My Story
I was given an assignment in my Urban Economic Public Policy Class at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga, to find economic solutions for the African – American community.
After discovering African-American farmers were losing 500,000 acres of land per year and many Black communities were food insecure, I concluded, we should create markets in our communities to support our farmers, while creating jobs in both, rural and urban communities.
After graduating from Morehouse, I returned to the Bay Area and started teaching in East Palo Alto (then, the highest murder rate per capital in the U.S., which I only mention here because the Black community that once existed was gentrified.
During my research, I read the book: “Up from Slavery”, written by Booker T. Washington and was inspired by his travels to become educated at Hampton Institute and later to found The Tuskegee Normal School.
When I later learned in reading “The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey”, he mentioned, “his boom”… when reading “Up from Slavery.” Garvey said, “I asked, where is the Black mans government? His ambassadors? His men of high affairs? I could not find them, so I said, i would create them.”
After reading “Up from Slavery,” and digging deeper into Dr. George W. Carver, running the Agricultural Department and his student Thomas Campbell, taking his teachings on wheels, I could understand why Marcus Garvey, the co-founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association wanted to build a Tuskegee in Jamaica, but also why schools in Botswana/Africa, China, India and rural communities were learning from a small school in Tuskegee, Alabama, run by Black people, just out of slavery.
Since, the research paper I described above and teaching in East Palo Alto and later in Oakland, CA, I concluded we can feed ourselves out of poverty. This journey is what I call “The Adventures of Hotep.” The character Hotep has been with every step along the way!
From Mo’ Better Food to Familyhood, Hotep travels towards #Familyhood. A community development model that defines schools as the center of the communities.
Familyhood is a systemic approach of community development. Which means “it does not rely on one individual.” It outlives the individual.
Familyhood relies on the school’s governance to protect and promote the community around the school, where its students mainly reside.
Schools realize everyday what happens outside the school is going to affect each students life at school.
Familyhood is driven by two motto’s.
The first motto specifically defines the three- school -based organization that make up the schools Familyhood. Motto 1 states: “every school shall have a functioning Student Government Association, Parent Teacher Association and Alumni Association.”
The 2nd Motto is to utilize the familyhood to improve the food system of the school and its surrounding community, while increasing students ability to grow and sell fruits and vegetables, trees, plants, etc, as work experience.
The 2nd Motto states: “every school shall have a garden,. a farmers market and a grocery store.”
Therefore, every student shall learn how to grow and sell food, while gaining work experience , working with others to improve your school and its community.
Learn more: Read the E-Book- The Familyhood Handbook
May peace be with you!
Hotep
David N. Roach
