Yosef Ben-Jochannan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yosef Alfredo Antonio Ben-Jochannan
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Ben-Jochannan lecturing in Brooklyn circa 1990s.
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| Born | December 31, 1918 Claimed by Yosef Ben-Jochannan to be Gondar, Ethiopian Empire and by others Puerto Rico |
| Died | March 19, 2015 (aged 96) Bay Park Nursing Home, Bronx, New York |
| Pen name | Dr. Ben |
| Occupation | Writer, historian |
| Subject | Egyptology |
| Literary movement | Afrocentrism |
| Notable works | Black Man of the Nile and His Family |
| Notable awards | Honorary doctoral degree: Sojourner–Douglass College (Baltimore), Medgar Evers College (Brooklyn), Marymount College (New York) |
Yosef Alfredo Antonio Ben-Jochannan (December 31, 1918 – March 19, 2015) was an American writer and historian. Many of his fans called him "Dr. Ben." He was seen by some as an important Afrocentric scholar. Afrocentrism is a way of looking at history from an African point of view. However, many other historians did not agree with his work. They pointed out mistakes in his historical facts. There were also questions about whether his college degrees were real.
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His Early Life and Schooling
Ben-Jochannan said he was born in Ethiopia. He claimed his mother was Puerto Rican Jewish and his father was Ethiopian Jewish. But other people said he was probably from Puerto Rico. A newspaper article after his death said there was little proof for his birth story.
His school background is also debated. He claimed to have studied in Puerto Rico, Brazil, Cuba, and Spain. He said he earned degrees in engineering and anthropology. For example, he stated he got a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico in 1938. However, the university has no record of him attending.
He also claimed to have master's and doctoral degrees from universities in Cuba, Spain, and England. But the University of Barcelona and University of Cambridge said he never got a degree from them. Cambridge University even said he never took any classes there.
Despite these questions, Ben-Jochannan did receive special honorary degrees. These were from Sojourner–Douglass College, Marymount Manhattan College, and Medgar Evers College. An honorary degree is given to someone to celebrate their achievements, not for completing a course of study.
His Work and Later Years
Ben-Jochannan moved to the United States around 1940. He said he worked as a draftsman and kept studying. He later claimed he became the head of the African Studies Committee for UNESCO in 1945. UNESCO is a part of the United Nations. However, UNESCO staff said they had no record of him ever working there.
He also stated he began teaching Egyptology in Harlem in 1950. He taught at City College in New York City. From 1973 to 1987, he was a part-time professor at Cornell University. He also taught at Rutgers University.
Ben-Jochannan wrote 49 books. Most of his books were about ancient Nile Valley civilizations. He wrote about how these cultures influenced Western societies. He believed that the first Jewish people were from Ethiopia. He said they were Africans.
In the 1980s, Ben-Jochannan was famous for leading tours to the Nile Valley in Egypt. These trips were called "Dr. Ben's Alkebu-Lan Educational Tours." He used "Alkebu-Lan" as an old name for Africa. He would take up to 200 people to Africa each summer.
Many Black thinkers respected Ben-Jochannan. For example, Cornel West said he was "blessed to study at his feet." Ta-Nehisi Coates praised him for teaching that history is not always objective. He said history can be used to place Black people in certain roles.
In 2002, Ben-Jochannan gave his large library to the Nation of Islam. His library had over 35,000 books, old writings, and scrolls. He lived in Harlem in New York City before he passed away.
Ben-Jochannan was married three times and had 13 children. He died on March 19, 2015, at the age of 96. He passed away in a nursing home in the Bronx.
Questions About His Teachings
Some people have said that Ben-Jochannan changed history in his teachings. They called his work "pseudohistory." Pseudohistory means presenting ideas as history when they are not based on solid facts.
In 1993, a professor named Mary Lefkowitz questioned Ben-Jochannan. He taught that the Greek philosopher Aristotle visited the Library of Alexandria. The Library of Alexandria was a famous ancient library. Professor Lefkowitz asked how this was possible. She pointed out that the library was built after Aristotle had died. Ben-Jochannan replied that the dates were not certain.
His Views on Religion
In one of his lectures, "Why do you Believe in God," Ben-Jochannan said he did not believe in God. He stated that stories from Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, like Adam and Eve, came from African and Asian myths.
He also shared his thoughts on churches. He argued that churches might not help people when things are tough. He believed their main interest was with powerful groups.
Ben-Jochannan also said that Black people had prayed to Jesus, Mohammed, and Moses for many years. He noted that their situation in America had not changed. He felt they had not gained freedom. He concluded that someone was not listening to their prayers.
See also
- List of notable Puerto Ricans
- Institute for the Study of Academic Racism
- African diaspora
- Egyptology
