On the previous show we highlighted, based on decades of research and testimonies, Afrikan children’s fundamental incompatibility with the UK education system (sporadic success stories here and there notwithstanding).The critique offered by guest, award winning author and educationalist Bro. David Simon is instructive: “There are systemic issues, the system won’t work for Afrikan children. We have to equip our children, our young people with a mindset to perform well academically, with excellence but also to have the necessary cultural literacy so that they can build up their community, so that they can go out with a mindset that say I will work for myself, I will support my community and develop my community.” Indeed, the renowned late psychologist and revolutionary thinker Baba Amos Wilson clearly asserted that: “every course in the (UK) college and university and in the (UK) Educational Establishment is a course in White Studies. And every course and every discipline is designed essentially for the same thing – To Maintain White Power.”
By way of solutions, this show will advance, an “Afrikan- Centred approach to excellence,” based on the work of leading Africentric Education Consultant Bro. Ldr Mbandaka and will also introduce the MEDUKATION system that will be launched next year. Some of these concepts will also be outlined at the upcoming at the upcoming Alkebu-Lan Nommo session on Kuumba-Day (Fri) 25/09/6255 (2015) – Afrikan- Centred Education: The Only Preparation for Nation Building, delivered by Tafadzwa ShakaRa Mbandaka (http://alkebulan.org/events/). His presentation will aim to place resolutely on the community agenda the practical development of an Afrikan Centred curriculum within Afrikan Centred education institutions. Not surprisingly, this is consistent with the vision outlined by the Most Eminent Prophet and King His Excellency Marcus Mosiah Garvey:
“It is necessary for the Negro to pay close attention to developing the appreciation for institutional life… It is incumbent upon him that he also have and control his own institutions, based upon his own cultural and civilized idealism… His universities, colleges & schools may engage in the same process of education, but with an adopted curriculum necessary for the special benefit of the Afrikan…. With the absolute objective of attaining the end that is particularly desired by the race.”
Some of the more recent antecedents include warriors like Baba Kwame Agyei Akoto, founder of the Nation House independent Afrikan Centred school founder 41 years ago and author of the seminal work Nationbuilding: Theory & Practice in Afrikan Centred Education (1992). While outlining the elements of a functional Afrikan Centred Curriculum Baba Akoto asserts:
“The major recurrent themes in nationalist/Pan-Afrikan theories of liberation provide the philosophical foundation of the Afrikan Centred Curriculum. These themes can be broadly grouped into three curricula area domains: culture and ideology, socio-political and economic, and spirituality and psycho-affective.” (p. 128) He proceeds to detail the component themes, assumptions and aims of domain.
So while it is clear that the expertise exists to develop Afrikan Centred education institutions and the curricula they will propagate, they will require a coherent, practical nationalist formation and ideology (surpassing the prevalent campaigning agenda) to make them manifest.
So we ask the question,
Can our children really succeed in the UK education system? Pt 2 – The Afrikan Centred Agenda
- Do all education institutions in the UK really have a “white power” agenda?
- Do we really need Afrikan Centred education institutions or we just buckle down and work harder to succeed in the existing ones?
- Even if we agree with the Afrikan Centred education institutions, how do engage with the existing structures in the meantime?
- Do we have the capacity or desire to create coherent, practical nationalist formation?
Our special guests are:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and UNIA-ACL Ambassador for the UK. A veteran activist of over 30 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An Africentric Guide To Excellence.
Bro. Tafadzwa Mbandaka: Tafadzwa ShakaRa Mbandaka is the son of renowned community activist Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka and is an experienced multi-faceted performer, writer & workshop facilitator and a member of the formidable Spoken Word collective Best Kept Secret. ShakaRa is now applying those skills as a freelance journalist. He has been a regular contributor to The Whirlwind Newspaper, providing commentary & reportage on youth culture, current events, artistic reviews and world affairs. He has written for various publications including The Final Call and The British Blacklist. For more information on ShakaRa go to: http://shakaraspeaks.com/.
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The government exerts notions of power and control through is use of education…(hegemony). This implies that one of the ways hegemony infiltrates the system and reproduces the structural inequalties is through the education system and its use of curriculum text materials. Its about power and control. African (Black) children cannot reach their full potential in a european founded school. We have to firstly unpick the measure of success…mine is on a social spiritual economic level etc…u will never awakening in school. … school is meant to reproduce and dumm minds for the world of work….most education which an afrikan child is meant to receive will be done in informal settings eg…saturday school…village (community, parents granparents etc).
That question has to b unpicked as to in whose opinion do we measure sucess?? And depending on social constructs there is ultimately a glass sealing. Whereby only our own self determination can aim to surpass…however in this time as parents are now more aware of constructs we aim to create a glass floor for our kids…but we need to go bk to our past in terms of mobility…we wernt meant to isolate and stagnate ourselves.
Not only are we trying to assimilate however we have to relook at the methods we use to capture the intellect of our children…Firstly it starts with the books they read..what visuals u expose them to…if our children only see a mirror image of self in a exotic way…or as the black mammy or absent father. These discourses will ultimately have an effect on childrens image of self. Education is the black redemption…we have to form our own schools councils etc in order for our children to infiltrate and progress to their status of kings and queens…
Our his -story is no more
Our schools are no more
Our education and familes they exploit galore
I see the need for us to feed
Our black self
And
Our black identity
Queen judah isheba