African American Cultural Literacy

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African American Cultural Literacy and the TEA-ASK Project is an effort to preserve African American centered perspectives and truths. This project came from the urgency to respond to the frightening truth and concern that (our) written cultural truths and history could be rewritten or wiped away in a matter of a few key strokes, if a mental record and physical documentation are not taught, passed down or held sacred.

For more, see our AA Cultural Literacy Publications and AACL Blogs below. 

AA Cultural Literacy Publications

AA Cultural Literacy Publications are published works about African American people and their culture. Click on links below to purchase.

Who Are African Americans?

Who Are African Americans? is a children’s book that teaches children about the African American people.

Click link to Purchase:

https://a.co/d/0ahlPl9y

Things Every African American Should Know

Things Every African American Should Know is book 1 in the TEA-ASK series about the African American culture.

Click link to Purchase: https://a.co/d/0g6xe5NZ

African American Cultural Literacy Blogs

From the AACL blog

  • “My People” #2

    SEvans 7/2024 “My people, my people!”. . .Those words bear the sentiments of Black ‘skin folk’ blushing over the actions of their Black ‘kin folk.’ In our last issue we focused on the late, great Zora Neal Hurston, who was an anthropologist, folklorist and author during the Harlem Renaissance.  Ms. Hurston authored numerous fiction works…

  • My People, My People!

    by SEvans February 16, 2024 My People, My People is a featured segment in which certain aspects of the African American and his/her culture will be highlighted.  Some of these highlights are sure to give you a chuckle, while others may cause you to roll your eyes in annoyance.  Either way the examples will have…

  • The Gift of Black Folk

    by SEvans 2/2024 African-American Cultural Literacy and the TEA-ASK Project is an effort to preserve African-American centered perspectives and truths.  This project came from the urgency to respond to the frightening truth and concern that (our) written cultural truths and history could be rewritten or wiped away in a matter of a few keystrokes, if…

Terms and Definitions

What is AACL?

AACL stands for African American Cultural Literacy. Cultural Literacy is a term coined by educator, E.D. Hirsch which means one’s ability to understand and participate fluently in a given culture.

What is TEA-ASK?

TEA-ASK stands for Things Every African-American Should Know.  It is an African American Cultural Literacy resource.

Things Every African-American Should Know (TEA-ASK) is a multivolume work of traditional African American cultural characteristics that have been shared and are important to African American people.  These cultural aspects are the traditional values, customs, norms, beliefs, art & artifacts, and language expressions that have made the African American a unique ethnic group.

What is TEA-ASK Family Share?

These are children’s books that are encouraged to be used as family reading. They are useful in the classroom setting as well.