Gates' report stirs important dialogue about Africans and our relations with ourselves and others.

By SEIBERT L. MURPHY

Special to USAfricaonline.com

I feel that Prof. Henry L. Gates' work is vital to the community of Africans around the world. It is important that we take a serious and honest look at the African continent and learn what Africans did and did not do throughout history. I feel that by examining facts and uncovering the truth we will really be free to contribute fully to the future in Africa and around the world.

I do not necessarily agree with all of the findings made in the show mistakes can and will be made by all investigators, scholar or not. But Prof. Gates certainly caught the attention of my colleagues and friends form all walks of life and I appreciate that. His work is timely and stirs important dialogue about Africans and our relations with ourselves and others.

This is probably the best time for Gates' work to be aired. As we enter the brave new technology age, we have the ability to do better scientific investigation, share information more effectively and analyze facts more completely. I feel that the showing of this program and programs like it reinforces the fact that Africans are able to embrace technology and media for their own gains. We should continue to encourage more works about Africa. I'd like to see more presentations about the story of Africa through the eyes of others of African descent.

Gates has stimulated a dialogue in the African community, on the continent and in the Diaspora. I think that serious dialogue has long since been needed. The dialogue enhances knowledge my hope is that the goal of knowledge is to encourage greater wisdom to the people. Our wise choices allow us to effectively meet the simultaneous needs for economic, academic, security and scientific development.

I think that the best stories of Africa, Asia and South America are yet to be told. I hope that scholars continue to critically examine African culture and influence on the continent and around the world. It is only through knowledge that we gain respect for our past, appreciation for our present and hope for the future.
Murphy is based in Virginia. E-mail: seibert.murphy@jhuapl.edu

African, African-American Scholars clash over Prof. Gates' PBS series on Africa Millennial Listmess. By Prof. Walt Brasch, USAfricaonline.com contributing editor

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