Professor James Small Speaks at ASCAC's Study Group Meeting

Newark, NJ – In response to a high demand from Black people to get involved in an intense study of African history and culture, ASCAC (the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations) has established a study group chapter in Newark, NJ. The two community leaders directing ASCAC's efforts to reaffirm its presence in the city of Newark are veteran history teacher Bashir Muhammad Akinyele and journalist Doshon Farad. ASCAC will be hosting a public study group meeting on Saturday, June 12, 2021, at 2:00 pm on Zoom and social media. ASCAC's Study Group Chapter in the city of Newark will have the legendary history and Africana Studies Professor James Small as its guest speaker. For over 50 years, professor Small has led the community on an annual pilgrimage to Malcolm X’s grave site to pay homage to the Black nationalist freedom fighter. He will give a Kawaida analysis on the necessity of an African centered worldview for Black liberation.

Dr. Maulana Karenga is the creator of the Kawaida philosophy. Kawaida is a kiswahili word meaning "tradition" and "reason.” It is pronounced as ka-wa-EE-da. He defines Kawaida as, "a communitarian African philosophy created in the context of the African American liberation struggle and developed as an ongoing synthesis of the best of African thought and practice in constant exchange with the world." Dr. Karenga is a professor of Black Studies at California State University at Long Beach. He also co-founded the Us Organization-a revolutionary cultural nationalist Black Power movement established on September 7, 1965, in Los Angeles, California. Kawaida is the foundation for Kwanzaa - a Pan African centered holiday celebrated from December 26 to January 1 all over the world. The philosophy of Kawaida is largely responsible for the 1972 National Black Political Convention in Gary, Indiana, the increase of Black elected officials in America, and the seizure of Black political power in Newark, NJ.

The Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations (ASCAC) is an independent study group organization founded in 1984 by Drs. John Henrik Clark, Yosef Ben-Jochannan, Jacob Carruthers, and Maulana Karenga (https://ascac.org/). ASCAC's national President is Dr. Mario Beatty. He is an associate professor of Afro-American Studies at Howard University in Washington D. C. ASCAC is devoted to the rescue, reconstruction, and restoration of African history and culture. But most importantly, ASCAC helps Black people develop an African centered worldview to make Black Lives Matter. But ASCAC is not just seeking knowledge for knowledge’s sake. ASCAC wants to help African people connect knowledge to Black liberation.

Dr. John Henrik Clarke, the late and great Africana studies historian, Pan-African nationalist, community activist, and co-founder of ASCAC committed his adult life and scholarship to working to rebuild the Black mind. An African mind that was almost destroyed by White supremacy and systematic racism. In his book, Notes for An African World Revolution: Africans At the Crossroads, he said, "we need an internal cultural revolution, and it's going to have to start inside of our minds." Akinyele and Farad said, “we will use the wisdom and resources of ASCAC as a vehicle to help liberate our minds from the grips of European and Arab domination in Black America and in the African world community.

Bashir Muhammad Akinyele, a history and Africana Studies teacher, and the coordinator for ASCAC’s study group chapter in the city, says, “ASCAC is a great opportunity for all people to learn about Africa being the birthplace of humanity, the progenitor of civilization, and the root of the world’s major religions (i.e., Judaism, Christianity, and Al-Islam). On the world stage of human progress, civilizations began in the Nile Valley, and there were many major civilizations in that area of Africa. However, ancient Egypt reflected humanity’s march toward creating the world's first highly advanced civilization in times of antiquity. It played a central role in the development of mathematics, philosophy, medicine, science, government, architecture, a written language, monotheism, education, ethics, morals, religion. Many cultures and nations borrowed from the knowledge and wisdom of the ancient Egyptians, who called their nation Kemet, to push their civilization forward towards the foundations of modern society. The word Kemet means the land of the Blacks. Akinyele added, “unfortunately, white supremacy has made ancient Egypt a European or Arab civilization. When in fact, Egypt began as a Black civilization. This is because racists cannot accept the genius of Egypt coming from Black people. They had to put a non-African face on Egypt to justify its greatness being white or Arab. Some white supremacist scholars even went further to deny Egypt’s role in the foundation of western and modern civilization. But nothing can be further from the truth. Most scholars of Egypt agree the foundation of world’s civilization is Egypt. Therefore, the cornerstone to reconstruct the Afrikan world community begins with Egypt. And must also tell the truth about the original Egyptians being Black.” Akinyele teaches at Weequahic High School.

The murder of George Floyd, an unarmed Blackman killed by the Minneapolis, Minnesota police department on May 25, 2020, has angered but inspired masses of Black people in America to fight for social justice. Mass rallies have taken place under the banner of Black Lives Matter to demand America and the world to respect and value Black humanity. The struggle to make the world recognize Black people as human beings has been in existence for centuries. That fight has not ended. Unfortunately, the struggle against White supremacy and systematic racism continues for Black people.

But the killing of George Floyd has also sparked something else in African people. Akinyele and Farad, says, “it has opened the door for some of our people seeking to develop an Afrikan centered consciousness, particularly Black youth.”

Therefore, according to Akinyele and Farad, “we decided to step up to accommodate our people's interests in blackness. Although we started working on ASCAC over a year ago, the continued struggle for racial justice in America has forced us to quickly establish an ASCAC study group chapter now to help give our people an African centered historical, political and cultural education in the Newark and surrounding New Jersey area for Black liberation.”

They also added, “since the co-operation and repression of the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements by the power structure in America, and in the world, the Black Freedom Struggle has been left in chaos. We have witnessed the ongoing disunity and disorientation of the African / African American community.

We have lost our way with learning the lessons in history from our African ancestors to help us have a clear analysis on Black Freedom Struggles. And because of this situation, many of us lost our commitment to the struggle for Black liberation.

But the murder of George Floyd is forcing us to learn from our African ancestors the many lessons on the necessity for African history, Afrocentric culture, social justice, Black empowerment, and human rights. And apply these lessons to seize Black political power.”

For more information about the ASCAC Study Group Chapter in Newark, NJ, contact (908) 956-3523 or (347) 898-5556. You can email us at (bashir.akinyele@gmail.com) or ###a name="_Hlk73987621">(ASCAC Study Group Chapter Newark, NJ is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Developing An Afrikan Centered Worldview for Black Liberation

Time: Jun 12, 2021 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

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