A Tribute To A Shining Star And An Extraordinary Son Of Africa: Professor Emeritus Ali Al'Amin Mazuri:

Ali Al'amin Mazrui

Al'amin Mazrui (24 February 1933 Mombasa, Kenya – 12 October 12 2014 U.S.A)

Mazrui was born born on 24 February 1933 in Mombasa, Kenya when his country was a colony of The English Empire. Mazrui obtained his B.A. with Distinction from Manchester University in 1960 in post Independent Kenya. Furthermore, he got his M.A. From Columbia University in New York in 1961 and his doctrate (Dphil) from Oxford University (Nuffield College in 1966).

Upon completing his education at Oxford University, Professor Mazuri joined Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, where he served as head of the Department of Political Science and Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences. He served at Makerere University until 1973, when he was forced into exile by dictator Idi Amin. He then joined the faculty of the University of Michigan as professor and later was appointed the Director of the Center for Afroamerican and African Studies (1978–81). In 1989, he was appointed to the faculty of Binghampton University, State University of New York as the Albert Schwetzer Professor in the Humanities and the Director of the Institute of Global Cultural Studies (IGCS). Mazrui also holds three concurrent faculty appointments as Albert Luthuli Professor-at-Large in the Humanities and Development Studies at the University of Jos in Nigeria, Andrew D. White Professor-at-Large Emeritus and Senior Scholar in Africana Studies at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York and Chancellor of the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya. In addition to his academic appointments, Mazrui also served as President of the African Studies Association (USA) and as Vice-President of the International Political science Association and has also served as Special Advisor to the World Bank. Mazrui retired as the inaugural Walter Rodney Professor at the University of Guyana in in 1999.

At the same time he was a prominent critic of the current world order. He believed the current Capitalist system was deeply exploitative of Africa, and that the West rarely if ever lived up to their liberal ideals and could be described as Global Apartheid. He has opposed Western interventions in the developing world, such as the war in Iraq.

As one of our great friend wrote: the passing of our author, friend and mentor, "A giant tree has fallen." Indeed, this bold, blessed with wisdom, teacher and mentor Emeritus Ali Mazuri who is also affectionately identified as such by many is a uniquely irreplaceable Giant Tree. Professor Ali A. Mazrui, a devoted and committed scholar, an erudite speaker and debater, who stood tall and with a square shoulder and truly someone touched and spirited by the African condition, has passed. His life and work was informed by his true love and care for Africa, his birthplace. His last resting place was in his birthplace in the hills of Mombasa, Kenya.

Emeritus Ali Mazuri will be much missed, but his life's work and contribution to African and global scholarship lives in many of his published works, and in the many children, friends, students and colleagues he left behind. We all experienced him as a kind and caring not only an African but A World citizen, who had absolutely no negative thing to say about those who challenged him, fiercely disagreed with him and unkindly tried to besmirch his name. As a true scholar he was committed to the search of the truth in politics and history.

We will always remember him as a giant whose "Triple Heritage" informed his relations with people around the world, with ideas and the intellectual pursuit therein. He was, surely, a Global Citizen who commensurate with Christians, Jews, Muslims and Buddhists alike. He respected and studied all religions, regions and peoples of the world. He was definitely a bridge builder. And this bridge builder is no more among the living, but his ideas, his writings, and his spirit live and will continue to inform and inspire us all today and for generations to follow.

A journey of Peace, Brother Mazuri. May all our ancestors celebrate your joining them as we celebrate your life and work here on Earth hopefully till the end of time.

Ali Mazrui, also honorifically called Nana in Ghanaian royal parlance, was born and raised in East Africa, Kenya where he learned English, Swahili, and Arabic. He was a Creolite, that is, one who had the capacity to mix languages, and became entangled in the cultures as well as the identities of these languages. The most prodigious scholar of African politics, his multiple talents combined creative work in elegant prose and poetry with polemics. A teacher, a charismatic orator, journalist, filmmaker, and public intellectual, he was arguably the most connected and best known African scholar for over half a century. He formulated his eclectic language background into what he called Africa's "triple heritage" which he clearly demonstrates in his multi TV series: ”The Africans”, where he passionately speaks about Africa's ancient glorious past and cold facts of the present and what Africa can become if it understands its past and work for the future. He also brought in poetic stanzas, woven into prose, stylistic choices that embroidered an argument or were used as transitional connecting points in building an assembly of ideas.

Dear Brother Emeritus Ali Al'Amin Mazuri you will be missed.

One:
I suggest for readers to read at least the following three books by this rare bright star and extraordinary African:

1. Africanity Redefined Collected Essays of Ali Mazrui Vol.1

Ricard Laremont, Tracia Seghatolislami
The ideas contained in these essays force us to reposition ourselves in the debate of our place in global cultures and civilizations, and they prepare us to take a more active role in social and political affairs.

2.Africa & Other Civilizations Conquest & Counter-Conquest

Collected Essays of Ali Mazrui Vol.2
Ricardo Laremont & Fouad Kalouche
This second volume of the Collected Essays of Ali A. Mazrui will provide readers with a broad spectrum of Mazrui's scholarly writings and considers the interaction of Africa with other civilizations from historical, sociological, philosophical and political perspectives.

3.Power, Politics & the African Condition Collected Essays of Ali Mazrui Vol.3

Robert Ostergard, Ricardo Laremont, Fouad Kalouche
The third volume of essays is centered on issues of power and politics at the nexus of Africa's domestic affairs and its international concepts about the disquillibrium of power in the international system and the problems that Africa has confronted globally as a result.

Two:
I humbly suggest to watch Emeritus Mazuri's TV series: "The Africans"