“John Henrik Clarke Master Psychiatrist” By James McIntosh, M.D.

1. “John Henrik Clarke Master Psychiatrist”
By James McIntosh
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[1]
“John Henrik Clarke Master Psychiatrist”
By James McIntosh

2. “John Henrik Clarke Master Psychiatrist”
By James McIntosh
The following is the text of a speech delivered by Psychiatrist Dr. James McIntosh, at the
recent reopening of John Henrik Clarke House
Source: http://www.facebook.com/notes/james-mcintosh/john-henrik-clarke-master-
psychiatrist/449143171790131
Professor John Henrik Clarke was my teacher, my mentor and hero at Hunter College. He was
my instructor for 16 of the credits I took in my Black Studies major. He influenced every aspect
of my life, what I named my children where I live and where I worked-- everything. My
daughter is named Asantewa because Professor Clarke taught me about the Warrior Queen Yaa
Asantewa. My oldest son is named Tayari (in honor of both Kabili Tayari and Tayari Casel)
but also because Tayari means prepared or ready and Dr. Clarke taught us that we should have
nation building skills and be prepared. My youngest son Molefi has the middle name Henrik
because Dr. Clarke had changed his own middle name from Henry to Henrik. I worked at
Harlem Hospital because Dr. Clarke suggested I work at Harlem Hospital when I asked him
where I should do residency when I completed medical school.
I met Professor Clarke as one of the students involved in the struggle to form the Department of
Black and Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College and the struggle to bring Professor Clarke as a
faculty member to Hunter College. There were some very heavy students there and my job in
that struggle was more muscle than intellectual. I was recently back at the college from Vietnam
and student leaders would tell me to stand by a door and look ugly as we sat in and laid siege to
various offices in the college. In the course of that struggle my consciousness was raised and I
eventually changed my major from mathematics to Black Studies -- right there in the department
we had forced the college to create.
Dr. Clarke surprised me one day by asking me to represent the department on behalf of the
students at a large conference the Hunter College Department of Education was holding upstate.
This invitation was expressing in me a confidence that I certainly did not yet have in myself and
I argued with him that there were far more intellectually powerful student leaders such as James
Ollie, Felix Rivera and Cecilia Clay that were eminently more qualified to represent the
department but Dr. Clarke said "No, I want you to do it."
For three days at the conference I did not say a word. I simply listened in disbelief as I heard and
observed the racism of the largely white gathering. Finally at the last plenary session which was
being taped for a TV program I was placed on a panel with Professor Clarke even though I was
still saying nothing. Professor Clarke turned to me and said, "Boy you can't sit up here for three
days and say nothing." I said, Professor Clarke, I don't want to say anything that would
embarrass you. He reassured me that I could let loose without causing him any embarrassment.
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“John Henrik Clarke Master Psychiatrist”
By James McIntosh

3. Armed with only, at best, 2 Black Studies courses I began to light into the racist things that had
been said at the conference. The place caught on fire. Some of the other Black folks scattered in
the audience and who had also been sitting in silence up to that point, now jumped in supporting
my statements. Soon some of the white faculty began to direct their fire at me. But I found that
with the smattering of Black History information I had, I could easily refute their statements and
arguments. Professor Clarke had already taken the time to show me and all the Black students
the power of African History at one of our invasions of the College Faculty Council. It was there
that we witnessed Professor Clark decimate the college's top scholars -- telling the math
instructors what they did not know about the origin of math, the Romance language instructors
what they did not know about Russian, Spanish and French history and literature as he hit them
with the Moorish invasion, Pushkin and several generations of the Dumas family. So there I was
at this conference with my two courses trying to do the same thing and actually doing it. It was
like I had a machine gun rat tat tat tat tat I was mowing them down.
Soon one of the big guns at the conference fired. He shouted at me, in a thick Germanic accent,
"You are arrogant, you are arrogant," but I just mowed him down. I said "you call me arrogant
when a few minutes ago I heard you use the phrase Red China. You are the epitome of
arrogance; calling the Peoples Republic of China --red China and calling the little island Taiwan
China. That's is like calling mainland United States-- Red America and calling Manhattan Island
The United States. I looked at Professor Clarke and he was smiling. The Black folks in the
audience were smiling. When the real big guns came out, Professor Clarke took over, cooly
taking a straight razor out of his jacket pocket-- not a real straight razor. This is a metaphor y'all.
He took out his razor and slit every opposing throat in the place. The conference was blown
apart. When it was over everyone was excited all the Black people gathered around us and
Professor Clarke was beaming, like a Bear who had just taught his cub to hunt.
Now as professor Clarke would say, I will get to the subject of my lecture. My topic is "John
Henrik Clarke Master Psychiatrist.” But Professor Clarke is not a psychiatrist you might say and
I once might have agreed with you. For it is only recently that I realized what a psychiatrist he
was for me personally and what a role he played in my ever becoming a psychiatrist. It was
Professor Clarke who taught me about Imhotep and who first introduced me to the work of
Fanon, Senghor and to the literature which would lead me to the works of Wright, Akbar,
Kambon, Karenga, Asante, Ani, Wilson, Welsing, Nobles etc.
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“John Henrik Clarke Master Psychiatrist”
By James McIntosh

4. Yes in retrospect Dr. John Henrik Clarke was not only a psychiatrist he was a master
psychiatrist. His patient was our people. His technique could be called African, cognitive,
emotional and spiritual, reconstruction but he was eclectic enough to use whatever was needed to
help his patients, psychoanalysis, supportive psychotherapy, behavioral therapy and even shock
therapy when necessary. This topic John Henrik Clarke, Master Psychiatrist is way too large to
be covered in the 20 minutes alloted to me. To treat this subject properly would require
thorough scouring of all of Dr. Clarke's writings and speeches. That is a task obviously beyond
the scope of today's lecture and too comprehensive and specialized for the purpose of today’s
lecture/ tribute. So today instead of comprehensively detailing my thesis I will simply do enough
to to make my point,
Today I will review with you one presentation of Dr. Clarke from around1995 which was his
debate with Cornell West over Nationalism vs. whatever it is that Brother West says he believes
in. Try as I might, I can never remember what that is. I know that there are words such as
Christian, Radical and something else which apparently my limited brain refuses to remember or
even instruct my hand to write down.
In that debate Dr. Clarke actually on numerous occasions used formal psychological terminology
such as ego, guilt, consciousness, conscience, Intelligence, Natural genius, depression, fantasy,
temperament etc. . In several other instances during that debate, Dr. Clarke addressed
psychological issues such as sociopathy, manipulation, family dynamics, child development,
altruism, object constancy, autonomy, shame and doubt, and defense mechanisms without ever
announcing that this is what he was doing. Lastly in this debate, Dr. Clarke demonstrated the use
of various psychiatric techniques such as proper timing when making an interpretation as well as
the uses of emotional learning, and therapeutic alliance in the treatment of the patient. During
his lifetime Dr. Clarke's patients were 1. Our people in general, 2. His audience and in the case
of this debate, 3. Dr. West himself. Certainly this discussion is more therapy than a debate
because, as Dr. Clarke pointed out in his infamous confrontation with the european anti-
Afrocentrist Mary Lefkowitz, it was not a debate, because a debate is between equals. Likewise,
with Mr. West, Dr. Clarke was never engaged in a debate but as he pointed out to Lefkowitz he
was engaged in Quote World War III unquote.
The Debate with West started with Dr. Clarke doing what only he can do so well, which was to
give a grand overview of the dynamic between Africans and Non Africans going all the way
back to the Punic Wars. Dr. Clarke discussed the European Personality starting with the Romans
during those wars as an example. The term he used was European temperament. Temperament
is simply another word for character and Professor Clarke was showing familiarity here with
Leopold Sedar Senghor’s work which postulated certain differences between European and
African personalities. He was also demonstrating a familiarity with Dr. Bobby Wright’s book
"Psychopathic Racial Personality," Clarke characterizes the period of the Punic Wars as a blown
opportunity for Europe to share the power and the trade of the Mediterranean Ocean.
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“John Henrik Clarke Master Psychiatrist”
By James McIntosh

5. He described what could be called a sociopathic tendency on the part of Europeans to want and
demand "it all” in any transaction rather than share. He describes it as an example of a tendency
dictated by their temperament. Dr. Clarke traces that tendency exhibited during the Punic Wars
all the way to the present where he points out that Europeans use as close to all of the worlds
resources as they can.
Dr. Clarke speaks of the vicious burning of Christians by the Romans followed by the
manipulative conversion of the Romans to Christianity under Constantine to advance their
political purposes. The Romans had decided that a religion with only one God was more
conducive to getting people accept the rule of the Romans under just 1 emperor. Clarke further
went on to demonstrate the consistency of the European personality when all the countries of
Europe even under the official label of Christianity engaged in the obviously immoral and
murderous behaviors required for conducting the slave trade. Dr. Clarke, without stating so,
demonstrated his knowledge of defense mechanisms when he pointed to the European's use of
the defense mechanism rationalization to overcome the small moral hurdle of justifying slavery
and murder even when ostensibly saddled with a religion which they alleged taught the
brotherhood of men. Clarke explains in this debate that Europeans simply used the rationale that
weren't slaving and murdering for profit but they were doing so to save souls and convert
heathens to Christianity. Dr. Clarke points out how the Pope (Alexander 6) drew a line down
the middle of the earth and said that the Portuguese had the right to render persons into servitude
on one side of that longitudinal line and the Spaniards had the right to do it on the other side of
that line.
Dr. Clarke contrasts this moral flexibility, manipulativeness and obsessive acquisition of power
with African Naiveté. He then pathologizes that Naievte and demonstrates examples of that
pathology in their interactions not only with Europeans with other non Africans. He gives the
specific examples of Africans’ alliances with Muslim Arabs in an effort to escape the yoke of the
European oppression only to find themselves later oppressed by the same Arabs. As a
psychiatrist Dr. Clarke is speaking of the issue of object constancy. Object constancy refers to
the knowledge that a given person is the same person no matter under which circumstances one
meets that person. The infant according to western psychiatric thinking has a phase during which
he cannot combine the identity of the mother who gratifies him by feeding him and playing with
him with the identity of the same mother who sometimes ignores his cries and sometimes fails
to gratify him. They say that for a brief period in the infants development the infant thinks his
mother is two different people. Now how did the infant tell European people this we cannot say
but let’s suspend our own object constancy for a moment and assume that they would not lie
about such a thing and just take note that Dr. Clarke is utilizing this concept as he critiques the
historical child like naivete of our people failing to recognize the long standing modus operandi
of non Africans. He contrasts Europeans consistently and persistently seeking power and control
of African resources to this African naivete.
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“John Henrik Clarke Master Psychiatrist”
By James McIntosh

6. Dr. Clarke is harsh in his critique of those such as Dr. West, who feel they will obtain all that
they need for liberation by alliances with Eurpean and other Non African sociopaths. Dr. Clarke
actually infers that they are psychotic. Remember psychosis is defined as a break with reality, i.e.
thinking and perceiving things that have no basis in reality. Dr. Clarke does not overtly use the
word psychotic but he describes psychosis perfectly as he says these words to Cornell West. "We
have to introduce our people to reality. Oppression has taught us to live in a world of sick
political fantasy. "
Clarke elaborates on this with several other comments such as:
"No one has ever planned our destiny...Any people who think another power will plan their road
to power are fools..."
"Freedom is something you take with your own hands. You control it with your own hands. You
do not leave it to other people or alliances. You first make alliance with yourself. When you
make an alliance you make it on what's convenient. Make it on what works and when it stops
working you break it."
Clarke does not say that his patient, Dr. West is specifically is engaged in a world of sick
political fantasy during this debate but it is obvious to the listeners that he considers West to be
of that ilk. By not calling West's name specifically and by speaking indirectly, Dr. Clarke is at
one and the same time being respectful of West as an African man and on the other hand is also
using what is considered generally as good psychiatric technique. The psychiatrist never makes
an interpretation until the patient has in some way indicated he or she is ready for it. The healthy
part of the patient will never ally with the therapist or form a therapeutic alliance if the therapist
injures the patient with the interpretation.
Instead of the healthy part of West allying with Professor Clark, West attempts to flip the script.
He attempts to ally with what he asserts is Dr. Clarke’s political past. He attempts to dissociate
Clarke from what West might call run of the mill nationalists and paint Clarke as an exception.
West addresses the audience directly and alludes to Dr. Clarkes early and even late association
with marxism/ communism by asserting that, "There is a tendency,” said West, “to relate to his
(Clarke's) particular nationalist discussion and not recognize from whence it comes. He is not a
garden variety nationalist who has not grappled over his life with complex ... issues of class,
patriarchy, gender and ... so on” West then tried to butter up Professor Clarke by saying, "It is
very easy at times for people to invoke the name John Henrik Clarke because he is so well and
rightfully respected and not understand the fire, the brook of fire through which he has come. He
had to ... as a senior intellectual freedom figher to engage Marx and Engels and Lenin and right
across the board as well as to be a radical democratic thinker? Is that fair to say," he asks Dr.
Clarke.
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“John Henrik Clarke Master Psychiatrist”
By James McIntosh

7. Dr. Clarke is gentle as he tries to address the issue of racial identity with a person he can clearly
see has problems in this area. "That’s fair." said Clarke "But remember I was born in Union
Springs Alabama the son of a sharecropper." Clarke goes on to tell how his father made 14
dollars week and how on one day after he had made 18 dollars in a week his father had had
lectured Clarke on the value of hard work. Dr. Clarke goes on to contrast his father's view point
with his own observations. It is said that if two people agree on everything all the time one of the
people is not thinking. Dr. Clarke, even at that early age was certainly thinking. Clarke tells how
he saw people who were working hard and not making much and others hardly working and
doing quite well. Clarke describes how his leaving home at 14 because he could not get along
with his stepmother had led him to have many experiences among his own people, poor people
that gave him insights into the inequities in the system.
In his youth, Clarke was indeed a member of the Young Communist league and by his own
account he was an associate of the Communist Party for 50 years. However, Dr. Clarke makes
it clear by his disclosures to West regarding Clarke's own childhood observations of inequities
that it is these observations that are the source of his class consciousness and not the Europeans
with which he would have later association.. Clarke takes care to credit the Communist party
with giving him a place from which he could refine his own observations and analysis. He also
takes care to say that he never joined the Communist Party.
He tells West how he used the tools of analysis he gained and eventually turned that analysis on
the communists with whom he associated. He says this led the Communists to kick him out. In
case West had missed Clarkes subtle points regarding identity and development, Dr. Clarke
spells it out for West saying Quote "I am a nationalist and I am unapologetic about it. I have had
associations with all kinds of people. I have loved all kinds of people. I have appreciated the help
of all kinds of people but first and foremost above all things I am devoted to the ultimate
liberation of my own people." Unquote
The debate is really over at this point but unfortunately, West could not leave it alone. West
desperately offered what could be called in psychiatric terminology, resistance to insight. This is
perhaps what makes Dr. Clarke decide to eventually invoke shock therapy.
West says in response to Clarke's remarks regarding Clarke's own nationalism.
"That raises a question of people-hood versus nationhood because you see," said West, "I
believe that people of African descent are a distinct people and an extension of African people.
But ONE CAN BELIEVE IN DISTINCT PEOPLEHOOD AND NOT INFER WHAT
FOLLOWS THAT IS NATIONHOOD," asserted West. Clarke by this point, convinced that the
audience was ready for his interpretation, delivered a concise remark perfectly timed to give
West the jolt he deserved and to give the audience immediate insight as to what force propelled
West's feet and mouth.
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“John Henrik Clarke Master Psychiatrist”
By James McIntosh

8. Said Dr. Clarke, "You would not say that to an Israeli." From out of no where-- BANG, You
would not say that to an Israeli. Dr. Clarke had hit both West and the audience with high voltage
insight. For those who don't believe West felt the current consider the following fact. West's
next four words consisted of the single word I stuttered in rapid succession, "I-I-I-I. It was like
he had stepped on Granville Woods’ third rail. So busy with the double talk, West had never
even seen Dr. John Henrik Clarke slip on the electrodes --Dr. John Henrik Clarke the Master
Psychiatrist!
James C. McIntosh, M.D. is a practicing psychiatrist in Queens New
York. He is a Graduate of Hunter College Department of Black and
Puerto Rican Studies and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of
New Jersey.
Co-Chair CEMOTAP, Inc. (The Committee to Eliminate Media
Offensive to African People)
135-05 Rockaway Blvd. S. Ozone Park, NY 11420
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“John Henrik Clarke Master Psychiatrist”
By James McIntosh