1. Marcus Garvey School (Los Angeles)

School Type: Co-ed & Pre-K/Elementary Private School

Head of School: Dr. Anyim C. Palmer

Website: http://mgsla.org/

2. NationHouse (Washington, D.C.)

School Type: Grade School

Head of School: Kwame Agyei Akoto

Website: http://www.nationhouse.org/

3. Timbuktu Academy (Detroit)

School Type: K-8

Head of School: Cha-Rhonda Edgerson

Website: http://www.timbuktuacademy.org/

4. Sankofa Academy (Houston)

School Type: Grade School

Head of School: Toni Imani Fisher

Website: http://sisterhoodcreations.com/sankofa_academy

5. Betty Shabazz International Charter Schools/Barbara A. Sizemore/DuSable Leadership Academy (Chicago)

School Type(s): K-12

Head of School: Frank Davis

Website: http://www.bsics.org/

6. Freedom Home Academy

School Type: Private Home School (Based in Chicago)

Head of School: Marcus Kline

Website: http://www.fhaintl.org/index.php

7. Little Sun People (Brooklyn)

School Type: Preschool

Head of School: Fela Barclift

Website: http://www.littlesunpeople.com/

8. ILE OMODE SCHOOL (Oakland)

School Type: Pre K-8

Head of School: Jahi Awakoaiye

Website: http://www.ileomode.org/draft1/index.htm

9. Imhotep Institute Charter High School (Philadelphia)

School Type: High School

Website: http://imhotepcharter.org/website/

 10. Kamali Academy (New Orleans)

School Type: K-12

Head of School: Dr. Samori Camara

B. Clark

A memo littered with racist propaganda provides the call-to-action for the removal of the Melanoid citizens in Southfield by November, which is approximately 70% Black according to the 2010 U.S. Census report. The flyer also displays the photos of local politicians and law enforcement officials who all happenen to be white.

This is no coincidence that their projected time frame for the removal of Melanoid people from Southfield coincides with the election in November. Given the current climate of escalated white supremacy on all fronts, perhaps their goal may not be as far-fetched as we would want to believe.

B. Clark

DETROIT, MICH. – “If we embrace the victim mentality, then we have given up our authority.”

That inspiring message left the teachers and administrators in silence as award-winning author and educator Chike Akua gave his African-Centered Education (ACE) presentation Saturday morning at Paul Robeson/Malcolm X Academy.

Principal Jeffery Robinson brought in Akua for professional development for his administrators after he was requested from some of his staff.

“I heard about Akua three years ago when my staff heard him speak in Chicago,” he said. “They wanted him here and we had to make that happen.”

As the Academy is known for having an ACE curriculum, Akua made sure that the teachers, both of Melanoid and non-Melanoid decent, understood what exactly ACE is and how to imply it to their students.

Akua simplified the eight essential elements of ACE:

1. Places Africa, African people and African points of view at the center of all things studied.
2. Helps students critically examine how the subject or object of study is related to the image and interest of Africa and African people.
3. Taps into the spirit of the children.
4. Requires a sharp orientation towards social justice.
5. Requires methods that are unique and indigenous to the nature and needs of African children.
6. Asks a simple question of all things: Is it good for African people?”
7. Requires a consciousness of victory.
8. Prepares children for sovereignty.

This was a collection of Chike Akua’s merchandise that was available at the event. To purchase these items and more, go to www.myteachertransformation.com

 When these elements are all used together, teachers and administrators will use the best of African culture to examine/analyze information, meet needs and solve problems in the African community.

“Usually when our children hear about Africa, they don’t hear about the best of Africa, but the worst,” Akua said.

Amari Akua, Chike’s 12-year-old son, was in attendance at the Academy while he sat and took notes of his father’s teachings. Amari enjoys the fact that his father is an educator and how it impacts not only his life, but the lives of people across the world.

“I feel so inspired to make change whenever I hear my father speaks,” he said. “The family could be relaxing in the house and my dad would begin teaching to us. Though I may not want to hear it at the time, I realize that my father has a gift and I’m thankful for his gift.”

Amari would like to follow his father in the teaching profession at some point of his career, but he would like to explore video game programming or the filming industry.

Akua harped to the teachers that the students must have a sense ancestral history and proceeded to showed the history of African people with pictures from his trips to Kemet (Egypt.)

As the presentation continued, he tied in African history and how the legacy was stolen to help build America. With side-by-side comparisons of American and African monuments, it was clear to the teachers where America got their ideas for their memorials.

“The Ramesu statue is the origin of the Lincoln Memorial,” Akua said with his presentation. “And there’s plenty more that were copied.”

Baba (David) Khari has been a teacher at the school since its second year in operation during the 90’s and teaches at the middle school level.

He assures that since he’s been teaching in all-male classrooms, he can definitely see a difference.

“The students, both boys and girls, function better,” Khari said. “The students are worried about the opinions of the opposite sex and that helps bring the best out of our students.”

Detroit originally had three separate all-boy schools: Paul Robeson, Malcolm X and Marcus Garvey Academy.

“Our former principal Dr. Clifford Dean Watson made sure we had African resources along with the Detroit curriculum,” Khari said. “Our schools were basically operating with two curriculums.”

The plan was to add three additional all -girl schools, but the plan was turned down during the planning stage.

Now that Detroit has downsized with ACE schools, Robinson is looking to empower his staff to ensure the best education for his students.

“We use to make the teachers take African-cultured training classes before they taught here, but due to the financial emergency and other things happening in Detroit we no longer had that authority to enforce that training,” he said. “It’s time for innovation and we’re making that step.”

For further information and products by Chike Akua, visit his website, www.myteachertransformation.com.

(EDITOR’S NOTE) The following video provides a brief background on Mr. Akua’s career as an educator.

Detroit, Mich. – Who says that Melanoid people don’t support their own? Those naysayers should swing over to the corner of Wyoming Avenue and Ellsworth Street and see what our people are flocking to on the weekends.

Detroit native Bruce Muhammad, along with his wife, Lakeisha, have been operating a produce outlet, called Eat 2 Live Produce, with their two daughters since mid-May. Like many urban cities across the country, much of the harvest is grown and sold by non-Melanoid families. The local markets don’t have fresh fruits and vegetables in abundance either. Most rely on a Kroger or Meijer (Michigan retail store) to purchase their groceries for the family.

Muhammad saw an entrepreneurial opportunity to serve his community after receiving insight from local farmers.

“They were telling me how there’s not enough retail outlets to sell their crops to,” he said. “That immediately rung a bell in my head that something can and be should be about the health and economic situation here in Detroit.” After a ten-year career as a Mortgage Broker, Muhammad quit and decided to go into business for himself. Since their opening on Mother’s Day weekend, the response from the West Detroit area has been phenomenal. “Once the stand went up, people in the community came out to support us and they kept on coming,” Muhammad said. “We’re pushing to close theirs mouths from McDonald’s and open their minds to eating healthy.”

His vision was to bring life to the community. Ironically, he set up the stand directly across the street from a medical marijuana dispensary and a meat market.

“We’re so immune to death around here,” Muhammad said. “And we resort to the quick fixes when we don’t deal with the real problem, which is our diets.” The subliminal message was simple to those around him – your key to health is in the food. “As a nation, we spend an average of $92 Billion on fast food every year,” Muhammad said. “From that, our people remain sick and the pharmaceutical company are sitting rich based off our bad habits.”

Muhammad and his wife, who met during Saviour’s Day weekend last year, understand that this mission is bigger than themselves.

After Lakeisha moved from Tulsa, Okla., they wasted no time formulating a plan to help employ some of Detroit’s residence with the expense of people eating healthy. “With her being from the place of Black Wall Street and Detroit being home of the Nation of Islam, the energy between us was definitely astounding,” Muhammad said. The stand may be small now, but the family is looking to expand. Their goal is to move into a building in Highland Park, Mich., by the fall season. As the business expands to two locations, the family will be looking for help with delivery, customer assistance and other possible positions that are needed.

Along with fresh fruits and vegetables, Eat 2 Live Produce has featured item as Ginger Lemonade, jams and jellies, Bean Pie and Curry Chicken (at least that was for the featured meal for that day). The stand is open Thursday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Muhammad was asked about the myth about Melanoid people supporting their own and he responded, “come see us,” with a smile.

]]> https://www.melanoidnation.org/a-produce-oasis-in-a-fast-food-desert/feed/ 88 https://www.melanoidnation.org/the-renaissance-of-black-wall-street/ https://www.melanoidnation.org/the-renaissance-of-black-wall-street/#comments Tue, 26 May 2015 09:04:07 +0000 http://melanoidnation.org/?p=1793 In recent years, there has been very insightful and in-depth analysis among the brightest minds of Black Society involving the legend which has now become ‘Black Wall Street’. The dialogues now include yet another element to them that has sparked the interests of countless Melanoid people throughout the U.S., and beyond: Where should the next “Black Wall Street” be?

If there has been one question alone that has created a conversational wildfire in Black Society, it’s the question of where “Black Wall Street” should make its new home. Should the new “Black Wall Street” take residence in Atlanta, with its Black mayor, countless Black millionaires, entrepreneurs, and its recently-created reputation of “Black Hollywood“? Should it be rooted in Chicago, the midwestern City that was founded by a Black man, and  the same city where the Nation Of Islam is based? What about Detroit, the largest city in Michigan with a majority Black population that once served as an incubator to some of the greatest music ever created (by Melanoid people nonetheless) by the Brothers and Sisters at Motown?

All of the previous questions are not only great questions to ask and consider, but they also happen to all be the correct answers. The answer is that all of the cities mentioned above–in addition to any other city of Melanoid people willing to create their own Black economic base–should  have a new “Black Wall Street“. With the militaristic attacks executed by the hands of white supremacists during the early 20th century to destroy the original “Black Wall Street” in Tulsa, OK, it’s a safe assumption to acknowledge that  building new “Black Wall STREETS” in as many cities inhabited by Melanoid people as possible is the best option at this point..

The following video clip is a trailer to an upcoming film which shows the importance of building multiple “Black Wall Street” districts to avoid being easily isolated for destruction at the hands of white supremacists once again.

by B. Clark

Aiyana Jones, a Melanoid child who was brutally murdered in May of 2010, left behind a grieving family who filed a wrongful death suit. They are seeking minimum damages of $75,000 after filing in a U.S. District Court in Detroit. The reinstatement of Joseph Weekley after his shooting of a 7-year-old Black girl is proof that none of us are impervious to the ever-increasing aggressive nature of many white supremacist cops.

by B. Clark