Dr. Ben Speaks via NYC Amsterdam News

[Baba Ahmed]

http://www.amsterdamnews.org/News/ar...ID=65959&sID=4

Black New Yorkers: Dr. Yosef Alfredo Antonio ben-Jochannan in his own words
by TANANGACHI MFUNI
Amsterdam News Staff
Originally posted 2/1/2006

Author of 42 books, Egyptologist, retired Cornell University professor and activist, Dr. Yosef Alfredo Antonio ben-Jochannan, fondly called Dr. Ben, sat down with the Amsterdam News in the Harlem apartment he shares with his wife of over 40 years, Gertrude.

During the interview the scholar philosophized on his life’s work, history, religion, and Black self-love, as he sees it:

"I’ve carried more than 60,000 to Egypt over the years, from 1947 until my stroke three years ago. The first group I took was from California, all Black people. I didn’t take white people on my trips because I’m a Black man and I was carrying my people to see my people. I wanted them to see what they had done for themselves, before there were any Greeks. We would fly to Paris, from Paris to Germany, Germany to Athens and Athens to Cairo. That was the way they traveled in those days. Today it’s a nine-hour flight.

I took people to Egypt to learn their history because people were always told there was no history [or given an inaccurate history]. For instance, the step pyramids of Saqqara are made of solid stone, no brick of any kind. Anybody who tells you they were built of brick is a damn liar! These pyramids were made before Adam or Eve or before the Jewish people arrived during the 16th dynasty. These pyramids were made by the Africans, Black people like you and me. It’s today that they don’t want to say this. They want to say the pyramids were made by mythological white men. As for the myth that Eygpt is
a part of the Middle East—the Middle East? Who made the Middle East? There was no Middle East [at the time the pyramids were built]. The Middle East came about in 1947, to accommodate Israel. Israel couldn’t say she was Asian, she couldn’t say she was African, she couldn’t say she was European.

So they created a term ‘Middle East.’ Middle East of what?

I [can speak my] mind because I am neither a Christian, a Muslim, or a Hebrew, so I don’t care. I don’t have to be afraid of any man. I am not very religious, but I respect your right to be religious. In the end all of them are theories.

A long time ago there used to be gods and goddesses. What happened to the goddesses? If a man is the father [then woman is the mother]. Every person you know has a mother or a father, and it is the mother who tells the father that she is pregnant, understand? Man was more powerful than woman because he was physically in control of woman. But it is not that he is stronger; she is the strongest.

Don’t call me a feminist. I am not a feminist. I’m no damn stupidness like that; that’s a nonsensical term. Before there were any stupid people calling themselves feminists I believed that [woman was stronger than man].

My mother was from Puerto Rico. [I was educated in Puerto Rico, Cuba and Spain]. My father was from Ethiopia [where I was born]. My father told me I had to visit Egypt to see what my ancestors had done, instead of going to Europe. I’d have looked like a jackass going to Europe had I never been to Africa.

I was never surprised [by anything I saw or learned in Egypt]. I knew that my people had done great things. Today we are afraid of our own history. [We accept] only what the white man tells us because we are captured mentally. We have no pride. One time here [in America] we used to be proud of ourselves. We were proud of our hair. Black women didn’t need to straighten their hair. Now African Americans are ashamed of their own selves because we don’t know our history. We believe we don’t have any history because we don’t study it! The more you know of yourself the prouder you are when you find out you did great things.

New Year’s Eve was my birthday. I’m 88 years old now.

I’ve just stopped writing books. My last book [was my 42nd]. None of these books have become popular because I wasn’t writing what the system wanted me to write. Black people were too stupid to understand what I was writing because the white man didn’t go for it. Up till now the documentation, certain references [taken from my work] they won’t use. Many students who use my books are criticized, and if somebody does use my books they won’t reference me.

My legacy will be anything people want it to be. I don’t look for them to make my [legacy]. I’ve [already] put it in books. And when I’m gone they will use it, or not use it. It’s up to them."

[Jahness]

Greetings Baba Ahmed!

As usual Dr. Ben-Jochannan is speaking the truth. What he is saying about our not accepting any of our own history as truth unless the whiteman gives us his approval is something I have seen across the board.

We have so many scholars out there at the universities, but too many of them are tied and connected to the paycheck of pittance that is dangled in their faces by their oppressors.

We as a people seldom value anything Afrikan. If after our esteemed elders like Dr. Ben-Jochannan who has given so much of themselves to help us why are we not utlizing the resources they have provided? Why are their books not popular? Why is it that their detailed research are still to this day being denied by the powers that be and worse yet their own Afrikan people

Dr. Ben-Jochannan is correct we have to know the value of the information that he has provided. We have to appreciate all that he and our other true scholars have done. We are the ones that have to take pride in our history. We cannot be afraid of what the truth is only because our oppressors still have us brainwashed. We have to break the mental chains of slavery as well, which is the most dangerous.

Much appreciation to you Baba for sharing this interview.

Peace & Blessings !

[Baba Ahmed]

With the blessings of Her Jahness, Im humbled!

Really I'm also trying to atone for disrespecting and passing by the many flyers stuck to a bldg or street light posts or a wall in Bed Sty during the 1970s announcing Dr. Ben's appearance somewhere in NYC. Yung, dumb and dumber I was then. I was so pained awhile back when he was jumped and whup'd up. He was in his eighties then!!!

Often u'll see our over educated/indoctrinated yung folk demand documentation re something one of our warrior/scholars bring forth. Such well meaning folk imo do not understand/overstand deeply what SELF DETERMINATION can mean when moves are based therein. Dr. Afrika tells his readers straight, he tries not to use European sources. And refuses to credit them usually. Altho I like how Ena Marimba Ani uses their sources to contradict each other. And often reinforces her aims.

And Dr. Ben's language! He opened a talk like the above "jackass," etc used at Georgia Tech U. The auditorium got quiet enuf for a feather's drop to b heard! My wife & a daughter sat mouf and eyes wide opened! I cracked up; had heard'im before. His opening established sit'n on the edge of seats attention for over an hour! One remark I remember; he said Martin must be turning over in his grave re his then widow Correta! But 'tween u & me what groves me 'bout this interview is that it was sent to me by one of our daughter in laws: straight up Muslim! This old man is tryna ease her & my son into studying OurStories and put their Islam in the proper frame. Ya dig?

Did he not say that the three "major" western religions' roots are Afrika! So whatever we be, be a good AFRIKAN! Huh?

I can only imagine what sitting at his feet is like. He didn't mention in the interview that he financed most if not all of his published works. Yeah my sista we be something else, as Miles blew. Dr. Clarke tells how close he and Dr. Ben were; and also how it took him seven (7!) years to get Cheikh Anta Diop's book published here. And in NYC of all places.

Allow me to close with a paraphrase of Cheikh Anta Diop's charge to us, born and reared here: complete the study, research, writing and publishing (and living) of OurStories... based in and on our Stories, ancient & traditional. He said we were best qualified to do so.... I add if only we can stop trip'n. This is not an intellectual's journey per se. From the before the cradle to our graves, there're transformations needed. Takes deep study and less FEAR (False Evidence Always Repeated, writes Dr. Whitaker & Jose Fleming).

Medase for your thanks Her Jahness @ assatashakur.org

[New Dwaben Chief]

Originally Posted by Jahness

Greetings Baba Ahmed!

As usual Dr. Ben-Jochannan is speaking the truth. What he is saying about our not accepting any of our own history as truth unless the whiteman gives us his approval is something I have seen across the board.

We have so many scholars out there at the universities, but too many of them are tied and connected to the paycheck of pittance that is dangled in their faces by their oppressors.

We as a people seldom value anything Afrikan. If after our esteemed elders like Dr. Ben-Jochannan who has given so much of themselves to help us why are we not utlizing the resources they have provided? Why are their books not popular? Why is it that their detailed research are still to this day being denied by the powers that be and worse yet their own Afrikan people

Dr. Ben-Jochannan is correct we have to know the value of the information that he has provided. We have to appreciate all that he and our other true scholars have done. We are the ones that have to take pride in our history. We cannot be afraid of what the truth is only because our oppressors still have us brainwashed. We have to break the mental chains of slavery as well, which is the most dangerous.

Much appreciation to you Baba for sharing this interview.

Peace & Blessings !

Very true

Some of us wait for white approval before we accept it. Why should we have to do that? These white scholars are referencing racist white scholars work on Egypt in there books, so what makes there research unbias?

Dr. Ben is no dummy, he didn't do all that research to make stuff up.

[Baba Ahmed]

Do n research, armed with 3 Ph.Ds and a father who demanded that he know his history!

And ona real tip there is no such thing as unbias research or any other thing involving choice to a human.

I've heard audio tapes of he & Dr. Clarke arguing 'bout Cleopatra.

[New Dwaben Chief]

Originally Posted by Baba Ahmed

Do n research, armed with 3 Ph.Ds and a father who demanded that he know his history!

And ona real tip there is no such thing as unbias research or any other thing involving choice to a human.

I've heard audio tapes of he & Dr. Clarke arguing 'bout Cleopatra.

What was the actual argument about?

[Baba Ahmed]

It existed til Dr. Clarke passed on. Not heated arguments; naw they were very tight, go n way back. Dr. ben saw Cleopatra as a ho, a slut, who gave booty to white boys. Dr. Clarke saw her as a slick, in my language, politician who used her goodies to save her people. Both agreed she was pragmatic and did save her people, for awhile. So I guess it can better be termed a friendly argument btween "Giants" expressing same song, in different voices. Or Afrikan drummers using different rhythms and tones... for us.