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Dr. John Henrik Clarke vs Mary Lefkowitz: The Great Debate (1996)
"I only debate with equals. All others I teach" -- John Henrik Clarke. Legendary discussion between Dr. John Henrik Clarke, Dr. Martin Gardiner Bernal (Black Athena), Professor Mary Lefkowitz (Not Out Of Africa) and Guy MacLean Rogers (Black Athena Revisited), moderated by Utrice Leid, They debate the Origins and Foundations of Western Civilization. Does Africa, Asia or Ancient Greece supply the foundation of the world we live in today?
The Heritage of The Negro (1965) | Feat. Dr. John Henrik Clark
Examines the civilization of ancient Africa and its significance to the American Negro. Shows that white historians ignore old civilizations of Africa below the Sahara. Explores this little - known past through art and pageantry. Features Ossie Davis and Dr. John Henrik Clark.
The Confession of Nat Turner | Read by Brock Peters (1968) | John Henrik Clark
The reading of, "The Confessions of Nat Turner" by the distinguished actor, Brock Peters, represents the first attempt to make Turner, leader of the most massive slave revolt ever to occur in America, known to a large popular audience. A widely circulated novel, recently awarded a Pulitzer prize, was the cause for a number of scholars and critics, black and white, to re-examine the life of Nat Turner and its meaning for today. The most scholarly book on Turner is Herbert Aptheker's "Nat Turner's Slave Rebellion," (1966). Aptheker reveals that Nat Turner was a "highly intelligent man" of profound religious sentiment who in the struggle for freedom, led a slave revolt in Virginia in 1831 that accelerated — if not initiated — additional and harsher forms of pro-slavery legislation. The basic historical ddcument relating to the Nat Turner revolt is, "The Confessions of Nat Turner" by Thomas R. Gray, published in Baltimore in 1831. This document was prepared by a white man, Gray, who was not partial to the cause Nat Turner and his fellow slaves were fighting for. But for all of its limitations, The Gray Confessions remains the primary source of information on the most famous slave revolt ever to occur in the United States. The intention of this record is to let Nat Turner speak for himself to the extent that his real views are reflected in his confessions made to Thomas Gray. Gray was the recorder at Nat Turner's interrogation and acted as an officer of the court at his trial. His pamphlet on the Southhampton, Va., slave uprising is the most authoritative document available. It contains the only biographical record of Nat's life that we have and purports to be an "authentic account" of the revolt. The Nat Turner revolt cannot be understood out of context with the atmosphere of revolt that prevailed throughout the first half of the-nineteenth century. There were hundreds of uprisings and conspiracies preceding the Southhampton, Virginia, uprising led by Nat Turner. The largest of these was the Denmark Vesey conspiracy in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1822. The presentation of The Confessions of Nat Turner on this record is one of the efforts now being made to give the life of Nat Turner an interpretation worthy of his sacrifice. —John Henrik Clarke
Watch Gaddafi's Apology on Behalf of All Arabs for their Role in the Slave Trade
Late Former Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi speaking at Arab-African Summit in Sirte, 2010
The Mother of the GPS System Mrs. Gladys West!
Dr. Gladys West, a mathematician who played a major role in the invention of Global Positioning System technology, (GPS), was inducted into the Air Force Hall of Fame this month for her work for the U.S. military in the 1950s and ’60s.
Inspiring Story of one of America's First African American Millionaires
VOA's Chris Simkins introduces us to a woman who grew up on a former slave plantation, fought against discrimination and went on to become one of the nation's first African American millionaires.