Correspondence with Professor Martin Hall

June 2011

Dear Professor Hall,

I found out about you some time ago through watching an African series documentary by Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. of Harvard's African-African American Studies Depatment. He was down in South Africa for his research back in the late 1990's and you were one of the experts he spoke to and I liked what you said. You had suggested that South Africans need to learn their true pre-colonial history particularly for black Africans to know who they really are in the richness of their heritage. It was the greatest thing for me to hear as I have always believed that all Africans and the world have to know about African history in Africa's postive contributions to the world and for black people to be respected and acknowledged for who they are. Having been born and raised in Ghana and having had the opportunity to live in the United States for the past 30 years, I have come to believe that black people have been misunderstood due to enormous ignorance of the world around them and that the real solution for a possible transformation of minds is for African history to be taught in our schools to undo the lies, distortions and misinformation attributed to blacks due their unique and sad experience of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. Because of this dark history of the past all levels of social, economic and political processes of the world has affected black people in such painful and terrible ways that they still face so much suffering and deprivation both on the continent of Africa and wherever black people happen to exist. But although we can say that surely progress has been made, yet it is still a grim situation for many blacks and other people-of-color.

On the other hand, people like you, Professor Gates, Basil Davidson and many others have stood up for principle and moral conduct to bring out knowledge and to make enormous difference. I must say therefore that the world of those who admire thinkers, writers and educators thank you, and, so do I.

Currently, I am trying to find out ways to make it possible for true African history to be taught in American schools because the ignorance of most Americans in their concept and mind-set of Africans and blacks in general has not improved much at all. The struggle indeed goes on.

Hoping I could get your kind input on this important matter. Thank you, Sir.

Sincerely,

Hannah martinez, Master of Science
Clinician/Multicultural Specialist


Response:

Dear Hannah

Thank you so much for your kind message! It makes such a difference to know that one’s work is appreciated in this way. And it was of course a privilege to work with Skip Gates on this project, and to get to know him as a result of this opportunity.

But getting a rich and deep perspective on Africa’s rich history into the consciousness of the north and west is a massive task..... Let me know a little more about your specific work and interests. Ghana alone has enough pre-colonial history to fill several textbooks.

Kind regards

Martin