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Afrocentric Inquiry and the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem

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Afrocentric Inquiry and the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem “SEIZING THE POWER TO DEFINE!” AFROCENTRIC INQUIRY AND THE AFRICAN HEBREW ISRAELITES OF JERUSALEM A DissertAtion Submitted to tHe Temple University GrAduAte BoArd In PArtiAl Fulfillment of tHe Requirements for tHe Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY by MiciAH Z. YeHudAH AfricAn AmericAn Studies August 2014 ExAmining Committee Members: Iyelli Ichile, Advisory CHAir, DepArtment of AfricAn AmericAn Studies Molefi Kete AsAnte, DepArtment of AfricAn AmericAn Studies Maxwell Stanford Jr., DepArtment of AfricAn AmericAn Studies Portia Hunt, ExternAl Member, Psychological, Organizational, & Leadership Studies i © Copyright 2014 by Miciah Z. Yehudah All Rights Reserved € ii ABSTRACT “Seizing the Power to Define!” Afrocentric Inquiry And tHe AfricAn Hebrew IsrAelites of JerusAlem Miciah Z. Yehudah Doctoral DissertAtion DoctorAl Committee CHAir: Iyelli IcHile; PH.D. Temple University, PHilAdelpHiA PennsylvAniA, United StAtes of AmericA This dissertAtion critically exAmines the AfricAn Hebrew IsrAelites of JerusAlem, A group of AfricAn AmericAn Hebrews from CHicAgo tHAt migrAted to Liberia in 1967 And Israel in 1969. The greater part of the scholArship engaging the group since 1967 has consistently lAbeled tHem Along four lines: as a people seeking constant external acceptance; as a cultic or ”new religious movement”; as an oppressed and downtrodden people seeking success in any way in which it could be achieved; or As A people witH A strAnge Affinity towArds JewisH people so extreme tHAt tHey intend not only to emulAte and eradicate them but to serve as their replAcements. In the literature reviewed it was rare that the actual philosophy of the AfricAn Hebrew IsrAelites of JerusAlem was interrogated. In the rare cases in which tHeir pHilosopHies were exAmined tHey were situAted only in regards to their relAtionship with an already Assumed universAl WHite normativity. In studying the group, metHodological concerns Arise, as do questions with regards to who the AfricAn Hebrew IsrAelites of JerusAlem truly Are. To investigAte tHe metHodological pArAmeters of studying tHe AfricAn Hebrew IsrAelites of JerusAlem tHe Afrocentric iii PArAdigm is employed. Afrocentric inquiry’s focus on Agency And the privileging of the voice of tHe AfricAn subjects witHin its own nArrAtive differs drAsticAlly from the metHodology underlying tHose scHolArs tHAt HAve studied tHe group previously. In order to explore wHo tHe AfricAn Hebrew IsrAelites of JerusAlem identify witH (orientAtion), How tHey nAvigAte tHe issue of epistemology as both a people of AfricAn And Israelite heritAge (grounding), And How tHey define freedom And its pArAmeters in conversAtion witH tHe lArger AfricAn world tHey clAim to be Amongst (location) this dissertation analyzes major publicAtions of tHe AfricAn Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem since the 1980s. This work challenges the Argument tHAt tHe Afrocentric PArAdigm is ill suited to AppropriAtely study tHe AfricAn Hebrew IsrAelites of JerusAlem. iv This work is dedicated to The Great Eternal Everlasting Spirit! May this work be in alignment with your way in such a case that its light may never be hidden from your people. “Everything for a wise man, nothing for a fool.” v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First And foremost I give all honor, praise, and glory to the Everlasting Creator. With you All is possible and without you no thing is. I also give thanks for the great ancestors; those who have possessed tHe cHArActer we seek to emulAte; fAmily Ancestors GrAnny, GrAffy, BAbA Weston, MAma Louise, and Nana Lenny. I live because of your sacrifices. Asante Sana! To the clan whether in Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, tHe MAroon SwAmps of JAcksonville, SoutH CArolinA And its AccompAnying Sea Islands, JamaicA, SenegAl/GAmbiA, GHAnA…you are as the sand of the sea. AsAnte Sana! MucH AppreciAtion for my trees EmAH YedidAH (tHe most resilient And loving woman I know), Ab MisHAretH SHemuel (tHe greAtest definition for me of wHAt a man sHould be) And EmaH KAren (we HAve A lot of cAtcHing up to do but so fAr so good); to my fellow brAncHes YAns, NAtty, And SAmaykAH, Adrienne, Joe And Jermaine wHo HAve supported me tHrougHout. To my own brAncH KusHiyAH SifrAH EliyAmen. It is my prAyer tHAt As you grow into A polisHed woman of renowned character, you will shine and glisten in your endeAvors; remembering the source of your power. Stay focused. Maintain Alignment witH THe CreAtor And bAlAnce witH Creation. To Amani wHo HAs served pAtiently And diligently As my pArtner tHrougH tHe ups, downs, twists, And turns of tHe dissertAtion process…even tAking time AwAy from Her own work to offer valuAble feedback. Through your power I too have been empowered. You Are most certAinly AppreciAted beyond All meAsure. NinAkupendA! vi Gratitude must Also be given to my fAmily At BetH DAwid. Firstly to EmaH KokmaH – Bilkis Makeda whose vision And majesty Alone woke up so many. I understand what you were trying to do. I get it! To Melek Dawid, Nasi Zebulun MAccAbee, SAr JudAH, ZAkwin AmrAm. MucH appreciation to the elders and leaders of the Cultural Institute that was so appropriately nAmed “Bereshith” and the fAmily in Ghana, including Kohain Nathanyah Halevi, Rabbi and Mabel Halevi; Sar Reuben Yitzchaak and Nasikah SarAH Yitzchaak; Bro. Israel; Nana Ben Okofu (rest in power); And ImaHkus NzingA. Also I extend love And tHAnks to the fAmily stAtioned in the U.S…tHose on tHe Hill…ZAkwin BAbA AbisHAi (Roots MAn) & EmaH EdAH. EmaH Malika. Nasikah Serapher & fAmily; NAsi YAcHAin & MiriAm HAnAsi & fAmily. SAr ElkAnAH & fAmily, SAr Ben Reuben & fAmily, ZAkwin AvigdAl & fAmily; the Jackson fAmily; Ak CAlvin, and Zakwin RasHi. SpeciAl tHAnks to my bredren; Mateeth, Razi, Meek, MAlik, AsAyero, LFO, M Dot & FAmily. I AppreciAte you! The stAff and faculty at the State University of New York at AlbAny who provided the preparation I needed to get to this point, including Sharon Parkinson, Patricia Pinho, Kwadwo Sarfoh, OscAr WilliAms, D. Ekow King, and Marcia Sutherland. WHen I cAme to Dr. Sutherland’s office for assistance in her graduate course, she in her unApologeticAlly AfricAn wAy, told me in no certAin terms tHAt I needed to be better. She refused to Accept mediocrity or excuses; rather, sHe required my best And expected nothing short of excellence. At tHAt point doctoral studies wAs tHe furtHest tHougHt from my mind. I was just trying to get through her course! However, her intervention made A difference. Dr. SutherlAnd, cHAllenged me and through her efforts I was actually encouraged and inspired to do more. I tHAnk vii her for giving me just A little bit of Her time. MedAse Pii! My colleAgues At UAlbAny HAve cHeered me on tHrougHout tHis process. Nefertiti, I Am so grAteful for your Helping me to fine-tune this work. Medase Pii! How can I forget Temple University’s DepArtment of AfricAn AmericAn Studies? It is second to none wHen it comes to providing A spAce in AcAdemia for intellectuAl discourse Around ideAs pertAining to people of AfricAn descent. I had great experiences. Dr. Peterson-Lewis sHArpened my reseArcH skills in levels unimagined. THougH tHe prepArAtion wAs rigorous, it was necessary. The research metHods course wAs extremely valuable in Helping me to nAvigAte throughout this process. I HAd tHe blessing of sitting in Dr. Ama MAzAma’s class and gained clarity About tHe Afrocentric PArAdigm tHAt I Am so fortunate to HAve received.. I wish that every student in a Black Studies program could experience tHe sAme. Other faculty tHAt HAve sHArpened my skills And enHAnced my Temple experience include Dr. AbArry in AfricAn AestHetics And literAture, Dr. Norment in tHe pArAmeters of tHe discipline, And Dr. Monteiro in the life and works of W.E.B. Du Bois. MucH love to my colleAgues in tHe OrgAnizAtion of AfricAn AmericAn Studies Graduate Students who truly represent what Black Studies is all about. We understand our unique discipline and the politics, ideologies, and challenges that AccompAny it. Most importAntly we are willing to fight for it. The faculty together witH my colleAgues And students At “THe Temple” HAve cHAllenged me And strengtHened me in wAys unimagined to bring tHis work to fruition. viii I Am Also tHAnkful for tHe stAff of tHe CHArles L. Blockson Afro-AmericAn Collection for their support: Dr. CHArles L. Blockson, Dr. DiAne Turner, Ms. AslAku BerHanu, Ms. Ida Weley, and Ms. Leslie Willis-Lowry. I give tHAnks. I Also offer mucH tHAnks to my Advisors during this process; including Dr. Iyelli IcHile my DissertAtion CHAir wHo sAw tHe vAlue And potentiAl in tHis work And who took it on without any questions or concerns. After my first time sitting in Her class I knew that sHe HAd to be on my committee. I asked her to offer the necessary bAlAnce to my work And sHe HAs done tHAt And more. SHe kept it/me honest. Dr. IcHile, I AppreciAte you in so many wAys! I give tHAnks Also to my mentor Dr. MuHAmmad Ahmed wHo provided greAt stAbility; AlwAys encouraging me to tAke tHe high road and reminding me of tHe goAl And mission At HAnd. Shukran! MucH thanks Also to Dr. Molefi K. AsAnte, wHo stepped in At A time in wHicH He wAs most needed. I wAs cArrying out reseArcH testing out tHe Afrocentric PArAdigm And reAlized how sHortcHAnged tHe reseArcH would be if tHe creAtor of tHe frAmework wAs not involved in tHe project. Despite me Asking At tHe very lAst minute Amidst tHe rApid cHAnges in our depArtment, he HAd enougH Humility to HeAr wHAt I HAd to sAy And enough belief in tHe project to offer immediAte support And bAcking. It is never eAsy to HAve A concept And frAmework you creAted plAced under tHe microscope And to always be at the center of any critique. AsAnte SAnA! Dr. PortiA Hunt trusted my work and despite having an already busy schedule took on this project willingly.
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