Sankofa: A (Re)search Methodology for (Re)membering, (Re)storing, and (Re)birthing Black Boys and Men

Nana Lawson Bush, V, Ph.D. is Chair of Pan African Studies at California State University, Los Angeles and the former Director of the University California Irvine and Cal State Los Angeles Joint-Doctoral Program in Urban Educational Leadership. Rooted in Pan Africanism, Nana Dr. Bush employs a pentecostal-revolutionary-pedagogy – teaching from and to the spirit to foster a liberatory praxis.  His approach to teaching is reflected in his research as he aims to contemporaneously disrupt power relations and to build programs, institutions, and states on the best of African philosophies and practices. His publications are numerous and impactful. He has published 4 books, including The Plan: A Guide for Women Raising African American Boys from Conception to College and The Plan Workbook, and 32 academic articles. Most notably, he published, along with his brother, Dr. Edward C. Bush, the first-ever comprehensive theory concerning Black boys and men called African American Male Theory (AAMT). His research foci situate him as the leading expert on the relationship between Black mothers and their sons, the development of Independent Black Institutions (IBIs) in the United States, and the theorization of Black boys and men. Moreover, his research has become the framework and guide for families, programs, and organizations across the nation.