PROFESSOR TEACHES, HELPS MAKE AFRICAN HISTORY

by Doug Harrison

To tell Adell Patton's story is to tell of sharecroppers in Arkansas and diplomatic delegations to West Africa, of jazz music and revolution and, above all, a commitment to his heritage.

That commitment to and interest in African history took Patton, an associate professor of history, to Liberia July as part of a 40-member delegation from the Carter Center-Atlanta's Conflict Resolution Program.

The delegation was lead by former President Jimmy Carter, his wife, Rosalyn and former U.S. Senator Paul Simon and his wife, Jean.

The delegation was charged with observing the first democratic election that country has seen since the end of a seven-year civil war, responsible for over 150,000 civilian deaths.

Patton and other delegation members observed some of the country's 2,000 polling sites during their 11-day stay.

"You must remember that this is a country with 13 different political parties and an illiteracy of over 80 percent," Patton said.

Part of Patton's task was to ensure that the election process was being carried out according to regulations established by the Independent Election Commission of Liberia.

"The ballots had as little writing on them as possible," Patton said. "Each candidate's picture was on the left and the voter placed an X or a thumbprint next to the candidate of choice."

In order to ensure the delegates' safety, Patton said they were given badges, but he also wore a bright red St. Louis Cardinals hat to ensure there was no mistaking him.

"I did go with some trepidation," Patton said. "But after a while, I relaxed. I went out and about Monrovia at night. But I was told that as little as a few months ago, we would not have been safe."

The delegates also provided "quick counts," or on-site, informal tabulation of the ballots and phoned in the results to the Carter Center headquarters. There, Carter counseled the candidates in accordance with the projected election results.

"President Carter urged the candidates not to campaigns on the radio or in any way broadcast the results," Patton said.

He said Charles Taylor, the eventual presidential victor, had his own FM radio station, but because of Carter's work, the station played only gospel music on election day, July 19.

The Carter Center will maintain a presence in Liberia through next year to ensure a smooth transition in the post governance process.

"President Carter has one the most active post-presidencies of any man in American history," Patton said.

Patton says his trip to Africa was especially rewarding for him.

"For the first time, an African organization (IECOM) has been involved in reaching a peaceful resolution to a traumatic conflict and has now helped absorb Liberia into the West African states," Patton said. "While the US will continue to have a leadership role there, Liberia will from now on be more Africa-focused."

Since his return, Patton has continued to work on a book likely to be published next year entitled "Soul Voices: Life and times in a mule-in-hole plow culture in Arkansas 1800-1979," a book he hopes can be made into a movie.

It is a chronicle of Patton's own childhood, the only son of Haynes, Arkansas sharecroppers.

"My mother had a sixth grade education and my father had a first grade education," Patton said. "But they were always determined that I should not linger in poverty. When the school bus came, I was on it."

After high school, Patton studied music at Kent State College in Kentucky, graduating in 1959. Having worked summers in St. Louis at the Norwood Hills Country Club, Patton returned here with his music degree.

"I came to St. Louis with a trumpet under my arm and hopes of becoming the next Miles Davis," Patton said. "It didn't happen."

Instead, he enrolled at Butler University in Indianapolis where he met professor and mentor Emilou Thornbrough. She helped spark Patton's interest in African history. He graduated from there in 1964 with a master's degree in African history, and he earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1975.

Until 1994, Patton taught at Howard University, where he was a Fulbright teaching fellow and senior fellow of the Carter G. Woodson Institute.

Patton is particularly interested in African history as it relates to what he calls the "invention of tradition" in historical texts and cultural myths perpetuated by ethnic groups and societies.

"Much of what we have been taught as tradition and history has just recently been invented," he said. "That is the baggage that is imposed on the African Diaspora."

After "retiring" from Howard in 1994, Patton accepted his post with the University.

"I love it here," Patton said. "Not only do I save probably $10,000 a year in commuting costs, but everyone at the University from the chancellor down all work for an environment that is conducive to teaching and research."

Since his arrival here, Patton has published his first book, "Physicians, Colonial Racism and Diaspora in West Africa," and submitted the manuscript of "Soul Voices" to the University of Arkansas Press for consideration.