Synopsis: The Culture Kit Book by Mr. Dennis Stokes
Finally, African Americans have a visionary and a tool designed to aid in the creation and celebration of a modern unifying African American culture. Regular use of this tool will provide African Americans with emotional healing and an understanding of how their ancestors contributed to the building of America. This same tool was designed to help finance the initial development of training and employment opportunities.
Immediately, The Culture Kit Book challenges the reader to appraise the current state of African American affairs by accessing the current direction (if any) offered by any of the (many) self-appointed Black leaders or Black organizations. An honest assessment of the situation will lead most readers to the painful realization that their collective climb from devastatingly poor chattel to financially secure full-fledged citizens has been stalled. The founding fathers of America established the means to ensure that eventually all citizens will be granted liberty, equality and self-identification with the honor and status of the American nation. Yet, with significant political victories in hand, the current Black leadership is reduced to reciting past glories to a new generation of African Americans who are socialized to expect the American dream lifestyle. While the old-guard is able to protect African American political gains, they have the wrong resume to secure collective African American economic gains.
After the readers understand these hard lessons, they are challenged to accept a strategy proposed to provide them an opportunity for equality of economic condition. As part of that acceptance, they must collectively get "on-the-same-page" by accepting definitions for terms used every day, but devoid of the full power that the American English language confers on them. These words in the hands of the uninitiated are impotent, but with guidance can lead to great strides in life. By accepting new, powerful, and useful definitions of these words, they will become members in a rich legacy of people supported and strengthened by similar inspiration.
A recovery tool called the Culture Kit is introduced and described. This tool is African America's answer to its many ailments. It facilitates the following: a full understanding of African American history and achievement in America; recognition of the motherland, Africa-but defers idealistic worshipping of her trappings until after African Americans come to terms with their own glorious past; development of a modern African American culture that will teach and bind them as their true potential unleashes great nation building and economic striving; rebuilding of families, friendships, neighborhoods, communities, cities, regions, states and ultimately the great nation of America-(African American status as successful citizens is the missing piece to the masterpiece called the United States of America); motivation to prepare for employment by seeking training and education, and finally, securing of the initial resources necessary to finance the African American economic recovery.
As part of developing a modern African American culture, the Culture Kit tool will feature five important African Americans who in the past have made unique contributions to African American progress. Three of the individuals span the same early era of influence. The remaining two are relatively speaking from more recent times. During both of these eras the views held by each leader were considered conflicting, but in hindsight they were, in some ways, compatible. Each person truly loved Black people and wanted contentment for them in America. These five great African Americans will be honored in African American households on special days with a ceremony replete with pomp and ritual befitting any mature culture celebrating its past and present.
Included are brief biographies of these important African American leaders. The richness and details of their spellbinding lives, from their humble births, unique trials throughout childhood to adulthood, educational pursuits, marriages, and first professional career employment, are described for the enlightenment and encouragement of the readers.
The final section is devoted to a business plan that explains, in great detail, how the Culture Kit will be used to generate some of the initial capital and seed money to finance the full economic recovery of African America. Every African American living in cities of the United States where their population density is significant will be visited and exposed to the Culture Kit vision. At that time, they will be encouraged to embrace the virtue of developing a modern unifying African American culture that will help each of us reach our full potential and destiny in America. The manuscript length is approximately 130,000 words.