Historian Anthony "Amp" Elmore, recognized by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), is advancing a forensic reconstruction of spiritual history that challenges conventional narratives about the origins of Buddhism and Christianity. His research, grounded in 19th-century scholarship, asserts that the foundational elements of world spirituality originated with ancient Cushite civilizations in Africa and the Indus Valley, establishing what he terms "Black Buddhism" as a sovereign category distinct from Asian-led traditions.
Elmore's work builds upon the 1833 masterwork Anacalypsis by British historian Sir Godfrey Higgins, who concluded after twenty years of investigation that the "Negro Religion" of Buddhism formed the basis of all human civilization and spirituality. Higgins documented that the most ancient spiritual icons across Asia and the Nile Valley were depicted with distinct African features, identifying a "celebrated Black Buddha" as humanity's primary savior figure. This research posits that Western religious figures, including Christ, Krishna, and Hermes, derived from this original source. Elmore elaborates on this in his lecture, accessible via NARA Historian Anthony "Amp" Elmore: "Christ was A Buddhist", where he explains Higgins' taxonomy differentiating the ancient "Elder Buddha" (Hermes Trismegistus) from the later "Younger Buddha" (Shakyamuni).
This historical framework has significant implications for contemporary religious identity. Elmore argues it creates a definitive "Line of Demarcation," proving that the Proud Black Buddhist World Association is not practicing an adopted Asian faith but is reclaiming a lost Cushite heritage. This movement shifts the narrative from "Blacks who practice Buddhism" to a community restoring its ancestral birthright, a distinction Elmore emphasizes is critical. He defines "Black Buddhism" as acknowledging Buddhism's Cushite origins, fundamentally different from "Asian/White Buddhism" or practices dependent on Asian Buddhist masters.
The struggle for this sovereign spiritual identity is mirrored in local community history. Elmore, a Memphis native, connects his historical work to the fight over the historical narrative of Orange Mound, a community founded by Black churches in 1879. He contends that the recent installation of a marker dating Orange Mound to 1890 represents an erasure of "Black Memphis History," analogous to the broader erasure of Black Buddhist heritage. This local context underscores his argument that the struggle for Black homeownership and spiritual enlightenment are interconnected journeys of sovereignty.
Elmore's position has led to institutional conflicts within Buddhist communities. In 2019, he was expelled from a Facebook group called the Black Buddhist Society, an event he characterizes as an example of "cultural indoctrination" and gatekeeping by Black leaders aligned with Asian-led sects like Nichiren Shu. He details this conflict in a video titled NARA Historian Anthony Amp Elmore Kicked out of Facebook Black Buddhist Society for being too Black. Elmore critiques figures like Nichiren Shu priest Myokei Shonin and SGI leader Akemi Bailey-Haynie, whom he accuses of upholding "Japanese Cultural Imperialism" and, in Bailey-Haynie's case, adopting an "Other" identity that distances itself from Blackness to gain standing within Asian-led organizations.
Beyond historical reclamation, Elmore frames Buddhism as a "Sacred Science" that bridges spirituality and modern physics. In lectures like Black Folk Introduction to the Science of Buddhism, he redefines core concepts. He posits that the Mystic Law (Myoho) is where "God and Science meet," interpreting the Lotus Sutra's title, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, as a universal formula of cause and effect (Renge) and vibration (Kyo). He argues that chanting is not prayer but tuning one's life frequency to the universe's rhythm, a concept he links to the psychological framework of Ichinen Sanzen (3,000 realms in a single moment). His mantra, "True Buddhism is Education, not Meditation," rejects passive spirituality for a proactive, intellectually grounded path.
Elmore's research also challenges other religious frameworks. In a lecture challenging the Nation of Islam, accessible via NARA Honored Historian Anthony "Amp" Elmore Black Buddhist Challenge Nation of Islam Black Muslims, he uses Kushite history to argue that Abrahamic faiths and Buddhism share a common Afro-Asian root. He presents iconographic evidence, like the Black Madonna and Child found in Europe, as the original depictions of the Buddha and his mother Maya, later whitewashed. He identifies linguistic links, suggesting Abraham derives from Brahma and the Tribe of Judah from the Tribe of Buddha (Shaka clan).
Furthermore, Elmore critiques modern Asian Buddhist sects for a "systematic extrication" of Black history. He argues that by prioritizing Sanskrit over the original Pali language of Black Dravidian practitioners, organizations like Nichiren Shoshu and SGI perpetuate a "Brahmanical coup" that rewrites history. He highlights deities on the Buddhist mandala (Gohonzon), such as Fudo Myo-o and Aizen Myo-o, as originally Black gods whose ethnic origins have been obscured. This reclamation, he states, allows Black practitioners to see their history reflected in spiritual teachings, moving from dependency on Asian masters to what he calls "Independent Spiritual Sovereignty."
The implications of Elmore's work are profound for historical understanding, religious identity, and community empowerment. By providing "forensic receipts" from archival and historical sources, he offers an evidence-based challenge to Eurocentric and Asian-centric narratives. For the African Diaspora, it frames spiritual practice not as cultural adoption but as heritage restoration, potentially reshaping religious education and interfaith dialogue. For the broader world, it presents a unified vision of ancient spiritual science with African origins, suggesting a need to reevaluate the foundational stories of major world religions.
