Seeks to Create a Rich Literary Culture in the African heritage community in Minnesota

Kasserian Ingera, “How are the children?” The Maasai warriors of East Africa would ask this most important question of each other in passing. The question is of the highest importance because it assesses the future of the community. The answer to this question, for 50 million African heritage people in the United States and one billion people of African descent globally, is tenuous. The status of the educational quality of students of African heritage is significantly and systemically different from any other cultural community in the U.S. Many describe the lack of education that African/African-American students receive in this country as the “Achievement Gap,” which is a misleading indicator of what is truly occurring with the education and socialization of African children.

Professor/Elder Mahmoud El-Kati and ten scholars-activists-educators, with collectively over hundreds of years of experience in the successful education of students of African descent, as a collective body of thought, answer the most answerable questions regarding this issue – who, what, why, and how. These community leaders and problem-solvers based in the Twin Cities of Minnesota have produced thought-provoking literary pieces to help our community wrap their minds and hearts around this age-old educational crisis. The education of African/Black children is vital to the survival of African communities locally and globally.

Although public policies and legislation are important to help identify solutions for a quality education, a more holistic, grass-roots collective community endeavor is critical for any success concerning the education of students of African heritage. Towards an African Education: Selected Writings on the Education and Development of Children of African Heritage ensures the appropriate community perspective and response to the most important issue of our time.

ISBN: 978-0-692-13548-8

Soft Cover – 164