Honoring our Legendary Ancestors

The John Henrik Clarke–CLR James African World Research Institute with headquarters at Medgar Evers College is honored to host a tribute to two great African intellectual giants: the late Dr. John Henrik Clarke and the late Dr. Ivan Van Sertima on Saturday, October 3, 2009 from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Medgar Evers College Founders Auditorium, 1650 Bedford Ave in Brooklyn.

Dr. Ivan Gladstone Van Sertima passed away May 25, 2009 leaving behind an impressive corpus of scholarship and research for all African peoples and others. Ivan Van Sertima was born in Guyana, January 26, 1935. His education came from many other places besides his native land, including the School of Oriental and African Studies (London University) and Rutgers Graduate School in New Jersey. Although he is best known for his work in the Journal of African Civilizations and his magna opus, They Came Before Columbus, Van Sertima was a literary critic, a linguist, a poet, and an anthropologist.

 Professor Van Sertima served as a valuable member in the Department of African Studies at Rutgers University from 1974 until his retirement. He was responsible for influencing and mentoring hundreds of students who themselves made impressive contributions with respect to the unfurling of Africa’s besmirched image. As the editor of twenty-eight anthologies under the rubric of the Journal of African Civilizations, this impressive body of work includes Black Women in Antiquity, Egypt Revisited, Blacks in Science: Ancient and Modern, among others.

 Dr. Van Sertima joins the impressive pantheon of ancestors who have left a legacy of greatness by way of his contribution to the reclamation of the African past, present, and future. It is therefore appropriate and honorable to link him with a good friend and colleague, the late Dr. John Henrik Clarke, whose legacy is venerated at Medgar Evers College, annually.

 Like Van Sertima, John Henrik Clarke came from humble beginnings in Alabama via Georgia to Harlem, New York.  He has been one of the brightest stars in the universe of the African world for more than a half century of his life. Dr. Clarke’s imprint on the development and promulgation of Black Studies is often understated, overlooked or forgotten. His students and colleagues will forever remember his leadership, pedagogy and scholarship at Hunter College and Cornell University. Today, a library dedicated in his name stands as a testament of his great contribution at Cornell University. Clark Atlanta University’s library collection is much enhanced with the voluminous contribution of several thousands of rare books. Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York conferred upon him an honorary degree posthumously in 1998.  A course the Life and Works of Dr. John Henrik Clarke has been taught for nine years at Medgar Evers College. Schools and streets are being renamed after this preeminent scholar. The credits to his legacy are so abundant that one cannot chronicle them here.

Hence, on Saturday, October 3, 2009 from 3 to 7 p.m. all roads lead to Medgar Evers College where the community will be treated to a documentary, which chronicles the works, life and invaluable contributions of both Dr. Ivan Van Sertima and Dr. John Henrik Clarke. This groundbreaking documentary features such notable luminaries as Asa Hilliard, Len and Rosalind Jeffries, Jan Carew, Aisha Finch, Shakamusa Barashango, Dr. Ben, Dell Jones, Sybil Williams Clarke, James McIntosh, among others.  A special composition dedicated to Dr. Van Sertima will be rendered by the famed jazz pianist, Randy Weston.

In addition, friends, colleagues, students and family members of both Van Sertima and Clarke will present and celebrate the genius of these two men. This community event is free to the public. Seating is available on a first come basis. Drummers are invited to attend. For more information, please visit us at http://www.sankofaworldpublishers.com and call 718-270-5140.