Roots and Kulture: A New African Institute

By Dr. Pamela Hill
African-American News&Issues
Dallas Fort-Worth, Texas

Since 1987, Takuma Umoja and his wife Nia IAfrika have maintained an Afrikan cultural presence in Fort Worth, when they opened a small bookstore about Afrikans and Afrikan Americans because they saw an identity problem in the community and wanted to do the best we can to find a solution. They gave up their home and everything to focus on this issue. Roots and Kulture Redemptive Books and Resources was the first black bookstore in Fort Worth.

Umoja says the Afikan community in Fort Worth where he lives and works has not seen industry in the 17 years he has been in the area. Better jobs are needed as is more money. To help ease some of this a work study program was developed with the primary purpose being Black Unity and designed towards enhancing skills and teaching about blackness, and how to love black, help black survive black and live black. We advocate a new Afrikan culture, because we are not the same Afrikans that left Afrika. We are a new Afrika, which mean we know of old and we know of the new, and based on the old, we are the new. Through Afrikan union we will foster, that will help regarding the chaos that is plaguing the Black community?.Already Roots and Kulture use their space to enhance the community. In addition to the Work Study program, they sponsor the Center for Positive Education, that provides basis skills and history knowledge. Just recently they held a Young Prince and Princess Day, which allowed the children to dress as ancient Afrikan rulers, and are preparing for Kwanzaa

There is a larger vision on the horizon for Roots and Kulture. They have begun raising funds to establish The New Afrikan Culture Institute, a non profit community collective for the holistic development to the Black community. The vision of this multi-purpose facility is to create, promote and maintain a viable environment for academic achievement, mental and physical health, economic empowerment and culture preservation. In order to meet these needs the plan includes four centers. Those centers will be Creative Learning and Scientific Research Center, the Holistic Health and Wellness Center, the Business and Technology center and the Community Support and Cultural Services Center

Nia IAfrika says that everybody will have a role to play. “No matter what you do, what your contribution is, you can find a place at the New Afrikan Cultural Institute. If you have a program you will have a space for it, it you have a business, you may be able to have your business within the Institute. We will be a centralized location where we can all come together. We will have a school a place to eat, counselor services, all want to come together to one. Whatever we need we will have it at the New Afrikan Cultural Center.”

The overall specific and primary objects of the Institute include developing finance resources to promote the interest of the Black community, to teach job skills, to promote heath care, entrepreneurial opportunities and various social services .The Institute is not seeking government funds but will apply for private funding. The goal is to raise enough funds to begin building in 2005. Patrons are welcomed. Roots and Culture is located at 3630 East Roseda.le.