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.”
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