Frequently Asked Questions
1). Why the emphasis on ancient Egypt and what is its relevance to African Americans?
Ancient Egypt is the oldest documented civilization on earth. Despite what we’ve been taught, Egypt is in Africa, and the ancient Egyptians were indigenous Africans who established the world’s longest continuously existing civilization. A civilization that was established almost 6000 years ago, lasted nearly 3000 years and continues to influence mankind today.
Ancient Egyptians were the first architects, engineers, philosophers, physicians, educators, astronomers, agronomists, scientists, kings, queens and governors. They developed the greatest repository of knowledge in history and that wisdom spread throughout the Nile Valley in East Africa into the Niger Valley of West Africa influencing the people who developed great civilizations within their respective nations.
African Americans are the descendants of West Africans who were stolen from their homeland and enslaved throughout the “New World.” Fundamental to the making of a slave was the erasure of their historical and cultural memory and their dehumanization. In the United States of America we know that enslaved Africans were considered 3/5 of a human being, denied the right to read and write, and subjected to laws designed to obstruct their right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
The Cultural Imperative Program was created specifically to mitigate the mental barriers associated with cultural identity theft and provide African American youth a historical and cultural foundation upon which to build a meaningful life for themselves and their descendants.
2). How will learning about African history benefit my child today?
All history is a current event and conscientious people study their past in order to understand who they were, who they are, how they got where they are, and (most importantly) where they are going and the best way to get there.
America is a nation of immigrants and every group that immigrated to America freely, brought their historical and cultural traditions with them, and used them as steppingstones to build new lives for themselves in America. 2019 marks the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved Africans brought to America and the descendants of those Africans are still struggling to prove that their Black lives matter.
The Cultural Imperative Program is designed to show our youth that their lives do matter and provide methodologies for maximizing the quality of their lives.
3). Will my child be taught to hate or disparage others during the activities of the Cultural Imperative Program?
Our children will be taught to love themselves and to respect all life. The philosophical and moral foundation of the Cultural Imperative Program rests upon the understanding and application of the Ten Virtues and the Seven Principals of Ma’at which were prerequisites for personal development created by and for people of African ancestry.
We adhere to the model of excellence exemplified by the formally enslaved African Frederick Douglass who stated that, “It is better to raise a child than repair an adult.”
