The Afrikan Restoration Project’s Elevating Blackness Online Academy
Self-determination becomes practical when we develop the knowledge, skills, and institutions to shape our own future. The Afrikan Restoration Project’s Elevating Blackness Online Academy brings that responsibility into education through a combined focus on African Culture, S.T.E.M. & Manufacturing, and Principled Practice.
The Academy builds on the organization’s years of cultural study, community programming, and technical education in Southern California. Led by Shujaa Baker and Akhir Rashad, The Afrikan Restoration Project connects African historical understanding with the ability to design, create, and produce what our communities need.
Its educational approach gives concrete expression to Kujichagulia / Self-Determination: defining ourselves, naming ourselves, creating for ourselves, and speaking for ourselves. Building an educational platform is itself an act of self-determination—accepting responsibility for what we teach, whose experiences inform that teaching, and what learners become equipped to accomplish.
The Academy’s planned offerings include STEM ’n ’Nem, Kwanzaa FOR KIDS, 3D Printing AT HOME, Neural Network of Chess, and K’ – For Kinza. Together, these programs connect cultural learning with literacy, technical exploration, strategic thinking, and creative expression.
Through Kujichagulia, those activities take on a shared direction. Understanding our history helps us define ourselves thoughtfully. Learning to design and manufacture expands our capacity to create for ourselves. Practicing the Seven Principles helps guide how we use those abilities.
The Academy’s promise lies in bringing these responsibilities together: preparing children and adults to become capable, culturally grounded people who can help determine—and build—the future of their communities.
