About The Book
In 1969, The East, a cultural and educational center for people ofAfrican ancestry, was founded by dedicated educators and progressiveactivists who came...
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of age during the era of the BlackPower movement. Although Brooklyn was the physical home of TheEast organization, its influence emanated throughout New YorkCity and beyond, touching individuals and groups in the UnitedStates, the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia.A View from The East represents a second edition of the previouslypublished Truth Crushed to Earth Will Rise Again by providingexpanded archival research and a contextualizing of the organizationwithin the African American civil rights and black power movements.At the heart of The East was Uhuru Sasa Shule, an independentAfrican-centered school whose curriculum and pedagogywere rooted in Kawaida philosophy and concepts of education forself-reliance. In addition, The East became a center for the arts.On weekends, it served as a literary salon and hosted concerts byblack musicians. Many of the great jazz artists and poets performedthere, as it became a well-known and highly sought-aftervenue. With fresh insight and great detail, Kwasi B. Konadu excavatesthe legacy of The East, exploring the confluence of culturalnationalism, education, economic self-sufficiency, and the arts duringthe Black Power period. Drawing on extensive interviews andprimary research, Konadu vividly brings to life the people andevents that shaped this remarkable institution and outlines the richlessons it provides for future community building organizations.
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