A Rare Interview With the Distinguished Scholar: Dr. Chancellor Williams
This article was originally written in 2020. One of my favorite books on African History is a book entitled: “The Destruction of Black Civilization” by Dr. Chancellor Williams. While downsizing some of the materials at home and thanks to my daughter Sharon, I discovered a rare interview with the renowned scholar of African History Dr. Chancellor Williams. I was surprised to find it among my collection of materials on African History. It brought back the memory of an article that I wrote in tribute to the work of Dr. Chancellor Williams almost 20 years ago in my column Eye On History.
Dr. Williams is the author of one of the most important books on African History in the world entitled: “The Destruction of Black Civilization: Great Issues of a Race from 4500 B.C. to 2000 A.D.” The interview that I found was conducted by Tony Brown, who had the popular show “Tony Brown’s Journal.” I watched the interview in complete awe of Dr. Williams.
Tony Brown noted that it took Dr. Williams 16 years to write the Destruction of Black Civilization and that in the process of writing this book, he went blind. He also mortgaged his home to finance this extraordinary work. Dr. Williams wrote of his struggle in the beginning of his book. He stated the following: “This summary of the 16 years of research and field studies were intended for a 2- volume history of African people. The writing plan for the two volumes would have required at least another five years, even if the serious impairment of my vision had not occurred. The Destruction of Black Civilization, therefore, could not wait another five years.”
To see and hear the great Dr. Chancellor Williams on this video was a wonderful treat. It was also a reminder of the distinguished African American journalist, Tony Brown, who was a scholar in his own right. He was best known as the commentator and host of the long- running award winning show Tony Brown’s Journal. He often interviewed such outstanding people who worked to change the negative views of African Americans.
Dr. Chancellor Williams was among a long list of African History Scholars to be a guest on his program. Dr. Chancellor Williams was born in 1898 in Bennettsville, South Carolina. He recalled in his book that he always questioned why Blacks were left out of the history in his textbooks as a child.
Dr. Williams had four main objectives in his study of African history. They included the following: 1) Review world history so that you build an understanding of African history. It can’t be understood in isolation. 2) Begin a formal study of African history in Europe because Europe and Asia had been hauling out of Africa over the centuries numerous documents and artifacts of African History. 3) Document what you write using letters and narratives from geographers, explorers, captives on slave ships, reports and letters from those Europeans who have traveled in Africa. 4) Do field studies. Dr. Williams traveled throughout Africa and visited just about every region on the continent.
Some of the chapters in The Destruction of Black Civilization include the following: Ethiopia’s oldest daughter Egypt, The Rise and Fall of Black Civilization, The Conquest of Blacks by Religion, The Black World at the Crossroads, Organizing a Race for Action, and so much more. The book includes numerous maps and illustrations.
This is not a book that you can read overnight. It takes time to absorb all of its content. As a Historian, this Columnist was deeply inspired by the interview of Dr. Chancellor Williams. His work must never be forgotten! Dr. Williams stated the following in his book: Research in African history is tedious and time-consuming. And to truly know African History you must understand that Black people were known as Thebans, Libyans, Thinites, Cushites, Memphites, Numidians, and Ethopians. Blacks were among the very earliest builders of great civilizations on this planet, including the development of writing, sciences, engineering, medicine, architecture, religion, and the fine arts.”
This Columnist extends the highest respect to Dr. Chancellor Williams for his fine example of scholarship and the determination to give us the classic book: The Destruction of Black Civilization.