Resource - The Black Intellectual Tradition

"I turned to a serious study of the social and ethical theories of the great philosophers, from Plato and Aristotle down to Rousseau, Hobbes, Bentham, Mill, and Locke. All of these masters stimulated my thinking... and, while finding things to question in each of them, I nevertheless learned a great deal from their study." - Martin Luther King, Jr. from The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.

I love this quote from MLK (whose birthday is celebrated on Monday; please don't come to school!), because it illustrates so well the ethos driving a good humanities program at a classical, Christ-centered school like ours: read widely, ask questions, and faithfully learn from the past. I found this quote in the book, The Black Intellectual Tradition, by Dr. Angel Parham and Dr. Anika Prather, which is published by Classical Academic Press. 

In the book, Drs. Parham and Prather demonstrate how the study of the classics shaped the intellectual, social, and spiritual thought of several black Americans, including some you have heard of like Martin Luther King, Jr., Frederick Douglass, and Phillis Wheatley, and some you probably haven't, like Olaudah Equiano and Anna Julia Cooper. The two seasoned classical educators deftly blend historical and literature analysis to draw out spiritual truths and make practical suggestions for educators. If you are interested in learning more about the way the classics shaped the black experience in the US, I think this book is a great place to start! Dr. Prather and Dr. Parham are also frequent guests on Classical ed-focused podcasts, for example, each has recently been on the Anchored podcast.

Sincerely,
Christian Young
Administrative Director