Well known Guyanese-British literary critic, linguist, poet and anthropologist, Dr Ivan van Sertima, died recently, according to a release from the Guyana Cultural Association New York Inc/Guyana Folk Festival which expressed condolences to his family.
Ivan van Sertima
According to the release Dr van Sertima was born in January 1935 in Kitty when the country was still a British colony and remained a British citizen. After completing his primary and secondary schooling in Guyana, he travelled to London and went to university. In addition to producing an array of creative writing, van Sertima also completed undergraduate studies in African languages and literature and during his studies he became fluent in Swahili and Hungarian. He also worked for several years in Great Britain as a journalist, doing weekly broadcasts to the Caribbean and Africa.
He later immigrated to the US where he entered the University of Rutgers in New Brunswick, New Jersey for graduate work and he has had over 30 years of teaching at the university where he also completed his Master’s degree.
He was an associate professor of African Studies in the Department of African Studies.
he was indeed a great man. condolences to his family.
I had the honor of metting DR.Van Sertima on several occasions at the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. SN this man is a Dignitary and is well known by alot of African Americans, more so by the majority of studients that studied at the Rutgers University in New Brunswick,New Jersey over the past 30 years. There should be more on this Scholar for the great work and findings and the organization that he founded. I’ve learned alot from DR. Van Sertima and i have great appreciation for all that he taught. May God be with his family,in their time of mourning. RIP Professor.
I’m so sorry to learn this and condolences to his family. Dr. Van Sertima was a GIANT literary and historical figure. The international progressive community mourns this huge loss!
rest in light tajeti van sertima. he is on his duat. it is fine. condolescenses for his family. we must remember and cherish his legacy and work towards his goals. he is missed. we have to step our game up.
rest in light Neteru van sertima
amen hotep khnum ra
Please sir, please translate those strange words. are they swahili or hindi? for my elucidation i would be eternally grateful.
This man took the blinders off my eyes! I am honored to have had the privilege to have been taught by him. I draw upon what he has taught me all the time.
A legend indeed.
Guyana has in the past produced some world renown personalities, the likes of Dr. Van Sertima.
Let’s hope Gt can replace these successes.
RIP Dear Dr.
Re: “Let’s hope Gt can replace these successes…”
That may not be as quite as easy as you put it “LoveGT 4 Real” as such “molds” (metallurgical speaking) in which De. Ivan Van Sertima was casted sometimes only comes in “single” copies and they are very hard to be duplicated.
And, such was that individual.
WOW!.. What a bummer and a shock to read about this today, obviously, I had no idea that he was sick or anything.
I’ll tell ya, the Guyanese Academic community is in mourning, because we have lost another son of ‘the mud and the rain’, who had attained world renowned and trail blazing status as a relentless yet honest Master Historian, ‘Scripti Politi’ in the disciplines of Critical studies and International Research.
My condolence and prayers are with the house of Van Sretima.
I have had the honour of hearing him in person. I was transfixed. A puny obit by SN of a great scholar and a giant (and fine figure of) a man.
Ivan Van Sertima first touched my life when we were both students of St James The Less – now F.E. Pollard Primary School – David Street Kitty. Brilliant since then. Renowned abroad. Deeply touched by his passing. He will be remembered as one of Guyana’s greatest sons. I salute his memory.
An excellent writer and lecturer. He will be missed, but his work will live on. Had a chance to hang out with him after a NSBE Alumni Chapter Presentation in Chicago in the mid-90’s. He was kinda disappointed in our progress, yet optimistic that we would do better as a people but he knew we had to have more knowledge of our history. His writings and lectures showed that he was a revolutionary.
PEACE