John Henrik Clarke

(1915-1998)
In 1986, the Africana Library was named in honor of John Henrik Clarke, who was widely recognized
as a pioneer in the field of Africana Studies. Dr. Clarke played an important role in the early history of
Cornell University's Africana Studies & Research Center. He was a Distinguished Visiting Professor
of African History at the Center in the 1970s. He also made an invaluable contribution to the
establishment of its curricula.
Dr. Clarke is the author of numerous articles that have appeared in leading scholarly journals. He also
served as the author, contributor, or editor of 24 books. In 1968 along with the Black Caucus of the
African Studies Association, Dr. Clarke founded the African Heritage Studies Association. In 1969 he
was appointed as the founding chairman of the Black and Puerto Rican Studies Department at Hunter
College in New York City.
Dr. Clarke was most known and highly regarded for his lifelong devotion to studying and documenting
the histories and contributions of African peoples in Africa and the diaspora.
Dr. Clarke is often quoted as stating that "History is not everything, but it is a starting point. History is
a clock that people use to tell their political and cultural time of day. It is a compass they use to find
themselves on the map of human geography. It tells them where they are, but more importantly, what
they must be."
Featured Web Sites About John Henrik Clarke:
The John Henrik Clarke Virtual Museum
In Memory of John Henrik Clarke (Hunter College)
Schomburg Legacy Exhibition: John Henrik Clarke Section
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