FROM AMSTERDAM NEWS
A glorious celebration for the life of Dr. Ben
Herb Boyd | 4/11/2015, 3:22 p.m.
The funeral of the late Dr. Yosef A.A. ben-Jochannan
Derek Muhammad
While there is no dismissing the glorious encomiums for the late
Dr. Yosef A.A. ben-Jochannan—and they were as full of praise as the
many dispensers—the priceless item at his more than three-hour funeral
service at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem was the printed
program. One thing was certain upon being lucky enough to get one was
the prediction that they would not have a sufficient supply for the
massive turnout.
An even safer prediction was that many of the hundreds of admirers of the great scholar would not be able to get in the church in the first place, and like the overflow crowd at the wake and viewing on Thursday, many had to settle for the celebration outside the church at the end of the services.
Professor James Small had the awesome responsibility of moderating the “service of commemoration and the Initiation into the Duat,” as the ceremony was called. Looking at the long list of speakers, performers and proclamations he advised the participants that “you have two minutes for your remarks,” he said, “and only Dr. Jeffries can have an extended African two minutes.” It brought the expected laughter from a packed church, especially from those familiar with Dr. Leonard Jeffries’ long, history-laden speeches. And later he and his wife, Dr. Rosalind Jeffries, would speak in tandem, both stressing an “African identity” and keeping to the limits.
“Dr. Ben is not gone, he’s right here,” said veteran activist and cultural maven Camille Yarbrough during her delivery of the libations. She asked the audience to “just breathe” deeply and reflect on Dr. Ben’s spirit.
After the collective breath was exhaled, Minister Akbar Muhammad was called to the podium and, for the most part, he read a message from Minister Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam. It was a message of unity and solidarity with understanding that Dr. Ben was a historian “from whose lessons we can learn from the past.”
Listening to someone read from the Book of Vindication must have been a first time experience for most of those in attendance. And it was during this reading that “Mut the mother of heaven” was mentioned and “heaven” would be almost a running gag for the rest of the ceremony, particularly where it was variously located by different speakers.
Professor Small, a leopard skin print draped over his shoulders, kept things moving at a good clip, and often dropping his own observations of his mentor. “Dr. Ben gave us the foundation to understand our eternity,” he remarked before asking Rev. Dr. Calvin Butts, III to read the obituary. Among the highlights of Dr. Ben’s enormously productive 96 years—he joined the ancestor on March 19—Butts recalled was that he was a versatile genius who wrote more than 40 books. “He will be remembered as a brilliant historian, committed to the uplift and enlightenment of the global African community. He will also be remembered as charismatic with an enormous sense of humor. And at the same time, as being straight, forthright, and even confrontational if he detected lies, deceit, or falsehoods.”
An even safer prediction was that many of the hundreds of admirers of the great scholar would not be able to get in the church in the first place, and like the overflow crowd at the wake and viewing on Thursday, many had to settle for the celebration outside the church at the end of the services.
Professor James Small had the awesome responsibility of moderating the “service of commemoration and the Initiation into the Duat,” as the ceremony was called. Looking at the long list of speakers, performers and proclamations he advised the participants that “you have two minutes for your remarks,” he said, “and only Dr. Jeffries can have an extended African two minutes.” It brought the expected laughter from a packed church, especially from those familiar with Dr. Leonard Jeffries’ long, history-laden speeches. And later he and his wife, Dr. Rosalind Jeffries, would speak in tandem, both stressing an “African identity” and keeping to the limits.
“Dr. Ben is not gone, he’s right here,” said veteran activist and cultural maven Camille Yarbrough during her delivery of the libations. She asked the audience to “just breathe” deeply and reflect on Dr. Ben’s spirit.
After the collective breath was exhaled, Minister Akbar Muhammad was called to the podium and, for the most part, he read a message from Minister Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam. It was a message of unity and solidarity with understanding that Dr. Ben was a historian “from whose lessons we can learn from the past.”
Listening to someone read from the Book of Vindication must have been a first time experience for most of those in attendance. And it was during this reading that “Mut the mother of heaven” was mentioned and “heaven” would be almost a running gag for the rest of the ceremony, particularly where it was variously located by different speakers.
Professor Small, a leopard skin print draped over his shoulders, kept things moving at a good clip, and often dropping his own observations of his mentor. “Dr. Ben gave us the foundation to understand our eternity,” he remarked before asking Rev. Dr. Calvin Butts, III to read the obituary. Among the highlights of Dr. Ben’s enormously productive 96 years—he joined the ancestor on March 19—Butts recalled was that he was a versatile genius who wrote more than 40 books. “He will be remembered as a brilliant historian, committed to the uplift and enlightenment of the global African community. He will also be remembered as charismatic with an enormous sense of humor. And at the same time, as being straight, forthright, and even confrontational if he detected lies, deceit, or falsehoods.”
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Olivia Holloway ·
Dr
Ben will always be important to myself and a great many more every last
one of us is grateful for opening our eyes to the glorious ness of who
we really are as a people his spirit will forever be with us
Dellin J. Cooke ·
i
owe such much of my understanding to Dr.Ben was in the darkness to my
existence as a black man in America thought the bible was the truth an I
was the this descendant of a slave with no past just the one that the
Europeans wrote for me. Dr.Ben showed me I had a history an knew GOD
long before this faireytale book f lies Dr.Ben an Dr.Clarke will never
be forgotten.
Delinda Wills Thomas ·
Thanks
so much for the LIVE STREAM of Dr. Ben's celebration of his life and
for allowing me to meet family members, historians, ministers,
attorneys, and others who talked about the realities his life and
works,..Dr. Ben taught me the truths about me, my people and opened my
mind to further research, readings, teachings to carry the African
Centered baton of his findings,..He will always live on through me and
others,..
Nefertina Abrams ·
The
Great Pharaoh is on his journey sent with great love, admiration and
respect, I was blessed to attend the Wake which was phenominal... I
laughed, I cheered, I cried, I sighed, but most of all I Gave Thanks for
his life and his legacy...
Aku A King
Yes....just
as there were hundreds clamoring to be a part of this moment,
physically..... I, like many others, were there as we "watched", very
closely, every movement on and offstage...thanks to AMSTERDAM NEWS and
LIVESTREAM...... We were THERE.....and we are STILL there.....
AKOBEN!!!!
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