Celebrating Nana Baffour One Year After His Transition Onto the Egungun (Ancestors)

[TShango]

Reawakening the African Genius Mind

Pays Tribute

to

Our Master Teacher/ SBA/ Jegna

Dr. Asa G. Hilliard, Nana Baffour Amankwatia II

August 22, 1933- August 13, 2007…Eternity

Dr. Asa G. Hilliard, Nana Baffour Amankwatia Quotes:

“Our first mistake was that we thought of freedom as a place rather than as a continuation of a struggle. Tyranny never sleeps. Our second mistake was that we thought of freedom as a goal, rather than as a launching pad from which to reach our goals.”

“African teachers hold the future of African people in their hands…preparation, however is the key, and before beginning the educational relationship with the students, African teachers must first become whole, productive, and conscious beings. Only then can they transform students. (SBA 107)

“The Euro-American system at best can create two types of students, one that knows nothing about themselves and nothing about others and the other type of student knows something about others but nothing about themselves…both students are out of their mind.” (Speech)

“The alienation of Africans from other Africans has enormous consequences. No matter where Africans are in the world, our circumstances are basically the same. Many of us are waiting for a magic program, a grant, a charismatic leader, or European institutions to lead us to the “promised land.” The reality is there is no chance that anyone other than Africans will act to move us from the bottom of the heap. But as we move in the direction of liberation, who will accept an identity with African people, without apology?”(African Power 5)

“Color me human do not separate me’ is the shallow cry of those bent on perpetuating a mythical “colorless” yet firmly European orientation; as if to suggest that claiming, respecting, and using one’s indigenous traditions is anti-human.” (African Power 5)

“…Ptahhotep, instructs the ignorant in the knowledge and in the standards of good speech. A man teaches as he acts… The wise person feeds the soul with what endures, so that it is happy with that person on earth. The wise is known by his good actions. The heart of the wise matches his or her tongue and his or her lips are straight when he or she speaks. The wise have eyes that are made to see and ears that are made to hear what will profit the offspring. The wise is a person who acts with MAAT [truth, justice, order, balance, harmony, righteousness and reciprocity] and is free of falsehood and disorder.”

—Ptahotep 2350 B. C. E.
(From The Teachings of Ptahhotep, the oldest book in the world, 4750 years ago, an African book from KMT [“Egypt”]).
In Council in Sankore Archives Timbuktu

“Every child can learn…When children don’t learn, systems are deficient…Our children are not succeeding mainly because the masses of them have been abandoned…The courts can mandate physical desegregation, but not an educational environment that is high quality and nurturing.” (SBA 74, 75)

“The outcomes of an African education go far beyond a narrow focus on basic skills understandings and information in core courses. Some of the common outcomes are as follows: Development of a mission, development of a purpose, respond to a calling, competence in vital knowledge and essential skills, character development, develop a sense of belonging, develop a striving for perfection, ability to critique structures of domination purveyed by Europeans, Africans, or others, ability to protect and to defend one’s people, land, and culture, ability to build for eternity” (African Power 25)

“We need a massive mobilization of all our resources toward the re-education of ourselves and those who will lead the children. Our own memories must be restored. Our own sensitivities to our present cultural greatness must be revived. Our own hunger for self-determination as a people must be resurrected. As educators we must stand on dry ground.”

"We are not likely to find the answers to the problems of African American people by asking the same people who put the hole in the ozone, who let atomic energy get out of control (Three mile island and Chernobyl), who can't control the stock market, who can't stop polluting the earth, and who don't seem to be able to teach our children, even the basic things like reading and counting. We must learn to trust our own wisdom again."-Asa Hilliard III (From Roots to Wings: Successful Parenting African American Style chapter 7: Parenting in a Racist Society pg.75 by Dr. James C. Young)

Books:

• African Power
• SBA: Awakening the African Genius Mind
• The Maroons Within Us
• The Teachings of Ptahotep
• To Be African or Not to Be
• How to test African Children
• Infusion of African and African American Content in the School Curriculum

Articles:

• Hilliard, Asa G. (1989) “The Socialization of Our Children for the Resurrection of African People.” Unpublished Paper.
• Hilliard, Asa G. (1990) “Promoting African American Student Achievement,” School/College Collaboration: Teaching At-Risk Youth, Conference Proceedings, Washington, D.C.: Council of Chief State School Officers.
• Hilliard, Asa G. (1986) Free Your Mind: Return to the Source African Origins: A Selected Bibliography (Classified) and Outline on African-American History from Ancient Times to the Present: A Resource Packet, Atlanta: Waset Productions.
• Hilliard, Asa G. (1986) Race and Education: A Search for Legitmacy Revisited, Texas: Texas Southern University.
• Hilliard, Asa G. (1985) “The Meaning of KMT (Ancient Egyptian) History for the Contemporary African American Experience,” Unpublished Manuscript. Pp. 1-17.
• Hilliard, Asa G. (1977) “Intellectual Strengths of Minority Children” In D. Cross, G. Baker, L States (Eds) Teachings in a Multicultural Society, New York: Free Press

Bio

DR. ASA G. HILLIARD, III [Baffour Amankwatia, II] Biographical Sketch

Dr. Asa G. Hilliard, III, was the Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Urban Education at Georgia State University, with joint appointments in the Department of Educational Policy Studies and the Department of Educational Psychology/Special Education. A teacher, psychologist, and historian, he began his career in the Denver Public Schools, teaching psychology, mathematics and American History. He earned a B.A. In Psychology, M.A. In Counseling, and Ed.D. In Educational Psychology from the University of Denver, where he also taught in the College of Education, and in the College of Arts and Sciences in the Honors Program in philosophy. Dr. Hilliard served on the faculty at San Francisco State University for 18 years. During that time he was a Department Chair for
2 years, Dean of Education for 8 years, and was consultant to the Peace Corps and Superintendent of Schools in Monrovia, and school psychologist, during his six years in Liberia, West Africa.

He has helped to develop several national assessment systems, such as proficiency assessment of professional educators, and developmental assessments of young children and infants. He is a Board Certified Forensic Examiner and Diplomat of both the American Board of Forensic Examiners and the American Board of Forensic Medicine. He served as lead expert witness in several landmark federal cases on test validity and bias, including Larry P v. Wilson Riles in California, Mattie T. V. Holliday in Mississippi, Deborah P. V.
Turlington in Florida, and also in two Supreme Court cases, Ayers v. Fordice in Mississippi, and Marino v.
Ortiz in New York City.

Dr. Hilliard is a founding member and First Vice President of the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations. He has conducted Ancient African History study tours to Egypt for 15 years, is the co-developer of an educational television series on Ancient Kemetic (Egyptian history). He has produced videotapes and educational materials on African history through his production company, Waset Educational Productions. He is Co-Founder, with his daughter, Nefertari Patricia Hilliard-Nunn, of Makare Publishing.

Dr. Hilliard has written more than four hundred research reports, articles and books on testing, Ancient African History, teaching strategies, African culture, and child growth and development. He served with Dr. Barbara Sizemore as Chief Consultant on the Every Child Can Succeed television series, produced by the Agency for Instructional Technology.

Dr. Hilliard has consulted with many of the leading school districts, publishers, public advocacy organizations, universities, government agencies and private corporations on valid assessment, African content in curriculum, teacher training, and public policy. Several of his programs in curriculum, assessment, and valid teaching have become national models. He has worked on projects with the National Academy of Sciences, and has spoken at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Geographic Society. He has been visiting professor at many Universities, including Oakland University, Stanford University, University of New Mexico, and Harvard University.

Dr. Hilliard has served on such boards as the Agency for Instructional Technology, Zero to Three, The Public Education Fund Network, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, The Far West Regional Laboratory for Educational Research and Development, and The Center for Applied Linguistics.

His most recent books are, The Maroon Within Us:
Selected Essays on African American Community Socialization Baltimore: Black Classics Press; SBA:
The Reawakening of the African Mind Gainesville,
Florida: Makare Publishing; African Power Gainesville,
Florida: Makare Publishing; co-author of Young Gifted and Black, Boston [Winner of American Education Research Association Award for Excellence], Beacon Press and co author with Nefertari Hilliard-Nunn of True of Voice: The Poetry of Listervelt Middleton, Makare Publishing.

Selected Awards

Morehouse College "Candle in the Dark Award in Education"

National Alliance of Black School Educators "Distinguished Educator Award"

American Evaluation Association, President's Award

Republic of Liberia Award as Knight Commander of the Humane Order of African Redemption

New York Society of Clinical Psychologists Award for Outstanding Research, Scholarly Achievement, and Humanitarian Service.

Association of Black Psychologists Distinguished Psychologist Award

Association of Teacher Educators Distinguished Leadership Award

Honorary Degree, DePaul University Doctor of Humane Letters

Honorary Degree, Wheelock College Doctor of Education

American Psychological Association, Fellow

Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society Laureate Chapter

American Educational Research Association Committee on the Role & Status of Minorities in Education, Research & Development Distinguished Career Contribution Award

American Association of Higher Education Black Caucus, Harold Delaney Exemplary Educational Leadership Award

American Association of Colleges for Teacher, one time only Thurgood Marshall Award for Excellence, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary observance of the Brown versus Board of Education Topeka Decision

[Ɔkyeame Kwame]

Much appreciation of your work in honoring Nana Baffour's (Bafo's) transition into Egungun. Asante sana!