A tribute to Dr. Asa Grant Hilliard

By Dr. Conrad W. Worrill
-Guest Columnist- | Last updated: Sep 21, 2007 - 11:56:00 AM

A tribute to Dr. Asa Grant Hilliard, III (Nana Baffour Amankwatia, II)

Dr. Asa Hilliard Photo courtesy, NBCDI.org

When a giant in our struggle like Dr. Hilliard makes his transition, it is vitally important for us to review our history as we move forward with our work.

In my view, a fitting tribute to Dr. Asa Grant Hilliard, III, Nana Baffour Amankwatia, II who recently made his transition into eternity on August 13, 2007, is for all African scholars, intellectuals, and activists concerned with the reclamation of African history, culture, and civilization (particularly as it relates to the African presence in the Nile Valley) to join the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations (ASCAC) under the current outstanding and dynamic leadership of its International President, Nzinga Ratibisha Heru. At the time of his transition, Dr. Hilliard served as 1st Vice President of ASCAC and was a founding member of the organization.

Dr. Hilliard, while leading a study tour for Trinity United Church of Christ in Kemet (Egypt) was also participating in the commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of ASCAC’s 1987 study tour to Kemet. This 20th anniversary celebration also included ASCAC’s annual conference at which there were over 250 participants in attendance from throughout the African world. Dr. Hilliard lectured on various aspects of ancient Kemetic civilization and was a major presenter at this and each of the ASCAC conferences.

When a giant in our struggle like Dr. Hilliard makes his transition, it is vitally important for us to review our history as we move forward with our work. In the paper “Reflections on the Founding of the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations,” written by the late Dr. Jacob H. Carruthers, founding President of ASCAC, the history, origin, and development of this most important international African-centered organization is chronicled. In the paper, which was written in December 1990 and first appeared as an article in the Kemetic Voice, Vol. 2, No. 4, a publication of the Kemetic Institute in March 1994, Dr. Carruthers mentions the representation of African-centered scholars from various regions of the United States who helped bring ASCAC into existence and propelled the African-centered Kemetic thrust of the world wide African-centered Education Movement.

However, I will note that in addition to what Dr. Carruthers cited in his chronicling of ASCAC’s history from the West coast representation of Maulana Karenga, there were other contributors who helped lay the foundation for the work of this movement in the western region. LeGrand Clegg had written extensively in the 1970s about the African presence of Kemet and had been a key player in the sponsoring of the African Peoples conferences at Compton College from 1981-1993. These conferences featured and highlighted consistently the role of Kemet in African civilization. The Black King Tut Committee came into existence in 1977.

The emerging scholarship of Runoko Rashidi was developing in Los Angeles. In the 1970s, the State of the Race conferences were being held in Los Angeles under the leadership of Yemi Toure. These conferences featured discussion on Kemet at which Dr. Yosef ben Jochannan and the late Dr. John Henrik Clarke were consistently invited presenters. I might add that Dr. Wade Nobles and Vulindlela Wobogo from Oakland, California were engaged in the research and study of Kemet in the 1970s also. I cite this to point out the collective nature of the rise of the African-centered Movement and its scholarly and intellectual battles to reclaim, revive, and restore the rich and profound contributions of ancient Kemet to the world.

At the founding of ASCAC, Dr. Carruthers presented a paper entitled, “A Memorandum on an African World History Project.” Dr. Carruthers pointed out in his paper that:

“The time has now come when Black scholars must come together and design a massive project, which will culminate in a multi-volume history of the world. Since strong archeological evidence indicates that African people were the original inhabitants of the habitable parts of the world, it is appropriate that African scholars develop such a history. Certainly Black scholarship would be enhanced by such a project. It should be noted that the Europeans have already developed such a project; witness the Cambridge and Oxford histories of practically every area of the world. Unfortunately we have to rely on these sources all too often.

Such a project must be carefully planned and developed in stages so that effective utilization of resources and division of labor may be determined. The project would depend in the first place on the establishment of a broad range of consensus among leading African scholars. The consensus could be achieved through a series of working conferences with foci on theoretical foundations and historiography.”

The call to establish ASCAC by its six founders—Dr. Yosef ben Jochannan, Dr. John Henrik Clarke, Dr. Asa G. Hilliard III, Dr. Leonard Jeffries, Dr. Maulana Karenga and Dr. Jacob H. Carruthers—was a profound step in our march in the battle to reclaim the African mind. It is in this context and in the ancestral spirit of Dr. Asa G. Hilliard, III, Nana Baffour Amankwatia, II, that we should recharge, rekindle, and revitalize our efforts to build ASCAC as the major army in our battle to help liberate African people from the yoke of White intellectual supremacy that hovers over the world and perpetuates the intellectual warfare on African history and its people. Asa’s spirit should encourage us to “step-up” our work on our collective projects.

Once again, our challenge is quite clear. This history by Baba Jake [Dr. Carruthers] reminds us that we should use the ancestral spirit not only of Dr. Asa Grant Hilliard, III, Nana Baffour Amankwatia, II, but also that of Jacob Carruthers and John Henrik Clarke, to renew, with all vigor, our work to continue to build the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations (ASCAC) and the African-centered Education Movement at this hour in history.

(Dr. Conrad Worrill is the National Chairman of the National Black United Front (NBUF—www.nbufront.org) headquartered in Calumet Park, Illinois. He may be reached for comment at (708) 389-9989 or email [email protected].)

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