Part II of My N'guzo Saba 2015 Cultural Infusion Seminar Notes

My N'GUZO SABA 2015 Cultural-Infusion-for-Educators Workshop Notes-Part II

The second half of the Dr. Karenga/Us Workshop-Seminar featured slide presentations from Associate Instructors Dr. Feya Rivers and Dr. Miranda Ra'oof respectively on each of their educational projects as well as an oral presentation from Ms. Assata Moore. 

Dr. Karenga for his part shared with us the Kawaida viewpoint of Restorative Justice versus Retributive Justice.  More, Dr. Karenga then exhorted us to become ever more intentional in our service as models of excellence in leading Kwanzaa celebrations in our respective communities .  To do so, he strongly recommended that we intentionally commit to ever more closely using his book on Kwanzaa (Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture, University of Sankore Press, 1998) as a resource guide to our respective annual community practices. 

More still, Dr. Karenga challenged us to consider adopting Kawaida philosophy as a unifying force behind each of our respective educational initiatives.  This said the Seminar was concluded after a lively Q & A period chaired by Dr. Karenga.

In completing this note/report on the important Kawaida Cultural Infusion Seminar of September 24, let me share a quote from the close of Dr. Karenga's 50th Anniversary Program reflection on the overall N'GUZO SABA 2015 Conference Theme-inclusive of the Pre-Conference Workshop/Seminar for Educators: 

"The goal here is to pose paradigms of excellence and possibility which reaffirm our capacity and will as a people to build institutions that house and advance our aspirations and interests, and to engage in practices that enrich and expand our lives and aid us in honoring our ancestral teaching that the fundamental mission and meaning of human life is to constantly bring good into the world and not let any good be lost."  

Respectfully submitted: Rev. Joel Washington (Khunanpu Sangoma) of Reformation Church-Chicago (ELCA), 10/19/15  

ABOUT THE KAWAIDA CULTURAL INFUSION SEMINAR/WORKSHOP OF DR. MAULANA kARENGA & Us

My Kawaida Cultural-Infusion-for- Educators Workshop Notes-Part 1

Because our ministry is primarily informed by the Historic Black Freedom Church tradition on the one hand and on the other by Kawaida Cultural Nationalist Philosophy for racial and social justice, we were strongly moved by the Holy Spirit to attend this important pre- NGUZO SABA 2015,  day-long Roundtable Discussion held on Thursday, 24 September 2015 in the Executive Board Room of Sheraton Gateway Hotel, LA.

Synonymously named "African-Centered Teachers' Workshop and Seminar" as well as a "Seminar on African-Centered Culturally Grounded Pedagogy"  the Seminar/Workshop was structured as follows: Dr. Maulana Karenga, Professor and Chair, Department of Africana Studies , CSULB; Executive Director, African American Cultural Center (Us), served as the Seminar's "Principal Instructor." 

More, the Seminar's three "Associate Instructors" were as follows: Dr. Freya Rivers, Superintendent, Sankofa Shule; Director, the Genius Academy; Former Principal, Lansing School District.  More still, Dr. Miranda Ra'oof, Principal of Pio Pico Middle School, LA and Ms. Assata Moore, Director, Woodlawn Campus Charter School, University of Chicago, also served the Seminar as Associate Instructors.

Below are this writer's raw Kawaida cultural infusion notes.  In retrospect they form the basis of a forthcoming clarifying interview with Dr. Karenga.  The correct ideas are Dr. Karenga's.  The mistakes are ours.

If I understood correctly, the starting point for culturally grounded Afrocentricity education is to understand it as primarily a moral project.  It is about learning to become a geru maa-a truly self-disciplined hearing, good, and learned person.  This said culturally grounded education is essentially about learning to live a good life as opposed to learning how to make or earn a good living. 

Culturally grounded Afrocentricity education then, involves education in the following four (4) basic areas.

First, Black education should be focused on the challenge of knowing the world.  After all Black Studies is aimed at fostering critical thinking about the world in which Black people live.  Said awareness begins not with an inward glance (the proverbial abstract ancient Greek "Know They self") but with an outward focus e.g. "to be other directed."  It is to ask with Garvey "Who am I here?"  It is to ask, says Dr. Karenga, "Who am I in this place?" 

Second, culturally grounded education is about knowledge of ourselves in the world.  Said knowledge "lays the basis for rightful association." The point here is that of learning to strive toward a "cosmic conception of ourselves as humans in the universe-beings of the world."  Said view undergirds a much needed educational thrust towards a "species modesty." 

Third, culturally grounded education is aimed toward engaging the world-divine, natural, and social (the human community).  It involves knowledge of how we should assert ourselves as moral agents in the world.  Here it is about choosing a vocation in and for the world both as a Black collectivity and as a Black personality.

Fourth, Black culturally grounded education is knowledge of how to direct our lives toward good and expansive ends.

An interesting thought: although one should not be paranoid (harbor delusions of Black community persecution) it is perhaps worthy of noting that Black community life is surrounded by threats to its existence.  More, though Garvey may have overstated it, it is also worthy of noting half of other directed learning or education is that of knowing one's enemies, observed Dr. Karenga. 

      

ABOUT THE NGUZO SABA 2015 BLACK SEPTEMBER CONFERENCE

ON 50 YEARS OF SERVICE, STRUGGLE, AND INSTITUTION BUILDING

To celebrate 50th Anniversary of the NGUZO SABA (The Seven Principles), the founding of Organization Us, and the African American Cultural Center/Us as a seminal Black Power Philosophy vanguard for racial and social  justice,  as well as a dynamic structure ,  program, media, and resource,  Dr. Maulana Karenga, Us, and their African American Cultural Center (AACC) of Los Angeles hosted a four (4) day Conference and Awards Luncheon September 24-27 at LA'S  Sheraton Gateway Hotel.

This blog is dedicated to making weekly reports on the landmark NGUZO SABA 2015 CONFERENCE as well as its follow-up initiatives either out of Los Angeles or as a result of initiatives taken by Kawaida Philosophy advocates as they return to their respective cities around the country.


The official Conference frame  was "[The] 50th Anniversary (1965-2015) [of] The NGUZO SABA (The Seven Principles), The Organization Us and The African American Cultural Center/Us."  More, the major Conference theme was: "The Seven Principles and Us: Celebrating and Sustaining Family, Community and Culture." 

Conference Overview Part I

 
NGUZO SABA 2015 was prefaced by an all-day intensive on Kawaida cultural grounding for educators on Thursday, September 24 in the Executive Board Room of the Gateway Sheraton.  It was formally advanced as a "One-day Teachers Cultural  Grounding and Infusion Seminar/Workshop."  This Pre-Conference gathering was then followed by the formal opening Conference Reception later that evening by the Sheraton Hotel Pool.

The main body of NGUZO SABA 2015 was launched Friday, September, 25, after an opening welcome, with its lead-off 9AM panel #1 headed "Building Community: Issues and Initiatives."  Panel #2 followed at 11AM focused on "Black Male/Female Relations: Principles and Best Practices." 

Friday's Conference program continued after a lunch break with Panel #3 at 1:45PM headed "Rebuilding the Movement: Strategies and Struggles/Roundtable Discussion."  Panel #4 followed at 3:15 PM headed an "NGUZO SABA Legacy Conversation with Dr. Julius Garvey on 'The Legacy of the Hon. Marcus Garvey.'"  

After the dinner hour, Friday's Conference program was concluded with a 7PM NGUZO SABA 2015 Town Hall Forum headed "Critical Issues of Our Times: Politics, Public Policy and Community Engagement."

Conference Overview Part II

Arguably the Conference peaked on Saturday, September 26 starting with its opening 9AM panel #5 headed "Kawaida, Africana Studies and the Community: Womanism."   Panel #6 followed at 10:30AM with its complimentary yet contrasting focus on "Kawaida, Africana Studies and the Community: Theory and Practice."  The scene shifted to the Conference centerpiece that was the "Us 50th Anniversary Awards Luncheon" at 12Noon where Dr. Molefi Asante served as keynote speaker and Poet Haki Madubuti served as cultural presenter.  

The Luncheon was immediately followed by an "Author's book party" at 3:15PM that featured the release of the Second Edition of "Essays in Struggle: Position and Analysis-Black Power Series" by Dr. Maulana Karenga, Professor and Chair of the Department of Africana Studies, California State University at Long Beach: major Black Power activist/scholar and social ethical philosopher.  The afternoon's events concluded with panel #7 at 4:30PM headed "Creative Production: Insights and Institution Building."

Peak Conference discussion turn-out seemed to be reached with Saturday evening's 7PM session headed "Remembrance, Reflection and Resistance: Mapping the Course of Our Current Struggle (A Dialogue Between Dr. Maulana Karenga and Dr. Cornel West)."

Sunday morning, September 27th saw the Conference close at the Us/African American Cultural Center in Leimert Park, South Central LA with  panels #8 and #9 the former headed "Saida/Simba Conversations:  Black Men Raising and Rising" and the latter headed "Spirituality and Ethics: Faith of Our Fathers and Mothers."

Pastor Khunanpu Sangoma, Reformation Church-Chicago, NAKO-Chicago Study Group, and Communications & Program Committee Member of the National Black Evangelical Association (NBEA-Chicago Chapter), 10/10/15