1. Sultan A.

Latif and Naimah Latif have had extensive researches in the matter of

the African history with the assistants of persons such as Dr. Muzafar Ahmad Zafar, John

Henrik Clark the African American Griot Society and many other researchers. These

researchers many of whom are world renown such as Dr Zafar is an African American

historian and a lecturer who had traveled extensively throughout Africa, his research in

this book and documentation was key.

2. The African American Psychic Trauma takes an in-depth look at the result of

European Conquest. This book begins first with a survey for the reader to take, this test

asks question primary about the readers feeling about everyday situations, this gives the

reader understand and perspective on how deep and sinister the Slavery phenomena really

is. The author explains “psychological damage seems to be far more devastating because

it generated in the African American one the deadliest character flaws a crisis of identity”

the author continues by stating “millions of men who have been skillfully injected with

fear, inferiority complexes, trepidation, servility, despair, abasement.”

The writers have pointed out the main time frames in the African Diaspora that these

affects can be truly felt, such as before slavery the time of the Egyptian dynasties before

the conquests by the Roman, Persian, Greeks and Arabs, during the European style

slavery and colonization of the world and after slavery.

Secondly, the authors have pointed out subjects such childrearing, economic genocide,

prisons, and political leaderships which have a clear affect of the behavior and growth of

African American in this European denominated society.

3. The scope of this book is vast. It begins during the first Egyptian dynasty and

continues down through history from Roman conquest to the Columbus conspiracy, from

the destructive creation of the Triangle Slave trade to the Revolutionary Leaders of today.

This book covers all the mental and behavior facets that connect and hold us in place

being the descendants of stolen a people.

4. The authors choose to write this book to engaged the reader, not so much as to

indoctrorinate them. Each passage argues a point subtly; while at the same time

references historical facts. By asking the reader a questions intensifies the need to know

factor. One example of this can be found in Chapter 11, “African American Childrearing

the Making of a Slave,” what is a family?

The idea of the “nuclear family” (the husband, wife and children), is pretty much

a western Industrial concept. In African society, family ties extend far beyond

this, to include grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, and even neighbors.

As one African proverb states, “It takes a whole village to raise a child”

5. Slavery: The African American Psychic Trauma

I. Europe’s First Rise to Power

A. Africans prior to the first experience with Europe

1. Africans had 5000 years of culture and civilization

2. African can trace their heritage through biblical traditions

a. The begin in Genesis looks to start at the end of the 17th

Egyptians dynasty
 b. European theologians continue to develop theories to

explain why their biblical theories don’t seem to agree with

the chronological events in the bible and found by scientific

research.

c. None of the theories which attempt to place Europeans at

the center of civilization ever coincide with archeologist

findings

3. There is nothing in European history that gives a clue about the

beginning of Mankind.

4. The Ancient Egyptians were considered by the Greeks and

Romans Scholars to be Ethiopians.

B. The rise to power of the early Christian Church catapulted civilization into

a major decline.

1. The defects in the Roman civilization overshadowed its virtues,

and in time led to its disintegration

a. They were greatly deficient in the areas of science and

abstract thought

b. The major short comings of Rome were slavery, militarism,

and a bad fiscal system.

2. The infusion of Roman Culture into Christian doctrine.

a. Old Roman rituals and beliefs crept into Christian teachings

and became incorporated with Christianity itself.

 b. Infusion of Roman Culture into Christian doctrine in part

thanks to Paul.

1. He and the other Apostles were having hard time

with conversions.

2. He saw that the Mosaic Laws could never be

accepted by those who were not Jews.

3. Gave new direction structured with Roman thought

and Greek philosophy.

II. Who Did they Really Sell into Slavery

A. History books hide the fact that Africans brought to American were

educated.

1. European writers tried to make the slave trade appear to be a

blessing in disguise.

a. Europeans have painted pictures of naked and illiterate

savages.

b. To some Americans even African Americans today this

picture reflects their knowledge of slavery.

2. Many slaves brought to American spoke several languages to

include Arabic.

a. Mandinkas and other family groups who were part of

the great African empire were brought to American.

 b. Arabic was the language most commonly used in the

universities of the West African empires

3. Through some of their writings and hidden records we trace

African scholars in slavery in American.

a. Lamen Kebe a young teacher from a prominent clerical

clan.

1. Was married and had three children before being

sold into slavery

2. He was multilingual and fluent in reading and

writing Arabic

3. Began a campaign to get himself back to Africa

but was unsuccessful.

b. Yarrow Mamout and Omar Ibn were both highly

religious men.

1. Yarrow Mount urged others slaves not to eat

hog and whiskey.

2. Known as a hard worker bought his own

freedom and $200 of stock from Columbia

bank.

3. Omar Ibn “Prince Moro” wrote an

autobiography of his life before and after being

sold and brought to America in 1807.

4. Whites tried desperately to convert him to

 Christianity but failed.

B. Slavery Incorporated

1. South American was the battleground for European nations

after the landing of Columbus.

a. Europeans were fighting over the vast production of

sugar cane.

b. The business of controlling the cane production required

a new demand for slaves.

2. Small business quickly becomes big business in the trading of

flesh.

a. Europeans bought a few prisoners of war which opened

another pipeline of selling humans.

b. The trade was so lucrative they established organized

system for the capture, transport and sale of human

beings.

III. Miseducation

A. African Americans began to educate themselves after slavery and

made huge strides.

1. Lewis Latimer a pioneer in electricity was the son of a former

slave.

a. He taught himself draftmanskills and later became a

chief draftsman
 b. He drew plans for Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone

patent.

c. He worked with Thomas Edison in the development of

the Electric light bulb, the only black member of the

Edison Pioneers

2. A group New York parents sued the city public schools system

for damages.

a. Bob law activist and Parents of New York students sue

school system to change policies and curriculum for

everyone. (02/1991)

b. Other cities and states join the lawsuit bring forth

controversial debate in Afrocentric education.

c. Many schools label and place black boys in (EMH)

Educationally mentally handicapped classes.

6. There are so many points made in this book dealing with the African Diaspora

but a few that stands out would be Chapter 5 (five). Chapter 5 “Who did they really sell

in slavery”, this chapter speaks about the large number of educated and prominent men

and women stolen from their home and sold into slavery.

Prince Abdul Rahman, Abu Bakr Sadiq, Bilali, Prince Salih Bilali, Hafiz Job Ben

Solomon, and Mohammed Ali Ben only to name a few whose legacy stands out among

the billion of Africans stolen. As stated by the authors:

 “European writers tried to make the slave trade appear to be a blessing in

disguise. They have painted a picture of naked, illiterate, idol worshipping savage

who was taken off to America to be clothed, taught proper speech, given a

legitimate religion, and trained to live in a house with civilized people”

Chapter 6 (six) “The Making of the Negro” a subsection of this chapter titled; Sex :A tool

of Power and Control, talks about the rape of African women, the mental control it wields

and the affect it has on the women as well as the African men. The authors explain how

destructive this method of wealth building and conquers rights began after 1800 when

importation was no longer allowed from Africa. The authors state “the rape of African

women served as an important means of mind control. Forced sexual relations with

white masters had the effect of destroying the black woman’s self esteem and feelings of

personal worth—a common response for victims of rape.”

Chapter 9 “Black Beauty Standards” - One question you could ask is hair texture a

fashion statement or a proud flag of ethnicity? The author makes valid points when

addressing the issue of hair texture. “Many women seemed to feel embarrassed about the

whites discovering their real hair textures”, the authors continues by stating “to be seen in

public with un-straightened “nappy” hair was shameful. As this section continues you

understand that when a people feel that their natural hair texture is incorrect, then they

have accepted the idea of racial inferiority.

7. Slavery: The African American Psychic Trauma is right out of the Professor

notes. This book focuses not just on the relative information dealing with the

evils of colonialisms and the triangle trade, but the effects being felt by the
 descents of African. This book reveals hidden truths that we deal with as

Americans on a daily basis, from why are black men so violent, stereotypes,

inferiority complexes, and what control does the American Government have over

Black leadership. It becomes apparent that the struggle with in the U.S. is one

that has been well planned and carried out by the agents of destruction, the more

we wake up the more the strategies and technique being used change.

8. I would definitely encourage anyone who cares about the plight of the African

American people both past, present and future to read this book. The first 30 pages allow

the reader explorer his or her own feeling and personal reaction to the evasive

brainwashing of the African American people. The reader answer 20 question dealing

with the end result of psychological trauma, by then the reader will begin to see the

patterns of the world around us, both industrial, economic, social and political. The

authors pull from the best and most educated to put this book together. The authors

exhibit a real knowledge of historical fact, bringing together the missing pieces of the

African American situation, painting a picture of the African Diaspora for the world to

see.
“Slavery: The African American Psychic Trauma”

By

Sultan A. Latif and Naimah latif

Kenn Butler

African Diaspora, History 201

October 04, 2008