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

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 W.E.B 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 at their leadership styles and determining, if whether 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 of slavery. 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 assistance. But the world at this time was complex both nationally and internationally and Dubois was not going to sit around passively as long as there 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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BARACK OBAMA: WHO DOES HE REPRESENT? OPRAH DOESN'T UNDERSTAND

“BARACK OBAMA: WHO DOES HE REPRESENT?” OPRAH WILL SOON FIND OUT” By FAHIM A. KNIGHT

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States”. If Barack Obama just happened to get “selected” (elected) his Oath of Office as all past, present and would-be future United States Presidents have an obligation to preserve, protect and defend the Elitist, as well as to serve at the disposal of the International Banks and Bankers----Morgans, Oppenhemiers, Rothschilds, Rockefellers, etc. If Obama like the other democrat and republican candidates are willing to expand and preserve the POWER ELITE’S wealth and stranglehold over humanity, then without a doubt Obama will be their presidential servant.

The Oath should read something like this, “I Barack Obama do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and to the best of my ability to preserve the wealth of all the DYNASTIC FAMILIES located throughout the world, protect their FINANCIAL INTEREST and DEFEND AGAINST all would be enemies foreign and domestic that might ask for EQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE WORLD’S WEALTH. Lastly, and furthermore, I will continue TO DESTROY and ERODE THE RIGHTS GIVEN TO THE PEOPLE IN THE U.S. CONSTITUTION and DEFEND THE PATRIOT ACT, MILITARY COMMISSION ACT, ANTI-TERRORISM ACT to the BEST OF MY ABILITY TO SERVE THE ELITIST SO HELP ME POWER BROKERS”.

These are some of the non-negotiable pre-conditions that Senator Obama and any other presidential candidate must obey, if they desire to be appointed to head the nation and the world. Someone may say this writer is downplaying the U. S. Constitution; we all handed this most precious document over to a Cabal of vipers 43 days after 9-11, which they have rendered this to a mere piece of paper with no jurisprudence weight and post 9-11 the Constitution has proven to be just a symbol without the legality to protect its citizens. The Masonic framers of the Constitution are perhaps turning in their grave, as they witness “Light” turn into “Darkness” under “King” George Bush’s administration. Thus, as stated above they have rendered the United States Constitution to a useless piece of paper with no power to confound and control wickedly wise

It was reported on November 28, 2007 that television talk show host extraordinaire, Oprah Winfrey who has been on record of endorsing Senator Obama since he declared his presidential candidacy; However, Oprah’s recent endorsement commitment went even a step further by committing more of her resources and consigned to going on the road with Obama in order to influence American voters and to use her high profile image to garnish a cross section of support for this African American candidate.

This writer does not think that this strategy will translate into astronomical electoral dividends for Obama nor will it bring him any closer to the White House. My wife is a huge fan of Oprah Winfrey and believes that everything this television Diva touches turns into gold. It has been widely recorded that Oprah has a net worth that places her in the income bracket of a billionaire. To some this would sound like a lot of money and power; however, relatively speaking THE DYNASTIC FAMILIES would not give Oprah the time of day and would be insulted that someone were suggesting her as their financial equal. Oprah does not understand this reality but she will soon find out.

This writer was explaining to his wife in the game of high political and economic stakes Oprah’s financial net worth is minuscule and insignificant in comparison to the DYNASTIC FAMILITES those who have unimaginable wealth and power that has existed for generations. Oprah’s stomping for Obama may appear as a big endorsement to the uninformed. But the decision of which servant will take the presidential seat, is outside of Oprah’s ability to influence or determine the course of such lofty pronouncement. These individuals that will be picking the next president, they pay the likes of Oprah and these so-called power symbols are only subservient to the real POWER ELITE.

Oprah has no power in these types of affairs; moreover, she could buy a well packaged Madison Avenue political image, as a slick political marketing strategy for Obama, but once it is all said and done---OPRAH WILL NOT FACTOR INTO THIS DECISION OF WHO IS GOING TO BE THE NEXT U.S. PRESIDENT. The ELITIST made Oprah, as a false symbol of black token success and they do not share power with servants. This is not going to sit well with my wife, but “truth crush to the earth will rise again”. My wife and I are going to just have to agree to disagree on this one.

Senator Obama like any other political “Gofer” is not concern about ethnic or racial loyalty or patriotism these are non-factors and not part of their overall political equation; those discussions are reserved for the masses. Thus, what ever deal the selected servant is given by the grand sovereign masters; it will be in the interest of them maintaining domination and control at the expense of the downtrodden masses.

Senator Obama speaking to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs on April 23, 2007 stated, “In order to advance our national security and our common security, we must call on the full arsenal of American power and ingenuity. To constrain rogue nations, we must use effective diplomacy and muscular alliances. To penetrate terrorist networks, we need a nimble intelligence community – with strong leadership that forces agencies to share information, and invests in the tools, technologies and human intelligence that can get the job done. To maintain our influence in the world economy, we need to get our fiscal house in order. And to weaken the hand of hostile dictators, we must free ourselves from our oil addiction. None of these expressions of power can supplant the need for a strong military. Instead, they complement our military, and help ensure that the use of force is not our sole available option”.

Obama will perhaps only continue the political trends of domestic and foreign policy initiatives that has been set by George Bush, the strategy and tactic to change political course is not determined by who sits in the White House. For example, there are perhaps little over 5 million Jews in America and they are considered a minority and there are approximately 35 to 45 million African Americans, but the Jewish Lobby is able to leverage their economic influence in the United States which to shape and mold public opinion and structure there own political destiny.

This strategy negates their numerical numbers as a minority population but increases their ability to advocate the Jewish Agenda and most of all ensure that the State of Israel is top priority for both the Republican and Democratic candidates. The Congressional Black Caucus yet lager in numbers are no political match, as far as the Israeli Lobby when it comes to leveraging economic and political influence. Power concedes nothing without a demand. So Obama is more interested in courting the Jewish vote than the African American vote because he is fully aware of their financial and political influence.

This writer can remember in 1984 Reverend Jesse Jackson ran for President of the United States of America and Jackson had made a racial slur towards the Jews in New York City, referring to New York as “Hymietown” (interpret to meaning Jewish influence runs deep in New York) in an off the record forum to a black Washington Post Reporter named Milton Coleman. Mr. Coleman went public with Reverend Jackson’s remarks who were a presidential candidate at that time. The Jewish community led by Abraham Foxman and the Anti-Defamation League politically castigated Jackson and demanded that black leadership repudiate Jackson for making what was perceived as an anti-Semitic remark towards Jews.

Minister Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam was one of the few black leaders who stood by Jackson and from his Final Call Administration Building, Farrakhan delivered a fiery speech denouncing reporter Milton Coleman as “traitor” against his race and saying to his Black Muslim audience “one day soon we will punish you with death”. But post 9-11 Farrakhan would have perhaps been arrested under some section of the U.S. Patriot Act for making that type violent inference.

Farrakhan also condemned the Zionist State of Israel and it was reported that he called Judaism a “Gutter Religion” and stated the Nation of Israel has never had any peace and she will never have peace because of injustice and thievery and using the name of God to shield a “dirty religion” under his holy and righteous name. Farrakhan said the Zionists were practicing a “dirty religion” by denying the Palestinian people the right to sovereignty and self-determination. Jackson the presidential candidate and Farrakhan the radical Muslim Cleric were both labeled anti-Semitic. The Jewish Lobby derailed Reverend Jackson’s bid to become President of the United States of America and eventually they forced Jackson to repudiate Farrakhan. This writer is quite sure Obama is fully aware of this not so long distant history.

Senator Obama who is a member of a radical and militant black Christian church-- Trinity United Church of Christ of Chicago headed and Pastor by the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Wright preaches a form of black Christian liberation theology and Obama upon announcing his candidacy immediately tried to publicly distance himself from Reverend Wright, it was not deemed politically expedient for Obama to have these so-called left wing theological connections and like a “good” politician he tucked his tail and ran for cover.

The City of Chicago has over a million Black people and it was the base of the late former black Mayor Harold Washington and has a history of being a viable and strong black electorate, but Obama officially announced his presidential candidacy in Springfield, Illinois the adopted hometown of Abraham Lincoln. Senator Obama did not go to the Southside of Chicago to court his black constituency because of their Democratic Party loyalty and traditional racial allegiance to black candidates, moreover, the risk of not going would not render any political consequences, the percentages weighed in his favor. It was not even a gamble or a political calculated risk because he knew he had two variables working in his favor---race and being a democrat.

The Democratic Party since Bill Clinton has refused to address the black agenda and the party as a whole has taken the black vote for granted. Obama like all the other presidential candidates are nothing but window dressing pawns that have volunteered to be led and directed by the powerful Elitist puppeteers. Their appointment will depend on their loyalty to some of the most powerful interest groups in the world.

Obama abandoned his natural support base and strategically and tactfully has gambled that African Americans will still cast ballots for him, if he becomes the Democratic Nominee. But this is not without precedent because President Bill Clinton in the presidential elections of 1992 and 1996 in which black voters at a 93% clip voted for Clinton, although he made no political promises to this most loyal sector of voters in America. Thus, Obama knew he could spend his time with other sectors and when it is all said and done, blacks will still perhaps show their loyalty to a candidate who HAS NOT SHOWN HIS LOYALTY TO THEM.

How quick do blacks forget that it was President Bill Clinton’s 1994 Crime Bill that landed more black men in prison than under Republican President Ronald Reagan and we witness the prison industrial complex soar under democratic leadership. It was Clinton who backed the Anti-Terrorism Bill, which gave local, state, and federal law enforcement community unprecedented authority over its citizens

Many do not know that from 1865 to 1932 blacks overwhelmingly were republicans but in 1929, blamed the Republicans and Hubert Hoover’s administration for the Great Depression and the economic decline of America. Blacks left the Republican Party in wholesale numbers and this historical coincidence has worked to their long-term political detriment.

Nevertheless, in the deep recess of their minds, black Americans seem to think that they have a moral obligation to unconditionally support and vote the democratic ticket. It seem logical to me that since 1932, there should be enough historical evidence, which documents political betrayal and broken promises made by the Democratic Party to black Americans. In essence, we love the devil because he gives us nothing.

Why don’t the so-called black leadership come to understand and advocate the power of voting the issues and leverage the black vote as an uncommitted and non-partisan bloc whose main interest is negotiating the best political deal for black Americans regardless of candidates’ party affiliations?

This writer has spoken to many African Americans relative to the Barack Obama campaign for President and there always appear to be a sense of euphoria and excitement that this black candidate will represent the race with par excellence. This writer quite obvious does not share those same emotions and feelings of exuberance. Many that this writer had spoke with were oblivious to the fact that the United States president was neither elected and/or determined from an electoral process, which is interpret to mean that our vote isn’t worth one iota in the political equation of who will take the next seat as President and ruler of the world. The Council Foreign Relations, Trilateral Commission and the Bildabergers, etc., will decide this for us.

The next American president whether it is Senator Obama or someone else, will be forced to deal with the Iranian issue and its controversial President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. If elected will Obama have the courage to change the United States Foreign Policy course or will he continue business as usual. But this writer truly understands the U.S. Foreign Policy course will not be determined by U.S. Congress or the president, it is determined by the DYNASTIC FAMILIES and the political, economic, and social direction will be geared towards benefiting their agenda and not the American people.

The international community, in particular after September 11, 2001 was left with two options according to President George Bush either you was with us (United States) or against us. This insane idea created tension and suspicion of the United States and its Foreign Policy. Will OIL be the motivational factor that determines U.S. Foreign Policy under the next administration or will sensible diplomacy serve as the guiding moral compass in lieu of healthier international relations relative to the Islamic nations?

Obama or who ever sits in the White House must be willing to normalize relations with Iran and not make the same mistakes that were made in Iraq, which is an unjust war with no objective other than stealing OIL. We do not need more United States aggression in the name of so-called ridding this Shia theocratic Islamic nation of Weapons of Mass Destruction. The Persian Gulf Region is begging for peace.

This writer is of the belief that so-called “terrorism” is a direct result of U.S. Foreign Policy. For example, if Hamas was elected in January 2006 within a democratic process by the Palestinian People, it should be viewed and accepted as an official government. But the United States and other reactionary foreign governments are defining Hamas as a “terrorist” led organization, but it is a duly elected government by the Arab people. It is this type of double standards and political inconsistencies that have come to define President Bush and there widely accepted belief that United States Foreign Policy is an extension of the Zionist State of Israel’s agenda.

Reverend John Hagee of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas authored a book titled, “In Defense of Israel” and has much praise for the Jewish State but offer little critique of Israel and offer no reasonable solution to peace and in all reality, does a disservice to the Israelis by placating them in order to perhaps continue receiving Israeli and United States financial crumbs for his rightwing ministry. But the Palestinian and Israeli conflict have no peaceful resolution insight because the debate lacks honesty and conservatives like Reverend Hagee are partial the blame. This writer does not view former President Jimmy Carter, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, as an anti-Semite because in his book titled “Palestine Peace not Apartheid” he attempted to offer a balance discussion on the Palestinian---Israeli conflict.

In a book authored by Obadiah Shoher titled, “ Samson Blinded: A Machiavellian Perspective on the Middle East Conflict” stated, “Justification of an Israel state by historical right is sheer nonsense. If Jews have a right to return after two millennia, Arabs even more may return after fifty years. The Jews, moreover, were not forced out of Judea any more than the Arabs from Israel. Facing a hostile regime, both chose to emigrate. The Israelis need not appeal to a twenty-century –old historical right. Indeed, there is no such thing as a historical right. Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Rome, and turkey learned that painful lesson the same land” This writer guess that Shoher book perhaps would be classified as ant-Semitic material. This is purely insane.

This writer can not independently verify whether or not Barack Obama belongs to an African-American “powerful” group/or Fraternity known as the BOULE which is a Freemasonic type organization that attracts some of the top black politicians, intellectuals, business persons, etc, and those who are considered influential and for the most part the black bourgeoisie.

W.E.B. Dubois preached and advocated that blacks should pursue a classical and/or Liberal Arts education, as opposed to Booker T. Washington espousing technical training. Dubois model was geared towards sending 10% of the black population to the universities and colleges of higher learning with an objective of attaining liberal arts education and coming back to the black community and help to elevate the race. Dubois and historians called this theory the “Talented Tenth” theory (Reference: W.E.B. Dubois “The Souls of Black Folk”). Also, there is an interesting book written by Charles H. Wesley, titled, “The History of Alpha Phi Alpha: A Development in College Life” that deals African American race, class and the pursuit education.

The BOULE (Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity) perhaps one of the first black Greek fraternities founded in 1904, but most of its founders were Prince Hall Masons and/or had strong Masonic affiliations. The term BOULE means “advisor to the king”. Steve Cokley is considered the authority on the BOULE, he has a video series titled, “Boule Buster: The Plot To Destroy Black Education”. Frontline Magazine did an article titled, “Boule” stated, “We know the Illuminati (Rhodes/Rothschild secret society) also goes by the name, the ROUND TABLE GROUP the Boule, which created the 8 black fraternities and sororities (now known as the Divine Nine). Rockefeller is a subdivision of the Rhodes/Rothschild or New World Order regime”

The Boule is noted for attracting the African American Talented Tenth, it was described this way “the quintessential brotherhood for African-American men." The incoming Grand Sire Archon, New Orleans banker and financier Charles Teamer, says the Boule "is unique because no other organization brings together so many talented leaders--sometimes you have in the same room the mayor and the biggest educational and economic leaders in town--and no other organization provides such an unparalleled opportunity to mentor, change structures, and build bridges." He says his administration will concentrate on mentoring, creating new international connections and moving networking to another level.

The BOULE was originally styled after the Skull Bones Fraternity conceived as an organization that would contain the "best of Skull and Bones of Yale and of Phi Beta Kappa," In the keynote address, Archon Vernon Jordan Jr. (former aid to Bill Clinton and Civil Right leader) presented a 12-point program for personal and collective renewal, saying, among other things, that "we must create a new sense of community among our own ... bridge the growing economic gap within the Black community [and] re-Brown Brown to counter the long slide back into de facto segregation." We must also, he said, "constantly remind the new entrants into the Talented Tenth that their exciting jobs in corporate America and investment banking and in law firms are not the result of their grades and their ability and their school all by themselves. They did not get there by themselves ... and they have to know it."


The Skull and Bones of Yale University, the author John Lawrence Reynolds book titled, “Secret Societies: Inside The World’s Most Notorious Organizations” he assess this secret society by stating, “One, however, exerts day-to-day influence over the lives of virtually everyone on the planet, and it achieved this not with a tightly structured organization but via an association of privileged young men attending a prestigious university. Its existence is verifiable, its history is linked to MASONIC traditions and the ILLUMINATI objectives, its practices remain shadowy, and its activities are replete with suspicious behavior. It is Skull & Bones, a hatchery of American leadership whose members has not only achieved POWER and Prominence on a scale far in excess of their numbers, but retains their close bond throughout their careers, creating at least the semblance of a cabal and perhaps something much more than that.”

Now! The above assessment is real high degree Freemasonry because these OATH TAKERS of an Elite sector of our society have sworn to use their DYNASTIC influence (High Finance) that is tied too prominent banking families and have placed their Devotes in every decision making endeavor which to influence the political, economic and social reality of world society. The 33rd Degree in Freemasonry under Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite is styled the Sovereign Grand Inspector General. This degree is an honorary and conferred degree and it is not up for petition; thus entry into this final and terminal degree is only at the recommendation of another 33rd Degree Mason.

The ceremonies and rituals of this conferment ordinarily include some of the most powerful men in the United States in particular and the world in general. We learn in the ritual a set of questions and answers that reads like this: QUESTIONS: Are you a Sovereign Grand Inspector General? ANSWER: By giving you the past word. QUESTION: Begin. ANSWER: Jacques de Molay. QUESTION: Hiram Abif. ANSWER: Frederick of Prussia. QUESTION: What are the meanings of the skeletons skulls, bones and torches in our Council? ANSWER: They serve to remind of the massacre of our ancestors by Philippe the Fair who delivered them to the most cruel tortures. QUESTION: Why do you appear in mourning armed with a sword? Answer: To mourn their loss and be ready to avenge them. QUESTION: Who established this degree? ANSWER: Our Illustrious Brother of Brunswick, Frederick, King of Prussia.

This writer wonder does the Skull and Bones and Black BOULE’ have a loose philosophical connection to The United Supreme Council of Sovereign Grand Inspectors General of the Thirty-Third and Last Degree in Freemasonry. This writer resides in Durham, which the Mayor of the city William V. “Bill” Bell is a BOULE’ member and in a recent citywide mayoral race, Obama came to Durham and endorsed the black BOULE member and it left this writer inquisitive whether his relationship with BOULE’ Mayor Bell was based on them both being perhaps OATH TAKERS. A writer in Ebony Magazine who authored and article titled,“1904-2004: the Boule at 100: Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity Holds Centennial Celebration” stated, “What makes the Boule's success all the more interesting is that it was founded as a secret or quasi-secret organization and did not seek public notice until the 1960s and 1970s”

Obama’s loyalty will not be to a race or ethnic group; it will be those hidden forces, the power ELITE, the individuals that truly shape the political and economic landscape of the world. For, example, the International Bankers, Israeli Lobby, Council on Foreign Relations, Trilateral Commission, Bildabergers, etc. The majority of the masses of the people are ignorant to this fact and we have been deceived into believing that our voting is the determining factor of who will take the seat as the next president of the United States and the world. Electoral politics does not factor into that decision.

Lastly, Oprah or the United States electorate will not determine Barack Obama’s political fate and whether or not, he becomes the first African American president is considered a distance second in the scheme of those who will be making this decision. The next American President, as were all other presidents is handpicked by the Council on Foreign Relations, Trilateral Commission, Bildabergers, etc. May-be this writer should phone-up Henry Kissinger and ask him on which candidate has the ROUNDTABLERS decide upon. Rudy" Giuliani seems to be a front runner after that over a TRILLION DOLLAR hit that was hidden under the World Trade Center and he masterful cleaned up of the CRIME SCENE in record time after the 9-11 hoax. This writer thinks Giuliani is their man

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.

STAY AWAKE UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN,
Fahim A. Knight

DR. MOLEFI ASANTE ATTACKED: REVISITED DR. LEFKOWITZ "NOT OUT OF AFRICA"

DR. MOLEFI ASANTE ATTACKED: REVISITED DR LEFKOWITZ " NOT OUT OF AFRICA" by FAHIM A. KNIGHT


Dr. Molefi Asante quoted in reference to a recent attack against him on October 22, 2007 by one of his colleagues. He stated “Many people are responding to this crazy situation from all over the world and I cannot keep up with the great spirit of the people.”

This writer purchased a book titled, "NOT OUT OF AFRICA", authored by Mary Leftkowitz thus, prior to me purchasing this book, this writer had heard about some of the controversy, which was centered on this book. This writer as an African living in America has a great deal of respect and appreciation for the African Centered movement and its scholars, but before this writer rendered an opinion or critique of this book, "NOT OUT OF AFRICA" it was only intelligent that he read the book objectively in order to examine the credibility of the scholarship.

In assessing the "Foreword" and "Introduction" section of the book, it was clear that this research was aimed at being critical of the African Centered movement in which critical analysis is not all together a negative thing and I would be the first to agree that all leaders, organizations, movements, scholarship, etc., should be subject to critical evaluation and intellectual assessment.

There are many Africans in America that do not fully embrace, agree nor accept all the intellectual contentions espoused by the African Centered Movement. But a large segment of the Africans in America do respect the African Centered scholars' efforts to rescue African history from white definition and interpretation.

Thus, this book, "NOT OUT OF AFRICA" seeks to discredit African Centered scholarship as being emotional and lacking the scientific and empirical methodology required under the guidelines for those such as historians and social scientist who write scholarly studies.
This writer received an email message on November 25, 2007 and it stated in part that “Molefi Kete Asante is the Professor of the African Studies Department at Temple University in Philadelphia in the USA. It is alleged that he was racially abused by the newly appointed Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Ms Teresa Scott Soufas. Sources informed Black Britain that the incident took place during a meeting with other staff members last month on October 22”.

“At this meeting Ms Soufas allegedly yelled at Professor Asante, pointed her finger at him and attempted to malign, terrorize and demonize him [and] made false and slanderous claims against him. The call for worldwide protests is being led by Black Nation, in Germany, an African-led organization that focuses on issues affecting the global African Diaspora.”

“A spokesperson told Black Britain that the attack on Professor Asante was all the more unfair and unacceptable since Brother Asante's achievements, figure and name have contributed to the national and international reputation and fame of Temple University in general and the African American Studies Department of Temple in particular in a unique way.”

This allege attack by Ms Teresa Scott Soufas, Dean of The College of Liberal Arts against Dr. Molefi Asante is indicative of white intellectualism using every weapon in their arsenal to punish and censor African scholars for having the audacity to rescue African history from the gamut of lies, fabrication, racism, half-truths, etc., and restore black people to their traditional and cultural greatest. This latest episode and attack against one of the premier African Centered thinkers and intellectuals in the United States and the World, is a backlash to Mary Leftkowitz academic assault on the entire African Centered Movement and its scholars back in the late 1990’s.

The email goes on to state, “Professor Asante has inspired African-Centered scholars around the globe for decades. He received his doctorate from UCLA at the tender age of 26 and is the pioneer of the doctoral program in African American studies {Temple University}. His African Centered perspective has offered an alternative academic approach to the Eurocentric ideologies that continue to provide limited learning opportunities within the field of higher education. Black Nation told Black Britain that it is demanding an unreserved and official apology to Professor Asante by Ms Soufas. It stated that such attack on Molefe Kete Asante, one of our most conscious, bold and uncompromising intellectuals, role-models, leaders and heroes is an attack against us all”.

Lefkowitz accuses the African Centered movement of being politically motivated, as opposed to being treated as an intellectual school of thought whose mission is research; she never clarified what she meant by describing the African Centered movement as being politically motivated. However, this writer is of the opinion, that all scholarship and social ideals in America are somewhat politically inspired. Why make the African Centered scholars appear as of committing an unpardonable sin?

Lefkowitz perhaps was challenging black people's right to self-determination of ideals and we had no right to develop independent thoughts without white scholars' approval.

This book gave the impression of perhaps having a Zionist Jewish agenda, no different than the Anti Defamation League (ADL) or the Simon Wiesenthal Center type propaganda. This writer considered, "NOT OUT OF AFRICA" as being reactionary scholarship with a political objective of discrediting the contributions black people made on the stage of human history.

In the "Foreword and "Introduction" Lefkowitz is attempting to incite university officials and administrators, as well as politicians to think about formulating policy and is covertly challenging the concept of academic freedom, which is granted to professors, scholars and academicians that have met the stringent requirements to be designated as a tenure professor.

This proposed new policy will allow universities and colleges the latitude to structure professors contracts, specifically tenure professors by granting the university the power and authority to terminate and rescind a tenure and non-tenure professor's contract, if he/she expresses theories and/or academic concepts deemed to be controversial or goes against the popular view.
The professors' tenure status and academic freedom clauses no longer will able to protect the employment status of a professor that goes against the status quo. These reactionary theories were aimed at destroying the First Amendment Right and controlling disagreeable speech, as well as the concept of Academic Freedom.

But what led Zionist controlled University officials and politicians to this desperate measure was a speech delivered by Minister Khallid Abdul Muhammad of the Nation of Islam on November 29, 1993, on the campus of Kean College in New Jersey, titled, "The Secret Relationship between Blacks and Jews". Whites and Zionist Jews denounced and repudiated Muhammad's controversial speech as being racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, etc., they felt Muhammad's speech on the college campus had gone to far and the Zionist denounce the Kean College officials for allowing this radical spokesperson on the campus. Although, the university environment is supposed to be a place where ideals are shared and debated and has never been a place comfortable with censorship. The United States Congress even drew up a resolution censoring and repudiating Dr. Khallid Abdul Muhammad.

Lefkowitz cited Dr. Leonard Jeffries Empire State College speech as being academic irresponsible in 1991, but she did not mention her Jewish colleague Michael Levin who is also along with Dr. Jefferies on the faculty of City College and/or condemn him (Levin) for his racist and anti-black perspectives. This writer assumes in her mind, she found Dr. Levin's views acceptable and they met the requirements suitable for an academic environment.

In Lefkowitz conclusion it is clear that she desires to curtail and control outside controversial speakers from having access to young fashionable and impressionable black minds on college campuses. But more importantly these evildoers did not want public and private monies coming in the form of honorariums to black academics, scholars, black leadership, spokesperson, etc., to be used in financing organizations and movements, which the ADL and their white puppets establishment do not approve.

This is the larger argument and debate when it comes to black scholars such as: Cheik Anta Diop, George G.M. James, Khallid Abdul Muhammad, John Henrik Clarke, Yosef Ben Jochannon, Molefi Kete Asante, etc., who represent the African Centered persuasion. Whites historically have always shown fear of black people through out history that dared to define themselves.

White scholars have been collectively irresponsible and it is my belief that Zionist scholars and/or their white counterpart can't morally offer black students scholarly or intellectual direction. We can detect from this book that Zionist Jews and blacks are at war for the hearts and minds of black people; moreover, this dissertation, "NOT OUT OF AFRICA", is an open declaration of war in the arena of ideals.

Lefkowitz attacked the training and schooling of African Centered scholars, which to bring into question their academic credentials and dismiss them as being pseudo historians and researchers not worthy to be taken serious as scholars.

She claim to be concern about anti-Semitism and racism in all forms, but Lefkowitz did not mention Charles Murray's book (author of the "Bell Curve") as also deserving condemnation. Her mentality is the same of Jensen, Shockley, Bakke, etc., these racist scholars claimed to offered scientific data as proof that blacks are intellectual inferior to Europeans. Also, U.B. Phillips, a post slavery racist historian held the same contention that Africans contributed nothing towards human civilization.

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad asked the question, "who is the original man"; ANSWER, "the Asiatic black man, the maker, the owner, the cream of the planet earth God of the universe." Lefkowitz is attempting to limit the black man's history to about five to ten thousand years. The black man's history has no beginning or ending, we can go back 78 trillion years ago and our documentation for this claim is written in the stars.

European history only goes back 6,000 years, thus the white man and the Zionist Jew are infants on the planet. How can Greece and Rome logically speaking compare to their fathers and mothers of civilization? Her arguments are emotional and subjective, possessing half-truths, distortions, outright lies and propaganda.

I view her as a Zionist Jew, whose making a last ditch scholarly effort to rescue a dying white supremacy society. She has forgotten for century’s western society propelled it-self on false superior premises, which led to the oppressing of darker skinned people physically, psychologically, and intellectually around the world.

And in the 21st Century ex-slaves are intellectually challenging a system of white supremacy and her writings serve as evidence that the former slave master’s children are dismayed that the ex-slaves have uncovered and rediscovered the knowledge of self.

Her research did not include European scholars such as Gerald Massey who authored the monumental book titled," Ancient Egypt the Light of the World"; He maintained that African contribution, specifically Kemet (Egypt) fed the entire world with its enlightenment. African Centered scholars were only quoting and documenting what European scholars had discovered a long time ago and the bases of their philosophy rest on these documented truths.

Lefkowitz deceitfully rearranges ethnic assignments; moreover, if a fact of history favored black people, she would determine that the said contributions must be attributed to Semites, but she was actually pointed to the Khazars and the Ashkenazi Jew, which is the European imposter Jew (The so-called Semites are Arabs, Jews, Africans and other people of color). But to be scholarly truthfully the term Semitic is defined as a body of Mediterranean languages and has nothing to do with race, but her designation was geared towards discrediting Africans of their place in history by disguising significant contributions under the code name "Semites".

Those who are Biblical scholars and students of the Bible know that Prophet Noah so-called had three sons Shem (Semite lineage, the so-called Jews), Ham (Hamities, the so-called African lineage) and Japheth (Japhites, the so-called Caucasian lineage). Noah was of African descent, so what does that tell you about the above race classifications?

Lefkowitz refers to Egypt as being geographically part of the Near East, but to my last viewing of the world's map, it was clear to me that Egypt sits on the continent of Africa, which is north east Africa and in reality, there is no place on the map called the "Near East" and only the man made Suez Canal separates Africa from the so-called Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula.
Her knowledge of Freemasonry, its history, philosophy, mission, ritual, etc., were treated very poorly and left the readers with a confused and vague understanding of this complex fraternal order. The Ancient Arabic Order Imperial Council Nobles of the Mystic Shrine was incorporated on June 6, 1876.

If she would have thoroughly done her homework, she would have found as indicated in the Masonic (Shriners) name stated above, which is associated with higher degree Masonry; specifically those that have acquired the 32nd and 33rd degrees put more philosophical emphasis on Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem, etc., as opposed to Egypt.

The Muslim (the religion of Islam) and/or Islamic Holy Kaaba shrine is somewhat revered on this (high degree Masonic) initiation level much more than Egypt. The High degree Masonry known as Shriners claim to have originated in 644 A.D. along side Prophet Muhammad's son-in-law Ali Ibn Talib, the so-called founder of Shia Islam. So the Egyptian Stolen legacy concept was not indigenous to true Masonic teachings.

Every High Degree Mason's (shriners) goal is to pay respect to Allah, the God of the Muslims by making the holy Pilgrimage to Mecca and like the Muslims circumambulate the Kaaba in ritualistic form (I will at some point Post the relationship between Islam and High Degree Masonry) . George G.M. James was not influenced by Masons because most African Centered scholars would not accept Mecca because of its Arabic and Islamic cultures, which may be perceived as being alien to the African Centered audience, but Ancient Egyptians of antiquity are perceived as being black.

Most African Centered scholars and scholars in general, view Egypt as pre-dating Mecca in valor and civilization. I said all of that to say this; Egyptian Mystery Schools were not patterned after Masonic initiation rites as Lefkowitz maintained, but all of Africa operated off a system of MAAT (JUSTICE, MORALITY, BALANCE, RECPROCITY, etc.) that stems from greater universal laws.

It has been European aggression and their inhumanity to man that fostered a George G.M. James or a Molefi Asante into existence. She fail to understand that African Centered thought is an answer to white intellectual racism that has always described Africa as the "Dark Continent" and black historians through out history have always rose to challenge this type white supremacy ideology.

We are historical and present day victims but "NOT OUT OF AFRICA" portrays us, our scholars and black people in general, as the criminals just because we dare say that Africa is the cradle of world civilization.

This writer is ashamed of big white America; a nation built on 310 years of black injustice and has the nerve to be crying unfair play in the university classrooms. We remember Professor Lefkowitz just a few years ago denouncing, attacking and repudiating Dr. Tony Martin who served on the faculty with her at Wellesley College because he used the book titled, "The Secret Relationship Between Jews and Blacks" written by the Nation of Islam's Historical Research department in his classroom discussions.

"NOT OUT OF AFRICA" in my opinion, is part of a neo Zionist onslaught aimed at destroying truths in the name of censoring free speech and controlling scholarship. She could have kept this venom to herself because black people do not need white scholars and Zionist Jews speaking and defining history for us. African Centered scholars and movement have no ulterior motives or political agenda other than rescuing our history from the lies and distortions giving to us by white America.

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