Dr. John Henrik Clarke The rise of Islam in Africa

Dr. John Henrik Clarke was renowned for his dedication to the study of African peoples throughout history, both in Africa and the diaspora. Dr. Clarke was also widely regarded as a devoted and brilliant educator. His love for education, African peoples and the history of African peoples, translated directly into his work as a Pan-Africanist writer, historian and lecturer. He played a pivotal role in the creation of Africana studies and several professional institutions in academia. Interestingly enough, Dr. Clarke climbed to great academic heights without ever having earned a high school diploma.

Born on January 1, 1915, in Union Springs, Alabama, John Henry Clark was the youngest child of John and Willie Ella Clark, sharecroppers. The Clark family eventually moved to Columbus, Georgia, in pursuit of better fortunes and the dream of owning their own land. Dr. Clarke, the future educator, never formally attended high school, dropping out of school in the 8th grade. Despite his mother’s desire that he pursue the family vocation of farming, in 1933, at the age of 18, he left the South as part of the Great Migration of blacks to the North, and headed to Harlem, New York.