By Dr. Ridgely Abdul Mu’min Muhammad

I feel that the pledge on October 16, 2002 by Dr. Yosef ben-Jochannan of his 35,000 book personal
library to the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan is one of the most historic events to have
transpired since the death of Malcolm X and the departure of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. For me
it holds a very personal meaning. It showed a most beautiful example of real atonement and
reconciliation.

To me there are two great streams of Black national consciousness; one stemming from what Master
Fard Muhammad brought to a dead people in the wilderness of North America and the other represented
by the Honorable Marcus Garvey. The pride in Blackness started with Garvey. The knowledge of self
and others started with what Master Fard Muhammad brought and deposited in the Honorable Elijah
Muhammad. There was no visible "Black consciousness" movement until the Nation of Islam
took over the large cities and deposited that seed of the Supreme Wisdom in the fertile Black mental
soil of those just up from slavery and Jim Crow.

Many men and women were inspired to go out and research self based on the seeds dropped at the
"Temple". The death of Malcolm X caused a rift within the Black nationalist movement
between those who loved Malcolm and those that loved Elijah. Many of those that loved Malcolm were
also immersed in the study of our history. They identify Malcolm as the person who inspired them to
recognize the importance of history and research into that history.

Words like "Afrocentric" ,"Kemetic" and "Ta-Mera" were brought into
existence due to the research of such great scholars as Dr. John Henrik Clarke and Dr. Yosef
ben-Jochannan. However, that same research showed how the Arabs used Islam as an excuse to take
Africans’ land and enslave them. This historical fact has caused tension between Blacks that
practice Islam and Blacks that expose an African-centered theology.

The historical tension between Dr. Ben and the Nation of Islam may also stem from what Bro. Eric
Ture, activist and writer for the Final Call, calls Dr. Ben’s characterization of Nation members
as having a "lack of respect for scholarship" especially when it came to Ancient Africa.
However, as Dr. Ben looked over his desire for extending his legacy like other great scholars, he
wanted "to put his contribution in a certain light that people can build on." He must have
felt that depositing his works with Min. Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam was his best chance for
such dreams to continue after his departure.

By donating the 35,000 books of his personal library that he used to write his own books,
"It was a tremendous tribute and humbling honor to know that these books contributed to the
knowledge that we have followed through him," Eric continued.

It was very significant that Dr. Ben donated his engineering books. Bro. Eric commented that,
"This indicated his belief system on the Nation’s desire to build and it’s interest in land
other than just having it."

I, personally, never expected Dr. Ben to come to the side of Min. Farrakhan and make such a great
gift available to the Nation of Islam and our people. There are a few reasons why this is so
special:

1. Dr. Ben said that he had looked into other places to leave his legacy including some Black
colleges in Georgia. For him to choose the Nation over them speaks volumes.

2. Dr. Ben has a number of "followers" who would love to have such a collection and
thereby receiving the mantle as the premier Black Egyptologist.

3. Dr. Ben left his books to Min. Farrakhan and the nation of Black people. This says that he
believes that the Nation of Islam will be here and be able to preserve his legacy even after Min.
Farrakhan has left us.

4. Considering the fact that much of the legacy of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad was lost after
his departure and not secured by that which took the Nation’s place, it shows that Dr. Ben must
believe that the Nation may have fallen, but has risen and will never fall again.

5. It gives the Nation of Islam a chance to show Dr. Ben and those that respect him that his
characterization of the Nation of not respecting scholarship will be disproved by how we handle this
great gift. Evidently the respect for research and scholarship manifested in the presentations by
Min. Farrakhan has given Dr. Ben hope that the Nation of Islam will disprove all former allegations.

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught us that Black people practiced "Islam" as a way of
life before the advent of Prophet Muhammad (may Allah be pleased). He taught that all of the
prophets including Muhammad, Jesus and Moses taught "Islam" from portions of the
"Book" as a "moon" to temporarily light the footsteps of fallen humanity within
this 6,000 year void until the true light of understanding was revealed. Some of Dr. Ben’s works
such as "The African Origins of the Major Western Religions" verify Elijah’s teachings
if one reads with a scientific eye and open mind.

The two streams of consciousness which flowed from what the Messenger taught from the mouth of
Master Fard Muhammad and what our great Black scholars found in the libraries have been brought
together to potentially form a mighty "river". This great gift from Dr. Ben will unleash
the power of that "river", if we now take the time to "READ".

I have begun such a task of reading. I started going to the libraries such as the Schaumberg
Institute in Harlem in 1969. I have read many of Dr. Ben’s works and in 1988 I completed my first
book entitled, "Amen: The Secret Waters of the Great Pyramid." I sent a draft of this book
to Dr. Ben before its publication. The theories presented in my book are still controversial, but
none have been disproved.

I said in 1988 and still say now that the pyramids of ancient Kemet (Egypt) were not tombs but
parts of a vast water irrigation purification public works system that was the bedrock of
agricultural development in Kemet. These waterworks made Kemet the breadbasket of the world at that
time.

The keys to Kemet’s (Ta-Mera’s) power was not her military but her agricultural system.
Therefore I am honored to be a farmer and love to fight for my other Black farmers.

I thank scholars like Dr. Ben who have provided the scholarship and Minister Farrakhan who is
providing the revelation and example which keeps my fire burning. It is good to "know"
while others guess and the rest just exist without a desire to know.