Runoko Rashidi

Infobox Writer


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occupation = historian, research specialist, writer, world traveler, Activist
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Runoko Rashidi is a late-20th c. historian, researcher, writer, world traveler, and public lecturer based in Los Angeles. Runoko Rashidi focuses on the African presence globally and what he claims to be the African foundations of world civilizations. He is particularly drawn to the African presence in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, and has coordinated historic educational group tours to India, Aboriginal Australia, the Fiji Islands and Southeast Asia as well as Egypt and Brazil. His academic focus is in "the Black foundations of world civilizations". He has conducted research into the Black presence in Asia.

Mission

Rashidi has dedicated his entire adult life to the African people.Africa within. "Profile of a Pan-Africanist Scholar." 2007. September 2, 2007. [http://www.africawithin.com/rashidi/rashidi_profile.htm] ] Rashidi has three goals: to uplift the way Africoids view their race, to uplift the way the world views Africa and to reunite the separated Africoid race.

Countering Eurocentrism

Rashidi rejects the claims by European anthropologists that the Negritos, Australoids, Negroids and Arabian Mediterraneans are separate races.Rashidi, Runoko. Indigenous peoples of Africa and the America. "The African Presence in Ancient Asia: An Introduction and Overview." September 2, 2007. [http://www.ipoaa.com/african_presence_in_asia.htm] ] He claims that they are all "Africoid" or "Black". He believes European anthropologists have used "unscientific" and "invalid" methods and that their work was "racially motivated" to divide people who were clearly Africoid in race. He cites Cheikh Diop's statement on race.

Professional Associations

In 1979 Rashidi was a founding member of Amenta, in 1980 of the Southern Cradle Research Organization, in 1984 of the Egyptian Civilization Monitoring Committee and in 1985 the Africans/Ali Mazuri Monitoring Committee. In 1987 he inaugurated the First All-India Dalit Writers Conference in Hyderabad, delivering an address on 'The Global Unity of African People'. From 1981 to 1984 Rashidi worked on African history at Compton Community College, Compton, California and from 1985 to 1987 he worked for the National Black Computer Network as history editor. Rashidi has contributed regularly to the "Journal of African Civilizations".

Activism

Since 1986, he has worked actively with the Dalits . In 1987, he was a keynote speaker at the first All-India Dalits Writer's Conference, held in Hyderabad, India, and spoke on the "Global Unity of African People." In 1998, he returned to India to lecture, study and sojourn with the Dalits and Adivasis (the indigenous people of India). In 1999, he led a group of seventeen African-Americans to India. He was the first non-Indian to be honored with the prestigious Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Memorial Award.

Blacks of the World

Rashidi identifies what he calls a "global African community" of the Africoid race.Rashidi, Runoko. The Global African Community. "The African Perspective in India." 1998. September 2, 2007. [http://saxakali.com/Saxakali-Publications/runoko19.htm] ] Rashidi considers the terms "black" and "African" to be synonymous. [The Global African Community. "Abstract of a Slide Presentation Lecture." 2007. September 2, 2007. [http://www.cwo.com/~lucumi/lecture.html] ] Rashidi considers the Africoid race to be the first race in the world. If the first human migrations out of Africa have retained their Africoid appearance, then he considers them also to be Africoid. Rashidi cites Cheikh Anta Diop in the identification of two major Africoid races: one with wooly hair, broad flat nose, thick everted lips and the other with straight hair, aquiline nose, thin lips, and high cheekbones. Diop considers the latter type of black to include Dravidians and Nubians.

First Asians

Rashidi claims that the first Asians were Negrito Africoid people with kinky hair, yellow to dark brown skin and short stature. In his words, they were "the supreme lords of the earth" with "monumental civilizations" of advanced technology. Next, Afro-Australoids migrated into Asia 50,000 years ago. These Afro-Astraloids can still be found among the Gonds, Mundas, Veddoids and Kolarians of Sri Lanka and South India. These Australoids turned into the Mongoloid race by a process "only vaguely understood".Rashidi, Runoko. Black Herbals. "The African Roots of Humanity and Civilization." September 2, 2007. [http://www.blackherbals.com/african_roots_of_humanity_and_ci.htm] ]

Japanese

Rashidi claims that archaeological evidence dating back 22,000 years ago in Japan shows architectural similarity with African bushmen. He claims that Japanese samurai were recorded as having "black blood", interpreting it to mean racial admixture with Africoids, and claims that the shogun Sakanoue no Tamuramaro was a Black man.

Blacks in China

Rashidi claims that the Chinese were originally black Africoid in appearance when they first arrived in China. He speculates that the present non-Africoid appearance of the Chinese is due to the ancient mixing of black Africoids and whites. He claims that there were still pockets of unmixed Africoids from 6,000 BCE to 200 BCE.

outheast Asia

Rashidi claims the Khmer were an Africoid racial group in Southeast Asia who were renowned for their scholarly work. They lived in Myanmar, Kampuchea, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam only to be replaced by Mongoloids. Rashidi claims Southeast Asian culture owes its heritage to its first Africoid inhabitants.

Blacks in Egypt

Rashidi claims that Egyptians have the same craniofacial measurements as people in Central Africa.Rashidi, Runoko and Ivan Van Sertima. African Presence in Early Asia. Transaction Publishers:1995. ISBN 0887387179] He considers designation of these peoples as "Mediterranean" by previous anthropologists to be "ethnocentric".

Blacks in the Arabian Peninsula

Rashidi claims that the Veddoids were the original black inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula. Rashidi considers the possibility that prophet Muhammed may have been partially black.

Blacks in Europe

Rashidi claims that the historical black presence includes "England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Scandinavia". He claims that legends of "dark" people and dark/black attributes of individuals such as the Scotsman Kenneth "the Niger" and the Viking Thorhall are to be taken literally as evidence of ancient Black presence and/or admixture. [http://www.cwo.com/~lucumi/british.html]

Blacks in India

Rashidi claims that the Dravidians and Siddi of India are part of the black race Rashidi, Runoko. The Global African Community. "The African Prescence in India:A Photo Essay." 1998. August 20, 2007. [http://www.cwo.com/~lucumi/india.html] ] He claims that until 500 years ago the Dravidians had a technologically advanced society that was well-known in the ancient world. These black Dravidians portrayed their gods as blacks and portrayed evil beings with white skin. He claims the Aryans were "barbarian" whites who enslaved the indigenous black Dravidians in the caste system after they stole the advanced technology of the Dravidians 500 years ago.

Quotes

"History is a light that illuminates the past, and a key that unlocks the door to the future." --Runoko Rashidi

Further reading

*van Sertima, Ivan (1989). "Egypt Revisited". Transaction Publishers. ISBN 0-88738-799-3 (an Afrocentrist volume "on the race and origin of the ancient Egyptians' black dynasties and rulers, Egyptian science and philosophy, and great Egyptologists".

References

External links

* [http://www.cwo.com/~lucumi/runoko.html Articles by Rashidi]
* [http://abibitumikasa.com/runoko.htm Classes by Rashidi]