1982_02 The Daily Collegian February 1982

              PAGE 6
What
s wrong with soul food?
PAGE 7
BLACK EMPIRES
.-
Akhenatcn-Pharoah of Egypt (1375-1358 B.C.)
Teaching a doctrine of love and peace, Akhenaton was the first ruler in recorded
history to believe in the concept of the One Cod
In order to diminish the influences of idol worshippers, he moved into the desert
early in his reign and built a new city dedicated to religion, art and music. This new
city, Akhenaton (now Tell el Amama), with its lush gardens and magnificent build¬
ings, became known as the City of Dreams.
He and his wife. Queen Nefertiti, one of history's most renowned beauties,
changed Egyptian culture so radically that their influence was felt centuries later.
At their urging, the royal sculptors and painters began to recreate life in its natural
state instead of in the stiff, stylized form of early Egyptian art. Thus, he is the first
Pharoah of whom a true likeness is recorded. Also, the written language was ex¬
panded from the limited tool of offical record keeping to a fuller, warmer language
• for use in poetry, songs and story telling.
farurqa-King of Nubia (710-66* B.C.)
At the age of sixteen, this great Nubian king led his armies againsl the invading
Assyrians in defense of his ally, Israel. This action earned him a place in the Bible
(Isaiah 37.9, 2 Kings 19:9).
During the course of his ^j-year reigh, Taharqa controlled the largest empire
in ancient Africa. It stretched more than 1500 miles south from the Mediterranean
Sea and included Egypt and the entire Sudan. His power was equaled only by the
Assyrians. These two forces were in constant conflict.
Despite the continuous warfare, Taharqa was able to initiate a building program
throughout his empire which was overwhelming in scope. The numbers and majesty
of his building projects were legendary, with the greatest being the temple at Cebel
Barkal in the Sudan. The temple was carved from the living rock and decorated with
images of Taharqa over 100 feet high.
(Taharqa also known as Tirharkah.)
Idris Alooma-SuHan of Bornu (1560-1617)
The histories of Kanem and Bornu are so intertwined that the two central Sudan
states can be considered one great civilization which endured for a thousand years.
Yet for two centuries before Idris Alooma became Mai (sultan) of Bornu, Kanem
was a separate land whose people had been driven out by their nomadic cousins,
the Bulala. It took one of Africa's most extraordinary rulers to reunite the two
kingdoms.
Idris Alooma was a devout Moslem. His brick mosque was the first of its kind.
He replaced tribal law with Moslem law. And early in his reign, he made a pilgrim¬
age to Mecca But the trip had as much military as religious significance, for he re¬
turned with Turkish firearms.
Sunni Ali Ber-Kirg of Songhay (1464-1492)
When Sunni Ali Ber came to power, Songhay was a small kingdom in the western
Sudan. But during his twenty-eight-year reign, it grew into the largest, most power¬
ful empire in West Africa.
Sunni Ali ruled from horseback, leading his country while leading his army.
He built a remarkable army—not farmers hastily pressed into service, but full-
time, professional soldiers, including a horse and camel cavalry with men in armor.
With this ferocious force, the warrior king won battle after battle. He routed
marauding nomads, seized trade routes, took villages, and expanded, ever ex¬
panded, his domain. He captured Timbuktu, bringing into the Songhay empire a
major center of commerce, culture, and Moslem scholarship. He conquered the city
of Jenne, invincible for centuries, with a relentless seven-year siege.
Sunni Ali was both feared by his enemies and revered by his people, who called
him Ali the Great. His greatness is still legendary amonp the Songhay people today.
Alpha Phi Alpha
Empires of Ancient
West Africa
The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity is the
oldest Black College Fraternity in Amer¬
ica. The organization was founded on
December 4. 1906. by seven Black stu¬
dents at Cornell University, The idea of a
fraternity grew out of a social study club.
The aims of the fraternity are: manly
deeds, scholarship, and the love of all
mankind.
Since its founding more than 75.000
college men of all races have initiated into
Alpha Phi Alpha. There are 347 college
chapters located on major campuses
throughout the nation and 291 alumni
chapters located in 44 states including the
District of Columbia and in the West
Indies. Europe, AfrTEa. Vietnam, and the
Virgin Islands. The General President of
Alpha Phi Alpha is Ozell Sutton and Ihe
headquarters of the organization is lo¬
cated in Chicago. Illinois.
APA has traditionally been an organi¬
zation of leaders. Among the most noted
members are: Supreme Court Justice
Thurgood Marshall. Senator Edward W.
Brooke. Martin Luther King. Whilnev
Young. Floyd McKissick. Dick Gregory,
and Jackie Robinson.
UNDERGRADUATE CHAPTER     '
Epsilon Beta, the Undergraduate Chap¬
ter olA PA Fraternity located at Cal State
University. Fresno, was introduced here
in 1956. Over the years Epsilon Beta has
maintained the high standards set forth by
founding brothers in 1906. There is much
emphasis placed on Academic Scholar¬
ships, manly deeds and brotherhood.
APA has demonstrated its integrity while
working with faculty and administration
in an effort to better relations on campus
for all involved. APA will continue to
strive to improve the quality of life in
America.
GRADUATE CHAPTER
The lota Nu Lambda Alumni Chapter
was founded  in   l%9 by a  number of
Alpha  men including  Brothers Cecil
Smith. William K. Day. Elijah Brewer.
Wanamakcr  Haydcn.  Matthew   Daw.
Paul Wiley, and Columbus Craig. All of
these men are living and working in the
Fresno Community. Ihe members of the
graduate chapter have been actively in¬
volved in communitv affairs through their
educational and community improvement
programs   Over the past five years we
have affiliated ourselves with the follow¬
ing scholarships, gift baskets at Thanks¬
giving and  Christmas: spring ath-lelic
banquets for Edison High School and the
West  Fresno Spartan  league  Football
Program, sponsoring of Babe Ruth Base¬
ball teams; tutoring programs at Edison
High School; built sand boX at Ivy Head
Start Center; and sponsors the annual
Sickle Cell Anemia basketball tournament.
All cv idence available to us today point
to the fact that human beings first inha¬
bited the continent of Africa. Fossil
records of Proconsul and Zijanlhropus
said to be ancestors of humanity were
excavated in Uganda and Tanzania. Pro¬
consul is estimated to have existed 25 mil¬
lion years ago. and Zijanthropus 2 million
years old. Zijanthropus looked more
human than Proconsul, buttressing the
theory of evolution. Therefore, as far as
we know. Africa is the cradle of humanity.
On the west coast of Africa the earliest
known empire was the Ghana empire
founded by the Soninke dynasty about
.t00 AD The Capital of the empire was
Kumbi Salch An Arab writer. El Idrisi
described the king with the following
words. "He vjore a head-dress of gold and
sat on a ihiWie around which stood ten
horses in gold harness." The Ghana
Fmpirc traded with North African traders
and trade was carried out by barter. I he
empire disintegrated in 1240 AD when she
was sacked by Sundiata. the ruler of the
Mali Empire.
The next major empire that rose in
ancient West Africa was the Mali empire.
It flourished from 1050 ADto 1670 AD. A
king 01 the  Mali empire Mansa  M.usa
— Ugo Egbuziem
Grad—Business
made a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324 AD
carrying gold worth about $15 million in
today's United States dollars. On his
return from Mecca he established the
Sankorc University in Timbuktu.
The third most important ancient em¬
pire of West Africa was the Songhar
empire, this empire thrived from the sev¬
enth century AD until 1591 when the
Moroccans conquered the empire. The
empire was at its zenith in IS28.
Another major empire was the Kanem-
Bornu empire which is believed to have
been founded in the 8th century *nd sur*
vised into the twentieth century when it
fell to the armies of Othmar Dan Fodio's
Jihad.
Legend holds it that another group of
slates, the Hansa States was founded by
the descendants of Bayajidda and the
Queen of Daura. Bayajidda traveled loi
place called Bornu where a large snake
was tormenting people and could not be
killed, he succeeded in killing the snake.
The Queen was so impressed that she mar¬
ried him. they had fourteen grandchildre«
who established the Hansa States-DM"
ra. Kano. Rano.Gwari. Y-mri. Kvvarsratt
and llarin. These Hansa States still ewt
today in West Africa as emirates with rul¬
ing emirs.
Black Americans are under the
illusion that their cultural food is
soul food. This misconception about
soul food has been perpetuated from
generation to generation. Black Ameri¬
cans rarely question the history or
origin 6f~-this so-called 'soul food."
The lack of knowledge in this area has
kept Blacks unaware of the health
problems associated with this form of
food Like many other areas of study
concerning Black Americans, the study
and history of 'soul food' has been for
too long overlooked and neglected.
We offer the following ..information
so that Black Americans themselves
can finally examine and reevaluate
their dietary habits and health status.
Before being Black Americans,
Negroes, or even slaves, we were West
Africans. As West Africans, we enjoyed
the various foods from the land pro¬
vided for us by our mother country.
These foods helped keep the Africans
healthy and strong. Such foods included:
sorghum, millet, teff. West African
rice, guinea yams, cow peas, okra, nuts,
seeds, spinach, peppers, fowl, wild
game and many other fresh fruits and
vegetables, and grains.
With the arrival of the Europeans,
West Africans' health and dietary
habits started to deteriorate. Having
been kidnapped, beaten, and having had
their villages destroyed, a once mighty
and proud people found themselves
being treated like wild animals. Along
with the cruel and inhuman treatment
given to animals, came the food fed to
animals. These foods barely kept the
Africans alive and cause many to die.
Africans who refused to eat this racist
food were either beaten or tortured until
they ate or died. The diet on the slabe
ships consisted of horsebeans, Indian
corn, yams and rice, all ground up into
mush. Most eventually died from mal¬
nutrition and those who survived found
themselves with numerous deficiences
and illnesses. This food was eaten for
1-3 months, depending on the length of
the voyage.
Once in America, the Africans found
themselves cruelly examined, sold and
carried off to a plantation. Stripped of
their native land, families, culture,
lifestyle and foods, the Africans were
forced to live and eat like Animals.
The eradication of African cultural and
dietary   habits,   forced   the   African
Americans to accept the non-nutritional
foods given to them by slave owners.
After having such foods as fresh ve¬
getables, fruits, grains, herbs, seeds,
nuts, and wild game, this new form of
food was a physical and mental shock
to the Africans' body and mind. The
slaveowners only provided such foods as
white refined rice, corn meal, potatoes,
pig fat,   salt pork,   grits  and  sweet
potatoes. These foods were the cheapest
and easiest for the slave owners to
supply. Only those who worked received
their rations and they weren't even
enough to fill one's stomach. No fresh
vegetables, no dairy, no fowl or fish, no
grains, etc., caused the most severe
deficienies and diseases and numerous
deaths. Deficiencies in the B vitamins,
protein, and other essential nutrients,
made the Africans tired and.weak. This
caused the slave owners to stereotype
them as lazy, slow, and no good — a
stigma    which    still    persists    today.
Mothers passes these dificjencies on to
their babies and they in turn passed
them on to their babies, thus the decline
in health was passed down from genera¬
tion to generation.
The African slaves eventually adopted
and culturally justified these foods and
called them their own. This combination
of food and style of cooking became
known as 'soul food.' After slavery,
Black Americans continued to eat these
foods, believing them to be their native
food, but it is nothing more than slave
food. Add to this slave food the chemi¬
calized, refined, sugary, fast, con¬
venience foods of our modern society,
and you have quite a deadly combi¬
nation.
The cumulative effects of malnutri¬
tion have caused great health problems
for Black Americans as can be seen by
looking at recent statistics from the
American Cancer Society and the
American Heart Association. (1) High
blood pressure is 50 percent more
prevalent in Blacks than in whites.
(2) Blacks suffer from more strokes at
an earlier age wtth more severe results
than for whites. (3) 32 percent of the
Black females and 31 percent of the
Black males suffer from hypertension.
(4) The cancer mortality rate for Blacks
has increased only 25 percent, while for
whites it has increased only 5 percent!
(5) The overall cancer rate for Blacks
went up 8 percent while for whites it
went down 3 percent! (6) Blacks have a
significantly higher rate of hypertensive
heart disease, thus causing a higher
mortality rate than for whites. These are
disturbing statistics that Blade Ameri¬
cans must face.
Recent studies by Dr. Dennis Burkitt
show how today's rural Africans do not
suffer from such western diseases as
cancer, appendicitis, constipation, ob¬
esity, heart disease, high blood
pressure, strokes, diabetes, and diver¬
ticulitis. Rural Africans still consume the
foods and crops of their ancestors.
Black Americans can start to reverse
those health statistics by utilizing the
West African diet, which is rightfully
ours to begin with! Black Americans
should unchain their dietary habits and
let 'soul food' die along with the concept
of slaveryl
The following foods are recommended
for those who wish to take the turn
towards the unrefied foods of their
African ancestors. These foods are
health providing and come as close to the
African diet as possible. All are easily
aceesible in the local markets or in the
health food stores (as indicated).
1. Fruits — all kinds, raw and dried.
2. Vegetable — all kinds. Green
leafy, squashes, root vegetables, tubers,
yellow vegetables, etc. Cook them as
little as possible-steam, stir fry, raw (as
in salads), is best.
3. Grains — brown unrefined rice,
millet (found in health food store),
barley, buckwheat groats, oats, corn,
rye and wheat berries. Many recipes can
be found in natural cook books.
4. Beans — all kinds. Many recipes
can be found.
5. Nuts and seeds — sunflower seeds,
almonds, cashews, pecans, brazil nuts,
sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts,
etc.
6. Cut down on meat eating as much
as you can. Cut out all fatty parts of
meat. Chicken and turkey and white
fish are leanest.
7. Eat whole grain bread made with
whole wheat and add bran to your
recipes where ever you can.
Other books on the subject are:
Eat Right to Stay Healthy by Dr. Dennis
Burkitt; The New Vegetarian by Gray
and Steve Null; The African Heritage
Cookbook by Helen Mendes; The
Natural Foods Cookbook by Beatrice
Trum Hunter; The Deaf Smith Country
Cookbook by Ford, Hillyard, Koocx and
many more.
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Why—from page 1
Greek life also seems to offer experience
in group dynamics and management.
Nate Atkins, a member of Kappa Alpha
Psi at the University of Maryland, pledged
for six weeks by himself after his line
brothers dropped.
The frat made me more efficient,' he
said. 'Pledging on my own made me a
leader and showed me bow I can achieve
through my own motivation. That has
given me a foundation for the other things
I must do in life. IVe learned how to deal
with people and how to get things done in
a group.'
Because the cultivation of leadership is
one of the main thrusts of Black Greek
organizations, it is no wonder that so-
many of the nation's Black leaders are
Greek. Jesse Jackson and Benjamin Hooks
are Omegas; Wilt Chamberlain and Tom
Bradley are Kappas: Barbara Jordan and
Patricia Harris are Deltas; Azie Taylor
-Morton and Cardis Collins are AKA's:
Andrew Young and Thurgood Marshall •
are Alphas: Huey Newton and Maurice
White are Sigmas—the list is endless.
But perhaps the most outstanding fea¬
ture of Black Greeks is their unfailing ded¬
ication to their organizations. Brocket!, a
towering epitome of purple and gold,
sports a freshly branded "Q" on his right
arm signalling the permanence of his
pledge to Omega Psi Phi. 'Blacks pledge
for life.'he said. "Many white Greekscon-
sider these brands a form of hazing. But
you can't be branded until you're a
brother—and you can 1: haze a brother."
An lota who had a large Ton his arm
that was etched by fire, contrasted Black
and white Greeks. "They (white Greeks)
always question our pledging procedures,
but then they ask us why so many people
stay active in our organizations after they
go over. Our retention rate is almost 100
percent, and  we don't do things like
'dcpledge' people except under extreme
circumstances. We have a loyalty no other
Greek system has."
And so Black Greckdom has taken its
loyal membersand has created a tradition
that has spread its brotherly and sisterly
tentacles all across the nation, and. in fact.     '
all across the world.
As the empire continues to grow, the
role of the organization has changed.
What was started by Alpha Phi Alpha in
the early 1900s to provide a survival
mechanism for Black men at Cornell has
become a majorsouree of economic, emo¬
tional and educational support for the
total Black community. 1
"Black Greeks control a significant
number of Blacks that go to college— both
graduatcand undergraduate."said Smith.
"Because they arc the more influential
organizations in college life, they will
probably begin taking on a more political
role and serve as a center of Black
cohesive ness."
Brocket! agreed, adding that in a time
where recession and racial tension are
hovering over the nation. Black Greeks
will have to become more politically
active to help Blacks survive in predomi¬
nately white colleges.
But Deryl Lee. a Delta who pledged at
the University of Miami, was not so dog¬
matic about the future of Black Greeks.
She said: "When the economy is s'rrtg
and the political arena is stable, Greeks
are a big deal. But when things are bad.
people are Black first—then Greek."
She a|so doubted the ability of Black
Greeks to aid the greater Black commun¬
ity. "Remember, all Black Greeks are col¬
lege educated. The ones with the jobs and
the education are not the ones crying the
blues. It's the ones who did n't go to school
that feel the crunch first." she said.
Whatever the future of Black Greeks,
they have had a colorful past and show no
signs of shedding their traditions at pres¬
ent. Nearly every Greek who has pledged a
Black organization will tell you. "If 1 had
to pledge over again. I'd do it-and I'd go
the same way."
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