Perspectives

Scholar warrior Asa Hilliard, III joins our ancestors

Asa Hillard, III

by Taki S. Raton
The African World cultural community was saddened last week at notice of the passing of internationally renown scholar, educator, mentor and friend Dr. Asa Grant Hilliard, III on Sunday, August 12 in Cairo, Kemet (Egypt).

Visitation was held August 22 on the campus of Morehouse College at the MLK, Jr. International Chapel in Atlanta. On August 23, a "Celebration of Life" was scheduled, also at the MLK Chapel.

For the past twenty-seven years, Dr. Hilliard was the Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Urban Education at Georgia State University with joint appointments in the Department of Educational Policy Studies and the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education. He died two days before classes were to begin at the university. He was 73.

Many of us in the African-centered arena perhaps would not be at our stations today were it not for his formidable contributions to the African-centered curriculum. He set foundations for this thrust with the Portland Model in 1978, bringing together scholars and thinkers in this body of research to forge the path of infusing African-centered material into traditional lesson plan offerings.

"Asa," as we have come to know him, gave us not only scholarship in hundreds of articles, in his singular and co-authored works on historical critiques and essays in the education of our children, but most importantly, it was the "spirit of the man" that this writer and others hold most dear to memory.

Author, lecturer and filmmaker Dr. Kwaku Person-Lynn notes on the Web site "AfricaWithin.com" that Hilliard met his transition in the most "appropriate place it could happen, in Kemet, where he studied, wrote about, lectured, research, conducted group tours and redeemed his soul."

Engaging a double-duty effort, Hilliard was presenting at the 24th Annual Ancient Kemetic Studies Conference sponsored by ASCAC (Association for the Study of Classical African Civilization), an organization which he co-founded in 1984, and lecturing to a study tour of the Chicago based Trinity Church under the pastorship of Jeremiah Wright.

Early published reports indicate that he was stricken with complications from malaria. But according to Saeed Ahmed in his August 13 Atlanta "Journal-Constitution" article, quoting Georgia Sate spokeswoman Andria Simmons, "We’re not sure officially that it was malaria, but we believe whatever the fatal ailment, he had contracted it in Ghana." Ghana, apparently, was part of his tour itinerary prior to his travels to Egypt.

Over the past thirty years, Hilliard was not only present at regional and national ASCAC, NBUF (National Black United Front), and in Challenging the Genius conferences, but also served as keynote speaker at many of these gatherings, again sharing much needed insight into our collective charge of lending cultural excellence and refined historical accuracy in our respective curriculum planning and classroom instructional duties.

"It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations joins the African World Community in mourning the loss of Dr. Asa Grant Hilliard III," says ASCAC International President Nzinga Ratibisha Heru.

"Yet we rejoice having known him as a founding board member and first vice president of ASCAC. He was a husband of 51 years, a father, a grandfather, a friend and a mentor to generations," she adds.

In her August 13 sentiments to the international ASCAC listing, Sister Heru notes that Dr. Hilliard’s last lecture to the ASCAC conference was August 7, 2007 in Aswan, Egypt on Ancient Egyptian Astronomy before traveling to Cairo.

Ron Pounds, founder and president of the Milwaukee chapter of ASCAC says of Hilliard that he was a "giant among intellectual giants. A scholar of Black Studies and Classical African Civilizations at the highest level. His influence in the Black community will continue for decades to come."

Echoing Person-Lynn’s comments, Milwaukee NBUF chair Oshi Adelabu says: "He took his last breath among the elements of our ancient glory. It was his life duty to rescue, reclaim and restore these accomplishments to their rightful place on the world stage of time and achievement. He lived well and will be duly remembered in our prayers, thoughts and libations."

As chair of the Education Committee of the Bring Back Black (BBB) initiative, under the umbrella of the newly formed Natioanalist Black Leadership Council (NBLC), this writer is more saddened as our plan at our First Annual ACEDI (African Centered Education and Development Initiative) Conference this spring ’08 was to invite Dr. Hilliard as keynote speaker and to recognize him for his work. It was, and still is, our vision to honor his brilliant sharing, his spirit and his unyielding commitment to the identity, purpose, direction and continued cultivated excellence of the African-centered curriculum model.

He was born in Galveston, Texas on August 22, 1933. Upon completing high school, Hilliard attended the University of Denver, earning his B.A. in 1955. He began teaching in the Denver Public School system where he remained until 1960. That year, he began as a teaching fellow at the University of Denver earning his M.A. in counseling in 1961 and an Ed.D. in educational psychology in 1963.

While at the University of Denver, he taught in the College of Education and in the Philosophy Colloquium of the Centennial Scholars Honors Program. He joined the faculty at San Francisco State University in 1963 where he spent the next eighteen years, where he worked his way up to becoming dean of education.

He has participated in the development of several national assessment systems and as an expert witness in court testimony on federal cases regarding test validity and bias. He is the recipient of numerous awards and accolades.

We share our deepest love and condolences to his wife Patsy Hilliard and to their children Asa IV, Robie, Patricia Nefertari Hakim and to their seven grandchildren. He will assuredly be missed. But for us in the African World Community, he will live throughout Eternity.

Sponsored by the Milwaukee ASCAC chapter, Pounds is planning a special area memorial observance for Dr. Hilliard at the African American Women’s Center, 3020 West Vliet Street, on Saturday, September 29 beginning at 12 noon.

Taki S. Raton is founder and principal of Blyden Delany Academy in Milwaukee. For additional information on Asa Hilliard or on the planned September 29 observance, call 933-1130.