Dr. John K. Marah

John Karefah-Allah Marah was born June 30, 1953, in Sierra Leone. His mother gave him the name Karefah-Allah meaning “one under God’s protection.” A teacher at his Catholic school added the name “John” in honor of John the Baptist.

He came to America as a young man to study, completing his B.A. in English Education in 1976 at SUNY Oneonta; M.Ed. in Language Arts Education from Tuskegee University in 1977; Ed.D. in 1982 and M.S. in Adult Education in 1984 both from Syracuse University.

After his years of educational achievements, Dr. John K. Marah began at SUNY-Brockport as an adjunct (part-time) professor in 1984. He began as a visiting lecturer (fulltime) in 1989 advancing to the rank of full professor in 2003. At the time of his death he had continually been employed at SUNY-Brockport for 40 years during which he built a strong community. Half of those years he served as the chairperson of the department of African and African American Studies. He also added many courses to the department’s curriculum, led the study-abroad trip to Ghana for 19 years, served on many committees, mentored hundreds of students and junior faculty, and served as faculty advisor to the African Student Union. John also served on the executive board of the New York African Studies Association for many decades.

John Karefah Marah was an ardent Pan-Africanist scholar, publishing many academic articles and four books on Pan-Africanism. He also published two novels and a collection of poetry as well as editing two books for NYASA conference proceedings. Among his more celebrated books are African People in the Global Village: An Introduction to Pan-Africanism and Pan-African Education: A Must for the African Union along with his novels, Son of a Chief and Dining and Dancing with the Devils.

Dr. Marah was preceded in death by his parents, Wuryai Bala Marah and Dambayai, and his elder sister Damba Sayo. He leaves to cherish his sister, Mariatu, three children (Kwame, Nzinga, Solomon) and close friends Mr. and Mrs. Scott, many other sisters and brothers, many cousins, nieces, nephews, grandchildren (here and abroad), aunts, uncles, friends, colleagues, and students. He passionately lived his commitment to his ideas, family, and community. While we have his writings, we will miss his deep laugh, his tendency to tap your arm while telling a story, and his unflinching dedication to Africana students and his people.

A funeral service honoring John will be held on Saturday, March 9, 2024 at 1:00 PM at the Alvah Halloran & Son Funeral Home, 2125 Chili Ave, Rochester, New York 14624. Visitation will take place before the service from 12:00 PM until 1:00 PM. He will be laid to rest at the Riverside cemetery.