Now What Will You Do?

The Black World’s Postscript to Zimmerman’s Acquittal

The Reminder. Last night Black America (and Black Canada, and Black Mexico, and Black China, and Black Africa and Black Everybody Else) was given a reminder by whites that they have no intention of conducting themselves in a civilized and just manner. Over the past year we witnessed Eurobarbarity from all whites involved… from the triggerman (George Zimmerman), to the witnesses who sat in their houses on the phone listening as Trayvon was being murdered, to the police who would not arrest him, to the defense attorneys who put Trayvon Martin on trial, to the prosecuting attorneys who continue to insist that “race has nothing to do with it”, to the media who gave credence to Zimmerman’s ridiculous defense, to the millions of people who sent Zimmerman hundreds of thousands of dollars, to the jury who wrapped up the entire farce and put a bow on it.

Next Steps for the Champion. A week ago it began to appear that Zimmerman would walk. Black ministers throughout parts of Florida and major cities nationally were being approached by “law” enforcement officials and asked to sign agreements that they would work to quell any violence that might erupt as a result of the verdict. Why in a free country would we expect people to react with violence to a fair and just legal process? We wouldn’t. The reality is that this country is not free and its “legal” processes are neither fair nor just.

I have seen several Tweets and Facebook status updates of Zimmerman’s home address with instructions such as “you know what to do.” Now I am not going to advocate violent actions such as burning down the homes of Zimmerman’s defense team. I would not be the one to suggest poisoning any jury members. To do so would be irresponsible on my part. I certainly wouldn’t take the law in to my own hands and do unto Zimmerman as he did unto Trayvon Martin. I am not skilled in such things. If, however, some ambitious conqueror armed with righteous rage were to take it upon himself to champion such a cause… I would understand. Dr. Francis Cress Welsing reminds us of this most basic law of nature, that self-respect is the foundation of justice. Therefore people denied recourse for just grievances through man’s laws, will revert to this most basic law of nature and they will acquire justice for themselves.

Next Steps for the Rest of Us. Now, I am torn; and if you are like me, you may be torn too. I am just a pointy-head intellectual who reads too much. I am not that warrior. I am not suited to the task of getting my hands dirty in the pursuit of justice. What can I do? I’ve given this a great deal of thought and I have made two commitments. You may consider doing something similar. First, I have committed to building a safe all-Black space in my field of practice. Integration has put Black people in close and constant proximity to whites. Consistently without break, whites use that proximity to abuse us. In my field of education, they handcuff 6-year-old girls for crying in school.[1] They mis-label and mis-educate Black boys.[2] They charge Black youth with felonies for trifling infractions that any school-age youth is bound to commit.[3] Second, I have committed to financially supporting an educational organization run by Blacks and committed exclusively to improving the Black community by working exclusively with Black children. I give non-Blacks more than enough time in the 60+ hours I work every week. I give them more than enough money when I pay my bills, when I pay my taxes, when I pay for my very existence. The least I can do is to give what’s left to my people. What will you do?

Jomo W. Mutegi is a husband and father committed to the improvement of the African world community, an author of science-related children’s books, and an Associate Professor of Science Education. To learn more about Jomo’s children’s books, visit www.JomoMutegi.com. To learn more about Dr. Mutegi’s research visit www.ES2RP.org.

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[1] See Salecia Johnson at Creekside Elementary School in Georgia. See also Desre'e Watson at Avon Elementary School in Florida.

[2] See any one of several Schott Foundation reports or just talk to a school-age Black adolescent.

[3] We profiled one such instance on a prior episode of The Woodson Files.

How to be a Good Black Woman to a Strong Black Man

Why is a science educator writing a blog about a relationship book? When I meet new people, I am often asked, “What do you teach?” I never give the right answer… and by “right” answer I mean the “expected” answer. The right answer for me would be “science.” But I don’t teach science. I teach people. I teach people of all sorts, but I am paid primarily to teach future science teachers. One of the constant reminders I give those future science teachers is that, “We don’t teach science, we teach children.”

Off Task. It is this realization that so often has me off task as a science educator. What do I mean by off task? I mean doing things other than teaching science. When we function as though we teach science, science becomes the focal point of our educational interaction. We plough through scientific formulas, historical factoids, and esoteric minutia, with reckless abandon. It makes no difference if children are with us or not. It makes no difference if the formulas, factoids, and minutia make sense to them or not… are relevant or not… are beneficial or not! I am a science teacher, By Gum! And teaching science is what I’m going to do.

By contrast when we accept that we teach children, children become the focal point of our interaction. The prevailing question guiding that interaction should be, “What do these children need?”

Let Me Be Clear. I have recently begun reading the book, God’s Gift: How to be a Good Black Woman to a Strong Black Man. Now before you start looking at me funny, let me be clear. I am a man. I do not wear a pink shoe, nor do I advocate the wearing of pink shoes. I decided to read the book when I heard the author, Angela Freeman, doing a radio interview. First of all I was very impressed by her insight and her perspective. Also, as an educator, I realize that what she is addressing is essential to the educational success of Black children. Freeman’s book is written by a Black woman for other Black women. The aim of the book is to provide insight that will help Black women repair and heal the structure of Black families.

My Expert Opinion. Black children don’t suffer educationally because our homes are in chaos. Black children suffer because of racism white supremacy. The fact that our homes are in chaos means that we are unable to provide them with the safety and security that would help them to prosper in spite of racism white supremacy. So as a teacher of children it is my expert opinion that Black children need mothers who read, study, and apply this book. I am currently 1/3 of the way through the book. I will provide a complete review in a future edition. In the meantime, purchase three copies of the book: one for yourself and 2 for friends.

Jomo W. Mutegi is a husband and father committed to the improvement of the African world community, an author of science-related children’s books, and an Associate Professor of Science Education. To learn more about Jomo’s children’s books, visit www.JomoMutegi.com. To learn more about Dr. Mutegi’s research visit www.ES2RP.org.

The Good Slave

Traumatic Confusion. I recently had a friend share an article by I. B. Nameless[1]. Excitedly, my friend explained, “Oh! You will love this article. You two think so much alike!” I was already familiar with Mr. Nameless. His writings were (in my opinion) a waste of ink, paper, and time. I would not disgrace my rabbits, by lining their dropping trays with his writings. My “friend” was obviously confused to equate my commitments with those of Mr. Nameless and I was traumatized by her confusion. Though traumatized, I understood her confusion. Many of us take very little time to understand the world in which we live. Instead we are thoroughly distracted, allowing our minds to live in a world manufactured by Hollyweird[2]. Our best energies go towards keeping track of the latest manufactured drama, or the latest manufactured news, or the latest manufactured relationship, or… So at any rate, in the minds of many there is not much mental energy allocated to the discernment of racial (social, political, cultural, historical) discourse. In the minds of many it is all seen as “Black talk” or “that Black stuff.”

We here at Sankoré Institute are solution-oriented. So, to contribute to the reduction of traumatic confusion… to help reduce the mental space occupied by Hollyweird… and to help foster in our people a greater capacity for understanding our condition… we offer this simple lesson in discernment.

Discernment Lesson, Part One: Historical Context. Throughout history (and this distinction goes back tens of thousands of years) there have been two types of Afrikans. There have been those who unapologetically, without hesitation, and at any cost place the well-being of Afrikan people as their primary goal. I will call these Afrikans Freedom Fighters because they fight to establish and maintain our freedom. These Freedom Fighters do not care about hurting people's feelings, about being nice guys, or about diplomacy. They only want good life for us. You can look up Men-Kepre-Ra-Tahuti-Maes as an ancient example. More recent examples would be Queen Nzingha, Nat Turner, Marcus Garvey, or Khalid Abdul Muhammad. The second type of Afrikan is different. I will call these Afrikans "good slaves" because they are good and useful for the slave monster. These are compromising, capitulating, go-along-to-get-along Afrikans who prioritize many things over our well-being. They may prioritize the feelings of our enemies, a philosophical idea, a religious commitment, or a "good guy" image. We always suffer because these Afrikans are used by our enemies to mislead and confuse our people. You can look up Akenaten as an ancient example. More recent examples would be Lucius Septimius Severus, Toussaint Louverture, W.E.B. DuBois, and Martin Luther King.

Discernment Lesson, Part Two: Guidelines. Following are three guidelines that can be used to discern these two types of Afrikans. Guideline #1: Freedom Fighters are extremely explicit in identifying the enemy. An enemy is anyone who is working to our detriment. The white race has been, is and by all evidence is going to be the bitter enemy of Afrikan people. A Freedom Fighting educator identifies white teachers, white schools, white curriculum, white administrative policies, white disciplinary practices, etc. as the core source problem in the oppression of Black children. The good slave identifies the need for diversity, a bloated bureaucracy, a corrupted educational system, poverty, lack of understanding, lack of resources, and a whole host of other problems. They never, however, identify whites as enemies of Black people. Guideline #2: Freedom Fighters talk straight. When you listen to us speak, you do not leave confused or seduced by a lot of fancy, high-sounding words. The good slave's tongue is his weapon. He uses it to trick us into thinking he is an advocate for Afrikan people while simultaneously reassuring whites that he is no threat. To accomplish this he uses buckets and buckets of words[3]. When you listen to the good slave don't be seduced by the sweet sound of nothingness. Listen for the meaning. Rarely will the good slave clearly and accurately identify an Afrikan problem. And even more rarely do they offer direct and meaningful solutions. Guideline #3: Freedom Fighters advocate for Afrikan people based on their Afrikan-ness. We seek Afrikan solutions to Afrikan problems for the purpose of benefiting Afrikan people. The good slave advocates for everybody on the basis of… “who knows what?” As a consequence they are never in a position to lead Afrikan people as we seek to establish and maintain freedom.

Discernment Lesson, Part Three: Homework. Identify three news stories written by and about Black people. Pull them from the following sources: War on the Horizon - War Room, Your Black World, Pittsburgh Courier Online. Read through each story and practice applying the guidelines to determine what type of Afrikan authored each.

Jomo W. Mutegi is a husband and father committed to the improvement of the African world community, an author of science-related children’s books, and an Associate Professor of Science Education. To learn more about Jomo’s children’s books, visit www.JomoMutegi.com. To learn more about Dr. Mutegi’s research visit www.ES2RP.org.

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[1] Real names are withheld to protect the honest, and to allow the foolish room to grow.

[2] Thanks to Kush the Black Unifier of Positive Kemetic Visions for this characterization.

[3] Thanks to Justice of the C.O.W.S. for this characterization.

“Go to School, Baby…”

Bad Advice from Grandma

Monday Morning. Monday morning I greeted one of colleagues in the break room. “How was your weekend?”

“I was bad this weekend,” she replied. “I didn’t do any work. I just spent the weekend with Tommy cleaning around the house.”

This is not an unusual conversation. I have it often with friends and colleagues. What is unusual is that many of us feel the need to apologize for spending our weekend on ourselves. Not only is it unusual, this is crazy. For many of us Monday through Friday is spent slavishly working to enrich others. What time is available to us is used to enable us to be of better servitude to others. We eat, sleep, and transport ourselves around to work for whatever corporate or government entity gives us a subsistence stipend (Ugh! Excuse me.) …a paycheck.

The Realization. Then it hits me. Over 50% of US workers don’t like their jobs, at least according to the Conference Board (http://www.conference-board.org/) which conducts a poll of job satisfaction every few years. So, this means that over half of US workers spend five days out of seven toiling their lives away doing something they don’t like in order to enrich someone else. What is more, many of them (especially those that are salaried) will allow work demands to encroach on the two remaining days that are actually allocated to them.

Enter Grandma. Now here is our beloved grandma telling us, “Stay in school, Baby. Work hard. Get good grades, so you can get a good job.” I’m sorry, Grandma, but you are giving Black children some bad advice. Why should we encourage our children to devote 12-18 of their most creative, energetic, optimistic, youthful years to the drudgery of school? Those youth who endure it get the prize of “a good job,” that will most likely commit them to 40-60 more years of drudgery.

The Fix. Don’t do this to the babies, and don’t do it to yourself. Here are two suggestions. First, leave work at work, and stop apologizing for enjoying your life. If you want to spend your weekend on your couch scratching yourself, that’s your business. Have fun with that! Second, advise Black children to aspire to self-determination (kujichagulia). If you give them a stay in school message, make it, “Stay in school, Baby. Work hard. Learn how whites are oppressing Afrikan people. Bring that knowledge back to us, so you can help us to get some Black Dominion!” Now that is some good advice!

Jomo W. Mutegi is a husband and father committed to the improvement of the African world community, an author of science-related children’s books, and an Associate Professor of Science Education. To learn more about Jomo’s children’s books, visit www.JomoMutegi.com. To learn more about Dr. Mutegi’s research visit www.ES2RP.org.

When an Elder Dies

The Proverb. When an elder dies, a library is burned. This African proverb underscores for us the vast knowledge that our elders possess. As a youth, I didn’t really know how to learn from my elders. Of course I learned like others to do what I was told, to mind my manners, to say please and thank you, to stay in school, blah, blah, blah. But that is not the exciting stuff. That library can be burned, other people have it. The exciting knowledge is the inside scoop. Our elders lived through the miss-story that we are propagandized with …TAUGHT… I said, “Taught” in schools.

Learning from the Library. Each year here in Indianapolis Sankoré Institute brings in a group of speakers who by their work have demonstrated a commitment to the libration of Afrikan people. Though not all of our speakers would be considered elders, many are. And to sit and speak with many of them is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Two years ago we invited Sam Greenlee to lead a discussion of his book and film, The Spook Who Sat by the Door. He was able to share with us so much more than is found in the book. In fact one story he shared was not related to the book at all. Apparently when he was younger, a mob of whites stoned a Black child who was swimming near a beach in Chicago. In retaliation for the killing, Blacks in Chicago waged war on whites throughout the city. The whites along with the Chicago City Police were unable to “contain the situation.” Ultimately the National Guard was brought in and Chicago City officials were forced to sit down and capitulate to the demands of the Black community. I learned from Sam Greenlee that we can fight city hall, and we can win! We’ve done it. Of course they won’t teach this history to our youth, it might give them bad ideas. Fortunately, we can teach it.

A Library of Our Own. As you look towards Black History Month, look for an opportunity to learn at the feet of some of our living legends. This year we will bring Mukasa Dada (aka Willie Ricks) to Indianapolis. Mukasa was a major force in the civil rights movement. He worked side by side with Kwame Ture (aka Stokely Carmichael) to develop SNCC (the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee). When Kwame Ture stepped down and H. Rap Brown took over, Mukasa was asked to work with Brown to “show him the ropes.” At one point Mukasa was regarded as one of the 10 most dangerous men in the State of Georgia and police were forbidden from approaching his home without special permission. We look forward to sitting at the feet Mukasa and learning from this giant on February 9, 2013.

If you are in the Indianapolis area, consider attending the Sankoré Institute sponsored Call to Action Lecture featuring Mukasa Dada. If not, consider sponsoring an event of your own. From which elders will you learn? Mmoja Ajabu? Claude Anderson? Mama Mirimba Ani? Neely Fuller? Sam Greenlee? Ashra Kwesi? Dr. Francis Cress Welsing? How will your watoto learn from these elders? A fireside chat? A conference call? A video conference? Whether you gather 3, 30 or 300 all will benefit from the knowledge of our elders and our elders will benefit from the appreciation we have for their sacrifice.

Jomo W. Mutegi is a husband and father committed to the improvement of the African world community, an author of science-related children’s books, and an Associate Professor of Science Education. To learn more about Jomo’s children’s books, visit www.JomoMutegi.com. To learn more about Dr. Mutegi’s research visit www.ES2RP.org.

A Morning in the Gym

Notes on the Inimical[1] Nature of White Folks

The Routines. Like many of us who live a modern western deathstyle (excuse me) …uh …lifestyle, my daily routine is very sedentary. That means I sit on my backside all day. That’s right. I sit on my backside in front of a computer. Sometimes I talk on the phone. Sometimes I swivel my chair from side to side. Sometimes I stand up and walk across the room. But for the most part, I sit on my backside… all day. This is my primary routine. What is ironic about this routine is that very often at the end of the day, relatively little is accomplished. Perhaps, I've read and responded to some memorandum. Maybe I filed some documents, opened and discarded some mail, or sent mail to someone else to open and discard. But I won’t complain. We gotta eat.

Now, when I am disciplined and committed enough to do it, I sometimes develop a secondary routine… The Gym. At the gym my goal is to undo the harm that sitting on my backside all day is doing to my body. So I run in place on a conveyor belt for 45 minutes. I lift a weight-bearing bar over my head repeatedly until I can’t lift it any more. What is ironic about this routine is that at the end, again very little is accomplished. I step off of the conveyor belt out of breath, yet standing in the same place I was when I began. I didn't travel to a new place. I didn't meet new people. I didn't see new sights.

Natural Living. There’s something unnerving and unnatural in these routines. Nature has provided us with a system for meaningful work and maximum health. Natural-Man doesn't run on a hamster wheel. Natural-Man walks or runs for miles and when he gets there (wherever there is) he hunts, traps, forages or raises food. He then carries it back to others. Natural-Man doesn't need to run on a hamster wheel, because he didn't spend his day sitting on his backside.

A Lesson. There is a lesson in this for Afrikan people, a lesson that can (and should) be shared with Afrikan children. Although the Western deathstyle is normal (which means that everyone does it) it is not natural. It is not natural for humans to sit on their backsides all day doing less than meaningful work. Work that disconnects us from the natural world is typically not meaningful work. Meaningful work is growing food, building structures, caring for animals, and enhancing relationships. Meaningful work is inherently healthier than Western “work.” Meaningful work requires us to be active, to be outside, and to be fully vested. The outcome of this work has personal meaning to the humans engaging in the work. Meaningful work provides us with adventure.

Don’t Quit Your Desk Job. Keep doing it to the best of your ability. We gotta eat. However, try to find a place in the time that remains for meaningful work. If hunting moose or raising llamas seems too daunting, consider gardening as a more feasible starting point. If you are in the Indianapolis area, consider attending the Sankoré Institute sponsored Strategic Gardening Workshop.



Jomo W. Mutegi is a husband and father committed to the improvement of the African world community, an author of science-related children’s books, and an Associate Professor of Science Education. To learn more about Jomo’s children’s books, visit www.JomoMutegi.com. To learn more about Dr. Mutegi’s research visit www.ES2RP.org.

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[1] Inimical: Adverse in tendency or effect; unfavorable; harmful

Be it Resolved

Our Challenge. One of the challenges we face as Nationalists, or Pan Africanists, or conscious Afrikans… you know Black People Who Love Black People (BPWLBP) is that the job of working to repair our broken condition is sometimes overwhelming. The needs we have are great. We (BPWLBP) also tend to be more ideological than the average person. Why else would we dare to imagine that we can be victorious against the euro slave monster? As a result we tend to think BIG. We don’t typically settle with tutoring a few students. We work to start a school. We’re not satisfied with maintaining a garden. We invest in large acreage so that we can build a farm. Needless to say objectives this big can be difficult to realize.

I had the opportunity to give a keynote address at the Regional Convention for Region III of the National Society for Black Engineers (NSBE) a few years ago. “Three Ready!!” Anyway, after the address, I met a bright young man who was just months away from graduation. He approached me indicating his conviction of the need for Black children to have better education. He asked for my thoughts on whether he should pursue a career in engineering or start an Afrikan-centered school himself. “Do you like engineering?” I asked.

“Yes” he replied.

“Are you good at it?”

“Yes, I’m very good.”

It is here that I realized his goal was too big. By this I do not mean that this young man was not capable. Rather, his vision of providing Black children with good education was not practical. It was not well-conceptualized or well-informed. We do not have many Afrikan-centered schools, and those that we do have are fledgling endeavors. They suffer largely from lack of support. One BPWLBP that earns the salary of an engineer could through regular financial contributions adopt one fledgling Afrikan-centered school and make it the hallmark of what Afrikan-centered education should be. By contrast this same BPWLBP could forego an engineer’s salary and join the small number of educators competing for the few dollars that we currently give to support our own education. In many ways, the first approach is more practical.

What’s the Point of This Story? It’s simple. In this season of resolution making, we can make substantial headway by thinking BIG and acting small. Black schools and teachers of Black children need instructional materials to support their work. If you draw, they need clipart of Black families engaged in Black activities. If you sing or write music, they need songs that tell stories of Black people engaged in work that is relevant to the Black community. If you bake or sew, or know sports, or write… whatever talents we have can be used by those who educate Black children to further their work. At Sankoré Institute we write curricula for teachers and parents; and make many of these lessons available free of charge in our gift shop. Tell teachers you know about this service. Also, I’m sure that Afrikan-centered schools could use cash. By committing $20 each month (or any amount) to an Afrikan-centered school and encouraging others to join our efforts, we would go a long way towards providing better education for Black children. The results would be fun to watch!

School to Support

Akoben Institute

c/o Mwalimu K. Bomani Baruti

PO Box 10786

Atlanta, GA 30310



Jomo W. Mutegi is a husband and father committed to the improvement of the African world community, an author of science-related children’s books, and an Associate Professor of Science Education. To learn more about Jomo’s children’s books, visit www.JomoMutegi.com. To learn more about Dr. Mutegi’s research visit www.ES2RP.org.