Speaking Life: A Research-Based Cultural Response to Connecting and Strengthening Families and Communities

By Dr. Bobbie Shaw-Hunter

This book is the creative response (social action) of the need for an Africentric program that empowers African/Black Americans families and communities. It is based upon Africentric approaches that focus on the adaptive and defensive functioning of African/Black Families through its cultural infrastructure. In no way is this study designed to place blame or foster hatred. It is designed to be a cultural knowledge base that fosters a greater understanding of African/Black people through the philosophical and psychological tenets of C-FACT (Churches-Families-And Communities-Together).

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Feb 7, 2011
• ISBN: 9781456712921

Dr. Bobbie Shaw-Hunter

Dr. Shaw has dedicated her life to the service of others.  She lived in Europe for seven (7) years where she continued to service our soldiers, their families and US civilians who were stationed in Europe.  She has traveled extensively to countries which include Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, Holland, Sweden, Liechtenstein, The Soviet Union, Austria, Luxemburg, Belgium, England, Czechoslovakia, Mexico, etc.   Dr. Shaw is the recipient of many awards including being listed as one of  the Eau Claire Community “Best and Brightest,” listed among the 2001 International Professionals “Who’s Who” and was  honored with  Resolutions in her honor  in Jackson, Mississippi and Richland County SC for her dedication to families and communities. Other awards include: Service to Mankind Award, Maroon Nanny Distinguished Honor Award and Volvo Local Hero Nominee   Dr. Shaw readily expresses that her   purpose, desire and journeys in life are to be a vessel of Christ to serve and restore His people with positive actions that demonstrate the power of A Living God.

Book preview

Contents

Preface

The State of the Nation for African/Black Americans:

African/Black Children Status:

Severely Distressed Neighborhoods

African/Black Marriages

Need for African-Centered Interventions:

Why European Centered Worldview Approaches Fail Us.

Significance of African Centered Interventions:

Eurocentric Centered Worldview:

Nobles’s Afrienctric Model for African/Black Families

Bibliography

Preview of Three (3) Training Components of the Manual

• Africentric Parenting

• Boys-to-Men Rites of Passage

• Womanhood Rites of Passage

Preface

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that European Centered Worldview Approaches produced racial oppression and have negative psychological effects on African/Black people.

This work examined the Eurocentric Centered Worldview models and discovered that under normal circumstances, these models assume that Africans/Blacks should think, feel, act/react in the same way as whites. After extensive research of these models, the African Centered Worldview approaches were examined. The findings concluded that rarely, if ever, have effective solution been developed for African communities’ problems using Eurocentric norms and standards for understanding African/Black people. Therefore C-FACT (Churches-Families-And Communities-Together), an Africentric social action project that accentuates the strengths and positive features of African/Blacks and its African cultural foundation was developed. In no way is this study designed to place blame or foster hatred. It is designed to be a cultural knowledge base that fosters a greater understanding of African/Black people through the philosophical and psychological tenets of C-FACT (Churches-Families-And Communities-Together).

This work is divided into two Parts. Part One consists of a contextual essay that demonstrate the need for the development and implementation of the Africentric Program., C-FACT (Churches-Families-And Communities-Together). Part Two is the creative response, a curriculum-driven family system training manual (social action). The need for a research-based Africentric program that empowers African/Black Americans families and communities is very much needed. It is based upon Africentric approaches that focus on the adaptive and defensive functioning of African/Black Families through its cultural infrastructure.

The social impact of C-FACT (Churches-Families-And-Communities-Together) being implemented universally can be postulated to have a positive impact on all people as the distorted negative images of African/Black people are shattered.

C-FACT is a practical design that can be replicated in community centers, schools, housing developments, etc. The church was identified as the facility where C-FACT could be housed for families and the community collaborative team to meet. The physical tructure to host C-FACT may vary but it should meet the community need.

C-FACT eight (8) weeks intervention program is the heart of this process. C-FACT comprise of eight (8) weekly sessions that last 2.5 hours each. The recommended number of family groups are between ten (10) and twenty (20). The activities for each session is structured and facilitated by C-FACT trained community collaborative team members. Each member on the collaborative team must attend a mandatory one day training prior to being certified to become a team member. All team