow laws—norms, folkways, mores’, values, etc. The southern rural culture of the people, and the town in general, emerged to be a throwback in time when black and white relations were based on written and unwritten assigned social positions.
Sharpton is a season veteran post Civil Rights activist; however, he was not a contemporary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but he seems to give an unspoken inference that he was ignited by King to carry the Civil Rights torch in into 21st Century and even he knows the days of mass movements are over, but why do black people in 2007 think they need a handpick leader to serve as one monolithic voice for the entire black populous and overlook the political, economic and social diversity in the black community?
This writer often question the motives of these handpicked leaders that serve as black spokesperson because many of them are more about promoting self-interest over group interest. Cornel West in his book titled, “Race Matters” he stated, “In stark contrast, most present-day black political leaders appear too hungry for status to be angry, too eager for acceptance to be bold, too self-invested in advancement to be defiant. And when they do drop their masks and try to get mad (usually in the presences of black audiences), their bold rhetoric is more performance than personal, more play-acting than heartfelt . . . whereas most contemporary black political leaders’ oratory appeals to black people’s sense of the sentimental and sensational”
The Jena Six without a doubt heighten Sharpton’s level of visibility and gave more credibility to his organization National Action Network. Sharpton has use this new found visibility to echo and bring attention to the issue of the hangman’s noose and should the noose be viewed as a symbol of hate and those who are arrested with the intent and/or commission of criminal act relative a noose should be charged under federal Hate Crime Statues and he demanded the United States Justice Department aggressively pursue federal laws deeming the hangman’s noose as a symbol of hate. Sharpton and black leadership was asking this of George W. Bush, one of the most racist and reactionary presidents in the history of America. They did get ranking Congressman John Conyers (D-Michigan) of The House Judiciary Committee to hold investigative hearings on Jena Six.
The white media give the impression to be promoting Sharpton and every time an issue arises relative to black life; it appears the media both electronic and print seemed to use him as a legitimize voice to determine the mood and the overall opinion of 35-45 million black people in America. Reverend Al Sharpton does not speak nor represent the masses of black people and blacks should be appalled that this is the overt and covert suggestion.
The Jena Six demonstration and protest lacked real strategies and tactics, beyond the “FEEL GOOD DAY on September 20, because the so-called national leadership of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson had no strategy. This was more of a mere photo-opt for Sharpton and Jackson than a seriously organized movement that was built on grassroots and young black intellectuals willingness to perhaps make a commitment to remained organized after THE FEEL GOOD DAY. The one day protest in Jena did not impact that community enough to foster social and political change. All the community of Jena had to endure was one day of a crowd of black people singing songs of redemption. For example, “we shall over come” and yelling “no justice no peace” but the affect of the rally did not impact the economic structure of the city of Jena in particular and State of Louisiana in general.
Boycotts in the 1960’s disrupted the major means of production and distribution; thus eventually forcing racist Entities to come to the table of political negotiation which to end the disruption of its flow of money (boycotts and protest were bad for business) and once the racist whites came to their senses and understood public accommodation would expand their wealth base--discrimination and segregation took a back seat.
The Jena Six Movement had no real political leverage because no one was in it for the long haul; it was a protest built on sentimental value of given these young privileged and black petite bourgeoisie—middle class Hip Hop (silver platter) generation a glimpse into the past (and believe me it was only a glimpse and it was far removed from the real deal). This should not be viewed as an attack upon young black people, but we have done them a grave disservice by being in complicit to their apathy and their overall social numbness that comes across as being ungrateful and ignorant to fact that they are standing the shoulders of others that have gone before them.
We gave them too much and did require them to appreciate the lessons of struggle and now we have created a generation of undisciplined “creampuffs” who are disconnected from a history just a little over 50 years old. We must take the blame for their socialization is only an extent of us doing everything in our power to safeguard them from the cruel outside world and required very little of them, which to show themselves approved. Frantz Fanon wrote about the importance of every generation defining history and struggle for themselves and carving out a meaningful destiny or they will betray history and struggle of prior generations.
This writer has two sons, in their twenties and are members of Hip-Hop and Generation X, it is from the perspective of a father and it is sad how little interest they have shown to the word commitment and critical thinking (this is probably atypical of 80% of those under 40 years of age). The study of history develops the springs and motives of human actions. History serves as much more than the studying of people, dates and events, but as a bridging of one generation to another, which valuable lessons are passed on. History instills inspiration, motivation, and self-esteem into a people; moreover, it connects a people to their contributions made towards human civilization. This is the discipline that builds the will of a people and encourages them to go forward. African people living in America had a brilliant and glorious history before and after chattel slavery. There are those that control institutions, recognize that they must forever hide the true past of African people in order to keep them asleep to the knowledge of self. History is like a trumpet when it is sounded, the asleep must rise.
But for the first time perhaps since the 1960’s young college age black students took interest and became mobilized on black and white college campuses around the Jena Six issue. Conceivably, we received a glimpse at the power of technology and how conversations about this issue were being posted on Myspace, Facebook, and personal Blogs pages and young African Americans began to take notice of a social and political issue. The majority of the mainstream media for the most part, had ignored the Jena Six issue. They organized, as well as articulated a voice of solidarity for six of their peers who were black and perhaps were victims of the criminal justice and judicial system.
The majority of the young black students who ventured to Jena were not born when Martin Luther King, Jr., led the freedom marches throughout the deep south during the 1950’s and 1960’s that advocated nonviolent social change via civil disobedience. These young ambitious students, as a perquisite should have been required and mandated to read King’s letter written on April 16, 1963 from the Birmingham Jail, which would have given them a perspective on the term of sacrifice and liberation struggle (not that King’s movement was revolutionary, but it is a good lessons in Reform politics).
King stated, “My friends, I must say to you that we have not made a single gain in civil rights without determined legal and nonviolent pressure. Lamentably, it is an historical fact that privilege groups seldom give up their unjust posture, but Reinhold Niebuhr has reminded us, groups tend to be more immoral than individuals. We know the painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. . . Frankly, I have yet engaged in a direct-action campaign that ‘was well timed’ in view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word ‘wait!’ it rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This ‘Wait’ has always meant ‘Never.’ We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that ‘justice to long delayed is justice denied.’ ”
These elder Civil Rights leaders, leading the Jena protest had perhaps manipulated the innocence, naïve and vulnerability of these young black college students by making them think that the protest rally in Jena was equivalent to the 1965 March from Selma too Montgomery. This writer does not want to appear of coming across as being pessimistic and cynical of the Jena Six justice movement and the effort and work it took to galvanized that amount of people. But the reality is the March on Jena was for one day and after this so-called protest the students went back to their Ivory Towers and incubated campus life, as though they had accomplished something great and were instrumental in some aspect of social and political change.
They made a one day sacrifice to leave their Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), but the elder Civil Rights leaders did not tell these young lads that it would-be persistent and relentless protest that were needed to truly alter change and some symbolic march/protest only served as symbol without real substance. The Jena demonstration was strictly based on volunteerism and little conviction to the continuum struggles for justice; this would require a lot more than missing one day of class (some students for attending the march received extra credit from professors due to their attendance in Jena), it would have required a level of organizing beyond the “FEEL GOOD DAY”.
Many of these young black students probably were not familiar with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) of the 1960’s producing leaders like Kwame Ture (Stokley Carmichael) and Jamil Abdullah AL-Amin (H. Rapp Brown), etc., the former, a student at Howard University and the latter, and a student of Southern University who sacrificed their lives for the Civil Rights struggle. They were forced to move beyond the “Yard” and the “Hill” (most HBCU attendees and alumnus know what this writer mean) which to engage in the broader struggle for justice and human dignity.
James Forman in his book titled, “The Making of Black Revolutionaries” stated, “SNCC and other civil rights organizations had always been stormy because, from the beginning, SNCC developed as an antithesis to all the other civil rights groups. SNCC strove to be a group-centered or people-oriented organization while others were leader-centered. It constantly stood in opposition to the Republican and democratic parties while others sought favors from the two-party system. It vigorously attacked the Kennedy administration for its inaction in the field of civil rights while others thought that discussion and conciliation with the executive branch could win concessions. It fought against the American value system of making money and paid its staff only subsistence while others were seeking wages for civil rights works beyond the necessary living requirements. It believed in sending its staff to work with the most wretched of the earth while some of the organizations thought this a waste of time. It believed in the absolute right of freedom of association while other organizations acted as fearful as McCarthy of communism. It argued for a basic revolution in American society”
This is the kind of mindset and commitment these students of SNCC had that you did not see in the Jena protest because there was very little political education prior to the mass demonstration and students had no guidance after the “FEEL GOOD MARCH” and Elijah Muhammad use to say do not awaken the dead unless you have something for the dead to do. Sharpton and Jackson arouse the imagination of these young black people, but were not willing to move them into organization because this would require dirty work and no cameras to captivate these egotistical grandstanding racial leaders who always appear camera ready.
Fredrick Douglas once stated, “Those who profess to favor freedom yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its waters. . . .Power concedes nothing without demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blow, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.”
These young African Americans were partially motivated by nostalgia and they wanted to feel what it was like to be a part of a mass movement for Justice because they had read about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., or heard about the significant of King’s activism from a parent or grandparent and many of them needed to affirm their legacy by being able to state “they were part of mass demonstration for justice”, just like the Civil Rights marchers of old.
No, one informed them that the environment of 1950’s and 1960’s were entirely different during Jim Crow segregation; thus, there were white only establishments and black only establishments and race truly affected and impacted every aspect of one’s life in the America. The 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Act were won based on relentless boycotts and demonstrations, as well as social rebellion. These 1950’s and 1960’s fights were the real deal, it was not about making a statement of having over fifty thousand protesters assemble on Jena to hear the Old Guard Civil Rights leaders give these emotional drenched speeches and trying to imitate Dr. King in order to be recorded in the history books of leading a march which to affirm their places in history.
These students were not faced with the vicious racist (tobacco chewing rednecks) and white hostility, but racism in any time, is what it is, and there is no other way to characterize or relegate or diminish its intent or objective. However, this writer must say, there were no comparison between Jena Six protest and the Marches of the original Civil Rights Movement.
Lastly, these old guard Civil Rights leaders should have been honest with these young Jena Six activist and told them that the march on Jena was a piece of cake and they would never know what it was like to be faced with vicious racist who were armed with guns, nooses, canine dogs, water hoses, blackjacks and a relentless and vicious Jim Crow system that affected black’s political, economically, and socially. Someone paid the price to have integrated school systems and so-called equal access to the concept of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
These students left the Jean Six march still having no concept of what the word sacrifice mean and what good is it to have mobilization and no political education which is imperative to elevating one’s conscience level in order to develop a worldview perspective. These young students deserve better than being deceived by hustlers and conmen who had self-interest, ulterior motives and their own personal objectives. This is sought of ironic because this writer just recently saw a press conference of Al Sharpton announcing that the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Justice Department were investigating and auditing him and his organization based on monies associated with the Jean Six movement. If you lay down with dogs, you are going to get up with fleas. This writer knows that many are going to get-up set after reading my analysis and critique of the Jena Six movement and its leaders, BUT GUESS WHAT I DO NOT CARE SOMEBODY MUST TELL THE TRUTH
Fahim A. Knight Chief Researcher for KEEPING IT REAL THINK TANK located in Durham, NC; our mission is to inform African Americans and all people of good will of the pending dangers that lie ahead; as well as decode the symbolisms and reinterpret the hidden meanings behind those who operate as invisible forces, but covertly rules the world. We are of the belief that an enlighten world will be better prepared to throw off the shackles of ignorance and not be willing participants for the slaughter. Our MOTTO is speaking truth to power. Fahim A. Knight can be reached at fahimknight@yahoo.com.
Stay Awake Until We Meet Again,
Fahim A. Knight
by FAHIM A. KNIGHT
The small town of Jena, Louisiana back on September 2O, 2007 became a magnetic pole attracting over 50 thousand people mainly African Americans who had come to protest what they perceived as injustice and a heavy handed prosecutor that had tried and convicted six (6) black teenagers Mychal Bell, Robert Bailey Jr., Carwin Jones, Bryant Purvis, Theo Shaw and Jesse Ray Beard—were originally charged with attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy, according to LaSalle Parish District Attorney Reed Walters. The six young men allegedly attacked Justin Barker and three other white teenager for using racial epithets and hanging nooses from a tree (the tree was described as a meeting place for white students only) on public school property.
This is what led to an allege physical assault on the white teenager Justin Barker by black teenagers; it was described by many, as just an old schoolyard brawl and should have been resolved by the school administration, but the young white teenager and his parents filed criminal warrants against the allege six black assailants. This incident set the political and social stage for black leadership to revert back to the strategies and tactics that the “Big Six” Civil Rights leaders—Martin Luther King, Jr., Ralph Bunch, A. Phillip Randolph, Roy Wilkins, Whitney Young, and Bayard Rustin used over forty years ago in their fight to end segregation, discrimination, racism, and injustice within American society. The political strategies ranged from picketing, sit-ins, boycotts and marching as forms of social protest against a vicious racist system in the United States with an objective of altering social, political, and economic change and with a long range goal of dismantling institutionalized racism.
The enemies of change and social progress overtly opposed the United States Supreme Court Decision of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, which declared separate but equal as being unconstitutional. Violence and the threat of violence permeated this timeframe in history; this writer can mention two names Medgar Evers and Emmett Till who were innocent victims associated with the viciousness of Jim Crow. The Jena Six generation need to be introduced to some real Civil Rights history and as Malcolm X was stated, “The revolution will not be televised.”
Michael Eric Dyson is his book titled, “Race Rules: Navigating the Color Line” stated, “The anointing of a few to represent The Race is an old, abiding problem. For much of our history, blacks have had to rely on spokespersons to express our views and air our grievances to a white majority that controlled access to everything from education to employment. For the most part, powerful whites only wanted to see and hear a few blacks at a time, forcing us to choose a leader—when we could. Often a leader was selected for us by white elites. Predictably, blacks often disagreed with those selections, but since the white elites had the power and resources, their opinions counted.”
The Jena Six issue reached national prominence mainly due to an African American radio announcer named Michael Basiden who has a syndicated radio broadcast program out of Chicago that is very popular in large urban city markets. Basiden began to sound the alarm that an injustice had occurred in Jena. He pointed to racism as being the variable and factor which led to one of the black defendant’s Michael Bell, a juvenile that was charged and convicted as an adult. Basiden summoned the community to pay close attention to this issue and for months used his radio program to inform the black community, as well as agitate and in loose way organized the black community around the issue of racism and injustice.
Many listeners telephoned into the Basiden show to express their support for six black teenagers that came to be known as the Jena Six. Basiden unlike most black radio announcers used his programming in a constructive way other than clowning and “buffooning” but he used the airways as a two way communication and social apparatus as well as, a political and social instrument to foster meaningful dialog centered on the issue of injustice and racism. The Reverend Al Sharpton teamed up with Basiden and became the official voice of the Jena Six movement, Basiden gave Sharpton airtime three or four days a week leading up the March which to verbally editorialize and in Op-ed fashion build his case of why blacks needed to be in Jena.
Thus, Sharpton’s social activist record in New York as a post Civil Rights leader, established credibility to Basiden’s clarion call to bring national attention to what many become aware of as a highly racially charged environment in Jena, Louisiana. Jena in many ways appeared stereotypical of the “Old South” where segregation uses to rein under Jim Crow laws—norms, folkways, mores’, values, etc. The southern rural culture of the people, and the town in general, emerged to be a throwback in time when black and white relations were based on written and unwritten assigned social positions.
Sharpton is a season veteran post Civil Rights activist; however, he was not a contemporary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but he seems to give an unspoken inference that he was ignited by King to carry the Civil Rights torch in into 21st Century and even he knows the days of mass movements are over, but why do black people in 2007 think they need a handpick leader to serve as one monolithic voice for the entire black populous and overlook the political, economic and social diversity in the black community?
This writer often question the motives of these handpicked leaders that serve as black spokesperson because many of them are more about promoting self-interest over group interest. Cornel West in his book titled, “Race Matters” he stated, “In stark contrast, most present-day black political leaders appear too hungry for status to be angry, too eager for acceptance to be bold, too self-invested in advancement to be defiant. And when they do drop their masks and try to get mad (usually in the presences of black audiences), their bold rhetoric is more performance than personal, more play-acting than heartfelt . . . whereas most contemporary black political leaders’ oratory appeals to black people’s sense of the sentimental and sensational”
The Jena Six without a doubt heighten Sharpton’s level of visibility and gave more credibility to his organization National Action Network. Sharpton has use this new found visibility to echo and bring attention to the issue of the hangman’s noose and should the noose be viewed as a symbol of hate and those who are arrested with the intent and/or commission of criminal act relative a noose should be charged under federal Hate Crime Statues and he demanded the United States Justice Department aggressively pursue federal laws deeming the hangman’s noose as a symbol of hate. Sharpton and black leadership was asking this of George W. Bush, one of the most racist and reactionary presidents in the history of America. They did get ranking Congressman John Conyers (D-Michigan) of The House Judiciary Committee to hold investigative hearings on Jena Six.
The white media give the impression to be promoting Sharpton and every time an issue arises relative to black life; it appears the media both electronic and print seemed to use him as a legitimize voice to determine the mood and the overall opinion of 35-45 million black people in America. Reverend Al Sharpton does not speak nor represent the masses of black people and blacks should be appalled that this is the overt and covert suggestion.
The Jena Six demonstration and protest lacked real strategies and tactics, beyond the “FEEL GOOD DAY on September 20, because the so-called national leadership of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson had no strategy. This was more of a mere photo-opt for Sharpton and Jackson than a seriously organized movement that was built on grassroots and young black intellectuals willingness to perhaps make a commitment to remained organized after THE FEEL GOOD DAY. The one day protest in Jena did not impact that community enough to foster social and political change. All the community of Jena had to endure was one day of a crowd of black people singing songs of redemption. For example, “we shall over come” and yelling “no justice no peace” but the affect of the rally did not impact the economic structure of the city of Jena in particular and State of Louisiana in general.
Boycotts in the 1960’s disrupted the major means of production and distribution; thus eventually forcing racist Entities to come to the table of political negotiation which to end the disruption of its flow of money (boycotts and protest were bad for business) and once the racist whites came to their senses and understood public accommodation would expand their wealth base--discrimination and segregation took a back seat.
The Jena Six Movement had no real political leverage because no one was in it for the long haul; it was a protest built on sentimental value of given these young privileged and black petite bourgeoisie—middle class Hip Hop (silver platter) generation a glimpse into the past (and believe me it was only a glimpse and it was far removed from the real deal). This should not be viewed as an attack upon young black people, but we have done them a grave disservice by being in complicit to their apathy and their overall social numbness that comes across as being ungrateful and ignorant to fact that they are standing the shoulders of others that have gone before them.
We gave them too much and did require them to appreciate the lessons of struggle and now we have created a generation of undisciplined “creampuffs” who are disconnected from a history just a little over 50 years old. We must take the blame for their socialization is only an extent of us doing everything in our power to safeguard them from the cruel outside world and required very little of them, which to show themselves approved. Frantz Fanon wrote about the importance of every generation defining history and struggle for themselves and carving out a meaningful destiny or they will betray history and struggle of prior generations.
This writer has two sons, in their twenties and are members of Hip-Hop and Generation X, it is from the perspective of a father and it is sad how little interest they have shown to the word commitment and critical thinking (this is probably atypical of 80% of those under 40 years of age). The study of history develops the springs and motives of human actions. History serves as much more than the studying of people, dates and events, but as a bridging of one generation to another, which valuable lessons are passed on. History instills inspiration, motivation, and self-esteem into a people; moreover, it connects a people to their contributions made towards human civilization. This is the discipline that builds the will of a people and encourages them to go forward. African people living in America had a brilliant and glorious history before and after chattel slavery. There are those that control institutions, recognize that they must forever hide the true past of African people in order to keep them asleep to the knowledge of self. History is like a trumpet when it is sounded, the asleep must rise.
But for the first time perhaps since the 1960’s young college age black students took interest and became mobilized on black and white college campuses around the Jena Six issue. Conceivably, we received a glimpse at the power of technology and how conversations about this issue were being posted on Myspace, Facebook, and personal Blogs pages and young African Americans began to take notice of a social and political issue. The majority of the mainstream media for the most part, had ignored the Jena Six issue. They organized, as well as articulated a voice of solidarity for six of their peers who were black and perhaps were victims of the criminal justice and judicial system.
The majority of the young black students who ventured to Jena were not born when Martin Luther King, Jr., led the freedom marches throughout the deep south during the 1950’s and 1960’s that advocated nonviolent social change via civil disobedience. These young ambitious students, as a perquisite should have been required and mandated to read King’s letter written on April 16, 1963 from the Birmingham Jail, which would have given them a perspective on the term of sacrifice and liberation struggle (not that King’s movement was revolutionary, but it is a good lessons in Reform politics).
King stated, “My friends, I must say to you that we have not made a single gain in civil rights without determined legal and nonviolent pressure. Lamentably, it is an historical fact that privilege groups seldom give up their unjust posture, but Reinhold Niebuhr has reminded us, groups tend to be more immoral than individuals. We know the painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. . . Frankly, I have yet engaged in a direct-action campaign that ‘was well timed’ in view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word ‘wait!’ it rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This ‘Wait’ has always meant ‘Never.’ We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that ‘justice to long delayed is justice denied.’ ”
These elder Civil Rights leaders, leading the Jena protest had perhaps manipulated the innocence, naïve and vulnerability of these young black college students by making them think that the protest rally in Jena was equivalent to the 1965 March from Selma too Montgomery. This writer does not want to appear of coming across as being pessimistic and cynical of the Jena Six justice movement and the effort and work it took to galvanized that amount of people. But the reality is the March on Jena was for one day and after this so-called protest the students went back to their Ivory Towers and incubated campus life, as though they had accomplished something great and were instrumental in some aspect of social and political change.
They made a one day sacrifice to leave their Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), but the elder Civil Rights leaders did not tell these young lads that it would-be persistent and relentless protest that were needed to truly alter change and some symbolic march/protest only served as symbol without real substance. The Jena demonstration was strictly based on volunteerism and little conviction to the continuum struggles for justice; this would require a lot more than missing one day of class (some students for attending the march received extra credit from professors due to their attendance in Jena), it would have required a level of organizing beyond the “FEEL GOOD DAY”.
Many of these young black students probably were not familiar with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) of the 1960’s producing leaders like Kwame Ture (Stokley Carmichael) and Jamil Abdullah AL-Amin (H. Rapp Brown), etc., the former, a student at Howard University and the latter, and a student of Southern University who sacrificed their lives for the Civil Rights struggle. They were forced to move beyond the “Yard” and the “Hill” (most HBCU attendees and alumnus know what this writer mean) which to engage in the broader struggle for justice and human dignity.
James Forman in his book titled, “The Making of Black Revolutionaries” stated, “SNCC and other civil rights organizations had always been stormy because, from the beginning, SNCC developed as an antithesis to all the other civil rights groups. SNCC strove to be a group-centered or people-oriented organization while others were leader-centered. It constantly stood in opposition to the Republican and democratic parties while others sought favors from the two-party system. It vigorously attacked the Kennedy administration for its inaction in the field of civil rights while others thought that discussion and conciliation with the executive branch could win concessions. It fought against the American value system of making money and paid its staff only subsistence while others were seeking wages for civil rights works beyond the necessary living requirements. It believed in sending its staff to work with the most wretched of the earth while some of the organizations thought this a waste of time. It believed in the absolute right of freedom of association while other organizations acted as fearful as McCarthy of communism. It argued for a basic revolution in American society”
This is the kind of mindset and commitment these students of SNCC had that you did not see in the Jena protest because there was very little political education prior to the mass demonstration and students had no guidance after the “FEEL GOOD MARCH” and Elijah Muhammad use to say do not awaken the dead unless you have something for the dead to do. Sharpton and Jackson arouse the imagination of these young black people, but were not willing to move them into organization because this would require dirty work and no cameras to captivate these egotistical grandstanding racial leaders who always appear camera ready.
Fredrick Douglas once stated, “Those who profess to favor freedom yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its waters. . . .Power concedes nothing without demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blow, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.”
These young African Americans were partially motivated by nostalgia and they wanted to feel what it was like to be a part of a mass movement for Justice because they had read about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., or heard about the significant of King’s activism from a parent or grandparent and many of them needed to affirm their legacy by being able to state “they were part of mass demonstration for justice”, just like the Civil Rights marchers of old.
No, one informed them that the environment of 1950’s and 1960’s were entirely different during Jim Crow segregation; thus, there were white only establishments and black only establishments and race truly affected and impacted every aspect of one’s life in the America. The 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Act were won based on relentless boycotts and demonstrations, as well as social rebellion. These 1950’s and 1960’s fights were the real deal, it was not about making a statement of having over fifty thousand protesters assemble on Jena to hear the Old Guard Civil Rights leaders give these emotional drenched speeches and trying to imitate Dr. King in order to be recorded in the history books of leading a march which to affirm their places in history.
These students were not faced with the vicious racist (tobacco chewing rednecks) and white hostility, but racism in any time, is what it is, and there is no other way to characterize or relegate or diminish its intent or objective. However, this writer must say, there were no comparison between Jena Six protest and the Marches of the original Civil Rights Movement.
Lastly, these old guard Civil Rights leaders should have been honest with these young Jena Six activist and told them that the march on Jena was a piece of cake and they would never know what it was like to be faced with vicious racist who were armed with guns, nooses, canine dogs, water hoses, blackjacks and a relentless and vicious Jim Crow system that affected black’s political, economically, and socially. Someone paid the price to have integrated school systems and so-called equal access to the concept of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
These students left the Jean Six march still having no concept of what the word sacrifice mean and what good is it to have mobilization and no political education which is imperative to elevating one’s conscience level in order to develop a worldview perspective. These young students deserve better than being deceived by hustlers and conmen who had self-interest, ulterior motives and their own personal objectives. This is sought of ironic because this writer just recently saw a press conference of Al Sharpton announcing that the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Justice Department were investigating and auditing him and his organization based on monies associated with the Jean Six movement. If you lay down with dogs, you are going to get up with fleas. This writer knows that many are going to get-up set after reading my analysis and critique of the Jena Six movement and its leaders, BUT GUESS WHAT I DO NOT CARE SOMEBODY MUST TELL THE TRUTH
Fahim A. Knight Chief Researcher for KEEPING IT REAL THINK TANK located in Durham, NC; our mission is to inform African Americans and all people of good will of the pending dangers that lie ahead; as well as decode the symbolisms and reinterpret the hidden meanings behind those who operate as invisible forces, but covertly rules the world. We are of the belief that an enlighten world will be better prepared to throw off the shackles of ignorance and not be willing participants for the slaughter. Our MOTTO is speaking truth to power. Fahim A. Knight can be reached at fahimknight@yahoo.com.
Stay Awake Until We Meet Again,
Fahim A. Knight
Friday, December 7, 2007
“CHRISTMAS: JESUS—THE SUN--GOD, LIES, DECEPTIONS AND THE TRUTH”
“CHRISTMAS: JESUS—THE SUN--GOD, LIES, DECEPTIONS AND THE TRUTH”
By FAHIM A. KNIGHT
This brief article is on the origin of Christmas and its so-called correlation to the SUN GOD concept, which the western parable of Jesus originated; moreover, December 25 is the BIRTH OF THE SUN GOD and in reality, this fabrication and/or truth has nothing to do with the Historical and Prophetic man called Jesus (there are actually two Jesus, perhaps another subject for another time) and this propaganda is continually being perpetuated in the name of tradition. But the beneficiaries of the Christmas tradition have always been the merchant class in the United States and around the world, which accumulates over 75% of their annual gross sales and financial profits during the month of December.
Allauddin Shabazz in his book titled, “Symbolism, Holidays, Myths and Signs” The word “Christmas” means “Mass of Christ,” or as it came to be shortened, ‘Christ—mas.’ It came to non—Christians and Protestant from the Roman Catholic Church. And where did they get it?---NOT from the New Testament---NOT from the Bible—NOT from the original apostles who were personally instructed by Christ—but it gravitated in the fourth century into the Roman Church from paganism”
Tradition reaps in huge monetary gains and that HIDDEN HAND who do not believe in Christmas or Jesus---THEIR GOD IS MONEY and WE SHOULD CALL THEIR HOLY “PROFIT” GREED. This writer, wonders do the SUN—DAY School teachers admonishes that the worship of the SUN was replaced with the divinity and worship of the SON popular associated with the man named Jesus. This article should not be viewed as an attack on the faith--tradition of Christianity, But like the Reggae Revolutionary Artist Bob Marley’s use to sing “NONE CAN FREE OUR MINDS, BUT OURSELVES.”
Allauddin Shabazz book validates this contention relative to the commercialization and the nonreligious connection Christmas has with the birth of Jesus; in his small, but powerful book titled, “Symbolism, Holidays, Myths and Signs” he stated, “Christmas has become a commercial season. It’s sponsored, kept alive, by the heaviest retail advertisement campaigns of the year. You see a masqueraded “Santa Claus” in many stores. Ads keep the masses deluded and deceived about the ‘beautiful Christmas spirit.’ The newspaper, who sells ads, print flowery editorials exalting and eulogizing the pagan season, and spirit. Gullible people have become so inoculated, many take offense when told the truth. But the ‘Christmas spirit’ is created each year, not to honor Christ, but to sell merchandise!” (reference: Symbolism, Holidays, Myths and Signs” by Allauddin Shabazz).
This writer understand and humbly accept that a 4000 word theses place serious limitations on a subject of this magnitude where scholars such as: Gerald Massey, Albert Churchward, E.A. Wallis Budge, Josef Ben Jochannan, Alvin Boyd Kuhn, Godfrey Higgins, John G. Jackson, Kersey Graves, Cheikh Anta Diop, Manly P. Hall, John Henrik Clarke, Jacob Boehme, Arthur Edward Waite, G.R.S. Mead, Louis H. Spencer, H.G. Wells, H.P. Blavatsky, Ishakamusa Barashango, J.Van Rijckenborgh, Albert Pike, George Oliver, J.S.M. Ward, etc., have spent many years researching and writing scholarly treatise on the above subject.
This thumbnail sketch, is by no means, written to represent a definitive and exhaustive study on the this subject; there to are many links, which expands the schools of thought of esoteric, religious, philosophical, occult, metaphysical science and the truth extends to many cultures, far beyond the limitations of this research could ever begin to address. But it should not be viewed that the author perhaps does not understand depth and complexity of this subject pertaining to Jesus, a god of the Sun and the origin of Christmas.
E. Curtis Alexander in an essay titled, “African Foundations of Christendom” he stated, “Christendom began as a Council of Bishops in Nicea, a city in Bithynia, in Asia Minor on the southside of the Black Sea. The Council was convened by the Roman Emperor Constantine. Many events took place at this Council and the formation of many theological and theosophical doctrines were established such as the Trinity, the name of JESUS, THE Virgin Birth and perhaps the biggest act was making of the Bible. The books that were not canonical at this Council are known to us today as “Lost Books of the Bible’ and the ‘Forgotten Books of Eden’ ” (Reference: “African Foundations of Christendom” by E. Curtis Alexander).
In a book compiled by William Josiah Sutton titled, “The Illuminati 666” stated, “There is no scriptural evidence that supports the Birth of Christ as being December 25th; but history says December 25th was kept thousands of years before the Birth of Christ, in honor of the pagan Messiah. Another name for Tammuz, the pagan-child, was ‘Baal-bereth’ which means Lord of the Fir Tree.” (Reference: “The Illuminati 666” by William Josiah Sutton).
The majority of the scholarship on this subject totally contradicts the Christian version of the man known as Jesus Christ, but reaffirms this story within the scheme of historical and mythological allegory, metaphors, symbolism, prototypes, similes, etc. There is a sizable amount of precedent evidence which informs us that the entire story of Jesus, as far as, his birth, death, resurrection, and ascension were not concepts indigenous to European cultures, it flourished in that region of the world after they came in contact with Ancient Egypt (Kemet).They borrowed the Solar God concept from Egypt. (Reference: “Ancient Egypt: The Light of the World” by Gerald Massey).
John G. Jackson in his enlighten book titled, “Ethiopia and the Origin of Civilization” stated, “A study of the images of ancient deities of both the Old and New Worlds reveals their Ethiopic origin. Thus is noted by Kenneth R. H. Mackenzie in T.A. Buckley’s CITIES OF THE ANCIENT WORLD, p. 180:--‘From the wooly texture of the hair, I am inclined to assign to the Buddha of India, the Fuhi of China, the Sommonacom of the Siamese, Xaha of the Japanese, the Quetzalcoatl of the Mexicans, the same, and indeed an African, or rather Nubian, origin.’
Jackson continues on to state, “ most of the black gods were regarded as crucified saviors who died to save mankind by being nailed to a cross, or tied to a tree with arms outstretched as if on a cross, or slain violently in some other manner. Of these Crucified SAVIORS, THE MOST PROMINENT WERE OSIRIS, AND HORUS OF EGYPT, KRISHNA OF INDIA, MITHRA OF PERSIA, QUETZALCOATL OF MEXICO, ADDONIS OF BABYLONIA AND ATTIS OF PHRYGIA. NEARLY ALL OF THESE SLAIN SAVIOR-GODS HAVE THE FOLLOWING STORIES RELATED ABOUT THEM:---THEY ARE BORN OF A VIRGIN, ON OR NEAR DEC.25TH (CHRISTMAS); THEIR BIRTH ARE HERALDED BY A STAR; THEY ARE BORN EITHER IN A CAVE OR STABLE; THEY ARE SLAIN, COMMONLY BY CRUCIFIXION; THEY DESCEND INTO HELL, AND RISE FROM THE DEAD AT THE BEGINNING OF SPRING (EASTER) AND FINALLY ASCEND INTO HEAVEN.” (Reference: “Ethiopia and the Origin of Civilization” by John G. Jackson).
There is an overwhelming of historical evidence that the worship of the SUN GOD (which was celebrated by many names depending upon the culture and nation) Jesus was a story of antiquity that had played out on the stage of human civilization some thousands of years before the birth of Jesus who lived 2000 years ago and before Constantine concocted and devised the Christian Creed, which was designed to control how Christianity would be disseminated, as well as theologically protect the half-truths, distortions, and outright lies. They lied on Jesus, the Christ. (Reference: “The Historical Origin of Christianity” by Walter Williams).
Wikipedia online research engine stated, “December 25 was also considered to be the date of the winter solstice, which the Romans called bruma. It was therefore the day the Sun proved itself to be "unconquered" despite the shortening of daylight hours. (When Julius Caesar introduced the Julian Calendar in 45 BC, December 25 was approximately the date of the solstice. In modern times, the solstice falls on December 21 or 22.) The Sol Invictus festival has a "strong claim on the responsibility" for the date of Christmas, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia. Several early Christian writers connected the rebirth of the sun to the birth of Jesus (sun/Son). "O, how wonderfully acted Providence that on that day on which that Sun was born . . . Christ should be born,"
Anthony Browder in his book titled, “Nile Valley Contributions to Civilization” he stated, “Auras, Aset, and Heru is the first story recorded in history of man of a holy royal family (the Trinity), immaculate conception, virgin birth and resurrection. Evidence of this Trinity is known to have exist.” (Reference: “Nile Valley Contributions to Civilization” by Anthony Browder).
H.P. Blavatsky in her monumental book titled, “Isis Unveiled” through meticulous research traces the original man’s history and culture back to Egypt (Kemet) which all philosophy, science, theology, and in essences human thought evolved.
she stated, “What Egypt taught to others she certainly did not acquire by the international exchange of ideas and discoveries with her Semitic neighbors, NOR FROM THEM DID SHE RECEIVE HER STIMULUS. ‘The more we learn of the Egyptians,’ observes the writer of a recent article, ‘The Marvelous they seem!’ From whom could she have learned her wondrous arts, the secrets of which died with her? She sent no agents throughout the world to learn what others knew; but to her the wise men of neighboring nations resorted for knowledge. Proudly secluding herself within her enchanted domain, the fair queen of the desert created wonders as if by the sway of a magic staff. ‘Nothing” remarks the same writer, whom we shall elsewhere quote, ‘proves that civilization and knowledge rise and progress with her in the case of other peoples, but everything seems to be referable, in the same perfection, to the earliest dates. That no nation knew as much as herself, is a fact demonstrated by history.”
There is no doubt that the story of Jesus was steeped in duality and shrouded in the mysteries, but the WICKLY WISE, the ten (10) percent who the Honorable Elijah Muhammad referred to as, “The rich, the slave makers of the poor, who teach poor lies to believe that the almighty true and living God, is a spook and cannot be seen with the physical eye. Otherwise known as the bloodsucker of the poor.”
Muhammad further maintained that December 25 was the birthday of Nimrod who is mentioned in the Bible (Old Testament) he is styled as a mighty hunter who is in opposition to God and he turned against the teachings of Moses (the law giver). Nimrod was born 300 years before Christ. Thus, he manipulated the teachings of Moses and set-up the early pagan empires such as Greece and Rome. According to the Bible he is the son of Cush. Nimrod killed his father and married his mother, whose name was Ester, and the Easter celebration is also tied to advent of Nimrod and the entire SUN GOD scheme. (Reference: The True History of Elijah Muhammad” Edited by Nasir Makr Hakim)
Moreover, when Nimrod’s wife (his mother) had their first child, he feared that people would lose respect for him, if they knew he was making babies through his own mother (it was a secret that they were married) therefore to fool the people Nimrod told people that the Holy Ghost had impregnated his mother. This was beginning of the GREAT LIE told about the birth of Jesus.” there is a lot in Muhammad’s lesson and was Christmas set-up by non-Christians who do not believe in Jesus Divinity, but has a stronger conviction to manipulate money and play on the theological ignorance of the people. (Reference: “The History of Nimrod” by Elijah Muhammad).
Manly P. Halls stated, “For reasons which they doubtless considered sufficient, those who chronicled the life and acts of Jesus found it advisable to metamorphose him into a solar deity. The HISTORICAL JESUS WAS FOR GOTTEN; nearly all the salient incidents recorded in the four Gospels have their correlations in the movement, phases, or functions of the heavenly bodies. Among other allegories borrowed by Christianity from pagan antiquity is the story of the beautiful, blue-eyed Sun God, with His golden hair falling upon his shoulders, robed from head to foot in spotless white and carrying in His arms the Lamb of God, symbolic of the vernal equinox. This handsome youth is a composite of Apollo, Osiris, Orpheus, Mithras, and Baccus, for HE has certain characteristics in common with each of these pagan deities.” Manly P. Hall whom this writer considers one of the foremost free thinkers in the history of mankind and he uncovers and interprets symbolism, signs and delved into ancient wisdom unlike any other this writer had read (Reference: “The Secret Teachings of All Ages” by Manly P. Hall).
We have been taught and perhaps more indoctrinated into believing that December 25, represent the birth of Jesus Christ of Nazareth who lived perhaps 2000 years ago in around modern day Palestine. There is some evidence that points to Jesus birth place being in the ancient city of Bethlehem, but most Biblical historians has argued that Jesus was born in Nazareth. but there was a plot and a conspiracy orchestrated by King Herod to kill the first born male; thus Mary’s pregnancy and Jesus birth became a top priority and secret, this cloaking and concealment was only necessary to protect Jesus from his conspirators. (Reference: The Jesus Scroll” by Donovan Joyce).
This next quote is from a book titled, “The Lost Books of the Bible to Jesus Christ, His Apostles and Their Companions” originally published in 1820 by William Hone. Most Christians do not know their were some lost books to the original Bible or perhaps this writer should say that a number of books were deliberate and intentionally removed from the Bible as an act of deception. Nevertheless, Hone stated, “Now Herod, perceived that the wise men did delay and not return to him, called together the priests and wise men and said, Tell me in what place the Christ should be born? And when they replied, in Bethlehem, a city of Judea, he began to contrive in his own mind the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. But an Angel appeared to Joseph in his sleep, and said, Arise take the child and his mother and go into Egypt as soon as the cock crows. So he arose, and went.” (Reference: “The Lost Books of the Bible to Jesus Christ” by William Hone).
December 25 had nothing to do with Jesus Birthday in fact his name was probably more like Yeshua Ben Yosef or Isa Bin Yusuf (Jesus the Son of Joseph) in accordance to the Amharic and/or Hebrew languages that were spoken in that region of the world, long before the English language was even a thought. Jesus was atypical of pagan tradition that evolved around the son god concept and there were many more world saviors who had similar histories of Jesus and many of the things we ascribed to Jesus were actually borrowed from more ancient cultures and civilizations. The birth, death, resurrection and ascension fables seemed to have been concocted by money changers and merchants which as stated above, many of them do not believe in Jesus divinity, but the commercialization and the exploitation of his name is their only motive. (Reference: “The World’s Sixteen Crucified Saviors” by Kersey Graves).
How then did December 25, become associated with the birth of Jesus Christ? John King in his monumental work titled, "The Celtics Druids: Seasonal Cycles of the Ancient Celts". King states “In fact, Christ birth-date was deliberately and artificially set, during the third century AD, to coincide with, absorb and supersede the pagan festival dedicated to Saturn. It is not even certain that Christ was born in the winter: many legends speak of his being born in the spring. The controversy caused by the switch from the old Julian calendar to the Gregorian persists in the popular folk story that Christ was actually born on 6 January, and that at midnight on the eve of that day animals kneel in homage to the Christ child in mangers and stables. Many of the original customs of the Saturnalia have survived into the Christmas celebrations with remarkable persistence. The theme of the advent and the Virgin Births is, of course, not Celtic or Roman, although there are virgin births in other religions and mythologies.” (Reference: “The Celtics Druids: Seasonal Cycles of the Ancient Celts” by John King).
King’s research points to the fact, that the entire Christmas tradition perhaps has it roots in pagan tradition (interpret to mean Christmas is a non-Christian ritual), which ancient people had developed sophisticated customs and rituals that pre-dated the birth of Jesus. The Ancients charted the universe son, moon and stars, thus developing agricultural rites that paid homage to the power of life and death as it was seen in nature (the Freemasons, Rosicrucian, Elks, Illuminati, Sun Gods of Kemet and quite naturally the Sun Gods of Ancient Greece and Rome), as well as others have relied in an interdependent manner on the winter and summer solstice for ritual justification and theological explanation. Nature dies (winter months) and it resurrects itself every year (spring time) and all of the above Societies, as well as Christianity developed elaborate customs and theological rites giving to some aspect of death and resurrection that was observed in natural creation. (Reference: “Secret Societies: Inside The World’s Most Notorious Organizations” by John Lawrence Reynolds).
Moreover, as the earth rotates on her axis the Ancients became infatuated with the mystique of the winter and summer solstice. The word Sol is a Latin word meaning Sun and word Stice mean to stand still and in scientific terms the winter solstice and the summer solstice are one of the ecliptic at which its distance from the celestial equator is greatest and which is reached by the Sun each year around June 22nd and December 22nd. In our hemisphere (North America) December 22, starts winter, in which days get shorter and nights get longer and it was believed by the Ancients that the Sun died during this time, but the manipulators of truth switched and presented us with the story of Jesus, the “Son God” and then concocted a story that is very much inconsistent with the Holy Bible about the events surrounding Jesus birth. (Reference: Recapturing the African Mind” by Bruce Bridges).
For example, in the book titled, "The Book the Church Doesn’t Want You to Read", edited by Tim C. Leedom. Leedom maintains that, “It is also noteworthy that during the month of December, Bethlehem and its surroundings are subject to wintry cold weather, chilling rains, and sometime snow. One does not find shepherds with their flocks outside at night during that time. This is not a recent weather phenomenon… all of this indicates that weather conditions in Bethlehem in December do not fit the Bible’s description of the events connected with the birth of Jesus Christ---Luke 2:8-11.” (Reference: “The Book the Church Doesn’t Want You to Read” by Tim C. Leedom).
Kersey Graves in his book titled, The World’s Sixteen Crucified Saviors, wrote about the historical fact that there were at least Sixteen Saviors that resembled the story attributed to Jesus Christ. He maintained that all of these world Saviors were born of virgin birth (immaculate conception), wise men predicted their birth, the heavens roared, born on December 25, died, resurrected and ascended to heaven. These various Saviors born on December 25th could be found in Kemet (Egypt), India, Persia, China, Mexico, Greece, Rome, Germany and all of them represented aspects of the Sun Gods who were deified long before the man, we came know as Jesus. It was at the Council of Nicaea (modern day Turkey) on May 20, 325 AD that Constantine and his Biblical scholars conveniently and systematically set-up Christianity (meaning the establish creed and doctrine) and in most instance it went contrary and was outright inconsistent with the original teachings of Jesus.
The two authors Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas in their book titled, "The Hiram Key: Pharaohs, Freemasons and the Discovery of the Secrets Scrolls of Jesus" describes some of the challenges that the non-Christian Constantine the Great and the Council of
Nicaea faced, “The result of the Council was the ‘Nicene Creed’, which sought to reconcile the differences between various Christian factions and to avoid doctrinal gulfs that had looked as though they might split the Eastern Church away completely. The rulings that emerged still provide the basis for most Church establishments today, covering many points of detail such as when congregations should stand and when they should sit during services. The central issue, however, was the problem of whether Jesus Christ was a man or a god, and if he were indeed a god, what was the precise nature of his divinity.” (Reference: “The Hiram Key: Pharaohs, Freemasons and the Discovery of the Secrets Scrolls of Jesus” by Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas).
Also, the entire system of Freemasonry is built on the on the Solar Deity hypothesis; thus, one can point to the allegorical story of Hiram Abiff (this story has no Biblical foundation) and he too is a prototype of the SUN GOD conjecture. Hiram Abiff was considered a Master Builder of King Solomon’s Temple and serve as a duality in Operative Masonry (Guild Masonry—Trade Skills) and Speculative (philosophical) Freemasonry and He is equivalent to Jesus in fact and fiction. Shabazz “Symbols, Holidays, Myths and Signs” stated, “In Masonry the sun has many symbols. One expression of the solar energy is Solomon, whose name Sol-om-on is the name for the supreme light in three different languages. Hiram, the Chiram (Hiram) of the Chalders, is also a color deity, and the story of his attack and murder by three Ruffians.”
The circumstances of Hiram Abiff’s death transcend earthly reality and moves into immortality (eternal life and the realm of infinity). Hiram Abiff was murdered at high noon by three Jewish Ruffians that conspired to steal his LIGHT (knowledge and wisdom). Death is viewed as temporary, no different than the changing of the seasons and Jesus life is styled as the zenith of the concept of immorality (Christians believe that Christ has ascended to heaven and is sitting on the right hand of the Father, but will return). Hiram Abiff’s fate is only temporary just as all the other SOLAR DEITIES which life and death is charted by the sun, moon and stars. Hiram Abiff like Jesus suffered a cruel death and was resurrected (He was raised from a dead level) from the grave in which he eventually stood Ninety degrees upright as a LIVING PERPENDICULAR ON THE SQUARE.
The Worshipful Master stationed is in the East (there is where the Sun Rises) and HE is considered the light of the Masonic Lodge and as the physical sun gives light which to set the earth into rotation, the Worshipful Master is styled as Wisdom and the Craft should radiate from his illumination and enlighten coming out of the EAST. The sun as it crosses the meridian sets in the WEST and this is the station of the Senior Warden and HE is styled Strength and in the SOUTH stationed Junior Warden, he is styled as Beauty. (Reference: “Who is Hiram Abiff?” by JSM Ward)
John G. Jackson in his book titled, “Man, God, and Civilization” he stated, “Interesting relics of ancient sun worship may be observed in the ceremonies, symbols and ritual of modern Freemasonry. According to Masonic Tradition, the word of Freemason can be traced back to ancient Egypt. It was derived from two Egyptian words, ‘phee” (the sun) and ‘mas’ (a child), meaning children of the sun or sons of light; and from this combination we derived the word freemason. A Mason is advised to travel to the East in search of light, for the sun rises in the East. The Masonic initiation rites like those of the ancient mysteries of Egypt, are drama based on the astronomical allegory of the death and resurrection of the sun, and the doctrines of the unity of god and the immortality of man; and these tenets are learned from Dr. Oliver’s Dictionary of Symbolic Masonry , that a lodge has their lights situated in the East, the South and the West respectively.”
Jackson continues, “They are so placed in allusion to the sun rises in the East, cross the meridian by way of the south and sets in the West. There is no light in the North part of the lodge, since the sun directs no rays from that area. Every Masonic Lodge Should be oriented due East and sets in the West because the sun, the glory of the Lord, rises in the East and sets in the West and in the lodge, the Master stands in the East, the Junior Warden in the South and the Senior Warden in the West, which positions are representative of sunrise, noon, and sunset, respectively.” (Reference: “Man, God, and Civilization” by John G. Jackson).
Perhaps the most colorful of all the SUN GODS was Osiris of ancient Kemet and in reality, this writer could have started this topic with Osiris ended with Osiris because of all the SUN GODS, it was from his legend that all other legends sprung. The Christianity Trinity perhaps originated in ancient Egypt long before Jesus the Christ. Osiris, Isis and Heru—is the father, son, and the holy ghost. These ancients’ tales were derived from agriculture and fertility festival rites. Osiris had a jealous brother names Seth (Satan) who conspired against him in a vicious plot to take his life just as the Cain and Able story of your Christian Bible.
Seth succeeded in murdering his righteous and innocent brother moreover, cutting his body—up in 14 pieces and depressed the pieces in the river to be ever lost. But Osiris had a zealous sister named Nephthys who desired to search the river in order to find Osiris to reconstruct his body. She found Osiris’ body, some historians say that she found his body in pieces scattered throughout the vast river with the exception of his penis. Osiris’ sex organ was forever lost. The Egyptian started constructing the obelisk symbols as duplication of Osiris lost penis. Osiris being associated in the larger scheme of the sun. However, there are many different slants to the Osiris myth.
Fahim A. Knight Chief Researcher for KEEPING IT REAL THINK TANK located in Durham, NC; our mission is to inform African Americans and all people of good will of the pending dangers that lie ahead; as well as decode the symbolisms and reinterpret the hidden meanings behind those who operate as invisible forces, but covertly rules the world. We are of the belief that an enlighten world will be better prepared to throw off the shackles of ignorance and not be willing participants for the slaughter. Our MOTTO is speaking truth to power. Fahim A. Knight can be reached at fahimknight@yahoo.com,
STAY AWAKE UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN,
Fahim A. Knight
By FAHIM A. KNIGHT
This brief article is on the origin of Christmas and its so-called correlation to the SUN GOD concept, which the western parable of Jesus originated; moreover, December 25 is the BIRTH OF THE SUN GOD and in reality, this fabrication and/or truth has nothing to do with the Historical and Prophetic man called Jesus (there are actually two Jesus, perhaps another subject for another time) and this propaganda is continually being perpetuated in the name of tradition. But the beneficiaries of the Christmas tradition have always been the merchant class in the United States and around the world, which accumulates over 75% of their annual gross sales and financial profits during the month of December.
Allauddin Shabazz in his book titled, “Symbolism, Holidays, Myths and Signs” The word “Christmas” means “Mass of Christ,” or as it came to be shortened, ‘Christ—mas.’ It came to non—Christians and Protestant from the Roman Catholic Church. And where did they get it?---NOT from the New Testament---NOT from the Bible—NOT from the original apostles who were personally instructed by Christ—but it gravitated in the fourth century into the Roman Church from paganism”
Tradition reaps in huge monetary gains and that HIDDEN HAND who do not believe in Christmas or Jesus---THEIR GOD IS MONEY and WE SHOULD CALL THEIR HOLY “PROFIT” GREED. This writer, wonders do the SUN—DAY School teachers admonishes that the worship of the SUN was replaced with the divinity and worship of the SON popular associated with the man named Jesus. This article should not be viewed as an attack on the faith--tradition of Christianity, But like the Reggae Revolutionary Artist Bob Marley’s use to sing “NONE CAN FREE OUR MINDS, BUT OURSELVES.”
Allauddin Shabazz book validates this contention relative to the commercialization and the nonreligious connection Christmas has with the birth of Jesus; in his small, but powerful book titled, “Symbolism, Holidays, Myths and Signs” he stated, “Christmas has become a commercial season. It’s sponsored, kept alive, by the heaviest retail advertisement campaigns of the year. You see a masqueraded “Santa Claus” in many stores. Ads keep the masses deluded and deceived about the ‘beautiful Christmas spirit.’ The newspaper, who sells ads, print flowery editorials exalting and eulogizing the pagan season, and spirit. Gullible people have become so inoculated, many take offense when told the truth. But the ‘Christmas spirit’ is created each year, not to honor Christ, but to sell merchandise!” (reference: Symbolism, Holidays, Myths and Signs” by Allauddin Shabazz).
This writer understand and humbly accept that a 4000 word theses place serious limitations on a subject of this magnitude where scholars such as: Gerald Massey, Albert Churchward, E.A. Wallis Budge, Josef Ben Jochannan, Alvin Boyd Kuhn, Godfrey Higgins, John G. Jackson, Kersey Graves, Cheikh Anta Diop, Manly P. Hall, John Henrik Clarke, Jacob Boehme, Arthur Edward Waite, G.R.S. Mead, Louis H. Spencer, H.G. Wells, H.P. Blavatsky, Ishakamusa Barashango, J.Van Rijckenborgh, Albert Pike, George Oliver, J.S.M. Ward, etc., have spent many years researching and writing scholarly treatise on the above subject.
This thumbnail sketch, is by no means, written to represent a definitive and exhaustive study on the this subject; there to are many links, which expands the schools of thought of esoteric, religious, philosophical, occult, metaphysical science and the truth extends to many cultures, far beyond the limitations of this research could ever begin to address. But it should not be viewed that the author perhaps does not understand depth and complexity of this subject pertaining to Jesus, a god of the Sun and the origin of Christmas.
E. Curtis Alexander in an essay titled, “African Foundations of Christendom” he stated, “Christendom began as a Council of Bishops in Nicea, a city in Bithynia, in Asia Minor on the southside of the Black Sea. The Council was convened by the Roman Emperor Constantine. Many events took place at this Council and the formation of many theological and theosophical doctrines were established such as the Trinity, the name of JESUS, THE Virgin Birth and perhaps the biggest act was making of the Bible. The books that were not canonical at this Council are known to us today as “Lost Books of the Bible’ and the ‘Forgotten Books of Eden’ ” (Reference: “African Foundations of Christendom” by E. Curtis Alexander).
In a book compiled by William Josiah Sutton titled, “The Illuminati 666” stated, “There is no scriptural evidence that supports the Birth of Christ as being December 25th; but history says December 25th was kept thousands of years before the Birth of Christ, in honor of the pagan Messiah. Another name for Tammuz, the pagan-child, was ‘Baal-bereth’ which means Lord of the Fir Tree.” (Reference: “The Illuminati 666” by William Josiah Sutton).
The majority of the scholarship on this subject totally contradicts the Christian version of the man known as Jesus Christ, but reaffirms this story within the scheme of historical and mythological allegory, metaphors, symbolism, prototypes, similes, etc. There is a sizable amount of precedent evidence which informs us that the entire story of Jesus, as far as, his birth, death, resurrection, and ascension were not concepts indigenous to European cultures, it flourished in that region of the world after they came in contact with Ancient Egypt (Kemet).They borrowed the Solar God concept from Egypt. (Reference: “Ancient Egypt: The Light of the World” by Gerald Massey).
John G. Jackson in his enlighten book titled, “Ethiopia and the Origin of Civilization” stated, “A study of the images of ancient deities of both the Old and New Worlds reveals their Ethiopic origin. Thus is noted by Kenneth R. H. Mackenzie in T.A. Buckley’s CITIES OF THE ANCIENT WORLD, p. 180:--‘From the wooly texture of the hair, I am inclined to assign to the Buddha of India, the Fuhi of China, the Sommonacom of the Siamese, Xaha of the Japanese, the Quetzalcoatl of the Mexicans, the same, and indeed an African, or rather Nubian, origin.’
Jackson continues on to state, “ most of the black gods were regarded as crucified saviors who died to save mankind by being nailed to a cross, or tied to a tree with arms outstretched as if on a cross, or slain violently in some other manner. Of these Crucified SAVIORS, THE MOST PROMINENT WERE OSIRIS, AND HORUS OF EGYPT, KRISHNA OF INDIA, MITHRA OF PERSIA, QUETZALCOATL OF MEXICO, ADDONIS OF BABYLONIA AND ATTIS OF PHRYGIA. NEARLY ALL OF THESE SLAIN SAVIOR-GODS HAVE THE FOLLOWING STORIES RELATED ABOUT THEM:---THEY ARE BORN OF A VIRGIN, ON OR NEAR DEC.25TH (CHRISTMAS); THEIR BIRTH ARE HERALDED BY A STAR; THEY ARE BORN EITHER IN A CAVE OR STABLE; THEY ARE SLAIN, COMMONLY BY CRUCIFIXION; THEY DESCEND INTO HELL, AND RISE FROM THE DEAD AT THE BEGINNING OF SPRING (EASTER) AND FINALLY ASCEND INTO HEAVEN.” (Reference: “Ethiopia and the Origin of Civilization” by John G. Jackson).
There is an overwhelming of historical evidence that the worship of the SUN GOD (which was celebrated by many names depending upon the culture and nation) Jesus was a story of antiquity that had played out on the stage of human civilization some thousands of years before the birth of Jesus who lived 2000 years ago and before Constantine concocted and devised the Christian Creed, which was designed to control how Christianity would be disseminated, as well as theologically protect the half-truths, distortions, and outright lies. They lied on Jesus, the Christ. (Reference: “The Historical Origin of Christianity” by Walter Williams).
Wikipedia online research engine stated, “December 25 was also considered to be the date of the winter solstice, which the Romans called bruma. It was therefore the day the Sun proved itself to be "unconquered" despite the shortening of daylight hours. (When Julius Caesar introduced the Julian Calendar in 45 BC, December 25 was approximately the date of the solstice. In modern times, the solstice falls on December 21 or 22.) The Sol Invictus festival has a "strong claim on the responsibility" for the date of Christmas, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia. Several early Christian writers connected the rebirth of the sun to the birth of Jesus (sun/Son). "O, how wonderfully acted Providence that on that day on which that Sun was born . . . Christ should be born,"
Anthony Browder in his book titled, “Nile Valley Contributions to Civilization” he stated, “Auras, Aset, and Heru is the first story recorded in history of man of a holy royal family (the Trinity), immaculate conception, virgin birth and resurrection. Evidence of this Trinity is known to have exist.” (Reference: “Nile Valley Contributions to Civilization” by Anthony Browder).
H.P. Blavatsky in her monumental book titled, “Isis Unveiled” through meticulous research traces the original man’s history and culture back to Egypt (Kemet) which all philosophy, science, theology, and in essences human thought evolved.
she stated, “What Egypt taught to others she certainly did not acquire by the international exchange of ideas and discoveries with her Semitic neighbors, NOR FROM THEM DID SHE RECEIVE HER STIMULUS. ‘The more we learn of the Egyptians,’ observes the writer of a recent article, ‘The Marvelous they seem!’ From whom could she have learned her wondrous arts, the secrets of which died with her? She sent no agents throughout the world to learn what others knew; but to her the wise men of neighboring nations resorted for knowledge. Proudly secluding herself within her enchanted domain, the fair queen of the desert created wonders as if by the sway of a magic staff. ‘Nothing” remarks the same writer, whom we shall elsewhere quote, ‘proves that civilization and knowledge rise and progress with her in the case of other peoples, but everything seems to be referable, in the same perfection, to the earliest dates. That no nation knew as much as herself, is a fact demonstrated by history.”
There is no doubt that the story of Jesus was steeped in duality and shrouded in the mysteries, but the WICKLY WISE, the ten (10) percent who the Honorable Elijah Muhammad referred to as, “The rich, the slave makers of the poor, who teach poor lies to believe that the almighty true and living God, is a spook and cannot be seen with the physical eye. Otherwise known as the bloodsucker of the poor.”
Muhammad further maintained that December 25 was the birthday of Nimrod who is mentioned in the Bible (Old Testament) he is styled as a mighty hunter who is in opposition to God and he turned against the teachings of Moses (the law giver). Nimrod was born 300 years before Christ. Thus, he manipulated the teachings of Moses and set-up the early pagan empires such as Greece and Rome. According to the Bible he is the son of Cush. Nimrod killed his father and married his mother, whose name was Ester, and the Easter celebration is also tied to advent of Nimrod and the entire SUN GOD scheme. (Reference: The True History of Elijah Muhammad” Edited by Nasir Makr Hakim)
Moreover, when Nimrod’s wife (his mother) had their first child, he feared that people would lose respect for him, if they knew he was making babies through his own mother (it was a secret that they were married) therefore to fool the people Nimrod told people that the Holy Ghost had impregnated his mother. This was beginning of the GREAT LIE told about the birth of Jesus.” there is a lot in Muhammad’s lesson and was Christmas set-up by non-Christians who do not believe in Jesus Divinity, but has a stronger conviction to manipulate money and play on the theological ignorance of the people. (Reference: “The History of Nimrod” by Elijah Muhammad).
Manly P. Halls stated, “For reasons which they doubtless considered sufficient, those who chronicled the life and acts of Jesus found it advisable to metamorphose him into a solar deity. The HISTORICAL JESUS WAS FOR GOTTEN; nearly all the salient incidents recorded in the four Gospels have their correlations in the movement, phases, or functions of the heavenly bodies. Among other allegories borrowed by Christianity from pagan antiquity is the story of the beautiful, blue-eyed Sun God, with His golden hair falling upon his shoulders, robed from head to foot in spotless white and carrying in His arms the Lamb of God, symbolic of the vernal equinox. This handsome youth is a composite of Apollo, Osiris, Orpheus, Mithras, and Baccus, for HE has certain characteristics in common with each of these pagan deities.” Manly P. Hall whom this writer considers one of the foremost free thinkers in the history of mankind and he uncovers and interprets symbolism, signs and delved into ancient wisdom unlike any other this writer had read (Reference: “The Secret Teachings of All Ages” by Manly P. Hall).
We have been taught and perhaps more indoctrinated into believing that December 25, represent the birth of Jesus Christ of Nazareth who lived perhaps 2000 years ago in around modern day Palestine. There is some evidence that points to Jesus birth place being in the ancient city of Bethlehem, but most Biblical historians has argued that Jesus was born in Nazareth. but there was a plot and a conspiracy orchestrated by King Herod to kill the first born male; thus Mary’s pregnancy and Jesus birth became a top priority and secret, this cloaking and concealment was only necessary to protect Jesus from his conspirators. (Reference: The Jesus Scroll” by Donovan Joyce).
This next quote is from a book titled, “The Lost Books of the Bible to Jesus Christ, His Apostles and Their Companions” originally published in 1820 by William Hone. Most Christians do not know their were some lost books to the original Bible or perhaps this writer should say that a number of books were deliberate and intentionally removed from the Bible as an act of deception. Nevertheless, Hone stated, “Now Herod, perceived that the wise men did delay and not return to him, called together the priests and wise men and said, Tell me in what place the Christ should be born? And when they replied, in Bethlehem, a city of Judea, he began to contrive in his own mind the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. But an Angel appeared to Joseph in his sleep, and said, Arise take the child and his mother and go into Egypt as soon as the cock crows. So he arose, and went.” (Reference: “The Lost Books of the Bible to Jesus Christ” by William Hone).
December 25 had nothing to do with Jesus Birthday in fact his name was probably more like Yeshua Ben Yosef or Isa Bin Yusuf (Jesus the Son of Joseph) in accordance to the Amharic and/or Hebrew languages that were spoken in that region of the world, long before the English language was even a thought. Jesus was atypical of pagan tradition that evolved around the son god concept and there were many more world saviors who had similar histories of Jesus and many of the things we ascribed to Jesus were actually borrowed from more ancient cultures and civilizations. The birth, death, resurrection and ascension fables seemed to have been concocted by money changers and merchants which as stated above, many of them do not believe in Jesus divinity, but the commercialization and the exploitation of his name is their only motive. (Reference: “The World’s Sixteen Crucified Saviors” by Kersey Graves).
How then did December 25, become associated with the birth of Jesus Christ? John King in his monumental work titled, "The Celtics Druids: Seasonal Cycles of the Ancient Celts". King states “In fact, Christ birth-date was deliberately and artificially set, during the third century AD, to coincide with, absorb and supersede the pagan festival dedicated to Saturn. It is not even certain that Christ was born in the winter: many legends speak of his being born in the spring. The controversy caused by the switch from the old Julian calendar to the Gregorian persists in the popular folk story that Christ was actually born on 6 January, and that at midnight on the eve of that day animals kneel in homage to the Christ child in mangers and stables. Many of the original customs of the Saturnalia have survived into the Christmas celebrations with remarkable persistence. The theme of the advent and the Virgin Births is, of course, not Celtic or Roman, although there are virgin births in other religions and mythologies.” (Reference: “The Celtics Druids: Seasonal Cycles of the Ancient Celts” by John King).
King’s research points to the fact, that the entire Christmas tradition perhaps has it roots in pagan tradition (interpret to mean Christmas is a non-Christian ritual), which ancient people had developed sophisticated customs and rituals that pre-dated the birth of Jesus. The Ancients charted the universe son, moon and stars, thus developing agricultural rites that paid homage to the power of life and death as it was seen in nature (the Freemasons, Rosicrucian, Elks, Illuminati, Sun Gods of Kemet and quite naturally the Sun Gods of Ancient Greece and Rome), as well as others have relied in an interdependent manner on the winter and summer solstice for ritual justification and theological explanation. Nature dies (winter months) and it resurrects itself every year (spring time) and all of the above Societies, as well as Christianity developed elaborate customs and theological rites giving to some aspect of death and resurrection that was observed in natural creation. (Reference: “Secret Societies: Inside The World’s Most Notorious Organizations” by John Lawrence Reynolds).
Moreover, as the earth rotates on her axis the Ancients became infatuated with the mystique of the winter and summer solstice. The word Sol is a Latin word meaning Sun and word Stice mean to stand still and in scientific terms the winter solstice and the summer solstice are one of the ecliptic at which its distance from the celestial equator is greatest and which is reached by the Sun each year around June 22nd and December 22nd. In our hemisphere (North America) December 22, starts winter, in which days get shorter and nights get longer and it was believed by the Ancients that the Sun died during this time, but the manipulators of truth switched and presented us with the story of Jesus, the “Son God” and then concocted a story that is very much inconsistent with the Holy Bible about the events surrounding Jesus birth. (Reference: Recapturing the African Mind” by Bruce Bridges).
For example, in the book titled, "The Book the Church Doesn’t Want You to Read", edited by Tim C. Leedom. Leedom maintains that, “It is also noteworthy that during the month of December, Bethlehem and its surroundings are subject to wintry cold weather, chilling rains, and sometime snow. One does not find shepherds with their flocks outside at night during that time. This is not a recent weather phenomenon… all of this indicates that weather conditions in Bethlehem in December do not fit the Bible’s description of the events connected with the birth of Jesus Christ---Luke 2:8-11.” (Reference: “The Book the Church Doesn’t Want You to Read” by Tim C. Leedom).
Kersey Graves in his book titled, The World’s Sixteen Crucified Saviors, wrote about the historical fact that there were at least Sixteen Saviors that resembled the story attributed to Jesus Christ. He maintained that all of these world Saviors were born of virgin birth (immaculate conception), wise men predicted their birth, the heavens roared, born on December 25, died, resurrected and ascended to heaven. These various Saviors born on December 25th could be found in Kemet (Egypt), India, Persia, China, Mexico, Greece, Rome, Germany and all of them represented aspects of the Sun Gods who were deified long before the man, we came know as Jesus. It was at the Council of Nicaea (modern day Turkey) on May 20, 325 AD that Constantine and his Biblical scholars conveniently and systematically set-up Christianity (meaning the establish creed and doctrine) and in most instance it went contrary and was outright inconsistent with the original teachings of Jesus.
The two authors Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas in their book titled, "The Hiram Key: Pharaohs, Freemasons and the Discovery of the Secrets Scrolls of Jesus" describes some of the challenges that the non-Christian Constantine the Great and the Council of
Nicaea faced, “The result of the Council was the ‘Nicene Creed’, which sought to reconcile the differences between various Christian factions and to avoid doctrinal gulfs that had looked as though they might split the Eastern Church away completely. The rulings that emerged still provide the basis for most Church establishments today, covering many points of detail such as when congregations should stand and when they should sit during services. The central issue, however, was the problem of whether Jesus Christ was a man or a god, and if he were indeed a god, what was the precise nature of his divinity.” (Reference: “The Hiram Key: Pharaohs, Freemasons and the Discovery of the Secrets Scrolls of Jesus” by Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas).
Also, the entire system of Freemasonry is built on the on the Solar Deity hypothesis; thus, one can point to the allegorical story of Hiram Abiff (this story has no Biblical foundation) and he too is a prototype of the SUN GOD conjecture. Hiram Abiff was considered a Master Builder of King Solomon’s Temple and serve as a duality in Operative Masonry (Guild Masonry—Trade Skills) and Speculative (philosophical) Freemasonry and He is equivalent to Jesus in fact and fiction. Shabazz “Symbols, Holidays, Myths and Signs” stated, “In Masonry the sun has many symbols. One expression of the solar energy is Solomon, whose name Sol-om-on is the name for the supreme light in three different languages. Hiram, the Chiram (Hiram) of the Chalders, is also a color deity, and the story of his attack and murder by three Ruffians.”
The circumstances of Hiram Abiff’s death transcend earthly reality and moves into immortality (eternal life and the realm of infinity). Hiram Abiff was murdered at high noon by three Jewish Ruffians that conspired to steal his LIGHT (knowledge and wisdom). Death is viewed as temporary, no different than the changing of the seasons and Jesus life is styled as the zenith of the concept of immorality (Christians believe that Christ has ascended to heaven and is sitting on the right hand of the Father, but will return). Hiram Abiff’s fate is only temporary just as all the other SOLAR DEITIES which life and death is charted by the sun, moon and stars. Hiram Abiff like Jesus suffered a cruel death and was resurrected (He was raised from a dead level) from the grave in which he eventually stood Ninety degrees upright as a LIVING PERPENDICULAR ON THE SQUARE.
The Worshipful Master stationed is in the East (there is where the Sun Rises) and HE is considered the light of the Masonic Lodge and as the physical sun gives light which to set the earth into rotation, the Worshipful Master is styled as Wisdom and the Craft should radiate from his illumination and enlighten coming out of the EAST. The sun as it crosses the meridian sets in the WEST and this is the station of the Senior Warden and HE is styled Strength and in the SOUTH stationed Junior Warden, he is styled as Beauty. (Reference: “Who is Hiram Abiff?” by JSM Ward)
John G. Jackson in his book titled, “Man, God, and Civilization” he stated, “Interesting relics of ancient sun worship may be observed in the ceremonies, symbols and ritual of modern Freemasonry. According to Masonic Tradition, the word of Freemason can be traced back to ancient Egypt. It was derived from two Egyptian words, ‘phee” (the sun) and ‘mas’ (a child), meaning children of the sun or sons of light; and from this combination we derived the word freemason. A Mason is advised to travel to the East in search of light, for the sun rises in the East. The Masonic initiation rites like those of the ancient mysteries of Egypt, are drama based on the astronomical allegory of the death and resurrection of the sun, and the doctrines of the unity of god and the immortality of man; and these tenets are learned from Dr. Oliver’s Dictionary of Symbolic Masonry , that a lodge has their lights situated in the East, the South and the West respectively.”
Jackson continues, “They are so placed in allusion to the sun rises in the East, cross the meridian by way of the south and sets in the West. There is no light in the North part of the lodge, since the sun directs no rays from that area. Every Masonic Lodge Should be oriented due East and sets in the West because the sun, the glory of the Lord, rises in the East and sets in the West and in the lodge, the Master stands in the East, the Junior Warden in the South and the Senior Warden in the West, which positions are representative of sunrise, noon, and sunset, respectively.” (Reference: “Man, God, and Civilization” by John G. Jackson).
Perhaps the most colorful of all the SUN GODS was Osiris of ancient Kemet and in reality, this writer could have started this topic with Osiris ended with Osiris because of all the SUN GODS, it was from his legend that all other legends sprung. The Christianity Trinity perhaps originated in ancient Egypt long before Jesus the Christ. Osiris, Isis and Heru—is the father, son, and the holy ghost. These ancients’ tales were derived from agriculture and fertility festival rites. Osiris had a jealous brother names Seth (Satan) who conspired against him in a vicious plot to take his life just as the Cain and Able story of your Christian Bible.
Seth succeeded in murdering his righteous and innocent brother moreover, cutting his body—up in 14 pieces and depressed the pieces in the river to be ever lost. But Osiris had a zealous sister named Nephthys who desired to search the river in order to find Osiris to reconstruct his body. She found Osiris’ body, some historians say that she found his body in pieces scattered throughout the vast river with the exception of his penis. Osiris’ sex organ was forever lost. The Egyptian started constructing the obelisk symbols as duplication of Osiris lost penis. Osiris being associated in the larger scheme of the sun. However, there are many different slants to the Osiris myth.
Fahim A. Knight Chief Researcher for KEEPING IT REAL THINK TANK located in Durham, NC; our mission is to inform African Americans and all people of good will of the pending dangers that lie ahead; as well as decode the symbolisms and reinterpret the hidden meanings behind those who operate as invisible forces, but covertly rules the world. We are of the belief that an enlighten world will be better prepared to throw off the shackles of ignorance and not be willing participants for the slaughter. Our MOTTO is speaking truth to power. Fahim A. Knight can be reached at fahimknight@yahoo.com,
STAY AWAKE UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN,
Fahim A. Knight
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
RECAPTURING THE AFRICAN MIND: A BEHIND THE SCENE LOOK AT MY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE AUTHOR
"RECAPTURING THE AFRICAN MIND AND MY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE AUTHOR BRUCE BRIDGES" By Fahim A. Knight
Brother Bruce Bridges in thought, had giving birth to this project titled, "Recapturing the African Mind" published 2006, long before it actually became a published work; thus as an idea, it had its inception some twelve years ago. Bridges through a tedious process and long hours of revisions and transcriptions, is now prepared to give birth to a work that will rank beside the works, authored by some of the most well respected African centered thinkers and intellectuals in America.
This book thoroughly investigates the effects Christianity had on the social and psychological development of African people. It is a must read for all the serious minded African-centered scholars and lay persons. Brother Bridges has picked up the torch left by our African Elders John G. Jackson and John Henrik Clarke two of our greatest African intellectual warriors. This article will give the reader a behind the scenes look at the author and my journey with him.
Moreover, I accompanied Bridges on numerous trips to North Carolina State University perhaps in the early 1990's at the invitation of Dr. Thomas Hammonds who was a professor of French language and Culture in the North Carolina State University Foreign Languages and Communications Department. Dr. Hammonds was attempting to establish and develop a Black Studies program and curriculum, in which students could receive major and minor degrees in this discipline.
Dr. Hammonds organized an evening study group forum on the campus in order to initiate student interest, in at least taking Black Studies courses and with a long ranged objective of getting the university to formalize, sanction and grant Black Studies degrees, as well as funnel the necessary resources to hire qualified Black professors and build a credible Black Studies Department, at this predominately white university campus.
This effort at North Carolina State University was also taking place at the height of the Afrocentric Movement in America, where Black scholars such as Marimba Ani, Leonard Jeffries, Ivan Van Sertima, Maulana Karenga, Frances Cress Welsing, John Henrik Clarke, Anthony T. Browder, Na'im Akbar, Aashre Kwesi, Molefi Asante, IshakaMusa Barashango, Amos Wilson, Yosef A.A. Ben-Johannan, etc., were redefining the African world view and challenging white academia to reconsider the facts of history, which in many instances had covertly and overtly omitted the African contribution to humanity; thus, at the detriment of human progress in order to continue to perpetuate a white supremacy ideology.
Bridges and I, would travel to North Carolina State University Campus, which is located in Raleigh, North Carolina three times a week and he would lecture to fifty (50) too one hundred (100) students on various topics of African History. Some of the initial study groups evolved from intense discussions relative to the Negritude Movement and how French culture in the 1930's had impacted and influenced African and Caribbean cultures, i.e., literature, politics, art, music, folkways, mores, etc.
The Negritude Movement was coexisting simultaneously during the latter years with the Harlem Renaissance Movement, which was in gulfing Black America; it was a cultural explosion perhaps unmatched in the history of Black America. However, I was always of the opinion, that Dr. Hammonds was much more fond and passionate about the Negritude Movement than Bridges.Although, I learned a lot from Bridges about the likes of Leon Damas (French Guyana), Aime Cesaire (Martinique) and Leopold Senghor (Senegal), it was not his discussion of choice, but he had a love for teaching and inspiring young African-American students and he had the intellectual ability to adapt and use his excellent skills as an orator to make any subject come to life, including the Negritude Movement.
The relationship between Dr. Hammonds and Bridges in my opinion, was based on expediency because Dr. Hammonds could not have built a credible and viable Black Studies program without the likes of a Bridges who although was not a "trained Historian", but possessed a love and passion for historical research and more importantly was eager to teach and share this wealth of knowledge, he had acquired over many years of study.
Bridges wanted to get back into the classroom and Dr. Hammonds offered him this opportunity.Bridges began his teaching profession at North Carolina Central University, his alma mater, from which he graduated in 1973 and went on to the University of Cincinnati earning a Masters of Arts degree in geography. In 1976 at the age of twenty-six Bridges was teaching geography full-time at North Carolina Central University. He later would make his mark as a professor at Saint Augustine College in Raleigh, North Carolina teaching both geography and African History. Thus, the academic classroom was not unfamiliar territory for Bridges and he would seized the moment at North Carolina State University to shape these young fashionable minds, as well as stretch the concept of academic freedom.
He began a lecture series at North Carolina State University titled, "Recapturing the African Mind", Bridges and I, would spend many hours in his old model vehicle talking about the plight of Black people and listening to the Temptations, The Last Poets, Modulations, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Sam Cooke, the sounds of Philly International, the sounds of Motown, etc. Bridges music interest led him across status and class lines and he was drawn and attracted to street personalities such as Daryl "Slack" Smith" (and believe me this cat could sing), Clyde Lockhart, William Harper and between imitating the Temptations and expressing the humor of PigMeat Markham and Moms Mabel was all encompassing of Bridges personality.
Bridges enjoyed nostalgia and he very seldom ventured outside music beyond the date of 1976. But next to music and comedy, what intrigued him the most was the acquisition of knowledge and information, which he took very serious. Bridges would often say to me "that we (meaning black people) where out of our minds" and he would often point to chattel slavery and the negative affect this 310 year systematic process had on the mental development of continental and disaporian Africans, which continues to plague us as a race of people even in 2007.
The title, "Recapturing the African Mind" evolved out this social dilemma and historical antagonistic contradiction. He never missed an opportunity to condemn King Leopold of Belgium and the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 for dividing and partitioning Africa. In his mind this was an unforgivable sin."Recapturing the African Mind" goes after the myths, lies, deceptions, false symbolism and it challenges the disease of white supremacy and like the book titled, The Mis-education of the Negro, written by Carter Godwin Woodson in 1933, it explains and diagnosis our psychological, political, economic and social condition.
Bridges would often state to me, "we must answer the who, what, where, when and how question", because of all our studies history is best qualified to reward all research and those who fail to learn from the lessons of history are doomed to repeat those lessons. Bridges has edited, revised, and rewritten portions of this book over, and over again; moreover, he has finally decided to bring it to fruition and I can only say that he has been in labor with this book for over ten years. I was there, when he first started to have these labor pains as it related to writing "Recapturing the African Mind". But I am fully aware that nothing comes into existence without the permission of the Creator.
The time is ripe and perhaps for the first time the community would get a chance to experience Bridges gift for writing because many of us have been well acquainted with his ability to orate and finally he has put some of his thoughts on paper; thus, giving the scholars and layman alike, the opportunity to assess, evaluate and render critical analysis of his intellectual ideas.
Bridges would often tell me how grateful he was as young man to have had been introduced early on, to the Durham based Civil Rights Movement and its leader Howard Fuller who led many protest marches, boycotts, picket lines, sit-ins, etc., and he was inspired by Fuller's strength, tenacity, intellect and his willingness to fight for justice for the Black citizens of Durham. Bridges told me how Fuller and the Civil Rights organizers would always give him a spot on the program to read some Black inspired poetry when he was in his early teens.Bridges deeply admired Howard Fuller's ability to organize and often told me about Fuller's effort to establish Malcolm X College and the revolutionary programming that was being aired on WAFR radio station.
This all took place in Hayti, the Mecca of Black Durham. Bridges and I, would talk for hours and hours at a time, about when he was first invited to the Nation of Islam Temple number 34 in the early 1970's and he heard a young minister named Kenneth X (Murray) from Baltimore, Maryland who was sent to Durham by minister Malcolm X to establish the work of Elijah Muhammad in North Carolina. Murray who later changed his name to Kenneth Muhammad taught a fiery brand of Islam, which Bridges found attractive and inspiring as a young college student.
Bridge said he never joined the Nation of Islam, but he would recruit carloads of students from North Carolina Central University and bring them to Temple number 34 to hear Minister Kenneth X deliver the life giving teachings. Bridges in 1973 had recruited so many people to Muhammad's Temple #34 that his efforts won him a free trip to the Nation of Islam Savior's Day Convention in Chicago to hear its late leader Elijah Muhammad. Many old Nation of Islam followers have told me that indeed Bridges was a fisher of men.
Bridges said what he enjoyed the most about attending the Nation of Islam meetings was the teaching aspect and their usage of the chalkboard. I gave this background information because it is necessary to understand the institutions, personalities, environment and events that helped shape the man and his ideals.
I first met Bridges in 1982, twenty-three years ago, I had just come to Durham, North Carolina from Newark, New Jersey as a freshman at North Carolina Central University and someone gave me a flier that stated Bridges was conducting what he called the Cultural Awareness Seminar at Saint Joseph African Methodist Episcopal Church. I attended the meeting that evening out of sheer curiosity, but I left inspired by Bridges message; his central theme has always been some aspect of Black history whether it is of antiquity or contemporary.
Bridges also had a knack for uncovering word origins, and getting to the root of a word or concept and was a serious student of etymology. He didn't mind referring to a dictionary in order to ascertain a definition, as well as break down a word. In addition, he loved the science of epistemology and He would often quote from Albert Churchward book titled, "Signs and Symbols of Primordial Man" and Gerald Massey's book titled, "A Book of the Beginnings", where Churchward and Massey gives the evolution of words and the nature of phrases and there interconnection to human development.
Bridges in his lectures always imparted non-traditional information and he kept his philosophical ideas outside the box and he challenged us all, to look deeper into a subject because "branch knowledge" was shallow and it was "root knowledge" that was worth investigating. I attended many of his talks over a twelve-year period and at the conclusion of each lecture, one always left feeling better informed and educated about some aspect of African history.
Bridges also use to host a weekly talk show on WDUR radio titled, "The Cultural Awareness Seminar" your radio classroom, a call-in format and every Saturday morning Bridges would introduce facts, events about some aspect of Black History. He would always cite dates, facts and events relative to the Black experience from the "Black Seeds" calendar and would often teach from the calendar. Bridges always opened his radio program with his national anthem "Redemption Song" by Bob Nesta Marley, who he would quote throughout the program, "none can free our minds but ourselves".
Bridges was very intrigued by the Rastafarian movement and culture; thus, I never knew his motivations behind this other than he appreciated the Rasta's non-conformist, resistance, anti-establishment life style and I knew he was aware of the revolutionary actions the Maroons of Jamaica had taken historically, these warrior men and women never accepted slavery and fought and rebelled against the British slave makers.
This spirit was also embodied in the lyrics of Marley's Reggae music and Bridges could appreciate all aspect of protest. But I was intelligent enough to reason that Bridges loved and respected Marcus Mosiah Garvey and his back the Africa Movement, which the Rastafarian held in high esteem and this perhaps was the cement that held this complex ideological relationship together.
If there were three (3) or perhaps four (4) books that stood out separate and apart in my many discussions with Bridges it would be, Marcus Garvey's book titled, "Message to the People: The Course of African Philosophy" edited by Tony Martin, "As A Man Thinketh", James Allen, "100 Amazing Facts About the Negro", by Joel Augusta Rogers and "What They Never Told You in History Class". These monumental works to a lesser degree or perhaps even to a greater extent serves as the fundamental basis that under girds Bridges impetus and ideological formulations as a teacher and social activist.
Bridges "Cultural Awareness Seminar" Topics ranged from the origin of the Black Panther Movement to Ancient Kamit (Egypt) and he would rescue Kamit (Egypt) from the half-truths, lies, historical deceptions and would often use Dr. George G. M. James book titled, Stolen Legacy, and John G. Jackson's book titled, Introduction to African Civilization, to reinstall African People (Black People) as the major contributors to the development of medicine, architecture, mathematics, chemistry, astronomy, physics, art, Music, etc.
He demystified Rome and Greece and taught that Kamit (Egypt and Cush) had enlightened the entire world and this included Europe. Bridges and I, use to travel throughout America vending books from his KNOW BOOK STORE, which he founded in 1983. The KNOW BOOK STORE was a haven for grassroots and Black intellectuals meetings and discussions. The KNOW BOOK STORE had played host to many guests such as the late Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael), Jamil Abdullah EL-Amin (H.Rapp Brown), Sun-Ra, Ben Ammi, Abdul Alim Muhammad, Susan Taylor, Steve Cokley, Ishakamusa Barshango, C. Eric Lincoln, Andrew Young, J. Anthony Brown, Michael Eric Dyson, Llaila O. Africa, etc.
There are two incidents that come to mind and if one was not prepared to adequately defend their political arguments, then the Cultural Awareness Seminar regulars could be unforgiving. There was a brother by the name of Rudolph Windsor who authored a very good book titled, "Dry Bones in the Valley", but he took an intellectual whipping like never before and there was George Subira who authored a book which dealt with Black economics and he too had underestimated how prepared the KNOW BOOK STORE regulars were and he received the same fate of brother Windsor.
I can recall Bridges and I, traveling to New York in 1988 to City College and attending the Melanin Conference and vending books. These type conferences were often well attended by non-traditional Black intellectuals, nationalist, Pan-Africanist, academicians, and some petite bourgeoisie. Bridges could have been one of the presenters and could have run circles around most of the Afrocentic lecturers that were present. He knew that, and of course, I knew that.
However, our purpose was to sell books and Bridges was also unmatched as an entrepreneur and I also can recall me standing on a table selling and promoting the books. Many people could not accept the fact that we were from Durham, North Carolina (in essence two country boys) because they had reserved hustling and bold salesmanship to New Yorkers. One gentleman said jokingly, "book man go home".
Bridges and I, during this same year traveled to Coppin State College in Baltimore, Maryland to sell books at the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations and once again we were among the cream of crop, as far as non-traditional Black intellectuals. Bridges did not allow his ego to get in the way of business but once again he could have delivered the keynote address and it would have been well received.
In conclusion, Bridges established another radio program on WDUR –AM Radio, which we titled, "Talk Harambee" translate to mean talk unity in Ki-Swahili. This program was aired from 12:00am to 6:00am and we could have live guest and/or format the program as we saw fit. Bridges and a brother by the name of Imam Mathew Hamidullah (who now works for the United States Department of Justice) co-hosted the first three hours of the program. Hamidullah was an interesting brother; he once held the national spokesmen position for the American Muslim Mission and Imam Warithudeen Mohammed and served as Bridges co-host.
Bridges was an African History expert and Hamidullah was more of a public policy and current event individual; thus, looking back at Hamidullah's training and holding a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree, it was not surprising giving his academic orientation that he would be issue oriented. But as co-host, they complimented each other very well.
Bridges and Hamidullah radio highlight was when they put Santa Claus on trial and the listening audience took great interest in this particular series of shows, both supporters and pundits alike responded with their opinion and views. They charged Santa Clause with grand larceny, breaking and entering, perjury, embezzlement, etc. Mr. Claus was found guilty of various felonies, but I cannot recall what penalty was imposed.
Bridges later added Alice Ailey-Jones and sister Alice would be considered more of a trained historian and possessed a real professional approach to interpreting past, present and future events. She added balanced to the "Talk Harambee" discussions and Bridges relied on her for that balance. Bridges would always open up this midnight show with "Wake Up Everybody" by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes.
He permitted me to host the latter three hours of the show and I added a brother by the name of Adrian Bishop who was originally from Asbury Park, New Jersey and we were both young radicals and our approach to formatting the program reflected our youthful spirit and our rebellious disposition. But Bridges never attempted to censor and/or water down our message and I believe he saw himself in our nonconforming and raw approach to the issues. We later would add a brother named Rod Barbee and he gave us our theme song "Fight The Power" by Public Enemy.
The callers would call us at three o'clock in the morning, which just to state they were checking in. And of course we never disappointed our support base. Bridges has made two pilgrimages to West and East Africa and he continues to lecture at some of America's most prestigious colleges and universities. There is much more I can say, but this backdrop will provide the reader with a prelude to understanding the motivations behind Recapturing the African Mind.
I Fahim A. Knight, Chief Researcher of KEEPING it REAL THINK TANK in Durham, NC; we are dedicated to the upliftment of Black people and all people of goodwill. We espouse the principles of FREEDOM, JUSTICE and EQULAITY. Our motto is speaking truth to power. Fahim A. Knight can be contacted at fahimknight@yahoo.com.
Stay Awake Until We Meet Again,
By: Fahim A. Knight
Brother Bruce Bridges in thought, had giving birth to this project titled, "Recapturing the African Mind" published 2006, long before it actually became a published work; thus as an idea, it had its inception some twelve years ago. Bridges through a tedious process and long hours of revisions and transcriptions, is now prepared to give birth to a work that will rank beside the works, authored by some of the most well respected African centered thinkers and intellectuals in America.
This book thoroughly investigates the effects Christianity had on the social and psychological development of African people. It is a must read for all the serious minded African-centered scholars and lay persons. Brother Bridges has picked up the torch left by our African Elders John G. Jackson and John Henrik Clarke two of our greatest African intellectual warriors. This article will give the reader a behind the scenes look at the author and my journey with him.
Moreover, I accompanied Bridges on numerous trips to North Carolina State University perhaps in the early 1990's at the invitation of Dr. Thomas Hammonds who was a professor of French language and Culture in the North Carolina State University Foreign Languages and Communications Department. Dr. Hammonds was attempting to establish and develop a Black Studies program and curriculum, in which students could receive major and minor degrees in this discipline.
Dr. Hammonds organized an evening study group forum on the campus in order to initiate student interest, in at least taking Black Studies courses and with a long ranged objective of getting the university to formalize, sanction and grant Black Studies degrees, as well as funnel the necessary resources to hire qualified Black professors and build a credible Black Studies Department, at this predominately white university campus.
This effort at North Carolina State University was also taking place at the height of the Afrocentric Movement in America, where Black scholars such as Marimba Ani, Leonard Jeffries, Ivan Van Sertima, Maulana Karenga, Frances Cress Welsing, John Henrik Clarke, Anthony T. Browder, Na'im Akbar, Aashre Kwesi, Molefi Asante, IshakaMusa Barashango, Amos Wilson, Yosef A.A. Ben-Johannan, etc., were redefining the African world view and challenging white academia to reconsider the facts of history, which in many instances had covertly and overtly omitted the African contribution to humanity; thus, at the detriment of human progress in order to continue to perpetuate a white supremacy ideology.
Bridges and I, would travel to North Carolina State University Campus, which is located in Raleigh, North Carolina three times a week and he would lecture to fifty (50) too one hundred (100) students on various topics of African History. Some of the initial study groups evolved from intense discussions relative to the Negritude Movement and how French culture in the 1930's had impacted and influenced African and Caribbean cultures, i.e., literature, politics, art, music, folkways, mores, etc.
The Negritude Movement was coexisting simultaneously during the latter years with the Harlem Renaissance Movement, which was in gulfing Black America; it was a cultural explosion perhaps unmatched in the history of Black America. However, I was always of the opinion, that Dr. Hammonds was much more fond and passionate about the Negritude Movement than Bridges.Although, I learned a lot from Bridges about the likes of Leon Damas (French Guyana), Aime Cesaire (Martinique) and Leopold Senghor (Senegal), it was not his discussion of choice, but he had a love for teaching and inspiring young African-American students and he had the intellectual ability to adapt and use his excellent skills as an orator to make any subject come to life, including the Negritude Movement.
The relationship between Dr. Hammonds and Bridges in my opinion, was based on expediency because Dr. Hammonds could not have built a credible and viable Black Studies program without the likes of a Bridges who although was not a "trained Historian", but possessed a love and passion for historical research and more importantly was eager to teach and share this wealth of knowledge, he had acquired over many years of study.
Bridges wanted to get back into the classroom and Dr. Hammonds offered him this opportunity.Bridges began his teaching profession at North Carolina Central University, his alma mater, from which he graduated in 1973 and went on to the University of Cincinnati earning a Masters of Arts degree in geography. In 1976 at the age of twenty-six Bridges was teaching geography full-time at North Carolina Central University. He later would make his mark as a professor at Saint Augustine College in Raleigh, North Carolina teaching both geography and African History. Thus, the academic classroom was not unfamiliar territory for Bridges and he would seized the moment at North Carolina State University to shape these young fashionable minds, as well as stretch the concept of academic freedom.
He began a lecture series at North Carolina State University titled, "Recapturing the African Mind", Bridges and I, would spend many hours in his old model vehicle talking about the plight of Black people and listening to the Temptations, The Last Poets, Modulations, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Sam Cooke, the sounds of Philly International, the sounds of Motown, etc. Bridges music interest led him across status and class lines and he was drawn and attracted to street personalities such as Daryl "Slack" Smith" (and believe me this cat could sing), Clyde Lockhart, William Harper and between imitating the Temptations and expressing the humor of PigMeat Markham and Moms Mabel was all encompassing of Bridges personality.
Bridges enjoyed nostalgia and he very seldom ventured outside music beyond the date of 1976. But next to music and comedy, what intrigued him the most was the acquisition of knowledge and information, which he took very serious. Bridges would often say to me "that we (meaning black people) where out of our minds" and he would often point to chattel slavery and the negative affect this 310 year systematic process had on the mental development of continental and disaporian Africans, which continues to plague us as a race of people even in 2007.
The title, "Recapturing the African Mind" evolved out this social dilemma and historical antagonistic contradiction. He never missed an opportunity to condemn King Leopold of Belgium and the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 for dividing and partitioning Africa. In his mind this was an unforgivable sin."Recapturing the African Mind" goes after the myths, lies, deceptions, false symbolism and it challenges the disease of white supremacy and like the book titled, The Mis-education of the Negro, written by Carter Godwin Woodson in 1933, it explains and diagnosis our psychological, political, economic and social condition.
Bridges would often state to me, "we must answer the who, what, where, when and how question", because of all our studies history is best qualified to reward all research and those who fail to learn from the lessons of history are doomed to repeat those lessons. Bridges has edited, revised, and rewritten portions of this book over, and over again; moreover, he has finally decided to bring it to fruition and I can only say that he has been in labor with this book for over ten years. I was there, when he first started to have these labor pains as it related to writing "Recapturing the African Mind". But I am fully aware that nothing comes into existence without the permission of the Creator.
The time is ripe and perhaps for the first time the community would get a chance to experience Bridges gift for writing because many of us have been well acquainted with his ability to orate and finally he has put some of his thoughts on paper; thus, giving the scholars and layman alike, the opportunity to assess, evaluate and render critical analysis of his intellectual ideas.
Bridges would often tell me how grateful he was as young man to have had been introduced early on, to the Durham based Civil Rights Movement and its leader Howard Fuller who led many protest marches, boycotts, picket lines, sit-ins, etc., and he was inspired by Fuller's strength, tenacity, intellect and his willingness to fight for justice for the Black citizens of Durham. Bridges told me how Fuller and the Civil Rights organizers would always give him a spot on the program to read some Black inspired poetry when he was in his early teens.Bridges deeply admired Howard Fuller's ability to organize and often told me about Fuller's effort to establish Malcolm X College and the revolutionary programming that was being aired on WAFR radio station.
This all took place in Hayti, the Mecca of Black Durham. Bridges and I, would talk for hours and hours at a time, about when he was first invited to the Nation of Islam Temple number 34 in the early 1970's and he heard a young minister named Kenneth X (Murray) from Baltimore, Maryland who was sent to Durham by minister Malcolm X to establish the work of Elijah Muhammad in North Carolina. Murray who later changed his name to Kenneth Muhammad taught a fiery brand of Islam, which Bridges found attractive and inspiring as a young college student.
Bridge said he never joined the Nation of Islam, but he would recruit carloads of students from North Carolina Central University and bring them to Temple number 34 to hear Minister Kenneth X deliver the life giving teachings. Bridges in 1973 had recruited so many people to Muhammad's Temple #34 that his efforts won him a free trip to the Nation of Islam Savior's Day Convention in Chicago to hear its late leader Elijah Muhammad. Many old Nation of Islam followers have told me that indeed Bridges was a fisher of men.
Bridges said what he enjoyed the most about attending the Nation of Islam meetings was the teaching aspect and their usage of the chalkboard. I gave this background information because it is necessary to understand the institutions, personalities, environment and events that helped shape the man and his ideals.
I first met Bridges in 1982, twenty-three years ago, I had just come to Durham, North Carolina from Newark, New Jersey as a freshman at North Carolina Central University and someone gave me a flier that stated Bridges was conducting what he called the Cultural Awareness Seminar at Saint Joseph African Methodist Episcopal Church. I attended the meeting that evening out of sheer curiosity, but I left inspired by Bridges message; his central theme has always been some aspect of Black history whether it is of antiquity or contemporary.
Bridges also had a knack for uncovering word origins, and getting to the root of a word or concept and was a serious student of etymology. He didn't mind referring to a dictionary in order to ascertain a definition, as well as break down a word. In addition, he loved the science of epistemology and He would often quote from Albert Churchward book titled, "Signs and Symbols of Primordial Man" and Gerald Massey's book titled, "A Book of the Beginnings", where Churchward and Massey gives the evolution of words and the nature of phrases and there interconnection to human development.
Bridges in his lectures always imparted non-traditional information and he kept his philosophical ideas outside the box and he challenged us all, to look deeper into a subject because "branch knowledge" was shallow and it was "root knowledge" that was worth investigating. I attended many of his talks over a twelve-year period and at the conclusion of each lecture, one always left feeling better informed and educated about some aspect of African history.
Bridges also use to host a weekly talk show on WDUR radio titled, "The Cultural Awareness Seminar" your radio classroom, a call-in format and every Saturday morning Bridges would introduce facts, events about some aspect of Black History. He would always cite dates, facts and events relative to the Black experience from the "Black Seeds" calendar and would often teach from the calendar. Bridges always opened his radio program with his national anthem "Redemption Song" by Bob Nesta Marley, who he would quote throughout the program, "none can free our minds but ourselves".
Bridges was very intrigued by the Rastafarian movement and culture; thus, I never knew his motivations behind this other than he appreciated the Rasta's non-conformist, resistance, anti-establishment life style and I knew he was aware of the revolutionary actions the Maroons of Jamaica had taken historically, these warrior men and women never accepted slavery and fought and rebelled against the British slave makers.
This spirit was also embodied in the lyrics of Marley's Reggae music and Bridges could appreciate all aspect of protest. But I was intelligent enough to reason that Bridges loved and respected Marcus Mosiah Garvey and his back the Africa Movement, which the Rastafarian held in high esteem and this perhaps was the cement that held this complex ideological relationship together.
If there were three (3) or perhaps four (4) books that stood out separate and apart in my many discussions with Bridges it would be, Marcus Garvey's book titled, "Message to the People: The Course of African Philosophy" edited by Tony Martin, "As A Man Thinketh", James Allen, "100 Amazing Facts About the Negro", by Joel Augusta Rogers and "What They Never Told You in History Class". These monumental works to a lesser degree or perhaps even to a greater extent serves as the fundamental basis that under girds Bridges impetus and ideological formulations as a teacher and social activist.
Bridges "Cultural Awareness Seminar" Topics ranged from the origin of the Black Panther Movement to Ancient Kamit (Egypt) and he would rescue Kamit (Egypt) from the half-truths, lies, historical deceptions and would often use Dr. George G. M. James book titled, Stolen Legacy, and John G. Jackson's book titled, Introduction to African Civilization, to reinstall African People (Black People) as the major contributors to the development of medicine, architecture, mathematics, chemistry, astronomy, physics, art, Music, etc.
He demystified Rome and Greece and taught that Kamit (Egypt and Cush) had enlightened the entire world and this included Europe. Bridges and I, use to travel throughout America vending books from his KNOW BOOK STORE, which he founded in 1983. The KNOW BOOK STORE was a haven for grassroots and Black intellectuals meetings and discussions. The KNOW BOOK STORE had played host to many guests such as the late Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael), Jamil Abdullah EL-Amin (H.Rapp Brown), Sun-Ra, Ben Ammi, Abdul Alim Muhammad, Susan Taylor, Steve Cokley, Ishakamusa Barshango, C. Eric Lincoln, Andrew Young, J. Anthony Brown, Michael Eric Dyson, Llaila O. Africa, etc.
There are two incidents that come to mind and if one was not prepared to adequately defend their political arguments, then the Cultural Awareness Seminar regulars could be unforgiving. There was a brother by the name of Rudolph Windsor who authored a very good book titled, "Dry Bones in the Valley", but he took an intellectual whipping like never before and there was George Subira who authored a book which dealt with Black economics and he too had underestimated how prepared the KNOW BOOK STORE regulars were and he received the same fate of brother Windsor.
I can recall Bridges and I, traveling to New York in 1988 to City College and attending the Melanin Conference and vending books. These type conferences were often well attended by non-traditional Black intellectuals, nationalist, Pan-Africanist, academicians, and some petite bourgeoisie. Bridges could have been one of the presenters and could have run circles around most of the Afrocentic lecturers that were present. He knew that, and of course, I knew that.
However, our purpose was to sell books and Bridges was also unmatched as an entrepreneur and I also can recall me standing on a table selling and promoting the books. Many people could not accept the fact that we were from Durham, North Carolina (in essence two country boys) because they had reserved hustling and bold salesmanship to New Yorkers. One gentleman said jokingly, "book man go home".
Bridges and I, during this same year traveled to Coppin State College in Baltimore, Maryland to sell books at the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations and once again we were among the cream of crop, as far as non-traditional Black intellectuals. Bridges did not allow his ego to get in the way of business but once again he could have delivered the keynote address and it would have been well received.
In conclusion, Bridges established another radio program on WDUR –AM Radio, which we titled, "Talk Harambee" translate to mean talk unity in Ki-Swahili. This program was aired from 12:00am to 6:00am and we could have live guest and/or format the program as we saw fit. Bridges and a brother by the name of Imam Mathew Hamidullah (who now works for the United States Department of Justice) co-hosted the first three hours of the program. Hamidullah was an interesting brother; he once held the national spokesmen position for the American Muslim Mission and Imam Warithudeen Mohammed and served as Bridges co-host.
Bridges was an African History expert and Hamidullah was more of a public policy and current event individual; thus, looking back at Hamidullah's training and holding a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree, it was not surprising giving his academic orientation that he would be issue oriented. But as co-host, they complimented each other very well.
Bridges and Hamidullah radio highlight was when they put Santa Claus on trial and the listening audience took great interest in this particular series of shows, both supporters and pundits alike responded with their opinion and views. They charged Santa Clause with grand larceny, breaking and entering, perjury, embezzlement, etc. Mr. Claus was found guilty of various felonies, but I cannot recall what penalty was imposed.
Bridges later added Alice Ailey-Jones and sister Alice would be considered more of a trained historian and possessed a real professional approach to interpreting past, present and future events. She added balanced to the "Talk Harambee" discussions and Bridges relied on her for that balance. Bridges would always open up this midnight show with "Wake Up Everybody" by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes.
He permitted me to host the latter three hours of the show and I added a brother by the name of Adrian Bishop who was originally from Asbury Park, New Jersey and we were both young radicals and our approach to formatting the program reflected our youthful spirit and our rebellious disposition. But Bridges never attempted to censor and/or water down our message and I believe he saw himself in our nonconforming and raw approach to the issues. We later would add a brother named Rod Barbee and he gave us our theme song "Fight The Power" by Public Enemy.
The callers would call us at three o'clock in the morning, which just to state they were checking in. And of course we never disappointed our support base. Bridges has made two pilgrimages to West and East Africa and he continues to lecture at some of America's most prestigious colleges and universities. There is much more I can say, but this backdrop will provide the reader with a prelude to understanding the motivations behind Recapturing the African Mind.
I Fahim A. Knight, Chief Researcher of KEEPING it REAL THINK TANK in Durham, NC; we are dedicated to the upliftment of Black people and all people of goodwill. We espouse the principles of FREEDOM, JUSTICE and EQULAITY. Our motto is speaking truth to power. Fahim A. Knight can be contacted at fahimknight@yahoo.com.
Stay Awake Until We Meet Again,
By: Fahim A. Knight
Monday, December 3, 2007
W.E.B. DUBOIS AND BOOKER T. WASHINGTON THE GREAT DEBATE
"W.E.B DUBOIS AND BOOKER T. WASHINGTON: THE GREAT DEBATE" By FAHIM A. KNIGHT `
Thesis Statement: The Historical factors that shaped WEB Dubois quest for Liberal Arts education and Booker T. Washington's acceptance of technical training. W.E.B Dubois and Booker T. Washington contradictory views with one objective.
Introduction
This Thesis Statement will be explored and examined in the context of evaluating the philosophy of two men, W.E.B. Dubois and Booker T. Washington and their contradictory viewpoints; Moreover, to assess the pros and cons of their leadership styles in a somewhat comparative manner and to look at technical training (Washington) and liberal arts (Dubois) education which they espouse respectively and investigate, how did these arguments shape black America historically and the affects this debate presently still poses some one hundred years later?
Both of these men were contemporaries and without a doubt their personal experiences and the overall black experience in the United States perhaps guided their conscientiousness to adopt certain strategies and tactics in order to uplift black people politically, economically and socially. This is where these two leaders fundamentally disagreed which was followed by suspicion, name calling, distrust and an unwillingness to concede and perhaps recognize the strengths and weaknesses that existed in both philosophies.
They were divided and they left black America divided and yet their arguments are still highly debated in academic circles and laypersons circles alike. Lastly, this research study is limited in scope and has not met all the academic restraint consistent with a scholarly paper, nevertheless, at the same time, it will display objectivity and sound research methods by briefly exploring in an unscientific manner, the slave plantation personalities (giving in the seminal study by John Blassigame) and how perhaps those historical values—culture) impacted slave behavior, as well shape black personalities that proceeded this peculiar institution.
An Overview of American History: The historical Setting
The United States of America at the birth of Washington and Dubois was still considered relatively a new nation less than a hundred years old and was still defining the concept of democracy. In 1607 of the seventeenth century European Settlers from Great Britain and other European nations began to migrate to the eastern seaboard to what be came eventually the United States of America, the so-called New World in discovery of new political, economic and social opportunities.1
But prior to this era in history Portugal and Spain in the late 1400's and early 1500's had already began to engage Africa into the Slave Trade, the buying and selling of black human cargo better known as the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the Middle Passage. Africans were being brought from Africa to the Americas to fulfill labor demands on sugar plantations in Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Trinidad, Bahamas, St. Kitts, Saint Christopher, Grenada, Panama, Belize, Mexico, South America, etc., and all points north and south in the Americas. 2
The Dutch in 1619 in Jamestown, Virginia brought 20 African slaves that were sold into the Chesapeake Bay colony initially as indentured servants. The Colonist initially tried to enslave the Native Americans which failed dismally and European encroachment on Native American lands led to many, many wars and conflicts with the Native Americans, as well as many treaties being signed and broken. The Native Americans did not make good slaves because they knew the terrain very well and utilized escape routes to their benefit and they were not accustom to working in the hot sun for long hours.3
The call for nationhood in the 1770 centered on a free black named Crispus Attucks perhaps a descendant of a slave who in 1770 became the first "American" to die in what became known as the Boston Tea Party and was the impetus that led to the American Revolution in 1776. It has been recorded that blacks fought on both the British side and a number of blacks fought on the settlers' side.
In 1787 at the signing of the United States Constitution Blacks were written in as chattel property subject to be own by white male property owners; moreover, Charles A. Beard in his book titled, "An Economic Interpretation of the United States Constitution", wrote about how the U.S. Constitution was written to reflect the interest of white male property owners, at the detriment of women, poor whites and blacks. Blacks were written in the constitution as 3/5 of a human being (property) and for seventy-eight years this became their legal status in America.
This social and economic arrangement benefited the white plantation owners, but throughout America's history at times this economic arrangement created social tension, dissension, rebellion, protest, revolt accommodation, etc.4 It is this writer's belief that both Washington and Dubois were not created in a vacuum, but the social, political and economic history of the United States fostered in the men and help shape their philosophical and the contradictory ideals of both men. The Transatlantic Slave Trade and the Middle Passage were declared legally ended in 1807, but domestically the buying and selling of slaves continued even after 1865.
"Plantation Personality and the shaping of Washington and Dubois"
Kenneth Stampp in his book titled, The "Peculiar Institution", he explores the day-to-day plantation life from the slave diet too the slave culture and how degrading this institution was towards blacks. Stanley M. Elkins who authored the book titled, "Slavery: A Problem in American Institutional Life", and Herbert Klien in his book titled, "Slavery in the Americas", all drew that same historical and sociological conclusion.
However, this research is geared toward assessing the ideals and philosophy of Washington and Dubois, but yet looking their leadership styles and determining, if their leadership politics can be traced back to the politics of slave plantation life.
John Blassingame, a Yale University historian authored the book titled, "The Slave Community", he delves into the sociological and psychological behavior of slaves on the plantation. Blassingame defines and assess three distinct personalities that slavery created; he scientifically refers to them by the descriptive names of `Nat, `Jack' and `Sambo'. 5
The "Nat" personality derives its name from the protest leader and nonconformist Nat Turner that took up arm struggle in South Hampton County, Virginia in 1831 after so-called receiving a vision from God that the black slaves should be set free and went on a killing rampage of massacring the slave masters and their families. Nat Turner's slave revolt is known by historians as one of the bloodiest slave rebellions in American history. Blassingame characterize this personality type as being rebellious, insubordinate, non-conforming, unruly, defiant, disobedient, seditious, etc. He desired to see complete change and he engaged violently with an objective to overthrow the oppressive system ofslavery. 6
The `Nat' personality according to Blassingame was is essentially a rebel or dissenter "who rivaled `Sambo' in the universality and continuity of his literary image. For example, revengeful, bloodthirsty, cunning, treacherous, savage; thus, `Nat' was the incorrigible runaway, the poisoned of white men, ravager of white women who defied all the rules of plantation society and is only subdued and giving in to punishment when overcome by superior numbers or firepower." `Nat' retaliated when attacked by whites, led guerilla activities of maroons against isolated plantations, killed overseers and planters, burned plantation buildings when abused. `Nat' had on unquenchable thirst for freedom, hatred of whites, discontent, manhood and is not content until these traits are violently demonstrated. 7
The second slave personality that identified in Blassingame research was named `Jack'. "He was a character conscious of his identity with other slaves, he cooperated with to resist the white man's oppression. Moreover, rationally analyzing the white man's overwhelming physical power, `Jack' either avoided contact with or was differential in his presences. But since he really did not identify with his master and could not always keep up the façade of deference, he was occasionally flogged for in subornation. The `Jack' personality was proud, stubborn, and conscience of the wrongs he suffered, Jack tried to repress his anger, but his patience was, however, not limited. Jack raided his master's larder when he was hungry, ran away when he was tired of working or had been punished and at times `Jack' was ungovernable. Shrewd and calculating, he used his wits to escape from work or to manipulate his overseer and master".8 Blassingame ascertained that most slaves on the plantation perhaps fit into this plantation profile.
The third personality was referred to as `Sambo' by Blassingame. `Sambo' was the most pervasive and long lasting of the three personality types that evolved out of slavery and slave plantation life. "`Sambo' was indolent, faithful, humorous, loyal, dishonest, superstitious, improvident, musical, etc. The `Sambo' personality was inevitable a clown and congenially docile and characteristically a house servant; thus, `Sambo' had much love and affection for his master and his master's property that he was almost filio-pietistic; his loyalty was all---consuming and self immolating". He was the one who snitch to the master on the slaves, if slaves were planning a slave rebellion and foiled many slave revolts throughout the history of Chattel Slavery. "`Sambo' was depicted as the epitome of devotion; he often fought and died trying to save his master's life. Yet, `Sambo' had no thought of freedom that was far and in between compared to his ultimate objective ofserving his master". 9 The slave masters preferred this personality prototype over the other two personalities.
This writer cited this sociological, psychological and historical study to assess and evaluate Washington and Dubois leaderships personalities which to perhaps determine if their two distinct personal and historical backgrounds impacted their accommodation and radical viewpoints. And did these viewpoints evolve out of Blassingame's description of the three personalities that derived out of the black slave plantation living and that relationship between white slave masters (`superior' in theory) and black slaves (`inferior' in theory)shape the thinking of black leadership during that period in history and beyond? 10
Washington's Work and Ideology
Washington was born a slave in 1856 at Hales Ford Virginia in the south (and is important to remember that the South fought in the Civil War 1861-1865 to maintain the institution of slavery and ultimately succeed from the Union) and without a doubt these experiences impacted and help shaped Washington as a person and later on as a prominent national black leader. Washington was poor and had to work his way through college at Hampton Institute in order to compensate for his tuition and room and board, at this rural small school, founded for `Negroes' by a white philanthropist named General Samuel Armstrong.11 The Historian Harold Cruse wrote in his book title, "The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual", and he stated:
"The Negro intellectual must deal intimately with the white power Structure and cultural apparatus, and the inner realties of the black World at one and the same time. But in order to function successfully in this role, he has to be acutely aware of the nature of the American social dynamics and how to monitors the ingredient of class stratification in American society…Therefore the Negrointellectual must learn how one might control such forces." 12
Washington was definitely a product of his environment and he probably best understood that whites were powerful and influential perhaps better than any other black leader of his time and shaped his personality in a way to co-exist in a non-threaten way whereas he could receive the necessary financial and political assistance needed for blacks who were fresh out of Chattel Slavery. Thus, Washington exemplified Cruses contentions as stated above relative to acknowledging (and capitulating) the dominant power structure and was able to sway and manipulate the status quo towards his own end and blacks political and economic interest.
Washington's personality definitely could be analyzed from Blassigames' Slave Community, as it pertained to how he described the attitudes and the various behaviors adopted on the slave plantation. We know that Washington leadership personality and style did not fit into the prototype of the `rebel' associated with Nat Turner or the `Nat' personality or did it, but could Washington's leadership be clearly characterized in terms of the `Jack' and/or the `Sambo' personality based on the descriptive classifications defined by Blassingame.
Louis R. Harlan wrote in his scholarly article titled, "Booker T. Washington and the Politics of Accommodation", which was edited by John Hope Franklin and August Meier in a book titled, The Black Leaders of the Twentieth Century , Harlan confirms and explains Washington views this way,
"It is ironic that Booker T. Washington, the most powerful Black American of his time and perhaps of all time, should Be the black leader whose claim to the title is most often dismissed by the lay public. Blacks often question his legitimacy because of the role that favor by whites played in Washington assumption of power, and white often remember him only as an educator or, confusing him with George Washington Carver, as `that great Negro scientist.' This irony is something that Washington will have to live with in his history, for he himself deliberately created the ambiguity about his role and purpose has haunted his image. And yet, Washington was a genuine black leader with a substantial black following and with virtually long-range goals for Afro-Americans as his rivals." 13
This writer cited Blassingames' study because of the belief that even today's black leadership has developed along three basic ideological leadership lines, that of the protest leaders who are considered militant and radical (`Nat' Types), neutral style leaders(`Jack' Types) and accommodatist (`Sambo' Types) that some believe consistently violate the trust of the black community because they are viewed as being to passive and non-critical of the dominant power structure, but it is also interesting to note that black leadership historically and presently vacillate between Blassingames personality types. The Historian Earl Thorpe who authored the book titled, "Black Historians: A Critique", and quotes Washington and sought of layout his philosophy in his own words.
"The story of the negro, in the last analysis, is simply the story of the man who is the farthest down. As he raises every other man who is above him…we have had problems, it is true but instead of despairing…we should, as a race, thank God that we have a problem…It is only by meeting and manfully facing hard, stubborn and difficult problems that races, like individuals are made strong." 14
Washington learned the benefit of working hard and being thrifty from his early experience as a student at Hampton Normal and Agriculture Institute and learned to appreciate the pulling yourself-up by from your bootstraps philosophy which had been advocated by White Anglo Saxton Protestant (WASP) for generations in America. He most of all and whole heartily embraced the philosophical idea of vocational and technical training for blacks such as becoming blacksmiths, locksmiths, machinist, mechanics, carpenters, brick masons, plumbers, electricians, artisans, etc. Washington was born a slave but freed while a schoolboy.
He graduated from Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute in 1872 and would afterwards spend the rest of his life in the South, attempting to lead his people effectively as an educator and social politician. During his extensive career as a teacher and political statesman, Washington promoted industrial education over a liberal arts education, mirroring his own education. He also encouraged recently freed African-Americans to learn a specific vocation in order to gain economic autonomy and status, which he thought, in turn, would earn them civil and political rights.15
Washington preached that blacks should remain in the south and continue as farmers and use the land to create cash crops and pursue economic prosperity in the south, as opposed to migrating to the north and pursing Civil Rights as their ultimate objective. It would have been easy to see why critics of Washington took opposition with him because he appeared to be appeasing the white status quo and was he acting out of one Blassingames' personality types by using politics that was non-confrontational, conciliatory and best placatory toward whites. Or was Washington a genius appearing to be a "Sambo" but in a system of "pigmentocracy" where rights and privileges are bestowed based on skin color he had craftily manipulated a society that was blinded by race in order to gain economic and political empowerment for blacks. Washington delivered his most famous speech on September 18, 1895, titled, "The Atlanta Exposition" but Dubois dubbed it the "The Atlanta Compromise" because Washington's underling ideals for social, economic and political for blacks were to placating to - whites. 16 Washington stated:
"…These people who have, with out strikes and labor wars, tilled your fields, cleared your forests, build your railroads and cities and brought forth treasures from the bowels of the earth, and helped make possible this magnificent representation of the progress of the South. Casting down your buckets among my people, helping encouraging them as you are doing on these grounds, and to education of head, hand, and heart, you will find that they will buy your surplus land, make blossom the waste places in you fields, and run your factories. While doing this, you can be sure in the future, as in the past, that you and your family will be surrounded by the most patient, faithful, law abiding, and un-resentful people that the world has seen". 17
Dubois the Man and his Ideals: A Critique of Washington
William Edward Burghardt Dubois was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts in 1868 of black and French ancestry and like Washington they both were of the consequences of white extraction. His mother died shortly after his graduation from high school; Dubois was born a free black, three years after Chattel Slavery had ended. Dubois like Washington was a product of his environment being born and raised in the north which in general, was somewhat more liberal and tolerant toward blacks than the south. 18 Although, the historian C. Vann Woodard argued just the opposite in his book titled, "The Strange Career of Jim Crow", he maintained that Jim Crow was a northern institution and it was a misnomer to view it as a southern custom. 19 Dubois attended undergraduate college at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. It would be here in this southern town of Nashville that Dubois came in contact with the Jim Crow South and experience its xenophobic culture. Historian Thorpe explains Dubois Fisk experience in this way.
"His experience at Fisk University made Dubois self consciously a black man as his home town had never done. While there he even learned to `accept' segregation, and this, he states, helped him to accept the segregation which he later experienced at Harvard"20
W.E.B. Dubois, on the other hand, was born free in Massachusetts and attended Fisk University, where he received a traditional liberal arts education; it would be these chain of events that ultimately affected Dubois' worldview. As a result, Dubois promoted blacks' attaining a liberal arts education. He believed that racistwhites in America supported Booker T. Washington because he used his influence over blacks to direct them toward industrial education. Dubois felt "in conscience bound to ask of this nation three things: The right to vote, civil equality, and the education of youth according to ability". 21
In opposition to Washington, Dubois believed that blacks could only earn their rights through education, not through economy. For Dubois, the education of African-Americans served two purposes: the betterment of his race and the alleviation of ignorance about blacks in the white race. Through education, Dubois "hoped to eliminate ignorance about Black people and educate the world about the potential contributions to society that people of African descent could make". 22
Dubois was one of the premier black intellectuals of all times and if not one of foremost intellectuals in all American history barring race and color. Dubois was a scholar who became the first African American to earn a Ph.D in history from the prestigious Harvard University in 1895. His dissertation was Titled, "The Suppression of the African Slave Trade to the United States of America, 1638-1870", which was published in book form in 1896.23 Dubois life was full of contradictions and his views and philosophical ideas were shaped by this reality. For example, by the social, political and economic disparities that existed in America in particular facing African Americans moved Dubois toward direct social and political action.
Dubois was probably too young to have had a lasting personal remembrance of the Reconstruction Era (1865-1877), a twelve year period during which blacks received political inclusion and was becoming politically empowered in the old Confederate south. Black politicians such as Robert Small, PBS Pinchback, Blanche K. Bruce, and Hiram Revels had risen to prominent political status during the Reconstruction period. But only to witness these gains collapse under black betrayal. 24
Dubois experience the Plessy versus Ferguson decision in which the United States Supreme Court in 1896 ruled and passed legislation declaring "separate but equal" as being constitutional and the law of the land which ushered in segregation, institutionalize racism, and pervasive Jim Crow laws 25 that lasted fifty-eight years. This decision was overturned with the 1954 Brown versus Board of Education decision of Topeka, Kansas, which theUnited States Supreme Court declared "separate but equal" as being unconstitutional and it would be this high court's rendering that marshaled in the modern day Civil Rights era.
It was perhaps these above stated social factors and others, which led Dubois to becoming one of the leading protest, activist and revolutionary thinkers of his time, in particular in the area of confrontational politics and intellectual research. But could his intellectual demeanor and his politics of defiance be explainable by revisiting Blassingame's seminal study on the three distinct personalities `Nat', `Jack' and `Sambo' that originated on the slave plantation.
Dubois and Washington: Could not See Eye to Eye
Did Dubois opposition to black oppression and Jim Crow could be considered no different than the historical position that David Walker, Nat Turner, Demark Vesey, Harriet Tubman, Sojourn Truth, Gabriel Prosser etc., they all took positions of non-compromise and refusal to go along with slavery; their posture was give me `libertyor give me death'. 26 Dubois sword was his pen, he was an intellectual and academician who was very critical of United States domestic and foreign policy and abhorred the politics of accommodation that Washington preached and advocated. Dubois perhaps in his most definitive work the, "The Souls of Black Folk" , for all practical purposes defines not only his philosophical disagreement with Washington but gives the researcher a look into his own radical and militant style politics. Dubois stated:
"Mr. Washington represents in Negro thought the old attitude of adjustment and submission; but adjustment at such peculiar time as to make his program unique. This is an age of usual economic development, and Mr. Washington's programme naturally takes an economic cast,becoming a gospel of Work and Money to such an extent as apparently almost completely to overshadow the higher aims of life. Moreover, this is an age when the more advanced races are coming in closer contact with the less developed races, and the race-feeling is therefore intensified; and Mr. Washington's programme practically accepts the allege Inferiority of the Negro race." 27
This quote is one of the fundamental philosophical basis which distinguished Dubois from Washington, it is evident that Dubois perceived Washington's conformist politics as being a betrayal to black social progress and he characterized it as feeding into the racist stereotypes and appeasing the status quo which he professed this strategy as being reactionary politics steeped in past historical norms and no different than the relationship blacks had with whites during slavery.28
While this writer agree with Washington in that it is important to learn employable skills, yet, disagree with him that blacks should not attain any other form of higher education. How could blacks acquire economic equality if they could not get higher paying jobs due to their lack of education? John Hope Franklin in his monumental book titled, "From Slavery to freedom: a History of Negro Americas", Franklin quotes Dubois as offering this critique of Booker T. Washington in his essay titled, "The Talented Tenth".
"If we make money the object of maintaining, we shall develop money-makers but not necessarily men; if we make technical skill the object of education, we may possess artisans but not, in nature, men. Men we shall have only as we make manhood the object of the work of the schools---intelligence, broad sympathy, knowledge of the world that was and is, and of the relation of men to—this is the curriculum of that Higher Education which underlie true life". 29
Dubois not only disagreed with Washington on how much and what kind of education African-Americans should receive, but on how they should go about achieving it; he was much more radical in his approach than Washington. Dubois was almost militant when compared to his counterpart because he strenuously advocated for political and social activism in order to attain equal rights for blacks. He strongly believed that African-Americans must demand their civil rights because they needed these rights to protect themselves. 30
This writer after surveying and investigating a sizable amount of data, it was not difficult to understand why both men had political pundits and detractors, but it was equally unproblematic to feel the passion and the level of endearment people have historically and presently when these two black leaders' names are mentioned. However, this writer believes Dubois' more direct plan of attack against the institutions of racism was far more successful than Washington's policies on non-direct engagement.31 His brainchild, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is still in existence today, joining the different races together in fighting against racism in the United States.
Dubois Could not be Contained inside the NAACP
Dubois without a doubt believed early on in the tenets and planks of the Niagara Movement founded in 1903 that grew into the NAACP , which was founded 1909 and became a Civil Rights organization with the help of whites and Jewish financial assistant. But the world at this time was complex both nationally and internationally and Dubois was not going to sit around passively as long as their were battles to be fought in the trenches for justice and human equality. He desired to socially and political agitate even around the question of race and class in a radicalized fashion and made attempts to try to persuade the NAACP in to accepting the broader struggle which was perceived by Dubois to be tied to the Marxist interpretation that saw class struggles as being the underlying variable that was impeding human progress. This writer does not think the NAACP as a whole ever bought into Dubois Marxist determinist theory.32
Dubois called his first Pan-African Congress 1900 and would called four more Pan-African Congress 1919, 1921, 1923 and 1927 which to dramatized the necessity of blacks in America and throughout the Diaspora linking up with Africa to resolve the issues of colonial, racism, oppression, etc., as well as enhance cultural unity. However , Dubois vacillated in philosophical thought and constantly changed political direction in a contradictory fashion. For example, he became a card carrying member of the Marxist Communist and Socialist Party and adopted and economic determinist mindset and viewed class as an antagonistic contradiction and became very critical of the United States capitalist system. 33
Washington was much more consistent and somewhat unswerving in his political and economic interpretations and for the most part but remained conciliatory; moreover, perhaps viewing himself as an American first with a mission of elevating blacks in the United States and not engage in "unacceptable" politics that foster criticism from whites. Washington had to remain relatively apolitical (this term in the traditional definition does not fit Washington because he was very much "political') and quite on controversial issues because this writer believes he did not want to upset the white philanthropy money that were given to Tuskegee Institute by the likes of Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Julian Rosenwald, Jacob Schiff, Henry H. Rogers, Robert C. Ogden, etc. 34
Nevertheless, could Washington's political motives be perceive as fitting nicely into Blassingames analysis of the slaves social adaptation in relating to the white power structure by either challenging (via revolt, protest, rebellion, uncompromising, or capitulating, etc.) it with the full understanding of the consequences and/or pacify whites in order to win their favor. Some would argue that Washington was good at that just as the "Sambo" personality that Blassingame describes on the slave plantation was good at keeping the slave master's interest out front even ahead of their own interest. Historian Harlan states: However:
" It was in politics, however, that Washington built most elaborate tentacle of the octopus-like Tuskegee Machine. In politics as in everything else, Washington cultivated ambiguity. He downgraded politics as a solution of black problems, did not recommend politics to the ambitious young black man, and never held office. But when Theodore Roosevelt became president in 1901 and asked For Washington's advice on black and southern appointments, Washington consented with alacrity. He became the chief Black advisor of both Presidents Roosevelt and William Howard Taft".35
Summary: Washington and Dubois Same Goals Different Tactics
Washington founded Tuskegee Institute in 1881, to serve as his vehicle for vocational and technical philosophy geared towards training young black people for industrial education as his strategy to elevate the masses of black people. Some may view Dubois as having spent a tremendous amount of effort and an inordinate amount of time criticizing and verbally attacking Washington, but was not building any institutions himself and therefore the legacy of Washington has to be seen as a vision that transcended space and time. Thus, as far as his work and sacrifices of leaving a legacy that has survived for one hundred and sixteen (116) years in the establishment of Tuskegee University. 36
Washington understood that politics without economics is just like symbol without substance and he was more concern with first seeking economic parity with whites and believed that political equivalence would follow that natural course. But Washington had somewhat turned a blind eye to social issues and was in denial to black injustices and Civil Rights in order not appear as overtly confrontational and indifferent to the white society. He therefore, in this writer's opinion was neglecting a higher moral and ethical responsibility he had, that should have been defined in his title as leader. Yet, he was confronted with old stereotypes, Jim Crow laws, black disillusionment and white hostility and perhaps strategically took a passive political route that would bring the least resistance from whites. 37
This writer applauds his economic wither-all but views his dismal record on Civil Rights as being shameful and incomprehensible and lacking moral courage. Blassingame in deed assigned this personality on the slave plantation to "Sambo," type, the slave that sought white approval and did everything in their power to protect the master's interest to the determent of his own interest and for his un-daunting loyalty; this slave type would received more rewards and privileges from the master than the other slaves. 38 However, Washington taught us a lot about consensus politics and the importance of building alliance outside your community and without white support perhaps there would not be a Tuskegee University standing tall today.
Dubois was a pure intellectual, a renaissance man of sought who was steeped in ideals and philosophical thought and his quest to elevate the African American race has to be viewed in the context of his Talented Tenth Theory where he advocated and believed that black people's social, political and economic success would be tied to his conviction that we should send ten percent of the black population to the universities and colleges of higher learning and imbue them with the responsibility of coming back to the black community and elevating the race.39
Dubois was very passionate about his Talented Tenth and liberal arts perspective, but this writer view this contention as being somewhat elitist, idealistic, and a reactionary movement in scope and perhaps would have only served this minority black bourgeoisie class to the disadvantage of the political, social and economic interest of the masses.
The sociologist E. Franklin Frazier in his book titled, "The Black Bourgeoisie", analyzed this class of blacks and whether not this "black class" would have put aside personal interest over group interest is debatable and therefore this writer thinks Dubois was reaching and stretching to come up with a viable political, educational, and economic solution that in a sense was unattainable. But his refusal to capitulate to the authority and the white power structure and his struggle to fight in justice, oppression, racism, inequality, etc., is unmatched in his time period. 40 This writer applauds Dubois in his many fights to attain Civil Rights and level the political, social and economic playing field for black people.
He was a protest leaders who believed in the value of militant politics and radicalize views and had little regard for accommodation style politics which he believed catered to the interest of the dominant society. His style of politics although was revolutionary in theory but did not advocate violent methods of destabilizing the United States Government like the legendary Nat Turner. 41 But nevertheless his writings and his social activism truly reflects the spirit of the Blassingames' "Nat" personality type. Dubois used his scholarship and pen to wage war on a society steeped in discrimination, disenfranchisement, prejudice, racial bigotry, inhuman inequality, etc.
Lastly, both Washington and Dubois perhaps vacillated between protest politics (`Jack' and `Nat') and the passive non-confrontational politics of accommodation (`Sambo) in order to get legislation, laws and policy passed and changed. Washington was not as conciliatory on all issues as perceived by some scholars and laypersons and often worked quietly and behind the scenes on Civil Rights issues which not draw attention to himself. 42
Dubois might be labeled under the heading of black nationalism, but ironic enough disagreed vehemently with his contemporary Marcus Garvey who is considered one of the foremost black nationalist activist of all times, but as radical as Dubois ideals were he preferred integrationist politics over the nationalist and separatist politics espoused by Garvey. This can be interpreted to mean working within the confides of the system which was no different than Washington's position. 43
These two great black leaders Washington and Dubois missed a golden opportunity of coming together for the greater good of the black community but the white media instigated and played up their differences and perhaps derailed such a movement. It did not have to be about liberal arts versus vocational training because this writer could see and accept the values of both philosophies and they could have simultaneously coexisted in lieu of the greater good.
Dubois was eventually wailed into United States Court in 1951 and because of his Communist views and was charged with un-American activity. He gave up his United States citizenship after this trial and moved to Ghana, Africa to live in the country of his Pan-Africanist friend, President Kwame Nkrumah and eventually died in Africa in 1963.44 Washington perhaps is one of the most misunderstood black leaders in the history of America died in 1916.
It is this writer's contention that both Washington and Dubois had the same goal which was the uplifting of the black race; they chose opposite and distinct paths, as far as political strategies and tactics, but both men's quest was geared toward the social, political, and economic empowerment of the downtrodden black race. The relevance of these two historical icons and their philosophies are still up for debate even in 2007.
This writer thinks both men impacted the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950's and 1960's with Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Stokely Carmichael, Roy Wilkins, Malcolm X, A. Phillip Randolph (a contemporary of Dubois), Whitney Young and entire Civil Rights Movement.
They espouse radical and conservative strategies to agitate and used nonviolent politics to foster in the passing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Right Act and desegregating the United States, but history is cyclical and no doubt these events and leaders were standing on the shoulders of Washington and Dubois.
Our present black leaders of Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Tavis Smiley, Barack Obama, T.D, Jakes and last but not least, Louis Farrakhan who in 1995 perhaps assembled one of the largest protest marches in American history known as the Million Man March at the Capitol in Washington DC. Their successes and failures are tied to the ghost of Washington and Dubois.
Lets us know your opinion I am Fahim A. Knight Chief Researcher of THE KEEPING REAL BLACK THINK TANK. We are located in Durham North Carolina and can be reached by email at fahimknight@yahoo.com.
STAY AWAKE UNTIL WE ME NEXT TIME,
FAHIM A. KNIGHT
Endnotes
1 Robert A., Divine and others, eds., The American Story, 3rd; ed. (New York: Pearson Education, Inc., 2007), 32-33.
2 Robert A., Divine and others, eds., The American Story, 3rd; ed. (New York: Pearson Education, Inc., 2007), 40.
3 Robert A., Divine and others, eds., The American Story, 3rd; ed. (New York: Pearson Education, Inc., 2007), 32-33.
4 Marrill Jensen, The New Nation: A History of The UnitedStates during the Confederation 1781-1789 (New York:Vintage Books, 1950), 54.
5 John W. Blassingame, The Slave Community, 2d ed., (New York:Oxford University Press, 1979), 224
6 John W. Blassingame, The Slave Community, 2d ed., (New York:Oxford University Press, 1979), 236-37.
7 John W. Blassingame, The Slave Community, 2d ed., (New York:Oxford University Press, 1979), 225-226.
8 John W. Blassingame, The Slave Community, 2d ed., (New York:Oxford University Press, 1979), 224-225.
9 John W. Blassingame, The Slave Community, 2d ed., (New York:Oxford University Press, 1979), 225.
10 Maulana Karenga, Introduction to Black Studies (Los Angeles:University of Sankore Press, 1993), 151-156.
11 John Hope Franklin, From Slavery to Freedom: A History of NegroAmericans(New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1980), 274-280.
12 Harold Cruse, The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual: TheOrigins to the Present (New York: William Morrow and Company, etc.,1967), 451.
13 Louis R. Harlan, The Black Leaders of the Twentieth Century(Chicago:University of Illinois Press, 1982), 78-79.
14 Earl E. Thorpe, Black Historians: A Critique (New York: William Morrow and Company and etc., 1971), 60.
15 Earl E. Thorpe, The Central Theme of Black History (Durham:Seeman Printery, 1969), 89-91.
16 Maulana Karenga, Introduction to Black Studies (Los Angeles:University of Sankore Press, 1993), 152-156.
17 Booker T. Washington, Up from Slavery (New York: Double Day, Inc., 1965), 147-148.
18 Earl E. Thorpe, The Central Theme of Black History (Durham:Seeman Printery, 1969), 114.
19 C. Vann Woodard, The Strange Career of Jim Crow, 2d ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1966), 17-19.
20 Earl E. Thorpe, Black Historians: A Critique (New York: William Morrow and Company and etc., 1971), 72-73.
21 David Levering Lewis, W.E.B. Dubois, The Fight for Equality and The American Century, 1919-1963 (New York: Henry Holt and Company, LLC,2000), 83-86
22 David Levering Lewis, W.E.B. Dubois, The Fight for Equality and The American Century, 1919-1963 (New York: Henry Holt and Company, LLC,2000), 237-238
23 Earl E. Thorpe, Black Historians: A Critique (New York: William Morrow and Company and etc., 1971), 182.
24 John Hope Franklin, From Slavery to Freedom: A History of Negro Americans(New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1980), 244-47.
25 Lerone Bennett, Jr., Before the Mayflower: A History of Black America, 5th ed. (New York: Penguin Books etd., 1985) 376.
26 Lerone Bennett, Jr., Before the Mayflower: A History of Black America, 5th ed. (New York: Penguin Books etd., 1985) 135-139.
27 W.E.B. DuBois, The Souls of Black Folk (New York: Signet Classic, 1969),87.
28 W.E.B. DuBois, The Souls of Black Folk (New York: Avon Books, 1965),242-243.
29 John Hope Franklin, From Slavery to Freedom: A History of Negro Americans (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1980), 278.
30 John Hope Franklin and August Meier, The Black Leaders of the Twentieth Century (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1982), 277-278.
31 Elliott Rudwick W.E.B. Dubois: Protagonist of The Afro-America Protest, in The Black Leaders of the Twentieth Century, ed. John Hope Franklin and August Meier (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1982), 67-68.
32 Earl E. Thorpe, Black Historians: A Critique (New York: William Morrow and Company, etc., 1971), 77.
33 John Hope Franklin and August Meier, The Black Leaders of the Twentieth Century (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1982), 78-79.
34 John Hope Franklin and August Meier, The Black Leaders of the Twentieth Century (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1982),10.
35 Louis R. Harlan, Booker T. Washington in the politics ofaccommodation, in The Black Leaders of the Twentieth Century, ed. John Hope Franklin andAugust Meier (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1982), 5.
36 Earl E. Thorpe, The Central Theme of Black History (Durham:Seeman Printery, 1969), 178.
37 Lerone Bennett, Jr., Before the Mayflower: A History of Black America, 5th ed. (New York: Penguin Books etd., 1985) 332-333.
38 Claud Anderson, Black Labor White Wealth: The Search for Economic Justice (Maryland: Duncan & Duncan, Inc. publishers, 1994), 18.
39 John Hope Franklin, From Slavery to Freedom: A History of Negro Americans (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1980), 277-278.
40 Maulana Karenga, Introduction to Black Studies (LosAngeles:University of Sankore Press, 1993), 367-368.
41 Earl E. Thorpe, The Central Theme of Black History (Durham: Seeman Printery, 1969), 179-180.
42 John Hope Franklin and August Meier, Black Leaders of the Twentieth Century (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1982), 12-13.
43 Harold Cruse, The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual: The Origins to the Present (New York: William Morrow and Company, etc., 1967),564.
44 Earl E. Thorpe, Black Historians: A Critique (New York: William Morrow and Company and etc., 1971), 80.
Bibliography
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___________ . PowerNomics: The National Plan to Empower Black America .MD: PowerNomics Corporation of America, 2001.
Dubois, William Edward Burghardt. The Suppression of the African Slave Trade to the United States of America 1638-1870 .New York: reprint, New York: The Social Science Press, 1973.
___________ . The Souls of Black Folk .New York: Signet Classic Printing, 1969.
___________ . Dusk to Dawn: An Essay Toward an Autobiography of Race Concepts .New York: Schocken Books, 1968.
__________ . The Autobiography of W.E.B Dubois A: Soliloquy on Viewing My Life From the Last Decade of its First Century . New York: International Publishers, 1968.
___________ . The Negro . New York: Oxford Press, 1970.
___________ , John Brown . International Publishers, 1972.
___________ . Color and Democracy , New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1945.
Bennett, Lerone, Jr. Before The Mayflower: A History of America . New York: Penguin Books, 1985.
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Degler, Carl N. Out of Our Past: The Forces That Shaped Modern America .New York: Harper Colonphon Books, 1984.
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__________ . From Slavery to Freedom: A History of Negro Americans .Fifth Ed. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1980.
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Thesis Statement: The Historical factors that shaped WEB Dubois quest for Liberal Arts education and Booker T. Washington's acceptance of technical training. W.E.B Dubois and Booker T. Washington contradictory views with one objective.
Introduction
This Thesis Statement will be explored and examined in the context of evaluating the philosophy of two men, W.E.B. Dubois and Booker T. Washington and their contradictory viewpoints; Moreover, to assess the pros and cons of their leadership styles in a somewhat comparative manner and to look at technical training (Washington) and liberal arts (Dubois) education which they espouse respectively and investigate, how did these arguments shape black America historically and the affects this debate presently still poses some one hundred years later?
Both of these men were contemporaries and without a doubt their personal experiences and the overall black experience in the United States perhaps guided their conscientiousness to adopt certain strategies and tactics in order to uplift black people politically, economically and socially. This is where these two leaders fundamentally disagreed which was followed by suspicion, name calling, distrust and an unwillingness to concede and perhaps recognize the strengths and weaknesses that existed in both philosophies.
They were divided and they left black America divided and yet their arguments are still highly debated in academic circles and laypersons circles alike. Lastly, this research study is limited in scope and has not met all the academic restraint consistent with a scholarly paper, nevertheless, at the same time, it will display objectivity and sound research methods by briefly exploring in an unscientific manner, the slave plantation personalities (giving in the seminal study by John Blassigame) and how perhaps those historical values—culture) impacted slave behavior, as well shape black personalities that proceeded this peculiar institution.
An Overview of American History: The historical Setting
The United States of America at the birth of Washington and Dubois was still considered relatively a new nation less than a hundred years old and was still defining the concept of democracy. In 1607 of the seventeenth century European Settlers from Great Britain and other European nations began to migrate to the eastern seaboard to what be came eventually the United States of America, the so-called New World in discovery of new political, economic and social opportunities.1
But prior to this era in history Portugal and Spain in the late 1400's and early 1500's had already began to engage Africa into the Slave Trade, the buying and selling of black human cargo better known as the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the Middle Passage. Africans were being brought from Africa to the Americas to fulfill labor demands on sugar plantations in Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Trinidad, Bahamas, St. Kitts, Saint Christopher, Grenada, Panama, Belize, Mexico, South America, etc., and all points north and south in the Americas. 2
The Dutch in 1619 in Jamestown, Virginia brought 20 African slaves that were sold into the Chesapeake Bay colony initially as indentured servants. The Colonist initially tried to enslave the Native Americans which failed dismally and European encroachment on Native American lands led to many, many wars and conflicts with the Native Americans, as well as many treaties being signed and broken. The Native Americans did not make good slaves because they knew the terrain very well and utilized escape routes to their benefit and they were not accustom to working in the hot sun for long hours.3
The call for nationhood in the 1770 centered on a free black named Crispus Attucks perhaps a descendant of a slave who in 1770 became the first "American" to die in what became known as the Boston Tea Party and was the impetus that led to the American Revolution in 1776. It has been recorded that blacks fought on both the British side and a number of blacks fought on the settlers' side.
In 1787 at the signing of the United States Constitution Blacks were written in as chattel property subject to be own by white male property owners; moreover, Charles A. Beard in his book titled, "An Economic Interpretation of the United States Constitution", wrote about how the U.S. Constitution was written to reflect the interest of white male property owners, at the detriment of women, poor whites and blacks. Blacks were written in the constitution as 3/5 of a human being (property) and for seventy-eight years this became their legal status in America.
This social and economic arrangement benefited the white plantation owners, but throughout America's history at times this economic arrangement created social tension, dissension, rebellion, protest, revolt accommodation, etc.4 It is this writer's belief that both Washington and Dubois were not created in a vacuum, but the social, political and economic history of the United States fostered in the men and help shape their philosophical and the contradictory ideals of both men. The Transatlantic Slave Trade and the Middle Passage were declared legally ended in 1807, but domestically the buying and selling of slaves continued even after 1865.
"Plantation Personality and the shaping of Washington and Dubois"
Kenneth Stampp in his book titled, The "Peculiar Institution", he explores the day-to-day plantation life from the slave diet too the slave culture and how degrading this institution was towards blacks. Stanley M. Elkins who authored the book titled, "Slavery: A Problem in American Institutional Life", and Herbert Klien in his book titled, "Slavery in the Americas", all drew that same historical and sociological conclusion.
However, this research is geared toward assessing the ideals and philosophy of Washington and Dubois, but yet looking their leadership styles and determining, if their leadership politics can be traced back to the politics of slave plantation life.
John Blassingame, a Yale University historian authored the book titled, "The Slave Community", he delves into the sociological and psychological behavior of slaves on the plantation. Blassingame defines and assess three distinct personalities that slavery created; he scientifically refers to them by the descriptive names of `Nat, `Jack' and `Sambo'. 5
The "Nat" personality derives its name from the protest leader and nonconformist Nat Turner that took up arm struggle in South Hampton County, Virginia in 1831 after so-called receiving a vision from God that the black slaves should be set free and went on a killing rampage of massacring the slave masters and their families. Nat Turner's slave revolt is known by historians as one of the bloodiest slave rebellions in American history. Blassingame characterize this personality type as being rebellious, insubordinate, non-conforming, unruly, defiant, disobedient, seditious, etc. He desired to see complete change and he engaged violently with an objective to overthrow the oppressive system ofslavery. 6
The `Nat' personality according to Blassingame was is essentially a rebel or dissenter "who rivaled `Sambo' in the universality and continuity of his literary image. For example, revengeful, bloodthirsty, cunning, treacherous, savage; thus, `Nat' was the incorrigible runaway, the poisoned of white men, ravager of white women who defied all the rules of plantation society and is only subdued and giving in to punishment when overcome by superior numbers or firepower." `Nat' retaliated when attacked by whites, led guerilla activities of maroons against isolated plantations, killed overseers and planters, burned plantation buildings when abused. `Nat' had on unquenchable thirst for freedom, hatred of whites, discontent, manhood and is not content until these traits are violently demonstrated. 7
The second slave personality that identified in Blassingame research was named `Jack'. "He was a character conscious of his identity with other slaves, he cooperated with to resist the white man's oppression. Moreover, rationally analyzing the white man's overwhelming physical power, `Jack' either avoided contact with or was differential in his presences. But since he really did not identify with his master and could not always keep up the façade of deference, he was occasionally flogged for in subornation. The `Jack' personality was proud, stubborn, and conscience of the wrongs he suffered, Jack tried to repress his anger, but his patience was, however, not limited. Jack raided his master's larder when he was hungry, ran away when he was tired of working or had been punished and at times `Jack' was ungovernable. Shrewd and calculating, he used his wits to escape from work or to manipulate his overseer and master".8 Blassingame ascertained that most slaves on the plantation perhaps fit into this plantation profile.
The third personality was referred to as `Sambo' by Blassingame. `Sambo' was the most pervasive and long lasting of the three personality types that evolved out of slavery and slave plantation life. "`Sambo' was indolent, faithful, humorous, loyal, dishonest, superstitious, improvident, musical, etc. The `Sambo' personality was inevitable a clown and congenially docile and characteristically a house servant; thus, `Sambo' had much love and affection for his master and his master's property that he was almost filio-pietistic; his loyalty was all---consuming and self immolating". He was the one who snitch to the master on the slaves, if slaves were planning a slave rebellion and foiled many slave revolts throughout the history of Chattel Slavery. "`Sambo' was depicted as the epitome of devotion; he often fought and died trying to save his master's life. Yet, `Sambo' had no thought of freedom that was far and in between compared to his ultimate objective ofserving his master". 9 The slave masters preferred this personality prototype over the other two personalities.
This writer cited this sociological, psychological and historical study to assess and evaluate Washington and Dubois leaderships personalities which to perhaps determine if their two distinct personal and historical backgrounds impacted their accommodation and radical viewpoints. And did these viewpoints evolve out of Blassingame's description of the three personalities that derived out of the black slave plantation living and that relationship between white slave masters (`superior' in theory) and black slaves (`inferior' in theory)shape the thinking of black leadership during that period in history and beyond? 10
Washington's Work and Ideology
Washington was born a slave in 1856 at Hales Ford Virginia in the south (and is important to remember that the South fought in the Civil War 1861-1865 to maintain the institution of slavery and ultimately succeed from the Union) and without a doubt these experiences impacted and help shaped Washington as a person and later on as a prominent national black leader. Washington was poor and had to work his way through college at Hampton Institute in order to compensate for his tuition and room and board, at this rural small school, founded for `Negroes' by a white philanthropist named General Samuel Armstrong.11 The Historian Harold Cruse wrote in his book title, "The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual", and he stated:
"The Negro intellectual must deal intimately with the white power Structure and cultural apparatus, and the inner realties of the black World at one and the same time. But in order to function successfully in this role, he has to be acutely aware of the nature of the American social dynamics and how to monitors the ingredient of class stratification in American society…Therefore the Negrointellectual must learn how one might control such forces." 12
Washington was definitely a product of his environment and he probably best understood that whites were powerful and influential perhaps better than any other black leader of his time and shaped his personality in a way to co-exist in a non-threaten way whereas he could receive the necessary financial and political assistance needed for blacks who were fresh out of Chattel Slavery. Thus, Washington exemplified Cruses contentions as stated above relative to acknowledging (and capitulating) the dominant power structure and was able to sway and manipulate the status quo towards his own end and blacks political and economic interest.
Washington's personality definitely could be analyzed from Blassigames' Slave Community, as it pertained to how he described the attitudes and the various behaviors adopted on the slave plantation. We know that Washington leadership personality and style did not fit into the prototype of the `rebel' associated with Nat Turner or the `Nat' personality or did it, but could Washington's leadership be clearly characterized in terms of the `Jack' and/or the `Sambo' personality based on the descriptive classifications defined by Blassingame.
Louis R. Harlan wrote in his scholarly article titled, "Booker T. Washington and the Politics of Accommodation", which was edited by John Hope Franklin and August Meier in a book titled, The Black Leaders of the Twentieth Century , Harlan confirms and explains Washington views this way,
"It is ironic that Booker T. Washington, the most powerful Black American of his time and perhaps of all time, should Be the black leader whose claim to the title is most often dismissed by the lay public. Blacks often question his legitimacy because of the role that favor by whites played in Washington assumption of power, and white often remember him only as an educator or, confusing him with George Washington Carver, as `that great Negro scientist.' This irony is something that Washington will have to live with in his history, for he himself deliberately created the ambiguity about his role and purpose has haunted his image. And yet, Washington was a genuine black leader with a substantial black following and with virtually long-range goals for Afro-Americans as his rivals." 13
This writer cited Blassingames' study because of the belief that even today's black leadership has developed along three basic ideological leadership lines, that of the protest leaders who are considered militant and radical (`Nat' Types), neutral style leaders(`Jack' Types) and accommodatist (`Sambo' Types) that some believe consistently violate the trust of the black community because they are viewed as being to passive and non-critical of the dominant power structure, but it is also interesting to note that black leadership historically and presently vacillate between Blassingames personality types. The Historian Earl Thorpe who authored the book titled, "Black Historians: A Critique", and quotes Washington and sought of layout his philosophy in his own words.
"The story of the negro, in the last analysis, is simply the story of the man who is the farthest down. As he raises every other man who is above him…we have had problems, it is true but instead of despairing…we should, as a race, thank God that we have a problem…It is only by meeting and manfully facing hard, stubborn and difficult problems that races, like individuals are made strong." 14
Washington learned the benefit of working hard and being thrifty from his early experience as a student at Hampton Normal and Agriculture Institute and learned to appreciate the pulling yourself-up by from your bootstraps philosophy which had been advocated by White Anglo Saxton Protestant (WASP) for generations in America. He most of all and whole heartily embraced the philosophical idea of vocational and technical training for blacks such as becoming blacksmiths, locksmiths, machinist, mechanics, carpenters, brick masons, plumbers, electricians, artisans, etc. Washington was born a slave but freed while a schoolboy.
He graduated from Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute in 1872 and would afterwards spend the rest of his life in the South, attempting to lead his people effectively as an educator and social politician. During his extensive career as a teacher and political statesman, Washington promoted industrial education over a liberal arts education, mirroring his own education. He also encouraged recently freed African-Americans to learn a specific vocation in order to gain economic autonomy and status, which he thought, in turn, would earn them civil and political rights.15
Washington preached that blacks should remain in the south and continue as farmers and use the land to create cash crops and pursue economic prosperity in the south, as opposed to migrating to the north and pursing Civil Rights as their ultimate objective. It would have been easy to see why critics of Washington took opposition with him because he appeared to be appeasing the white status quo and was he acting out of one Blassingames' personality types by using politics that was non-confrontational, conciliatory and best placatory toward whites. Or was Washington a genius appearing to be a "Sambo" but in a system of "pigmentocracy" where rights and privileges are bestowed based on skin color he had craftily manipulated a society that was blinded by race in order to gain economic and political empowerment for blacks. Washington delivered his most famous speech on September 18, 1895, titled, "The Atlanta Exposition" but Dubois dubbed it the "The Atlanta Compromise" because Washington's underling ideals for social, economic and political for blacks were to placating to - whites. 16 Washington stated:
"…These people who have, with out strikes and labor wars, tilled your fields, cleared your forests, build your railroads and cities and brought forth treasures from the bowels of the earth, and helped make possible this magnificent representation of the progress of the South. Casting down your buckets among my people, helping encouraging them as you are doing on these grounds, and to education of head, hand, and heart, you will find that they will buy your surplus land, make blossom the waste places in you fields, and run your factories. While doing this, you can be sure in the future, as in the past, that you and your family will be surrounded by the most patient, faithful, law abiding, and un-resentful people that the world has seen". 17
Dubois the Man and his Ideals: A Critique of Washington
William Edward Burghardt Dubois was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts in 1868 of black and French ancestry and like Washington they both were of the consequences of white extraction. His mother died shortly after his graduation from high school; Dubois was born a free black, three years after Chattel Slavery had ended. Dubois like Washington was a product of his environment being born and raised in the north which in general, was somewhat more liberal and tolerant toward blacks than the south. 18 Although, the historian C. Vann Woodard argued just the opposite in his book titled, "The Strange Career of Jim Crow", he maintained that Jim Crow was a northern institution and it was a misnomer to view it as a southern custom. 19 Dubois attended undergraduate college at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. It would be here in this southern town of Nashville that Dubois came in contact with the Jim Crow South and experience its xenophobic culture. Historian Thorpe explains Dubois Fisk experience in this way.
"His experience at Fisk University made Dubois self consciously a black man as his home town had never done. While there he even learned to `accept' segregation, and this, he states, helped him to accept the segregation which he later experienced at Harvard"20
W.E.B. Dubois, on the other hand, was born free in Massachusetts and attended Fisk University, where he received a traditional liberal arts education; it would be these chain of events that ultimately affected Dubois' worldview. As a result, Dubois promoted blacks' attaining a liberal arts education. He believed that racistwhites in America supported Booker T. Washington because he used his influence over blacks to direct them toward industrial education. Dubois felt "in conscience bound to ask of this nation three things: The right to vote, civil equality, and the education of youth according to ability". 21
In opposition to Washington, Dubois believed that blacks could only earn their rights through education, not through economy. For Dubois, the education of African-Americans served two purposes: the betterment of his race and the alleviation of ignorance about blacks in the white race. Through education, Dubois "hoped to eliminate ignorance about Black people and educate the world about the potential contributions to society that people of African descent could make". 22
Dubois was one of the premier black intellectuals of all times and if not one of foremost intellectuals in all American history barring race and color. Dubois was a scholar who became the first African American to earn a Ph.D in history from the prestigious Harvard University in 1895. His dissertation was Titled, "The Suppression of the African Slave Trade to the United States of America, 1638-1870", which was published in book form in 1896.23 Dubois life was full of contradictions and his views and philosophical ideas were shaped by this reality. For example, by the social, political and economic disparities that existed in America in particular facing African Americans moved Dubois toward direct social and political action.
Dubois was probably too young to have had a lasting personal remembrance of the Reconstruction Era (1865-1877), a twelve year period during which blacks received political inclusion and was becoming politically empowered in the old Confederate south. Black politicians such as Robert Small, PBS Pinchback, Blanche K. Bruce, and Hiram Revels had risen to prominent political status during the Reconstruction period. But only to witness these gains collapse under black betrayal. 24
Dubois experience the Plessy versus Ferguson decision in which the United States Supreme Court in 1896 ruled and passed legislation declaring "separate but equal" as being constitutional and the law of the land which ushered in segregation, institutionalize racism, and pervasive Jim Crow laws 25 that lasted fifty-eight years. This decision was overturned with the 1954 Brown versus Board of Education decision of Topeka, Kansas, which theUnited States Supreme Court declared "separate but equal" as being unconstitutional and it would be this high court's rendering that marshaled in the modern day Civil Rights era.
It was perhaps these above stated social factors and others, which led Dubois to becoming one of the leading protest, activist and revolutionary thinkers of his time, in particular in the area of confrontational politics and intellectual research. But could his intellectual demeanor and his politics of defiance be explainable by revisiting Blassingame's seminal study on the three distinct personalities `Nat', `Jack' and `Sambo' that originated on the slave plantation.
Dubois and Washington: Could not See Eye to Eye
Did Dubois opposition to black oppression and Jim Crow could be considered no different than the historical position that David Walker, Nat Turner, Demark Vesey, Harriet Tubman, Sojourn Truth, Gabriel Prosser etc., they all took positions of non-compromise and refusal to go along with slavery; their posture was give me `libertyor give me death'. 26 Dubois sword was his pen, he was an intellectual and academician who was very critical of United States domestic and foreign policy and abhorred the politics of accommodation that Washington preached and advocated. Dubois perhaps in his most definitive work the, "The Souls of Black Folk" , for all practical purposes defines not only his philosophical disagreement with Washington but gives the researcher a look into his own radical and militant style politics. Dubois stated:
"Mr. Washington represents in Negro thought the old attitude of adjustment and submission; but adjustment at such peculiar time as to make his program unique. This is an age of usual economic development, and Mr. Washington's programme naturally takes an economic cast,becoming a gospel of Work and Money to such an extent as apparently almost completely to overshadow the higher aims of life. Moreover, this is an age when the more advanced races are coming in closer contact with the less developed races, and the race-feeling is therefore intensified; and Mr. Washington's programme practically accepts the allege Inferiority of the Negro race." 27
This quote is one of the fundamental philosophical basis which distinguished Dubois from Washington, it is evident that Dubois perceived Washington's conformist politics as being a betrayal to black social progress and he characterized it as feeding into the racist stereotypes and appeasing the status quo which he professed this strategy as being reactionary politics steeped in past historical norms and no different than the relationship blacks had with whites during slavery.28
While this writer agree with Washington in that it is important to learn employable skills, yet, disagree with him that blacks should not attain any other form of higher education. How could blacks acquire economic equality if they could not get higher paying jobs due to their lack of education? John Hope Franklin in his monumental book titled, "From Slavery to freedom: a History of Negro Americas", Franklin quotes Dubois as offering this critique of Booker T. Washington in his essay titled, "The Talented Tenth".
"If we make money the object of maintaining, we shall develop money-makers but not necessarily men; if we make technical skill the object of education, we may possess artisans but not, in nature, men. Men we shall have only as we make manhood the object of the work of the schools---intelligence, broad sympathy, knowledge of the world that was and is, and of the relation of men to—this is the curriculum of that Higher Education which underlie true life". 29
Dubois not only disagreed with Washington on how much and what kind of education African-Americans should receive, but on how they should go about achieving it; he was much more radical in his approach than Washington. Dubois was almost militant when compared to his counterpart because he strenuously advocated for political and social activism in order to attain equal rights for blacks. He strongly believed that African-Americans must demand their civil rights because they needed these rights to protect themselves. 30
This writer after surveying and investigating a sizable amount of data, it was not difficult to understand why both men had political pundits and detractors, but it was equally unproblematic to feel the passion and the level of endearment people have historically and presently when these two black leaders' names are mentioned. However, this writer believes Dubois' more direct plan of attack against the institutions of racism was far more successful than Washington's policies on non-direct engagement.31 His brainchild, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is still in existence today, joining the different races together in fighting against racism in the United States.
Dubois Could not be Contained inside the NAACP
Dubois without a doubt believed early on in the tenets and planks of the Niagara Movement founded in 1903 that grew into the NAACP , which was founded 1909 and became a Civil Rights organization with the help of whites and Jewish financial assistant. But the world at this time was complex both nationally and internationally and Dubois was not going to sit around passively as long as their were battles to be fought in the trenches for justice and human equality. He desired to socially and political agitate even around the question of race and class in a radicalized fashion and made attempts to try to persuade the NAACP in to accepting the broader struggle which was perceived by Dubois to be tied to the Marxist interpretation that saw class struggles as being the underlying variable that was impeding human progress. This writer does not think the NAACP as a whole ever bought into Dubois Marxist determinist theory.32
Dubois called his first Pan-African Congress 1900 and would called four more Pan-African Congress 1919, 1921, 1923 and 1927 which to dramatized the necessity of blacks in America and throughout the Diaspora linking up with Africa to resolve the issues of colonial, racism, oppression, etc., as well as enhance cultural unity. However , Dubois vacillated in philosophical thought and constantly changed political direction in a contradictory fashion. For example, he became a card carrying member of the Marxist Communist and Socialist Party and adopted and economic determinist mindset and viewed class as an antagonistic contradiction and became very critical of the United States capitalist system. 33
Washington was much more consistent and somewhat unswerving in his political and economic interpretations and for the most part but remained conciliatory; moreover, perhaps viewing himself as an American first with a mission of elevating blacks in the United States and not engage in "unacceptable" politics that foster criticism from whites. Washington had to remain relatively apolitical (this term in the traditional definition does not fit Washington because he was very much "political') and quite on controversial issues because this writer believes he did not want to upset the white philanthropy money that were given to Tuskegee Institute by the likes of Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Julian Rosenwald, Jacob Schiff, Henry H. Rogers, Robert C. Ogden, etc. 34
Nevertheless, could Washington's political motives be perceive as fitting nicely into Blassingames analysis of the slaves social adaptation in relating to the white power structure by either challenging (via revolt, protest, rebellion, uncompromising, or capitulating, etc.) it with the full understanding of the consequences and/or pacify whites in order to win their favor. Some would argue that Washington was good at that just as the "Sambo" personality that Blassingame describes on the slave plantation was good at keeping the slave master's interest out front even ahead of their own interest. Historian Harlan states: However:
" It was in politics, however, that Washington built most elaborate tentacle of the octopus-like Tuskegee Machine. In politics as in everything else, Washington cultivated ambiguity. He downgraded politics as a solution of black problems, did not recommend politics to the ambitious young black man, and never held office. But when Theodore Roosevelt became president in 1901 and asked For Washington's advice on black and southern appointments, Washington consented with alacrity. He became the chief Black advisor of both Presidents Roosevelt and William Howard Taft".35
Summary: Washington and Dubois Same Goals Different Tactics
Washington founded Tuskegee Institute in 1881, to serve as his vehicle for vocational and technical philosophy geared towards training young black people for industrial education as his strategy to elevate the masses of black people. Some may view Dubois as having spent a tremendous amount of effort and an inordinate amount of time criticizing and verbally attacking Washington, but was not building any institutions himself and therefore the legacy of Washington has to be seen as a vision that transcended space and time. Thus, as far as his work and sacrifices of leaving a legacy that has survived for one hundred and sixteen (116) years in the establishment of Tuskegee University. 36
Washington understood that politics without economics is just like symbol without substance and he was more concern with first seeking economic parity with whites and believed that political equivalence would follow that natural course. But Washington had somewhat turned a blind eye to social issues and was in denial to black injustices and Civil Rights in order not appear as overtly confrontational and indifferent to the white society. He therefore, in this writer's opinion was neglecting a higher moral and ethical responsibility he had, that should have been defined in his title as leader. Yet, he was confronted with old stereotypes, Jim Crow laws, black disillusionment and white hostility and perhaps strategically took a passive political route that would bring the least resistance from whites. 37
This writer applauds his economic wither-all but views his dismal record on Civil Rights as being shameful and incomprehensible and lacking moral courage. Blassingame in deed assigned this personality on the slave plantation to "Sambo," type, the slave that sought white approval and did everything in their power to protect the master's interest to the determent of his own interest and for his un-daunting loyalty; this slave type would received more rewards and privileges from the master than the other slaves. 38 However, Washington taught us a lot about consensus politics and the importance of building alliance outside your community and without white support perhaps there would not be a Tuskegee University standing tall today.
Dubois was a pure intellectual, a renaissance man of sought who was steeped in ideals and philosophical thought and his quest to elevate the African American race has to be viewed in the context of his Talented Tenth Theory where he advocated and believed that black people's social, political and economic success would be tied to his conviction that we should send ten percent of the black population to the universities and colleges of higher learning and imbue them with the responsibility of coming back to the black community and elevating the race.39
Dubois was very passionate about his Talented Tenth and liberal arts perspective, but this writer view this contention as being somewhat elitist, idealistic, and a reactionary movement in scope and perhaps would have only served this minority black bourgeoisie class to the disadvantage of the political, social and economic interest of the masses.
The sociologist E. Franklin Frazier in his book titled, "The Black Bourgeoisie", analyzed this class of blacks and whether not this "black class" would have put aside personal interest over group interest is debatable and therefore this writer thinks Dubois was reaching and stretching to come up with a viable political, educational, and economic solution that in a sense was unattainable. But his refusal to capitulate to the authority and the white power structure and his struggle to fight in justice, oppression, racism, inequality, etc., is unmatched in his time period. 40 This writer applauds Dubois in his many fights to attain Civil Rights and level the political, social and economic playing field for black people.
He was a protest leaders who believed in the value of militant politics and radicalize views and had little regard for accommodation style politics which he believed catered to the interest of the dominant society. His style of politics although was revolutionary in theory but did not advocate violent methods of destabilizing the United States Government like the legendary Nat Turner. 41 But nevertheless his writings and his social activism truly reflects the spirit of the Blassingames' "Nat" personality type. Dubois used his scholarship and pen to wage war on a society steeped in discrimination, disenfranchisement, prejudice, racial bigotry, inhuman inequality, etc.
Lastly, both Washington and Dubois perhaps vacillated between protest politics (`Jack' and `Nat') and the passive non-confrontational politics of accommodation (`Sambo) in order to get legislation, laws and policy passed and changed. Washington was not as conciliatory on all issues as perceived by some scholars and laypersons and often worked quietly and behind the scenes on Civil Rights issues which not draw attention to himself. 42
Dubois might be labeled under the heading of black nationalism, but ironic enough disagreed vehemently with his contemporary Marcus Garvey who is considered one of the foremost black nationalist activist of all times, but as radical as Dubois ideals were he preferred integrationist politics over the nationalist and separatist politics espoused by Garvey. This can be interpreted to mean working within the confides of the system which was no different than Washington's position. 43
These two great black leaders Washington and Dubois missed a golden opportunity of coming together for the greater good of the black community but the white media instigated and played up their differences and perhaps derailed such a movement. It did not have to be about liberal arts versus vocational training because this writer could see and accept the values of both philosophies and they could have simultaneously coexisted in lieu of the greater good.
Dubois was eventually wailed into United States Court in 1951 and because of his Communist views and was charged with un-American activity. He gave up his United States citizenship after this trial and moved to Ghana, Africa to live in the country of his Pan-Africanist friend, President Kwame Nkrumah and eventually died in Africa in 1963.44 Washington perhaps is one of the most misunderstood black leaders in the history of America died in 1916.
It is this writer's contention that both Washington and Dubois had the same goal which was the uplifting of the black race; they chose opposite and distinct paths, as far as political strategies and tactics, but both men's quest was geared toward the social, political, and economic empowerment of the downtrodden black race. The relevance of these two historical icons and their philosophies are still up for debate even in 2007.
This writer thinks both men impacted the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950's and 1960's with Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Stokely Carmichael, Roy Wilkins, Malcolm X, A. Phillip Randolph (a contemporary of Dubois), Whitney Young and entire Civil Rights Movement.
They espouse radical and conservative strategies to agitate and used nonviolent politics to foster in the passing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Right Act and desegregating the United States, but history is cyclical and no doubt these events and leaders were standing on the shoulders of Washington and Dubois.
Our present black leaders of Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Tavis Smiley, Barack Obama, T.D, Jakes and last but not least, Louis Farrakhan who in 1995 perhaps assembled one of the largest protest marches in American history known as the Million Man March at the Capitol in Washington DC. Their successes and failures are tied to the ghost of Washington and Dubois.
Lets us know your opinion I am Fahim A. Knight Chief Researcher of THE KEEPING REAL BLACK THINK TANK. We are located in Durham North Carolina and can be reached by email at fahimknight@yahoo.com.
STAY AWAKE UNTIL WE ME NEXT TIME,
FAHIM A. KNIGHT
Endnotes
1 Robert A., Divine and others, eds., The American Story, 3rd; ed. (New York: Pearson Education, Inc., 2007), 32-33.
2 Robert A., Divine and others, eds., The American Story, 3rd; ed. (New York: Pearson Education, Inc., 2007), 40.
3 Robert A., Divine and others, eds., The American Story, 3rd; ed. (New York: Pearson Education, Inc., 2007), 32-33.
4 Marrill Jensen, The New Nation: A History of The UnitedStates during the Confederation 1781-1789 (New York:Vintage Books, 1950), 54.
5 John W. Blassingame, The Slave Community, 2d ed., (New York:Oxford University Press, 1979), 224
6 John W. Blassingame, The Slave Community, 2d ed., (New York:Oxford University Press, 1979), 236-37.
7 John W. Blassingame, The Slave Community, 2d ed., (New York:Oxford University Press, 1979), 225-226.
8 John W. Blassingame, The Slave Community, 2d ed., (New York:Oxford University Press, 1979), 224-225.
9 John W. Blassingame, The Slave Community, 2d ed., (New York:Oxford University Press, 1979), 225.
10 Maulana Karenga, Introduction to Black Studies (Los Angeles:University of Sankore Press, 1993), 151-156.
11 John Hope Franklin, From Slavery to Freedom: A History of NegroAmericans(New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1980), 274-280.
12 Harold Cruse, The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual: TheOrigins to the Present (New York: William Morrow and Company, etc.,1967), 451.
13 Louis R. Harlan, The Black Leaders of the Twentieth Century(Chicago:University of Illinois Press, 1982), 78-79.
14 Earl E. Thorpe, Black Historians: A Critique (New York: William Morrow and Company and etc., 1971), 60.
15 Earl E. Thorpe, The Central Theme of Black History (Durham:Seeman Printery, 1969), 89-91.
16 Maulana Karenga, Introduction to Black Studies (Los Angeles:University of Sankore Press, 1993), 152-156.
17 Booker T. Washington, Up from Slavery (New York: Double Day, Inc., 1965), 147-148.
18 Earl E. Thorpe, The Central Theme of Black History (Durham:Seeman Printery, 1969), 114.
19 C. Vann Woodard, The Strange Career of Jim Crow, 2d ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1966), 17-19.
20 Earl E. Thorpe, Black Historians: A Critique (New York: William Morrow and Company and etc., 1971), 72-73.
21 David Levering Lewis, W.E.B. Dubois, The Fight for Equality and The American Century, 1919-1963 (New York: Henry Holt and Company, LLC,2000), 83-86
22 David Levering Lewis, W.E.B. Dubois, The Fight for Equality and The American Century, 1919-1963 (New York: Henry Holt and Company, LLC,2000), 237-238
23 Earl E. Thorpe, Black Historians: A Critique (New York: William Morrow and Company and etc., 1971), 182.
24 John Hope Franklin, From Slavery to Freedom: A History of Negro Americans(New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1980), 244-47.
25 Lerone Bennett, Jr., Before the Mayflower: A History of Black America, 5th ed. (New York: Penguin Books etd., 1985) 376.
26 Lerone Bennett, Jr., Before the Mayflower: A History of Black America, 5th ed. (New York: Penguin Books etd., 1985) 135-139.
27 W.E.B. DuBois, The Souls of Black Folk (New York: Signet Classic, 1969),87.
28 W.E.B. DuBois, The Souls of Black Folk (New York: Avon Books, 1965),242-243.
29 John Hope Franklin, From Slavery to Freedom: A History of Negro Americans (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1980), 278.
30 John Hope Franklin and August Meier, The Black Leaders of the Twentieth Century (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1982), 277-278.
31 Elliott Rudwick W.E.B. Dubois: Protagonist of The Afro-America Protest, in The Black Leaders of the Twentieth Century, ed. John Hope Franklin and August Meier (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1982), 67-68.
32 Earl E. Thorpe, Black Historians: A Critique (New York: William Morrow and Company, etc., 1971), 77.
33 John Hope Franklin and August Meier, The Black Leaders of the Twentieth Century (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1982), 78-79.
34 John Hope Franklin and August Meier, The Black Leaders of the Twentieth Century (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1982),10.
35 Louis R. Harlan, Booker T. Washington in the politics ofaccommodation, in The Black Leaders of the Twentieth Century, ed. John Hope Franklin andAugust Meier (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1982), 5.
36 Earl E. Thorpe, The Central Theme of Black History (Durham:Seeman Printery, 1969), 178.
37 Lerone Bennett, Jr., Before the Mayflower: A History of Black America, 5th ed. (New York: Penguin Books etd., 1985) 332-333.
38 Claud Anderson, Black Labor White Wealth: The Search for Economic Justice (Maryland: Duncan & Duncan, Inc. publishers, 1994), 18.
39 John Hope Franklin, From Slavery to Freedom: A History of Negro Americans (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1980), 277-278.
40 Maulana Karenga, Introduction to Black Studies (LosAngeles:University of Sankore Press, 1993), 367-368.
41 Earl E. Thorpe, The Central Theme of Black History (Durham: Seeman Printery, 1969), 179-180.
42 John Hope Franklin and August Meier, Black Leaders of the Twentieth Century (Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1982), 12-13.
43 Harold Cruse, The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual: The Origins to the Present (New York: William Morrow and Company, etc., 1967),564.
44 Earl E. Thorpe, Black Historians: A Critique (New York: William Morrow and Company and etc., 1971), 80.
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