2 Books Published by Papyrus Publishing Inc. on AALBC — Book Cover Collage

There is an Ashanti proverb that says If you know the beginning well, the end won t trouble you. In this 20th anniversary release of Mahmoud El-Kati s The Myth of Race The Reality of Racism, he poses his thesis on the concept of race and the impact of racism. In this second edition, El-Kati adds several key essays addressing ideas that are often confusing to many such as nationality, culture and ways to address man s most dangerous myth - race. His critical analysis of race, racism and the doctrine of white supremacy provide profound insight into the destruction caused to human dignity and the impact on society s growth. Mahmoud El-Kati, a historian who taught at Macalester College and the University of Minnesota, lays down the fundamental construct and history of race. He eloquently sheds light on the pseudoscientific underpinnings that has been built into the fabric of this nation - the United States of America. El-Kati warns that the lack of social justice for the U.S. s second oldest population - people of African descent - is the Achilles heel of this great nation. As a former Facing Race Ambassador Award recipient from the St. Paul Foundation, Professor El-Kati’s book, The Myth of Race The Reality of Racism is intended to be a teaching tool for social justice, community dialogue, and the education of our youth. Reverend Alfred Babington-Johnson, CEO of the Stairstep Foundation has written the Foreword and Professor John S. Wright, Morse-Amoco Distinguished Teaching Professor of African American Studies and English at the University of Minnesota has written the Introduction to this edition.Professor El-Kati has also authored the following publications: Politically Considered: 50th Commemoration of the Supreme Court Decision of 1954, The Hiptionary: A Survey of African American Speech Patterns with Critical Commentary and A Digest of Key Words and Phrases and Haiti: The Hidden Truth. Please visit at mahmoudelkati to learn more about the inspiring work and writings of Mahmoud El-Kati.

Hiptionary? It is a made-up word, as are all words. Its meaning evolves from the word hip, as in being aware, out front on the latest ideas, in the vanguard. Hip belongs to a special vocabulary of words, and we owe their existence to the struggles, style, and spirit of the Black Americans and their creative approach to the English language. It flows from an improvisational context of making a way out of no way. From the crucible that was the American legal institution of enslavement and segregation, Black Americans were forced by time and circumstances to create an original and arresting expression of the English language. The first stage of this process began in Colonial America. From then, and onward, these distinct patterns of speech of the African Americans continued to evolve. So much so that these powers of speech have helped to influence, mold, and shape the way America speaks.
Throughout the cultural evolution of the United States, Black people have consistently contributed a huge stock of colorful words, phrases, sayings, phonics, and other linguistic devices, some of which were brought from Africa. In every period of American history, the pervasive presence of African people s artistic gifts have served as a source of inspiration; from the slave era of the spirituals and the minstrels; through post-slavery and ragtime of the Gay Nineties; New Orleans jazz and the boogie woogie piano; swing and bebop; rhythm and blues, rock n roll, and rap.
Hiptionary refers to well-established traditions of African American speech patterns, with changes and adaptations as the years go by. They are, strictly or grammatically speaking, non-dictionary words. The attempt in this volume is to collect representative samples (from every era) of this ongoing and influential part of American English, and give due recognition to it as a major force in shaping the way American English is spoken.