John Henrik Clarke was suspicious as he flipped through the pages of his Bible in preparation to teach his junior Sunday School class. He saw many stories set in Africa - but something was missing.
Black people were missing! Even though most of the locations were where Black people lived, all Clarke saw was white faces on the pages. Frustrated, he started investigating. What he found would alter the course of his life - and ours.
His research proved Black faces built the first civilizations on Earth, and Africa served as the cradle of life. Further, the contributions of Black people spanned across the globe, not just on the continent of Africa. But there was more.
Europeans had PURPOSELY erased our history in order to colonize, enslave, and exploit our greatness! Clarke shared what he learned with our churches, communities, and schools. He authored countless books that proved our greatness and set the record straight.
We must always question the system that tries to erase our brilliance. Clarke’s accomplishments and accolades were many, but the best part of his legacy is that we have the tools to know our greatness - even in the face of attempts to minimize it. We know our power, and we must continue to honor it.