[wvns] Dr. Martin R. Delany: A man missing from Black History
Dr. Martin R. Delany: A man missing from Black History
By Dr. Conrad W. Worrill
http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/article_3517.shtml
Dr. Martin R. Delany
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Although White supremacy and racism forced Dr. Delany to withdraw (the
White medical students strongly objected to a Black man graduating
with them feeling this would lessen their degree), he went on to
distinguish himself as an outstanding physician specializing in
chronic diseases of women and children.
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The use of history as a tool of liberation is an ongoing battle that
the African in American Community must come to grips with.
Far too many African in American people reject the use of history as a
tool to understand the past, the present, and the future. The
rejection of history, by many of us, results in the denial of our true
condition and situation as thirty million people living in the United
States.
From time to time, in reflecting on our history and our present
situation as a race, I reread a most profound book. In fact, I suggest
that all African in American people read this book and become familiar
with the work of this unsung hero in our struggle, Dr. Martin R.
Delany. Martin R. Delany (a contemporary of Frederick Douglass and
co-founder with Douglass of The North Star Newspaper) was a fearless
and independent champion for the cause of our redemption from 1840
until his death in January 1885 at the age of 72.
Dr. Delany was known as the most prominent advocate of African in
American nationalism in the 19th century. It was in his book, written
in 1852, "The Condition, Elevation, Emigration, and Destiny of the
Colored People of the United States," that Dr. Delany's view of the
situation of our race became widely known.
Dr. Delany was free born in Charleston, Virginia on May 6, 1812. In an
effort to improve their situation, the Delanys moved to Chambersburg,
Pennsylvania when Martin was 10 years old. At the age of 19, young
Martin moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he worked as a barber
and studied with an African in American minister named Lewis Woodson.
Woodson is given credit for shaping Dr. Delany's political thought.
It was in Pittsburgh that Dr. Delany became exposed to the efforts of
Africans in America who were organizing against the chattel slave
system. These men were called abolitionists. Dr. Delany began
attending meetings that focused on the abolition of slavery. These
meetings and contacts with other African in American leaders inspired
Dr. Delany to continue his self-education on the history of our race.
He became an avid reader of world history and philosophy, eventually
emerging as one of the most important African in American thinkers and
orators.
Africans in America knew Dr. Delany for his opposition to the chattel
slave system and for his call for Africans in America to voluntarily
return to Africa and establish a nation. He was a tenacious fighter
for African in American collective action and self-help throughout his
participation in the movement....
The life of Dr. Martin R. Delany should be a required study for all
African in American youth. For example, how many Africans in America
are aware that Dr. Delany was among the small group of African in
American medical students that attended Harvard Medical School in 1850
and 1851? Although White supremacy and racism forced Dr. Delany to
withdraw (the White medical students strongly objected to a Black man
graduating with them feeling this would lessen their degree), he went
on to distinguish himself as an outstanding physician specializing in
chronic diseases of women and children.
Dr. Delany was a prolific writer. He wrote the third novel produced in
this country by an African in America entitled, "Blake and the Huts of
America." Additionally, he published an account of his trip to Africa
to locate emigration sites entitled the "Official Report of the Niger
Valley Exploring Party." Dr. Delany's final work was titled,
"Principia of Ethnology: The Origin of Races and Color with an
Archaeological Compendium of Ethiopian and Egyptian Civilization." It
was in this work that Dr. Delany revealed that the ancient Egyptians
and Ethiopians were Black, and the creators of the world's first
civilizations, contrary to the European conception of Egypt and
Ethiopia (a concept they still cling to today despite all of the
evidence).
The words that Dr. Delany wrote in 1852 have not changed and are still
relevant and reflective of our condition today. In "Condition and
Elevation," Dr. Delany stated, "White men are producers—we are
consumers. They build houses, and we rent them. They raise produce,
and we consume it. They manufacture clothes and wares, and we garnish
ourselves with them. They build coaches, vessels, cars, hotels,
saloons, and other vehicles and places of accommodation, and we
deliberately wait until they have got them in readiness, then walk in,
and contend with as much assurance for a "right" as though the whole
thing was bought by, paid for, and belonged to us."
And finally, Dr. Delany said in this great work, referring to the
Europeans, "By their literary attainments, they are the contributors
to, authors and teachers of, literature, science, religion, law,
medicine, and all other useful attainments that the world makes use
of. We have no reference to ancient times—we speak of modem things."
Much of what Dr. Delany wrote and lectured about in the 19th century
concerning the condition of African in American people is still true
today. Our challenge is to continue his legacy by breaking the mental
chains of slavery that keep us dependent on others for our history and
the interpretation of world events. Read the works of Dr. Martin R.
Delany and you will find much wisdom.
(Dr. Worrill is the National Chairman of the National Black United
Front (NBUF). He may be reached for comment at nbufchi @ allways.net,
or visit nbufront.org.)
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