Uncovering the African Past: The Ivan Van Sertima Papers

This is the third in a trilogy by the well-known African-American scholar, Runoko Rashidi. In the first two volumes which have sold well, Black Star: The African Presence in Early Europe, and African Star over Asia: The African Presence in the East he interpreted the work of earlier scholars and provided new evidence of the important historical role of Black people in Europe and Asia. This new book pays tribute to the great scholar, Ivan Van Sertima, author of They Came before Columbus and founder of the Journal of African Civilizations. It brings together the author's own research and that of Van Sertima and other Black scholars including Chancellor Williams, William Leo Hansberry, John G.Jackson and Cheikh Anta Diop. It discusses the origins, the nature and the historical development of the civilisations, providing details of the dynasties. It throws light on African links with Sumer, South Asia and, not least, the Olmec and their successors in Mexico. It punctures several racial myths including those relating to anthropological theory.

Table of Contents:
Contents include: Introductions and tributes to Ivan Van Sertima and his work; Commentaries by James E.Brunson and Thabiti Asukile; The Journal of African Civilizations: pioneer works on African contributions to the world; A historical view of the Nile Valley civilization, dynastic Kmt, African goddesses, Ramses the Great.; A chronology of all the dynasties; The persistence of racial myths in physical anthropological theory; Chancellor J. Williams and the reconstruction of African history; William J.Hansberry: pioneer Nile Valley scholar; George G.M.James and the stolen legacy of African people; Interviews with John.G.Jackson on Man, God and Civilization; Cheikh Anta Diop on the Nile Valley and the African presence in Asia; African Kings in Ancient Mexico. Detailed bibliography.

About the Author :
Runoko Rashidi (born 1954) is a historian, essayist, author and public lecturer based in Los Angeles, California and Paris, France. He is the author of Introduction to the Study of African Classical Civilizations (1993) and the editor of Unchained African Voices, a collection of poetry and prose by Death Row inmates at California's San Quentin maximum-scurity prison. He is a member of the editorial board of The Journal of Pan African Studies (www.jpanafrican.com), and he holds an honorary doctorate of divinity from Amen-Ra Theological Seminary (Los Angeles, California).