Page 8, Section II, Portland Observer, February 10, 1988
African Perspectives
"INJUSTICE
ANYWHERE IS
ATHREATTO
JUSTICE
EVERYWHERE."
AFRICAN AMERICAN
HISTORY
AMERICAN FRIENDS
SERVICE COMMITTEE
2249 E. Burnside
Portland, OR 97214
(503) 230-9427
230-9429
by Dr. Jamil Cherovee
The status of African World History is changing faster than our under­
standing of this change. Who is responsible for bringing it in to being The
intent of this article is to call attention to several new books by African and
Afro American writers who have challenged the old approaches to African
history and culture. Most of the writers whose books are reviewed here
interpret African history and its relationship to world history. By taking this
approach they show that the Africans, who were the first people in the com­
mentary of history, have never been absent from the history's achievements
and failures. From their new, bold research and their Afro-centric vantage
point, they view African history as a very important division of the total
history of mankind.
The African people have never been static within Africa. They av
traveled extensively within their continent, spreading and taking on ai diver­
sity of cultures and ways of life. The Senegalese historian, Cheikh Anta
Diop calls attention to this neglected aspect of African history ,n h,s book,
"The C ultural U nity Of Negro A fric a .'' Professor Diop goes on to explain
the cultural conditions that shaped old African societies. One of these con­
ditions was the development of matriarchy, which gave African women basic
riqhts long before the idea was extended to women in other parts of the
world When Africa is viewed through the work of historians like Cheikh
Anta Diop, it is obvious that Africa was never what most non-Black
historians said it was.
John G Jackson's second book, "M a n , God, and C ivilization, is an
inquiry into the part that religion has played in shaping the destinies of men
in nations. In this book, he says: "Nearly all the so-called world historians
of civilization, so popular in contemporary academic circles, are based mainly
on what is known as European civilization. This species of parochialism gives
a false picture of human history; and few students become aware of the fact
that European civilization, speaking historically, is a product of the recent
past, and that European culture was not indigenous, but was derived from
straight, especially as it related to African people. In doing this, he
throughout his book, displayed a sharp insight into world history in generaL ,
The more-than-200 sources used for this book range from Diodorus Siculus
to H.G. Wells. In this book he has updated the information that appeared ;
earlier in his pamphlets such as: "Christianity Before Christ (1938)_ Et o
pia and the Origin of Civilization" (1939). and ' Pagan Origins oI the, Chmrt
M yth" (1941). Chapters 11 and 12 in the book trace the origins of most Nort
African and southern European civilizations to the heart of Africa. This wi
disturb many historians who cannot live with this point of view.
There has long been a need for a book about the invaders of Africa and
their effect on nations, people and civilizations. Chancellor Williams o
Howard University has written such a book. His book, The
of Black C ivilization: Great Issues o f a Race fro m 4500 B.C. to
2000 A D . , " has broken new ground in this field. From the beginning of his
book Dr. Williams puts the long-distorted facts about Egypt's relationship to
the rest of Africa in order. He refers to Egypt as "Ethiopian s oldest
•
.
;
.
..
:
j
daughter" and that is precisely what it was.
Black children should have a true knowledge of their history so that they >
may feel proud of their antecedents, proud of the glorious past which no ■.
amount of hate and prejudice could wipe from history s pages. Th e i a ,
need for Black historians to specialize in specific areas of African history,
until those particular areas have been thoroughly explained.
older civilizations of Africa and Asia."
Professor Jackson has made a mission out of the effort to set history
The image of Africa among Afro-Americas has been a concern for a long
time to a large number of scholars, including some bigoted non-Black scho­
lars who use this image to spread dissention between Africans and Afro- ,
Americans. Many pseudo-historians have tried to wipe out the African from
world history; but as long as the monuments of Ethiopia and Egypt exist,
they cannot do so. There were many Africans who distinguished themselves .
in many fields. It is important for anybody writing about Africans to trace
their origin and the part they have played, are playing, and will play in the
world.
HDD’s community
commitment. . . .
If s working in
your neighborhood,
*
t if i «s "n
Black Hertt»««UBA
James Weldon
Johnson
Commemorative
Stamp
The six HIT) jobs I've completed
during the past year have helped my
business enough that I was able to add
a tilth employee. HI D handles repair
bids fairly, and their equal opportunity
policy really works."
— Calvin Jackson, contractor
The 1988 Black Heritage Series
stamp, the 11th such issue, will fea­
ture James Weldon Johnson (June
17, 1871-June 26, 1938), educator,
diplomat, lawyer, author, and lyri­
cist. The issue date is February 2
in Nashville, Tennessee.
Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing
“Last year I helped more than a dozen
area families buy their lirst home
through HUD. I’ve always found the
HUD people to he extremely
cooperative, and all of my clients have
received their bid decisions within live
days."
_ Danielle Tranlong.
real estate sales agent
"We weren't looking lor a home
because we didn't think we had enough
money saved to buy the size ol home
we wanted. A friend told us about a
HUD home she knew ol in the
neighborhood. We called a real estate
agent, submitted an oiler, and in lust
eight weeks we were moved in.
Cynthia A- I'rancisco Doniingue:
Lift ev'ry voice and sing
Till earth and heaven ring.
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty:
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the list'ning skies.
Let is resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us.
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.
X
Stony the road we trod,
Bitter the chast'ning rod.
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat
Have not our weary feet
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been
watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of
So lar. I ve purchased three properties
from III D. partly to supplement my
income and partly lor retirement.
Fixing up III D homes lor rental
property or eventual resale is definitely
a good, long term investment. I've
talked with a number ol other people
who have done it. and theyve never
regretted it
_ttoger Croic. construction worker
the slaughtered,
Out from the gloomy past,
Till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.
e HUD
ir
O iP A R T M fN T OF HOUSING
ANO URBAN O fV T LO R M f NT
The people at the II. S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development salute the history of minority achievement and
support the future of equal opportunity in all of life s endeavors.
• «
God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who has brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who has by Thy might
Led us into the light.
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we
met Thee,
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we
forget Thee,
Shadowed beneath Thy hand,
May we forever stand.
True to our God
True to our native land.