Growing up in the Jim Crow South, surviving three fires, degradation, discrimination, and marginalization while learning to thrive in a world that was not designed for African Americans could only happen due to one's journey through the Black Sacred Cosmos. My Journey Through the Black Sacred Cosmos is a memoir that chronicles the life of one individual's experiences from adolescence until adulthood. James's parents and school teachers taught him socially and academically how to take care of himself in a hostile world. Yet once he left home for college, he began to realize how difficult it would be to fit in a world outside of his Sacred Cosmos. In order to survive, he had to search out who he was as an African American. Many things were excluded from his educational experience concerning his history and cultural identity, and he was left questioning why he was hated so much for the color of his skin. This caused him to delve deep within himself, trying to understand what it really meant to be an African American, as well as the deeper, rarely discussed, issues of race and racism.
Our education system is failing a large percentage of our children because it refuses to change its one-size-fits-all curriculum. Our teachers are certified to educate from a Eurocentric perspective instead of approaching our children with a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens. Like James, many of African American children have experienced complex trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) which often hinders their ability to succeed in schools with teachers who focus solely on academic content without consideration of the overall needs of their students. Our teachers, counselors, and administrators must be able to identify children with ACEs and understand how to adapt their teaching style to address the social-emotional learning needs of children starting with early childhood education and continuing throughout their academic career.
James was protected and educated in his Black Sacred Cosmos, and it was only after he learned to know and love himself that he could better understand and love others. Our children today cannot wait as long as he did, because the world is much different now. It is hoped that this book clarifies some complex issues children often face by peering into the window of what James had to endure and the importance of how the unseen hands within the Black Sacred Cosmos guided him through life.
James Wilburn is currently the co-founder of Wilburn and Associates, LLC, a consulting business that provides diversity training, intervention, and cultural awareness programs. He and his wife, Dr. Roberta Wilburn, have a wealth of knowledge and experience that enable them to effectively provide diversity training and consultation to organizations such as the City of Spokane, the Washington Community Forestry Council, and the North Wall School, and others. If you are in need of a motivational speaker, diversity trainer, consultant, or social justice advocate contact Wilburn and Associates, LLC, to see how they can support your diversity needs. For more information, visit their website at wilburnassociates.org or contact them at wilburnassociatesllc@gmail.com.
