AYA Educational Institute

Thanks, again, Jo (Josephine Bowens Lewis) for answering the call once more. I was talking to my grandson, Addae, tonight. He's somewhat afraid to "try on" some options to discover why he sometimes gets door-slamming angry with little apparent provocation. He's been reluctant to try on some key WHB options designed to clear emotional substitutions - mad for sad, or mad for scared, etc. I pulled up this picture of you and took him back to one of our conversation at your home in Chapel Hill, NC. It was the one where I was afraid of being authentic with you, for fear that you'd "get into my head," that you'd be able to manipulate me or know more about me than I knew myself. Remember? You were ten years my senior. I'd seen your work with groups and individuals as a therapist, advisor, counselor, etc. I had respect for your skills - both professional and personal, those that you acquired from your studies at the South East Institute and those t...

While researching and preparing for a Warriors-Healers-Builders Black Male Weekend in DC. for next weekend that we call Black Steel, I'm reminded about how the Black male "health" and "self-care" movements are making us soft, self-absorbed, and how they induce us to surrender to white domination under the guise of taking care of ourselves! Hell, Nawh ! Do we need to take care of ourselves? Yes. Are we wounded? Yes. Do we need to love ourselves, be kind and considerate to others? Take care of those in our charge? Support each other as men? Yes, yes, and much more. We also need to be about power an using it. I'm talking much more than "empowerment" for me "to get out of bed" or "to have the courage ask for a raise," I'm talking about power to control our lives and snatching it from the tyrant's mouth. Many of you know that I've dedicated my life to helping us heal our wounds. I'm also very mindful ab...

My box was ablaze yesterday with people upset by a video of this NFL player, his White fiance and other Black and White people in his gathering toasting to "more light-skinned kids." Here are snippets from a thread and my responses. Respondent one:  " Hatred of self is an ill that we must continue to work to heal." Respondent two:    " I have no words for this" Respondent three:    " Nothing new here! It’s been in our culture for generations. The question should be how do we get people to love themselves." https://www.ebony.com/news/nfl-player-toasts-to-more-light-skinned-kids-with-white-fiancee-video/ That's why Mama Afiya and I do the Warrior-Healer-Builder work we do - to help us heal from the sickness. Calling it out may be a start. It's hardly enough. To call it "self-hate" is to sell it short. To paint is a generic problem of "people loving themselves"  removes race and racial oppression and injected ...

2019 AYA’s Community Building Love Awardee (Back Story Below) I www.blacklovedinner.com It gives us so much pleasure to lift our Community Building Love Award to Queen Taese. She’s the epitome of loving our people by how she builds people, relationships, and institutions. Please let her know how much you appreciate her building-love. Comment below, share and join us tonight - Saturday, Feb. 9th, 2019 She is known in the Atlanta area and nationally for more than a few such as Roots to Fruits Homeschool & Cultural Collective, The Children's Afrikan Ball, The Children of The Sun Fun Fest, The Watoto Kwanzaa Jamboree, and her signature gathering, The Liberated Minds Black Homeschool and Education Expo. When asked about her vision for children and parents: “I want to see our children thrive. I want them to know who they are; to know their divine purpose and mission within their culture. I want parents and educators to have a safe place and process to heal and transform...

AYA announces its 2019 Black Building Love awardees: Whitney Jaye and Brandon Stephens. If you know AYA, you know that we see everything through the Warrior-Healer-Builder lens. Everyone, it seems, lifts our warrior or healer selves and efforts. The builder in us and in our community (including growers) often are an afterthought or are taken for granted. Let’s change that. Help us lift up this couple's efforts to build family, farm, and businesses that serve our people - first. Comment below, and come out on Saturday night to celebrate Black building love. www.blacklovedinner.com Building To Revere Our Ancestors “I wanted to kick it with her,” said Brandon, so I had to get my process together. Less than a month before they had met at an OutdoorAfro Backcountry Camping event where Whitney had critiqued Brandon’s growing process. Brandon’s craft was hydroponics, Whitney had a more traditional approach to food - ‘good food grows in the soil.’ He was used to people being ...

NYANSPO!    AYA is so proud to re-introduce the 2019 Black Love-Akoma Love "Healing Love Awardees."  But first, a question: What happens when a movement molds a love? “He was already with Habesha,” she said. “She was already with Mama Nabantu and the Sustainability Summit,” he said. “We both were working with the Mama Yaa and Baba Baruti” “So many questions were already answered when we started.” Their commitment to our community brought them together, and their growing and healing love grows our community. Here are snippets from their story that you’ll hear move about when you help us celebrate  Raina Turner  and Charles Greenlea receiving the 2019 AYA Healing-Love Award this Saturday.  www.Blacklovedinner.com Charles: “Raina’s organization was providing grants to community organizations. Habesha was one of the finalists. Cashawn was called to make the final pitch. I was in the back when this sister with a cool ...

Drum roll, please.... AYA's 2019 Revolutionary Black Love Awardees are Mama  Maimuna Ricks and Dada  Mukasa Ricks . Of course, with Baba Mukasa, he's gonna rename it the Black Power Award! Baba is the originator of that slogan that defined a movement and many generations of organizers and freedom fighters. Less is known about Mama Maimuna who was also an organizer for the All African People's Revolutionary Party (AAPRP) Even less is know about the love that has helped to sustain Black Power and Revolutionary struggle against European oppression, imperialism, and capitalist exploitation. Here is just snippet. Read, enjoy, share and join on this Saturday to pay tribute to a revolutionary love that has touched us all. ( www.blacklovedinner.com ) Donate if you can't make it. ---------------------------------------- "He's told that lie so many times for over 40 years that I sometimes don't know if it's true." I knew I was in for a treat ca...