Roger A. Muhammad
We just finished our celebration of Black History Month in February.
As I’ve stated in the short video I filmed as a laureate of the 2017 Black History Month calendar, the irony about this month is that it is the shortest month of the year to celebrate the longest history, in history. Moreover, the history being highlighted during this celebration tends to focus on very recent accomplishments of Black People within the narrow realm of North American and European civilization.
In other words, the history being discussed deals with what we have accomplished inside the society of another people, but never deals with the accomplishments of Black people independent of our former slave and colonial masters. We only focus on our ‘emancipated’ history and not our accomplishments prior to said emancipation. That is a distinction with a very real difference.
What many of us do not know is that the term ‘Emancipation’ used by Abraham Lincoln and followed by other slave and colonial masters like Europe and, yes, Canada as well. The term was very likely selected with consideration for its true Latin origin. (The real Latin meaning of the word ‘emancipation’, as teaches the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, comes from ‘ēmancipēre’. The latter actually means ‘to freed from their hands, but not from their control.’
In light of this definition, also keep in mind the following words from Minister Farrakhan: “He who controls the diameter of your knowledge, determines the circumference of your activity.”
By limiting Black History Month to highlighting mainly and sometimes exclusively accomplishments of our People within the framework of our sojourn up from slavery and colonial dominance, we’re indirectly and unconsciously negating our real contribution to civilization as a whole. We’re actually saying, in a way, that the only time Black people had any meaning in the world is when they came under the yoke of European civilization. Is this what we want to convey to our children?
Don’t get me wrong, we should absolutely applaud and highlight our recent accomplishments here in North America or in Europe. Nevertheless, it can’t be at the full expense of our greater story, which is the story of our high civilization. This is a history that scholars like Dr. Yosef Ben Jochanan, Dr. John Henrik Clarke, Dr. Ivan van Sertima, Dr. Cheick Anta Diop and so many others, such as Montreal’s very own Dr. Leo Bertley, have fought so hard to ascertain in the world of academia.
When are we going to openly celebrate the ancient Egyptian legacy of Black people? When will we highlight the wonders of the Great Pyramids as an integral part of the Black History Month celebration? When are we going to talk about powerful African kings like Mansa Musa, or the great general, Hannibal of Carthage, in North Africa, who defeated the mighty Roman Empire? Why don’t we highlight the fact that not only have we had great modern Black contributors to science and medicine, but also that Black civilization in fact brought science, mathematics and medicine to the world? How much more of an impact would the celebration of that history have on our children?
This is in part why I’ve launched my new book called “Who is the Original Man Part I: A Molecular Anthropology of Pre-Adamic Civilization.” In the book, I attempt to show, based on the Teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, that in fact the history of Black people goes back so far in time, that we in fact have no real birth record. Moreover, new archeological and scientific evidence is showing and proving that our ancient civilizations like Ancient Egypt, we not only far more ancient than previously believed, but were also far more advanced in technology than is commonly accepted.
I launched the book in Detroit, Michigan during the Nation of Islam’s Saviours’ Day Convention at the Cobo Center. Very happy to announce that we sold out.
Now we’re doing the official Montreal book launch at the Urban Loft on Sunday, March 12, starting at 11am.
The address is 5934 Rue St-Hubert, Montréal near Rosemont subway. We invite all to come get a signed copy of the book, which will be available in limited quantity for 15$.
Happy Black History Month… Beyond Black History Month!
