Germany's Black Holocaust "The Untold Truth"

For the first time ever in a book, three different
Blacks tell stories of their intimate involvement with
the Holocaust, all from a different perspective. One
is an actual Black holocaust survivor from Dachau. One
was a commander with the U.S. Army unit that liberated
Dachau. And one was with the medical corps that went
to clean up the dead bodies at Dachau.


Interview With Dr. Firpo W. Carr


Interviewer: What prompted you to write such a book?

Dr. Carr: The fact that we as Black people were never
told of such atrocities. It's part of, not just "Black
History," but, "History."

Interviewer: When did you first suspect that Black
people were victims of the Holocaust?

Dr. Carr: About 30 years ago in 1973.

Interviewer: Can you elaborate?

Dr. Carr: Sure. In the latter part of 1973 I read the
1974 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses. As one of
Jehovah's Witnesses I was interested in reading
everything published by the Watch Tower Society, the
publishing arm of the Witnesses.

The entire subject matter of the Yearbook dealt with
atrocities committed against the Witnesses by Hitler
and the Nazi regime. The book went into gruesome
details as to the unspeakable horrors committed
against the German Witnesses.

Aside from being frightened and horrified by the
gruesome details, I was also intrigued that, this
same bastion of white supremacy, the ideology of
National Socialism (as Nazism is more formally known)
did nothing or had nothing to say about Black people.

While the Yearbook and other sources, both Witness and
non-Witness, listed other victims like the Gypsies,
handicapped, homosexuals, and others, Blacks were very
rarely, if ever, mentioned. They certainly weren't
mentioned in any Witness literature as victims of
Hitler's Holocaust.

The question as to why the silence nagged me for
decades. As I searched and traveled and read and
interviewed Holocaust survivors over the many years, I
asked about Black people. Finally, it all pretty much
came together, hence, my book, Germany 's Black
Holocaust: 1890-1945.

Interviewer: Are you saying that the Black Holocaust
started as far back as 1890?

Dr. Carr: Correct.

Interviewer: How is that?

Dr. Carr: You'll have to read the book.

Interviewer: So it ended in 1945 I'm assuming by the
title.

Dr. Carr: No. World War II ended in 1945 and thus the
Holocaust. But for Black people who lived during that
time, the "Black" Holocaust continued because some of
them had fled to the countryside and had no news of
Allied victory.

You see, they didn't have radios, per se, in those
days. Communication was certainly not what it is
today. So, although the War ended in defeat for the
Nazi army, Blacks who had fled to the countryside were
still under the impression that the War was still
waging.

Interviewer: For how long were they under this
misimpression?

Dr. Carr: Perhaps a few years in some extreme cases.
And of course, symbolically, I demonstrate that the
influence of the Holocaust, as expressed through the
tentacles of present-day white supremacy, has spread
from Nazi Germany, to America , to all corners of our
earthly globe. All you have to do is read about the
Paperclip Project.

Interviewer: The Paperclip Project? What's that?

Dr. Carr: The CIA program that brought prominent Nazi
scientists, educators, and others over to the U.S. and
gave them various jobs throughout the country. Along
with their expertise they brought their racist ideas
with them. It gets real deep. But, you'll have to read
the book to learn more about it.

Interviewer: What do you hope to accomplish by
bringing this hidden history to the attention of the
public?

Dr. Carr: I can give the standard, "greater
awareness" answer, but it's more than that. I
sincerely hope that my book and similar materials will
be used as staples in history courses that'll cover
the subject of Blacks and the Holocaust.

This course should be taught, at the very least, in
high schools, and most definitely in colleges and
universities—especially HBCs (Historical Black
Colleges).

Interviewer: Where can people get the book?

Dr. Carr: There are several ways: (1) they can
purchase the book through this Web site
(www.gblackh.org), or, (2) they can purchase it
through their local Black bookstore, or, (3) they can
purchase it through www.amazon.com, or, (4) they can
purchase it through the larger chain bookstores like
Barnes & Noble.

Interviewer: How much is it?

Dr. Carr: $19.95.

Interviewer: Good price.

Dr. Carr: We wanted to make it affordable.

Interviewer: But what about those who think even this
price is too expensive?

Dr. Carr: Well, I'll tell them about four simple words
divided into two simple sentences—one a question and
one a statement—that I read in the admissions office
at Compton College (in Compton, California) that I
read years ago when I took a class there.

They read: "Education expensive? Try ignorance."

Interviewer: Thank you Dr. Carr.

Dr. Carr: My pleasure.

"Forget Black History Month, how about live an African History Life"-Ansley Burrows