Jawanza Kunjufu – författare

Offering information for use inside and outside of the classroom, this educational resource delineates how black males learn differently from other students and what can be done to most effectively reach them. Outlining the differences as both behavioral (attention span, aggression, maturation, energy level, and pressure from peers) and educational (verbal skills, organization, gross and fine motor skills, and reading interests) among others, this proposal provides real-world experiences alongside theories, making this an essential guide for educators, parents, counselors, psychologists, and others involved with black male adolescents. A section on how the majority of teachers, who are nonblack and female, can extend their education to overcome differences within the normal classroom setting, and help to reduce the number of black males in special education, is also provided.

Exploring the reasons why more than 70 percent of teens stop going to church when they reach adulthood, this impassioned proposal outlines ways that churches can retain their youth populations by giving them opportunities to take on leadership responsibility. Difficult questions, meant to foster self-exploration and self-evaluation within the community, include Are we discriminating against youth? and Do youth feel empowered in our church? Congregations and church leaders are encouraged to take a look at the effort they make to engage teens in terms of budget, space, and programs and to implement methods for increasing this effort and increasing teen involvement. This analysis of religious communities also illustrates models of churches that are utilizing teens in leadership positions and uses these models to propose and advocate a whole new paradigm for the role of youth in the church.