By: Donald V. Watkins
Copyrighted and Published on August 15, 2024
A Book Review
As a legal scholar and journalist who regularly researches and studies the history of American jurisprudence and English Common Law, I find myself compelled to share my admiration and respect for an upcoming and insightful new law book that deserves the attention of other legal scholars, academicians, historians, and interested members of the public. The book is titled, “Sacred Foundations,” by Shalamoor Bey.
This meticulously researched and well-documented book delves into the often-overlooked connection between Ecclesiastical Laws and the birth of the United States' legal system. It presents a narrative that challenges our conventional understanding of America’s legal origins.
Shalamoor Bey, whose real name is Mark Ritchie, is the father of my first daughter-in-law, Laquansay Vaneshay Nickson Watkins (who is my son Dustin's wife). Ritchie, an established entrepreneur, is also one of my partners in the international oil and gas business.
In "Sacred Foundations," Shalamoor Bey presents a compelling argument that the legal principles upon which the United States was founded are deeply rooted in Ecclesiastical Laws. This body of law was derived from canon and civil law and administered by Ecclesiastical courts, which were established to hear and decide legal matters based upon religious doctrines. The jurisdiction exercised by Ecclesiastical courts played a major role in the development of the English legal system, which governed legal matters during the colonial era in America.
Shalamoor Bey's book meticulously traces the influence of these ancient legal frameworks, demonstrating how they shaped the very fabric of the United States’ legal ststem. What makes Bey's body of work particularly profound, however, is the revelation that the Vatican, which originally asserted its dominance and agency in shaping these foundational laws, has since repudiated, rejected, and disavowed them.
The implications of this disavowal are both far-reaching and profound for the Americas and Africa. Shalamoor Bey’s meticulous scholarship in jurisprudence invites us to (a) re-examine and reconsider the foundations upon which our legal system stands and (b) question the long-term impacts of these Ecclesiastical rejections on our modern system of governance.
For legal professionals, academicians, historians, and interested members of the public, “Sacred Foundations” is a must-read. It offers a fresh new perspective on the complex interplay between law, religion, and the state.
In an era where the roots of our legal system are often overlooked or misunderstood, “Sacred Foundations” stands as a beacon of extraordinary scholarship. It reminds us of the intricate and often contentious history that underpins the foundation of American laws and society. This book is not just a historical analysis; it is a call to engage with the legal traditions that continue to shape our world today.
"Sacred Foundations" Honors Mark Ritchie's Family Legacy
"Sacred Foundations" also honors Mark Ritchie's family legacy. He is the great, great nephew of the late U.S. Senator Blanche Kelso Bruce (R-Mississippi), the first African-American elected to the United States Senate in 1874. Sen. Bruce defeated appointed U.S. Senator Hiram Revels, who was the first African American to serve in the United States Senate.
Born into slavery in 1841, Blanche Kelso Bruce spent his childhood years in Virginia and Missouri where he received his earliest education from the tutor hired to teach his master's son. At the dawn of the Civil War, Bruce fled to freedom in Kansas.
After his emancipation, Bruce returned to Missouri and then Mississippi to pursue a career in education and politics. Elected to the Senate in 1874 by the Mississippi state legislature, Bruce served from 1875 to 1881, becoming the first African American to preside over the Senate in 1879.
Withdrawal of the post-Civil War military government in Mississippi ended Republican control of that state's political institutions and any chance that Bruce might serve more than a single term in Congress. That term, however, proved to be an active one as he advocated civil rights for Blacks, Native Americans, Chinese immigrants, and even former Confederates.
After leaving the Senate, Bruce held a variety of key government and educational posts until his death in 1898.
In 2002, the U.S. Senate commissioned a new portrait of Bruce, which is now on display in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
We congratulate Mark Ritchie on his exciting new book, "Sacred Foundations"!
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