Pew’s Center for Arts and Heritage has funded Reconstruction, Inc. to match an African American story teller, psychologist along with historians in the field of African American history together with a group of African American men who are members of Reconstruction’s Alumni Ex Offenders Association. The purpose was to continue the personal transformation and organizational growth. In practice, this means various historians have come in to share information with them about (for instance) the early laws of Virginia, and how the colony worked to separate Christians (whites) and Africans from each other and to enforce evolving regulations controlling black behavior. In this case, the purpose was to look at the origins of state controled of racial issues and of structural racism. We had four history sessions, facilitated by: Steven Hahn, Allison Dorsey, Peter Kolchin and David Silverman.
This experience was disturbing for many of our participants, especially the younger ones who didn’t have much exposure to African American history. However, we also provided group counseling with a Psychologist to help people sort through their anger, confusion, and curiosity, as well as any personal issues this psychically charged material might bring up. These sessions with the African American Psychologist (Dr. Thomas Gordon) also exposed and reinforced the participants existing personal and political power.
In working with the storyteller, they gained from her some excellent tools and culturally beneficial ways to take their new-found awareness and put it into action. Soon they’ll be going out to speak with members of our communities with profound excitement.
To provide a modicum of measurement, a volunteer from the Positive Psychology department at the University of Pennsylvania, has completed both a prior & post-testing with a variety of change and self sufficiency instruments. In general, the administrators, historians, story teller, advisors (Griot Ms. Denise Valentine) as well as the members of the cohort are more grounded, able to interpret most situations and the environment and its risks, everyone remains to be very energized by this process.
If there is a quick takeaway for the project, it’s that all of us knowing the truth about our history can be very jarring—even traumatic—but that having support in the form of open discussion and a guide to action makes it possible to absorb the new material and thrive at the same time.
I think this is/was a great explanation of the project that was funded by the PEW Foundation. I also think that what was experienced by the men participating in this project can not be measured in the normal manner. What took place was a revisiting of History, not in the traditional sense, but through “self reflection” and “self evaluation”, and in some cases, the results were not what was expected. Yet, even the revealing of these “not so positive results”, was valuable to those who were involved with the project.
THANK YOU RECONSTRUCTION FOR BEING CREATIVE, and A SPECIAL THANKS TO PHILLIP SEITZ & WILLIAM GOLDSBY, for having the courage to TRY SUCH AN ENDEAVOR!!!
Thank you for the kind words. We love and appreciate you.
Cordially
Chair of AEA
Hakeem Fulton
Greetings from the Chair of AEA..I look forward to the next round of the History and Reconstruction Project. We must continue to come up with initiatives that has the propensity to change, empower and elevate our mindsets. And this must be done on a consistent basis. Because too often the mind has a tendency to drift back off into that familiar terrain that is counter productive and debilitating.
What can we do to offset all of the personal life stuff that keeps us distracted and from truly embracing concepts that are trans formative?
Cordially
Stephen Fulton (Hakeem Fulton)
Greetings, let us go the next step in the process of learning more about our history and cause of our present condition and the remedy for our thinking and behaviorisms.