The Story of the
Kwanzaa Coloring Book
I had never planned on being a
teacher, I went to school to be an engineer. So, I enrolled in Clark College,
now Clark Atlanta University, and their dual degree program. Under the
program students in the Atlanta University Center spend three years at their
home school and afterwards they attend an engineering school-Auburn University,
Boston University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Rochester Institute
technology. I completed a degree at Clark Atlanta University in
Physics, but instead of finishing an engineering degree at a member
institution, I went to Graduate school at North Carolina State
University. Near the completion of my degree in Materials Science,
the International Foundation for Education and Self Help (IFESH) gave me the
opportunity to teach math and physics at Mbeji Academy
in Ng’iya Kenya.
So,
two weeks after completing my Master of Science Degree, I hopped on a Lufthansa
Jet, flew to East Africa, and arrived in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.
The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, an
organization that develops strategies for harmful and useful arthropods,
graciously hosted me at the Duduville International
Guest Centre for a couple of days. Afterwards, I took a train to Kisumu,
a city on Lake Victoria, which is one of the sources of the Nile
river. Once I got to Kisumu, I took a matutu,
a small vehicle packed with people like sardines, to Ng’iya.
For the next school year, I taught math and physics to boys, who
inspired me to be a teacher.
Mbeji Academy is located in Nyzanza Province,
the district of Siaya, and town of Ng’iya.
My students came from all backgrounds. For instance, some of
the students came from the wealthiest families in Kenya, while others were
orphans who fees were paid by sponsors or harambees. In
a harambee the community pools their money
together to pay for tuition of the student. My classroom consisted of a room
with no lights and a chalkboard and the floors were covered with dirt.
Despite the physical environment of the classroom, the boys were
attentive and seemed to enjoy the lectures. The lab equipment, which
was housed in a different building, was more than adequate; the supplies are better
than some of material I have in my classroom today.
One evening I was walking
toward the fellowship hall and I heard singing. It took me a moment to realize
that the people who were singing were my students. The voices of the
chorus resonating with the night breeze rivaled any choir that I had ever
heard. More than that, I couldn’t get over the fact that a group of
teenage boys could randomly get together and sing for fun. I would’ve never had
done it. I think that these young men could freely express themselves
because they had a good sense of who they were. This sense of pride
permeated in their studies, on the soccer field, on the basketball court, or on
the rugby
pitch.
After my teaching experience in
Kenya I was excited about teaching back home in America and couldn’t wait to
get into the classroom. So, I landed a job as teacher at Kennedy Middle
School, a school in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School
System. However, I was in for quite a surprise teaching ninth grade
science; too many of my African American kids didn't care about
education, in particular the boys. It
wasn’t just normal teenage apathy toward learning. There seemed to be something
missing from their DNA to make them care.
Next school year I moved back to Atlanta
to teach and noticed similar observations that I observed in
North Carolina; too many of my students had willy-nilly attitude
toward education. The most disturbing observation was an
indifference toward anything, not believing right or wrong. In other
words, they could be easily influenced to engaged in activities they were
detrimental to the academic careers and lives. In my opinion they were missing
something that my African students had, and they didn’t, an understanding and a
respect for their African culture. The Kwanzaa Coloring Book was created to
fill this cultural void that I think exist in African American
students. Using coloring pages, games, and puzzles that teach the
principles of Kwanzaa the publication seeks to buttress the cultural deficiency
present in African American kids
For more information about The Kwanzaa Coloring Book, please visit
our website: www.kwanzaacoloringbook.com
New World Press, Inc.
5626
Platte Dr.
Ellenwood, GA 30294
(404) 512-6760