Dr. Yosef ben-Jochannan was a scholar of ancient African History. (Photo: Melanindvds)
Tadias Magazine
By Tadias Staff
Published: Sunday, March 22nd, 2015
New York (TADIAS) — Dr. Ben-Jochannan, a renowned scholar of ancient African history, passed away on Thursday, March 19th in New York at the age of 97. Dr. Ben was a professor of history at Cornell University and at City College in New York City, and the author of nearly 50 books mostly covering the Nile Valley.
The American historian and prolific writer was born in Ethiopia. His mother was Puerto Rican and his father was an Ethiopian. Before immigrating to the United States in the 1940s Dr. Ben attended school in Puerto Rico, Brazil, Cuba and Spain, and has obtained degrees in Engineering, Architectural Engineering and Cultural Anthropology.
“He lived almost a century to teach and he taught us right,” said Professor Ayele Bekerie, who was one of Dr. Ben’s students at Cornell University. “I learned how to focus on the original rather than the copy. He showed me how to pursue knowledge that empowers, knowledge that provides agency.”
Professor Bekerie added: “Dr. Ben shifted the paradigm back to Africa and declared once and for all that the origin of Ancient Egyptian history lies in the deep south, and that is in and of Africa, namely in Nubia and Ethiopia. He, together with John Henry Clarke and Cheikh Anta Diop shattered the long-held myth of the Egyptologists, who moved the Pyramids out of Africa and placed them in the so-called Middle East. The contemporary and global African-centered movement has its foundations in the teachings and writings of Dr. Ben. He was truly an intellectual giant. His intellectual legacy is going to remain with us forever.”
Professor Bekerie noted that “Dr. Ben was a fellow Ethiopian. His father was the Ethiopian Ambassador to Brazil in the time of Lij Iyasu and his Ethiopian relations come from the great historic city of Gondar.”
“As the Ethiopians say Igzabeher Nefsachewen Yemar.”
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