Tribute For Dr. Runoko Rashidi
Dr. Runoko Rashidi was an African American historian, born in California who spent his life traveling the world to connect the original Black people of Asia, Australia (surrounding islands), India and the Persian Gulf with their African brothers and sisters. He matriculated through the Los Angeles public school system, earned an undergraduate degree from California State University and studied anthropology and archaeology at the University of California, Los Angeles. His work cataloged and visually documented ancient Black people in every corner of the world. He was a student of Dr. Ivan Van Sertima, another great historian who wrote the classic book “The African Presence in Ancient America : They Came Before Columbus.”
Dr. Rashidi’s Facebook page titled “In The Museums, Tombs, Galleries and Temples with Runoko Rashidi” has over 17,000 subscribers from every corner of the globe. He authored “The African Presence in Early Asia,” edited by Runoko Rashidi and Ivan Van Sertima. Dr. Rashidi led numerous tours in Africa and other parts of the world; was an international world renowned lecturer; wrote/edited approximately 22 books and publications; visited over 125 countries; and, photographed thousands of Black people from around the world. His focus was the global African presence.
Dr. Rashidi made the transition on August 2nd , 2021 while leading a study tour in Kemet (Egypt). He was 67 years old.
I had the pleasure of dialoguing and exchanging museum photos from around the world with Runoko. A couple of months ago, he told me how much he liked a photo I had taken of the Ishango Bone in the Brussels Royal Museum of Science (oldest evidence of advance mathematics in the world). Runoko commented that my photo captured the actual size. He also reviewed the African American Cultural Society (AACS) 2021 Youth Reality Program and gave it a big thumbs up.
AACS salutes one of our great truth-tellers who traveled the world to record, photograph and document Africa as the center of world history. He was a man who dedicated his life to bringing forth truth about Black people from around the world. We salute this great man who will live forever. He left a legacy which will never be forgotten and will be appreciated by future generations.
Enjoy the YouTube video tribute below of Dr. Rashidi by his family, friends and colleagues.
Robert W. Whiting
Chairman, AACS Education Committee