The White Chapel, The Black College & The Divine African Legacy

Today we went to the Temples of Karnak and Luxor and in an experience that has become a staple of our trip we found ourselves off of the beaten path and going to visit the White Chapel which was built by Senwosret I. This has probably been one of the most humbling academic experiences in my life because of the fact that this place is known in some circles as the worlds first University. As Dr. Carr and Dr. Beatty performed a libation for their late mentor Dr. Jacob Carruthers I thought about all of the students who passed through this small chapel building where they learned the sciences of Astronomy and Theology and how they were not separated but fuzed and understood as one sacred science that itself was a rule and guide for their daily lives. Now I and and the rest of our entourage were passing through these same halls being instructed by Master Teachers in an unbroken line of academic and social excellence. I truly wonder if we at Howard University are aware of this legacy when we make decisions that not only impact our campus in Washington D.C. but on a wider scale the world. I couldn't help but sit down as the libation was being performed not so much on account of my own physical fatigue but more so because of the humbling experience of being in that Divine African Legacy

It seemed like poetic irony as we walked through the temple of Luxor and we were told that this entire temple complex was once buried under sand and rubble and an entire town was on top of it before it was excavated. In fact there is a mosque building that is now out of service but was build on top of one of the structures unknowingly and is still there. As I looked at this image I thought of all the Muslim men, women and children who lived there lives not knowing of the 100% African tradition that was right under their now non-existent town. A similar thing could be said of Washington D.C. as many people know it was built on Kemetic archetypes but few Americans are aware of this. Today more than any other day I realized the importance of my attendance at a historically Black college.