Young Maroons teach love for black history

[Raha]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...o/4916528.html

June 25, 2007, 2:53PM
Young Maroons teach love for black history
An inner-city group makes sure youths learn to embrace black history and the outdoors


By SALATHEIA BRYANT
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

Young Maroon connection The Saturday afternoon was muggy, and the Third Ward corner at Live Oak and Alabama was alive with the usual urban noises when the Young Maroons claimed the empty gazebo.

Under the shade of the structure, the group transformed the concrete space into a momentary escape from life in the big city.

"Young maroons," Teidra Bandele called to the 14 youngsters under her charge that day.

"Ke, ke, ke," they exclaimed in unison. "Ke, ke, ke."

Their sing-song, birdlike response strikes an odd contrast to the booming car stereos and blaring emergency vehicle sirens that seem to compete for attention. But that is the point of the Young Maroons, giving inner-city kids a taste of something different.

The organization is a homegrown scouting program designed for black kids and led by Bandele and her husband, JaMaymon, a couple in their 20s. The program, which started in November, meets at Shape Community Center. The group accepts children ages 5 to 17. A couple of 2-year-olds are honorary maroons.

While the program includes an introduction to nature, it also ensures the youngsters get a healthy dose of black history, African languages and African traditions. This component is critically important for many of the parents who have enrolled their children in the program offered by the Afrikans Committed to Liberation, a community-based organization.


Greater awareness
A number of black parents are joining programs or searching for opportunities to instill cultural awareness in their children. Although he hasn't seen any empirical data, Texas Southern University professor of sociology Earl Wright II said, from his observation, a growing number of parents from all economic backgrounds are finding ways to gain greater cultural awareness for their children. He said it challenges negative stereotypes and gives the student greater exposure to the world.
"In many cases, it fills in a gigantic crater of missing information," said Wright. "We're all operating from a deficit. They (parents) understand this world is becoming more global. Every opportunity parents are finding to ensure a leg up in global competition, they are starting to accept that."

The name of the program itself is a lesson in history. The term maroon was used to describe a fugitive black slave in the West Indies during the 17th and 18th centuries. It also referred to a descendant of such a slave.


Reinforcing lessons
A significant part of the history taught focuses on blacks who resisted slavery.
"We're generally taught a history of slavery and subservience. We want to show them black people resisted slavery. Many didn't accept the conditions," JaMaymon Bandele said. "This is more culturally compatible to these kids."

Parents like Mayjerum Mitchell want their children to know more about nature and be able to make a connection to cultural practices.

"They get important information that they won't learn anywhere else," said Mitchell, who enrolled her four children, ages 9 to 14. "You can ask them and they can tell you about their culture."

Andretta LaSanta and Rene LaSanta said the group reinforces some of the lessons they teach their son, Antonio, 9, at home. Rene LaSanta said the group gives kids an alternative to negative stereotypes that sometimes plague the inner city.

"They learn traditional ways of living," Rene LaSanta said. "You don't usually get that in the inner city."

Assata McCarthy, meanwhile, eagerly forgoes a Saturday at home to participate in Young Maroons.

"It kind of helps me in history class," the 14-year-old said. "It's a good thing. Now I can see us as very strong people. It teaches us about everybody as a whole."

The lesson for a younger member is traced back to the group's name.

"We learn about famous maroons like Harriet Tubman," said 10-year-old Kambui LeBlanc.


'No better teacher'
JaMaymon Bandele said that with the popularity of video games, many kids don't get a chance to explore their surroundings. Growing up on the north side of Houston, his family didn't have the money for him to participate in Boy Scouts. He also said it wasn't until he was an adult that he got a chance to go camping.
"Now kids don't get outside that much. There's no better teacher than nature. You can't examine nature without being outside," said Bandele. "These skills may help them go in a direction they never thought of before."

On a recent agenda, the Young Maroons were reviewing bird identification — mockingbird, cardinal, Great Horned owl. In previous weeks they've studied animal tracks. Before that, plant identification.

Before long, these young city slickers will be ready for their first camping trip. For many, it will be their first.

Wearing their maroon berets, they are polite, answering, "Yes, ma'am" and "No, sir." They are encouraged to build a sense of community by helping the smaller kids. Children also learn about healthy eating habits and physical fitness, topics JaMaymon Bandele said many black kids too often miss out on.

One thing group leaders say they are not teaching is separatism. Rather, it is self-identity.

"These are descendants of African people they are learning about themselves," said Teidra Bandele. "We don't like the idea that all that is taught is we were slaves and then we were free. We have a history. It's ours and it's beautiful."

salatheia.bryant@chron.com