Africans in Asia
By
Tony Rogers

Tieguai - One of the nine Immortals of Taoism

As we move into the world of transparency our history, or as some say – his/story – is being viewed by many as an ever-changing story. The discovery of the genetic code, by James Watson and Francis Crick in 1953, provided scientific proof that modern humanity originated in Africa. Runoko Rashidi and Ivan Van Sertima in their outstanding collaborative work, The African Presence in Early Asia, provide evidence that Diminutive Blacks travelled and sojourned from one corner of Asia to the other over 90,000 years ago.
Runoko Rashidi, who is considered by many to be the world’s foremost authority on the African presence in Asia, states that there is abundant evidence to show that Black people, within documented historical periods, created or influenced some of ancient Asia’s most important and enduring high-cultures. I often write about Tieguai, who was an African martial artist known as the Iron-Staff Immortal, one of the nine immortals (Fathers) of Taoism. The hand painted thirteenth century picture of Tieguai leaves no doubt that Africans had an influence in China’s Golden Age.
It has been widely acknowledged that, between 1630 and 1830, the Atlantic slave trade, and the rise of modern European imperialism, created the need to rewrite history concerning the African contribution to the civilized world, as a way to justify slavery. The best two research books, that provide excellent data, on this issue is Martin Bernal’s Black Athena: The Fabrication of Ancient Greece and Egypt Revisited, edited by Ivan Van Sertima.
You might ask yourself why all this information is so important in 2009. I believe it is important because it is impossible to understand and have love for others if one does not have an understanding of, and love for, self. It is important for our young to know the truth. I often write about the ongoing evolution of the Human Race, and the optimistic future of science and spirituality coming closer together, with the tremendous potential of our future resting on past African and Asian cultures.
The discovery of the 64 binary triplet figures called DNA, by Watson and Crick, contain the key to unlocking the very mystery of life itself. These 64 binary triplets correspond directly to the 64 binary triplet hexagrams of the 2000 year old Chinese literary classic, I Ching, known also as the Book of Changes. There is now evidence that the I Ching could have been influenced by the 3000 year old Ifa oracle of West Africa, which is also based on the binary principle.
As the saying goes, understanding the past can help one prepare for the future.