I would like to share some little-known facts about black people in general, mainly taken from a relatively rare work by J.A. Rogers, 100 AMAZING FACTS ABOUT THE NEGRO WITH COMPLETE PROOF, written in the 1940's and published in 1957.

A BIT OF BACKGROUND

J.A. Rogers was a self-educated bibliophile who dedicated his life to collecting information about black people throughout history. His work was carefully researched, but few 'scholars' of the time (black or white) would give credit to a self-educated man. Later, Emperor Haile Selassie summoned him to Ethiopia where he was given highest honors for his scholarly achievements. Today, more and more people are 'rediscovering' his works.

BLACK FACTS 1

BLACKFACT:

The word, "coffee," comes from Caffa, Ethiopia, where it was first used and where it still grows wild.

BLACKFACT:

George Washington sent a 'Negro' slave to Barbados to be exchanged for a hogshead of molasses, a cask of rum and 'other good old spirits,' in 1776.

BLACKFACT:

Beethoven, the world's 'greatest' musician, was without a doubt a dark 'mulatto.' He was called "The Black Spaniard." His teacher, the immortal Joseph Haydn, who wrote the music for the former Austrian National Anthem, was 'colored,' too.

BLACKFACT:

The Ganges, the sacred river of India, is named after an Ethiopian king of that name who conquer Asia as far as this river.

The use of the terms 'Negro,' Colored' and 'Mulatto' were commonly used at the time of this work's writing.

The 'proofs' that accompany each entry are too long to be posted here. I will post proofs upon request. I suggest that you hard-copy each post, because there's going to be a WEALTH of information that can be used in the classroom and for general reference.

Regards,

Byron Crudup