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THE GREATEST RIP-OFF OF ALL TIME The glory days of boxing in the Heavyweight Division, I still remember it well. One event in particular I will never forget. A great African American boxer by the name of Muhammad Ali stuns the sporting world. It’s 1974. The "Rumble in the Jungle." Everyone in the jam-packed stadium in Zaire, Africa, is sitting on the edge of history. Ali is a 4-to-1 underdog. Foreman seems invincible. Some are thinking Ali will be lucky to escape with his life. Eight tension-filled rounds later, the place flips out. The upset happens. Ending the fierce battle with a crushing right, Ali defeats George Foreman by a knockout! During the post-fight interview, Ali looks into the camera, proclaiming to the world, "I am the greatest of alll tiiime!" He was some fighter. I think he is deserving of the title, "The Greatest!" He declared it many times and then backed it up with his unshakable mental toughness, with his trademark "Rope-A-Dope," and with his fists. I respect that. Other fight fans think Mike Tyson, Joe Louis, Joe Frazier or others deserve that title. So, you can imagine, I have been in a couple of lively discussions over the years on whom truly deserves to be called "The Greatest." The greatest? Let’s turn a sharp corner here. How about the greatest rip-off of all time? What’s that all about? The book you now hold in your hands contains research exposing what we (Don and Joel) believe to be one of the greatest rip-offs of all time. Like the greatest in boxing, this is a hotly debated topic. We warn you. This is a challenging, probing book. Study it carefully. You may read stuff that you’ve never heard or considered before. You may be rocked by emotions that will land you on your back momentarily. You will be invited to change your way of thinking in areas you may have never explored before. Sometimes the ride may get bumpy. One thing is for sure – you will experience a powerful stirring in your heart. Bottom line. As in most things, you will have to make up your own mind. But all we ask is one thing: Read the whole book before you make up your mind. The title of this chapter begs the question: Who got ripped off? Would you believe that YOU did? That’s right. People who rip off folk tend to target certain victims. In a larger sense, the victim we’re talking about is an entire race – black people all over the world. But what was stolen? Important question. The missing item is a large segment of their past, a glorious past – an ancient history that belongs to them but which was craftily snatched and given to others. To remove the legacy of an entire race from the minds of the masses is a tremendous act of deception. We call it "the greatest rip-off of all time." RECLAIMING STOLEN GOODS About two years ago, I (Don) was awakened to the truth of the glorious past of my people. I discovered some things that blew my mind. In my research, I unearthed the surprising truth that the first and greatest civilizations designed by humans were the inventions of the black man. The genius and creativity of black people go back to the dawn of human history. How did school treat you? Did somebody say you couldn’t be a scientist, engineer, or author of books? I hope not, because your ancestors were the first to invent science, engineering, and writing. But that’s not all. Blacks were also the first to discover medicine, architecture, astronomy, engineering, agriculture, banking systems, and much more. Instead of being a debtor to humanity, black people were the foundation, the very spring, from which civilization as we know it has flowed. Mind boggling, isn’t it? If you are like me, the first time you hear it, it’s easy to be skeptical. In fact, you may be dealing with some serious doubt right now. I simply don’t believe this. This is just another form of African American propaganda. These guys are trying to pump up the sagging self-esteem of black readers. As an African American you may have been so brainwashed by white-controlled educational systems in this country that it is difficult for you to accept the truth. Hang tough, because we are going to pile the evidence right before your very eyes. We are aware that mental roadblocks keep some readers from seeing the truth. Prepare to have your mind blown. We will spend some time laying down the evidence revealing your past glory. We will also describe the reason for the black man’s fall from such a high pinnacle. Then, the good news: God’s plan for a majestic "Return to Glory." Before attempting this project, we read a lot of books and did a lot of research on this and related subjects. Later on you will be meeting some of the many black brothers we interviewed. They have a lot of insights regarding this area. Many people (black and white) are indirectly involved in this book. To them we are indebted, and to them we will always be grateful. THE TRUTH WILL ALWAYS RISE Someone once said, "the truth, crushed to the ground, will always raise its head." Thank God that this is happening in this generation. The things you are reading in this book about black studies are part of a movement of God. Professors and scholars are revealing the truth about ancient black history. Black preachers across North America are talking about the marvelous way God used black folk in the Bible. Congratulations! If you have gotten this far, you probably are a seeker after truth. You can now avail yourself of several other books on this subject. It is our hope that Return to Glory will encourage you to get busy with your own study. As you read, some questions and reactions will begin to percolate in your head and heart. Don’t worry. When this happens, you are joining the company of many before you who have asked similar questions. Why would anybody purposely distort the history of my people? What’s the point? What do I do with the anger I feel churning in the pit of my stomach? What’s up with the cover-up? What can I do to correct this deception? In addressing these and other important questions, we (Don and Joel) will be like a well-balanced offensive machine. Working on the outside, I (Don) will be on the court busting down lies and deception with sweet jumpers from 3-point land. I want to hear you shouting and cheering, as the ball hits nothing but net. My brother, Joel, will be waiting anxiously as we take the game into the trenches. He’ll be banging the boards, posting up, and rejecting garbage as he helps us through difficult struggles on our return to glory. Are you ready for us to take you on a journey? Let’s jump into the time machine. We’re going beyond roots. Beyond Kunta Kinte. You are about to meet some serious homeboys. Homeboys you will never forget.
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© Copyright,
2003-NOW Return To Glory, All rights reserved. Nothing on this page
may be used without written permission.
Joel
Freeman and co-author, Don
Griffin
The Freeman Institute®
Foundation
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