The Story

I had never planned on being a teacher, I went to school to be an engineer. So, I enrolled in Clark College 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 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 Material Science, the International Foundation for Education and Self gave me the opportunity to teach math and physics in at Mbeji Academy, Ngiya 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, Kenya’s third largest city. Once I got to Kisumu I took a matutu, 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. So, after my tenure finished I decided to become a teacher in the United States of America.

Yet, after teaching my African American students for a few years, I noticed that too many of my students had willy-nilly beliefs, they not only many did not believe right or wrong. In other words, they could be easily influenced to engaged in activities they were detrimental to the academic careers and lives. They were missing something, culture. The Kwanzaa Coloring Book was created to introduce African American children to African culture using coloring pages and games. The publication provides children of African descent exposure to their heritage that builds a value system for life.