In class, I once mentioned that I chose not to teach the origin of religion due to the confusion it has caused. Because of class demand and other material available-- not from me-- this Friday evening, we will explore this very controversial topic.
A note of warning, those who are devout believers, it is recommended you do not attend. Based on experiences of the past, it is very possible that religious doubt may set in and cause one to ask questions of ministers that may bring about less than positive feelings.
The other topic we will explore is the Afrikan presence in the Caribbean. All Black people in the Caribbean are descendants of those Afrikans brought there as slaves. We will investigate two of the most Afrikan countries of the Caribbean: Haiti and Jamaica.
POTLUCK LIST AND CLASS PHOTO: Since this is our second to last class, we will also make our list for the potluck for our last class and take the Class Photo.
Next Semester: For those who like to plan ahead, the next semester, which is Part II, will begin February 8th, 2008.
Afrikan World Civilizations Class happens in the Fall and Spring, for 11 Fridays from 7-9 p.m. at Kaos Studios in Leimert Park, 4343 Leimert Blvd. (corner of Leimert and 43rd Place) in Los Angeles. Our email address is: DrKwaku@hotmail.com.
For info on Afrikan Mental Liberation Films (San Diego African Film Festival) Scroll down!
Friday, 11/16/07 Class
Afrikan World Masters
This week we'll see interviews and lectures from three of the most important scholars of the last century: Dr. Ivan Van Sertima, Dr. John Henrik Clarke, and Dr. Frances Cress Welsing, from my film, Afrikan World Masters. If ever there was a night of high-level lessons, from an Afrikan perspective, Friday night’s class is not one to miss. This kind of experience does not come around too often. Of course, DVDs of the night’s lessons will be available. You will also hear a radio review of the above film by Dr. Hilliard he gave in Los Angeles, his last radio appearance here.
Speaking of Dr. Hilliard, we will pick up where we left off several weeks ago, and see the conclusion of his essential lesson.
Baffour Amankwatia III (Dr. Asa Hilliard) transitioned to ancestorhood this summer in Kemet (Egypt). He was doing what he loved most-- educating Afrikan people from America. He was our greatest educational psychological researcher and a meticulous historian. Last year, at the Black Psychologist Association Conference in Ohio, while at home with his behavioral scientist colleagues, where he felt most comfortable, he delivered perhaps his greatest lecture.
Remember: No Class Thanksgiving Friday...because we'll be in San Diego for Afrikan Mental Liberation Films (Keep reading!)
Join us! Afrikan Mental Liberation Films (San Diego African Film Festival)Nov. 24 & 25 (Free!) at the World Beat Center
The 2nd Annual Afrikan Mental Liberation Film festival is being held Thanksgiving Weekend (Saturday and Sunday) in San Diego. The festival is free to the public from noon until 9 p.m., November 24 and 25 to:
Video: View an interview with WorldBeatCenter founder Queen Makeda Dread Cheatham, an episode of My World Podcast. See the center and its people and images from last year's film festival.
Wanna go but no wheels? Check this site for cheap bus service: www.megabus.com (Suggested by a listener.) Hotels are plentiful if you plan to spend the night--try www.Google.com or call the local San Diegans for referrals.
Please forward this email to your friends and family in San Diego. Food will be available for purchase. Bring your seat cushions--you will stay longer than you thought you would!
Happy Thanksgiving! And happy 25th to our son Jaaye!
Dr. John Henrik Clarke is the most influential Afrikan world historian of the last century. The knowledge that comes straight out of his head is enough to fill up volumes of books. He has mentored more young scholars than anyone else, and has encouraged the writing of dozens of books. He is known in the academic world as the Dean of Black Studies. This Friday, see what I consider the best historical documentary/lesson ever put on film about Dr. John Henrik Clarke.
Also, give the gift of knowledge this holiday season and peruse the DVDs and CDs available. Even if you are not attending the class, Isidra will be in her usual spot outside to fill your requests. All others, please visit www.DrKwaku.com to order.
Also, join me this Saturday a.m. when I am a guest on L.A. Speaks Out on KJLH (102.3 FM). Besides Jacquie Stephens and me speaking about history, we will also discuss the upcoming Afrikan Mental Liberations Films Weekend in San Diego this Thanksgiving Saturday and Sunday at the World Beat Center. It's a free marathon of films all day both days. For the schedule of historic films, visit DrKwaku.com . If you can't take the drive down, let your friends and family in San Diego know. Did we mention it's free?
See you in class. Thank you,
Dr. Kwaku Person-Lynn
Afrikan World Civilizations Class happens in the Fall and Spring, for 11 Fridays from 7-9 p.m. at Kaos Studios in Leimert Park, 4343 Leimert Blvd. (corner of Leimert and 43rd Place) in Los Angeles. Our email address is: DrKwaku@hotmail.com.
The trans-Atlantic slave trade was the most horrendous illegal transport exercise in world history. It was a system that devastated an entire continent, resulting in a massive underdevelopment continued during this present time. On Goree Island, off the coast of Senegal, and a major slave port, an interesting dynamic occurred. It is the only port that was controlled by women. We will look into this phenomenon.
The ‘N’ word is the pinnacle of derogatory words used against people of Afrikan descent. Over the years, the youth culture has transformed it into a term of endearment. We will investigate this horrific word from various angles.
We will also take a brief look into one of the most important and instrumental figures in the Civil Rights Movement, Fannie Lou Hamer (pictured), and of course engage in our lively discussions.
Afrikan World Civilizations Class happens in the Fall and Spring, for 11 Fridays from 7-9 p.m. at Kaos Studios in Leimert Park, 4343 Leimert Blvd. (corner of Leimert and 43rd Place) in Los Angeles. Our email address is: DrKwaku@hotmail.com.
Friday’s class promises to be very exciting. One of the topics we will cover is the 60 Minutes piece on African Ancestry, which has the largest Afrikan DNA database in the world. There were major flaws in the program and I will point them out after we view the segment. Also, those who would like to find out their Afrikan ancestry, I will tell you how you can get a discount through the class.
Also, most know that ancient Kemet (Egypt) is the birthplace of civilization, science, mathematics, medicine, engineering and so many other human gifts. No one can point out its significance better than Dr. Yosef ben-Jochannan (Dr. Ben), Kemetologist (Egyptologist), who was born in Ethiopia. He was the first to take Black folks from America to Kemet, and the one who trained all the other scholars (Dr. Asa Hilliard, Tony Browder, Dr. Na’im Akbar, Ashra Kwesi, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and others.) who conduct tour groups there. We will see Kemet through the eyes of the master. Look forward to seeing you.
Dr. Kwaku
Pictured above Gina Paige, African Ancestry, when she revealed DNA origins at Dr. Kwaku's Black History for Young People.
The first class is usually started with the DVD I produced, "Afrikan World Civilizations," as an introduction to the entire class. I did something different this year to accommodate those who have repeated the class. Min. Malcolm X and Oprah made the first class very interesting and informative. But based on questions asked in the class and e-mails received, it is apparent we must explore the information in the DVD. It covers Afrikan world history and culture, and will answer many of the questions and e-mails. It was produced specifically for our class, although it was screened at the Pan African Film Festival to a standing room only, turn away audience, and has received critical acclaim.
We will make up the subject of DNA later.
You will also receive a handpicked book list of what I consider some of the most important literature written by scholars and writers of Afrikan descent. This will allow you to be more discriminant when going to Eso Won Books around the corner after class. Hope to see you there!
Afrikan World Civilizations Class happens in the Fall and Spring, for 11 Fridays from 7-9 p.m. at Kaos Studios in Leimert Park, 4343 Leimert Blvd. (corner of Leimert and 43rd Place) in Los Angeles. Our email address is: DrKwaku@hotmail.com.
One of the giants in the academic world left us this past weekend in the most appropriate place it could happen, in Cairo, Kemet (Egypt), where he studied, wrote about, lectured, researched, conducted tour groups and redeemed his soul. He was attending the ASCAC (Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations) Conference, an organization he co-founded, and giving lectures to the Pastor Jeremiah Wright tour group.
Early reports state that he passed due to complications of contracting malaria. More details are yet to come and funeral arrangements have not been made thus far.
Those of us who knew Baba Baffour, and/or were familiar with him, knew him as one of the premier scholars/researchers/educators/authors this world has ever seen. He was supremely dedicated to the total liberation and education of Afrikan peoples specifically, but humanity in general. It was his efforts that primarily started the Curriculum of Inclusion Movement, balancing school curriculums by adding information and lessons on Afrikan people. He was an educational psychologist, but dedicated his life to improving teaching/learning methods for children, and educating Afrikan people about our history. Family was the highest point of his consciousness.
In an interview I conducted with Baba Baffour, seeing parents as the first teachers, he stated, “What kids get from us most of the time are instructions: ‘do this,’ ‘don’t do that,’ ‘watch out for this,’ ‘watch out for that.’ That’s a monologue. What has to happen, if you want to activate the child’s intelligence, and release that intelligence, that child has to be invited to engage in questioning, in critique, all of those kinds of things. Parents have to organize their communication with children. All we have to do is remember to do it. We know how to do it, but we slip into some awfully bad habits.
I’m not quite sure what the reasons are for those bad habits, but they are very prominent among our people. You know: ‘shut up,’ ‘be quiet,’ ‘sit down.’ That may give you control over the child’s behavior, but doesn’t give the child’s mind anything. The child has, if the mind is going to grow, it’s got to chew on something. It’s got to turn it over, try it out and not be directed from moment to moment. Nurturing that independent critical orientation is a part of what a parent has to do for a child.”
In the land he loved so much, Baba Baffour wanted to go beyond just admiring our ancient past, where the foundation of civilization existed. Being pro-active he did the following. “Somewhere in the late sixties, mid sixties to late sixties, I became acquainted with people who enhanced my information about Afrika, especially classical Afrikan civilizations. I knew that at some point I had to do more work to share this information. I tried to figure out a way to do that, mainly through slide presentations and lectures and so forth. But it occurred to me, that it would be much more powerful to be able to examine concretely whatever is left of that civilization, where it is right now.
The way to do that would be through a study tour. So my wife and I designed a study tour and tried to locate people who were really serious about study. We’re not interested in folk who want to collect ashtrays and float on the Nile and do all that. It’s a very hard working tour. We were up early and we go to bed late. We felt by being on the site, by visiting the museums, by visiting the monuments, by getting some sense of the space, geography, time perspective, that would help to make more real what this thing was in the past.”
In his parting statement, which applies even today, he leaves us with, “Let me say the thing that’s of course on my mind. We require a massive mobilization of Afrikan people around the world. We need to see what the future looks like for us in the next thirty to forty years. We need to take a long view. In fact, we need to think about the next two hundred years. To be real conservative, where do we want Afrikan people to be in the world twenty years from now? If you get an answer to that question that’s anywhere near correct, it tells you what you got to do now to get ready for that.
I’m concerned because we are not now doing what we need to do to get ready for the world I think we would like to have, if we thought about it. I just would really hope we begin to mobilize our thoughts and ultimately our resources toward creating a new future for Afrikan people. That we revise and revitalize the continent so we will be safe wherever we live, anywhere in the world.
And for the young, there was an old Bible verse that my mother emphasized when I was growing up, I still live by it and think of it all the time. One of the few I can remember completely. It was II Timothy 2:15 which says, ‘Study to show yourself approved unto God, not unto man, a workman that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.’”
Dr. Kwaku’s critically acclaimed and educational DVDs, “Afrikan World Civilizations,” and “Afrikan World Masters,” are available at www.drkwaku.com.
In class, I once mentioned that I chose not to teach the origin of religion due to the confusion it has caused. Because of class demand and other material available-- not from me-- this Friday evening, we will explore this very controversial topic.
