Umoja Supplemental Resources
Lesson 1
SEL Core Competency: Self-Awareness
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Identity is the distinguishing character(istics) or personality of a person (self). The recognition of such characteristics shapes one's sense of self (self-awareness) to include self-esteem, self-worth, and self-efficacy. "Who one thinks one is" is an interaction between the self and the world, think of Ta-Nehisi Coates' Between the World add Me. By exploring the dimensions of one’s identity, one can better understand the quality of relationships between the self and the world. This is beginning of understanding which relationships are healthy and those relationships that are detrimental. This lesson it’s meant to help explore the complexities of one’s identity and play‘s one in a position to reflect on the health of those identities and seek where there is support/guidance for the development of healthy identities.
Lesson 2
SEL Core Competencies: Self-Awareness, Responsible Decision-Making, Social Awareness, & Relationship Skills
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Community is not just the mere proximity of a group of people. Community is formed by the set of common values, beliefs, rituals (i.e. culture) shared amongst a group of people; the common unity. It is the fidelity of practice of these concepts that determines the strength of bonds/relationships - community. This lesson is meant to help highlight and uplift those common values, beliefs, and rituals in order to move from the unconscious or implicit to the conscious and explicit.
Lesson 3
SEL Core Competencies: Self-Awareness, Social Awareness, & Relationship Skills
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Ubuntu - “I am because we are, therefore we are because I am.” This philosophy/perspective recognizes the secret connection between the individual and the community. Acknowledging that an individual's significance comes from one's connection to the group/community. Likewise, the significance of the community is its ability to nurture the individual. The quality of each (the individual and community) is their own commitment to the other, and to ignore that commitment brings destruction.
Lesson 4
SEL Core Competency: Self-Awareness
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The beauty of African people and culture. Growing up/being educated in a European-centered society, we are exposed to European norms of beauty. Furthermore, because of anti-black/African racism, African images are often presented as grotesque and inferior. This annihilation of African beauty can (if unchallenged) can produce a self-hate or distorted self-image for which body enhancement and adornment become pathological.
Lesson 5
SEL Core Competencies: Social Awareness & Relationship Skills
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Culture is to humans…
Lesson 6
SEL Core Competencies: Social Awareness
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Songs matter
Lesson 7
SEL Core Competencies: Self-Awareness & Social Awareness
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Unity with the universe. Eurocentric modern philosophies all too often seek to take humans out of the realm of nature. Even those “spiritual” minded individuals operating from this Eurocentric modernist perspective will seek to separate spirit from nature juxtaposed the spiritual against science. The actuality is that humans are a part of nature. We (humans) are animals. We are part of the web of life on the planet Earth of this solar system in the Milky Way Galaxy in this Universe. Just as anything we create from the resources from this Earth, Solar System, Galaxy, Universe. Consider the second implication of the Biological Plan [there are ten basic implications that form the rationale for human development (rites of passage). The first four are considered to be the Biological Plan]:
- The Creator does not create for failure.
- All humans are one with the Cosmos (the Creator and creation).
- Every person has the capacity to succeed.
- We are born with a driving intent to express the capacity to succeed.
Social Emotional Learning
The Five Core Competencies
Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.
The CASEL 5 addresses five broad, interrelated areas of competence and examples for each: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. The CASEL 5 can be taught and applied at various developmental stages from childhood to adulthood and across diverse cultural contexts to articulate what students should know and be able to do for academic success, school and civic engagement, health and wellness, and fulfilling careers.
Additional Resources
Facing the Rising Sun
Coalition for African-centered Rites of Passage
Saint Rest Publications
Saint Rest Publications
Coalition for African-centered Rites of Passage
Saint Rest Publications