Anytime you turn on your own concept of God, you are no longer a free man. No one needs to put chains on your body, because the chains are on your mind. John Henrik Clarke More Quotes by John Henrik Clarke More Quotes From John Henrik Clarke I don't attend any particular church now. I don't believe in denominations, nor do I believe in organized religion. John Henrik Clarke denominations church believe Slavery ended and left its false images of black people intact John Henrik Clarke slavery black people African people need to stop shouting 'nationtime' until they are clear about the responsibilities of running a nation. John Henrik Clarke responsibility running people I think that you're just as close to Jesus if you use the equipment he gave you other than to call on him to do for you what you can do for yourself. John Henrik Clarke use jesus thinking I want to make it clear that the black race did not come to the United States culturally empty-handed. The role and importance of ethnic history is in how well it teaches a people to use their own talents, take pride in their own history and love their own memories. John Henrik Clarke pride race memories In Africa, the woman was co-equal. In Europe, the woman was a vassal. To some extent, she still is. John Henrik Clarke equal stills europe Anytime someone says your God is ugly and you release your God and join their God, there is no hope for your freedom until you once more believe in your own concept of the 'deity.' John Henrik Clarke ugly deities believe If the Africans and Arabs were ruling Spain from 711 to 1492, had they destroyed the Catholic church, they still would be ruling Spain to this day because that's the institution that held them together. The institute that gave them the only hope was their church. This is why we are so depressed because the institutions of hope that would cause fulfillment amongst us has either been destroyed or laughed at. John Henrik Clarke catholic church together We probably have, right now, after the Civil Rights movement - and this was very unfortunate - the most glaring time of giving up on Africa, saying we're Americans. We are Americans. I'm not arguing that point. So are the Italians. So are the Germans. So are the Jews. We're Americans with an historical geography of origins outside of the United States as all people, maybe except the indigenous Americans who came here so long ago, who have generations of people whose historical origins are right here but whose initial historical origins are somewhere in Asia. John Henrik Clarke long-ago giving-up rights After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, the United States would enter, in a formal way, what had been up to that date strictly a European conflict. Marcus Garvey's prophecy about the European scramble to maintain dominance over the whole world was now a reality. John Henrik Clarke united-states reality world Service is the highest form of prayer as far as I am concerned. John Henrik Clarke concerned form prayer We 've lost something else: the relationship between men and women. John Henrik Clarke men-and-women lost men Your group has a right and responsibility to preside over your behavior and you have a responsibility to make that behavior in a manner that does not endanger the group. John Henrik Clarke groups over-you responsibility My loving sister Mary has always shared the pain and pleasure of my heartbeat in a unique and special way. We have sung our sad and warm songs together. John Henrik Clarke pain unique song I could pull all kinds of games on my mother. I couldn't pull any games on my father. John Henrik Clarke mother games father There has been a struggle to reclaim the African self. That struggle has been on the part of a minority of dedicated African-Americans who never gave up our African identity at no time during our stay here. John Henrik Clarke african-american struggle self If you struck your mother or your father, it was punishable by death because you struck at the whole society. You struck at the morality of the society itself. This is what we have lost. John Henrik Clarke morality mother father Your behavior determines, to some extent, the destiny of your nation and your group. John Henrik Clarke groups destiny behavior All the working-class people could feel a Malcolm X. They could hear Malcolm X, and two weeks later they could whisper back what he said. Verbatim. They could remember the way he put it, and he put it so well. John Henrik Clarke class two people What example do you have of anything like the Pyramids outside of Africa? You have them in Mexico, but that can be traced to early African migration. So the African created mound culture. John Henrik Clarke example pyramids culture
