Why do we need to know African American history, much less have a month to honor it?

"African American history is not a separate history; rather, it merely includes more people in the real story of Our country."


Dear friends,

James Baldwin wrote, "...when we speak of history, we are speaking only of how Europe saw - and sees - the world."

To be sure, the mere mention of anything that has to do with African American history often causes resentment among much of our citizenry. The reasons for this vary. For example, some people may feel that, when the historical experiences of African Americans are isolated and emphasized, the aforesaid folks are being excluded from the joy of celebrating and recognizing a past that seems to, at least, in part, belong to all Americans. Or, perhaps, the less informed view the aforementioned historical experiences of African American people as insignificant to the overall development of our communities and country. Finally, a few may even argue that distinguishing one cultural group, in this land, from others makes us appear to be a divided nation.

However, at least to me, the importance of acknowledging the contributions of African Americans to the prosperity of North America, generally, lies in the need for all of us to understand and appreciate the fact that human progress has only occurred due to the efforts of many different peoples. No one body of folks deserves credit for all human accomplishment to this date. Surely, no such group ever will.

Nevertheless, in a book written two generations ago called The Study of Man, author Ralph Linton summed it up best when addressing the question, "What is an American?" He wrote: Our solid American citizen awakens in a bed built on a pattern which originated in the Near East...throws back the covers made from cotton, domesticated in India...goes to the bathroom, whose fixtures are a mixture of European and American inventions, both of recent date...washes with soap invented by the ancient Gauls...Returning to the bedroom - puts on garments whose form originally derived from the skin clothing of the nomads of the Asiatic steppes, puts on shoes made from skins tanned by a process invented in ancient Egypt...Before going out for breakfast - glances through the window, made of glass invented in Egypt...stops to buy a paper, paying for it with coins, an ancient Lydian invention...At the restaurant - (the) plate is made of a form of pottery invented in China...has coffee, an Abyssinian plant, with cream and sugar. Both the domestication of cows and the idea of milking them originated in the Near East, while sugar was first made in India...finished eating - settles back to smoke, an American Indian habit...while smoking - reads the news of the day, imprinted in characters - invented in Germany...and, if - a good conservative citizen , gives thanks to a Hebrew deity, in an Indo-European language, for being 100 percent American.

In other words, all peoples have played or are playing a role in this experience known as human civilization. Moreover, the history of African peoples in the Americas (North, South and Central) is long and old. Yet, today, most people - regardless of either their ethnicity or culture - seem to think that our history here is much more recent.

This is largely due to a deliberate practice, especially by European American journalists and historians to "falsify by omitting" the existence and subsequent contributions of African Americans to the whole intellectual and cultural essence of the North American psyche and behavior. In addition, ever since some lost and confused men, led by one Christopher Columbus, were discovered by Early American Natives, on the shore of a Caribbean island, the rationalizations for almost everything that is relevant to human existence have largely reflected the interests of European rulers and their offshoots in the Americas.

As well, partly due to their controlling what information gets distributed, a dominance has resulted that has turned the Earth (and, in fact, the Universe) into the aforementioned rulers' empire. Consequently, Kwame Nkrumah's reflection regarding the influence of ruling classes on the majority of the population is quite appropriate for this discourse.

In explaining group or "class" interests, Dr. Nkrumah contended,"In societies where there are competing ideologies, it is still usual for one ideology to be dominant. This dominant ideology is that of the ruling group. Though the ideology is the key to the inward identity of its group, it is in intent solidarist. For an ideology does not seek merely to unite a section of the people; it seeks to unite the whole of society in which it finds itself. In its effect, it certainly reaches the whole society, when it is dominant. For, besides seeking to establish common attitudes and purposes for the society, the dominant ideology is that which in the light of circumstances decides what forms institutions shall take, and in what channels the common effort is to be directed." (see Nkrumah's Consciencism)

Oddly enough, however, judging by most of the existing "approaches" to studying historical periods, one would find it hard to draw the conclusions to which I have just referred. That is, under the pretense of sharing common goals, particularly, in creating what eventually became the United States of America, slave-trading rulers like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson sold African captives, along with temporarily enslaved colonists, of largely British descent, called "indentured servants", the idea that the aforesaid rulers' interests were consistent with those of everyone else living in the British North American colonies.

As a result, the latter helped them win the war against the British ruling class and their gullible soldiers. It was Werner Sombart who has been credited with the phrase, "No theory, no history."When studying nations, groups or individuals, throughout Europe and North America especially, it becomes apparent that scholars abound with "historical approaches". As a matter of fact, both retail and university bookstores, along with public libraries, are full of literature regarding the subject of "historiography".

Moreover, for the most part, such publications represent the views of the ruling bodies. That is, those who control the manner in which people gain access to wealth, also advance specific attitudes and ideas to keep themselves in power. After all, the onus is on the aforesaid rulers themselves to maintain their wealth advantage. (see Lloyd Hogan's The Principles of Black Political Economy).

At any rate, ever since the end of World War 2, the most common method used for translating the history of African American people is to portray "white" history in blackface." That is, "white" history is based upon deceitful scholarship which calls upon everyday people to identify with an organized "minority" (i.e., European rulers and other celebrities), as opposed to the "majority" (that is, ordinary Non-European and European folks, who, historically, have been born into circumstances where little opportunity has existed for them to become a part of the here-to-mentioned ruling classes.)

Specifically, acting as sycophants for their rulers (mostly, in order to eat, unfortunately), many North American educators and media people have concocted a "white" past that somehow connects all European Americans, as well as non-European Americans, with the rulers of Greece and Rome, that later progresses to being an even greater miraculously twisted logic, linking the aforesaid everyday European Americans and non-European Americans (preponderantly of non-English heritage) to the Kings and Queens of England, before bringing these aforementioned ordinary folks to their ultimate and "natural" psychological, emotional and spiritual union with North American businessmen and their flunkies called politicians.

It should be no surprise then that, in trying to satisfy book publishers and other media outlets, even many mainstream African American historians, particularly for the past generation or so, have focused their work largely on the deeds of African monarchs (rulers) and individual achievers as opposed to the circumstances in which the majority of African Americans, along with our brethren on the great continent (Africa) and throughout the Diaspora, have found and continue to find ourselves.

Of course, there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, books like Ivan Van Sertima's, They Came Before Columbus, Lerone Bennett's, Before The Mayflower, and Vince Harding's, There Is A River, and a number of books by Molefi Asante, have contributed immensely to our knowledge regarding the historical experiences of Africans in the Americas. Nonetheless, the vast majority of the available literature as well as the practice that seems to persist among many social theorists and writers is to present the history of African Americans in the same manner that North Americans view a Sear's catalog. Therefore, revelations such as: "Guess who made the first street light?" or "Guess who was the first African American airplane pilot?", are analogous to "Ooh, look at those nice tires!" or "Ooh, look at that great stereo system!" In other words, it gives the person a “lift”.

This excitement seemed to come from a new breed of African Americans who were, as they made their large migration from the South to northern states following World War 2, trying to fit into the previously-mentioned "mainstream" American society. For instance, during the just-mentioned post-war period, it became quite common for urban African Americans to brag, "I'm the first one on my block.". or "I'm the only one on my job." Widely distributed magazines with names like Ebony, Jet, and Sepia were born and specifically appealed to this kind of sentiment.

Unfortunately, this type of petty mentality still persists among far too many African Americans. So now it’s “Ooh, we have the first black president!” This, of course negates the fact that there are and have been scores of “black” presidents throughout Africa and the Caribbean for several generations. In other words, others have reached that status already in their own homelands. The USA is not the only relevant country!

Still, and fortunately, there are increasing numbers of African American folks who choose to side with their own cultural brothers and sisters as opposed to being imitators or "wannabes." Notwithstanding the abovementioned, at least to me, our approach to African American history should be centered around the economical, political, and social circumstances in which African Americans as a whole, not "famous" individual achievers, have found themselves, during the past sixteen generations or so in North America, particularly. Additionally, by observing African Americans as a people whose cultural presence not only blends with, but has, historically, contributed a special texture to the whole social fabric of this society, we may then be able to understand both why and how we have responded to and sustained ourselves through various periods during the historical development of the United States of America.

Clearly, when exploring the historical process of any society or population group, its development cannot be understood by merely recording the deeds of ministers, merchants, monarchs, or militarists alone. After all, a leader without followers is better study for a psychologist than an historian. Therefore, it is also necessary to know the circumstances in which citizens, as a whole, find themselves, during a particular period. Then the choices of actions that they take have real meaning for us, since the obvious limitations of the options that exist for them only allow a specific number of results to occur.

For example, in the British North American colonies, since Puritan ministers were the moral and ideological (and, often, even business) leaders in their communities, then it follows that both thought and behavior in New England - (the area that has historically been and still remains to be the bedrock of North American intellect and customs) were very much influenced by the African captives who generally lived and worked, as well as ate and slept in the same house, with the abovementioned clergymen/captors.

As well, African Americans, besides helping folks learn to relax from their uptight Puritan style by listening to music and dancing (please remember, before the War of Independence, dancing was illegal in Puritan New England, for instance), these African peoples brought with them skills such as farming, animal husbandry and medical care, along with politeness and table manners (character attributes unknown to most Europeans, at the time - see Melville Herskovits' classic book, The New World Negro). In fact, North American culture can only be appreciated within the context of its African as well as its British and Early American Native, along with, albeit to a lesser extent, German, Dutch, and French origins.

Of course, no one asks to be born. That simple fact, usually, even becomes clear to the most stubborn and argumentative person. Also, it is equally apparent that, in order to be born in the first place, at least one living person has to already exist (a Mother).Therefore, it logically follows that we are each born into situations which are directly tied to the economic, political and social well-being of our parent(s). Also, even the very language that we use has a connection with our social relationships. We need only refer to Franz Fanon's contention that inside the language of a people is "the world expressed and implied by that language".

In the final analysis, nonetheless, it should become evident that the real legacy of African American people is a group struggle for "equality, dignity, and justice" - not simply individual achievements of "high" social significance, inventions, or athletic excellence. In addition, all Americans should appreciate the importance of African American contributions, enmeshed with the offerings of all other cultural groups that have helped bring this nation to its current prominence. If we do that, then, ultimately, we should all be able to realize: African American history is not a separate history; rather, it merely includes more people in the real story of our country.

One Love, One Heart, One Spirit,
G. Djata Bumpus