“Free Within Ourselves”: Introduction to The Black Scholar Series

The Black Scholar Series is a Kentake Page initiative dedicated to interviewing prominent scholars in the Black/African community and introducing them—and their work—to a wider audience.

The idea came to me in February 2014, when I featured the work of 28 brilliant scholars during Black History Month on our Facebook page. I then thought it would be a wonderful idea to interview a contemporary scholar. I asked Uchenna Edeh to contact Runoko Rashidi and request an interview. We were both overjoyed when he warmly accepted our invitation. Following a successful interview, we decided to continue the series by reaching out to other scholars.

I particularly wanted to learn about their personal backgrounds and experiences—in other words, to get to know the man or woman behind the intellect. Who are these scholars: agents of their own destiny and pioneers charged with the mission of inflaming the Black collective consciousness? When and where were they born? Who are their parents, siblings, and friends? What were their formative childhood and youthful experiences? What seminal event or experience inspired their intellectual and spiritual commitment to Black liberation? What struggles have they faced in countering the false representations and fragmentation of Black history? How would they most like to be remembered?

These were among the many questions I wanted answered.

It is my hope that these interviews will create a “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear” moment: one in which people across space and time, tasked with a similar mission, are empowered by the personal insights and experiences of these scholars. The words of these master teachers and scribes may, therefore, inspire aspiring scholars and authors who seek to challenge the racist mythologies embedded in Eurocentric works on African history.

Alongside these personal insights, the interviews have yielded a wealth of information about Black history and its importance. I envisioned these intellectual encounters being made available in forms beyond their publication on the website. Uchenna and I began this journey spontaneously and have been going with the flow ever since.

We hope that you find The Black Scholar Series as stimulating, motivating, and enlightening as we have.

Come read with me,
Meserette Kentake

Photo credit: The Black Scholars by Uchenna Edeh