360 Nation: Bridging the Gap Between the Black Community and Africana Studies by Brandon Stokes Doctoral Candidate Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies Indiana University Bloomington
The foundation of Africana Studies comes out of a community struggle. In the founding of the first program at San Francisco State University, Nathan Hare declared that Black Studies was for the Black community and the theories and paradigms used needed to come up with solutions for the ailments of the Black community (Hare, 1969). Scholar John Blassingame countered Hare by arguing that Africana Studies must forge deeper ties within the Academy (Blassingame, 1969). Debates within Africana Studies continued with one side arguing for direct links to community organizations. The other side argued for a stronger bond to the academy with a more tangential relationship to the community. Africana Studies has grown within the academy, but the direct links to the community have not strengthened over the years. The lack of substantial community engagement across the discipline is seen as detrimental by the foremost academics in the field. Maulana Karenga and Molefi Kete Asante lament how Africana Studies is no longer communityfocused (Karenga & Asante 2005). However, there are still places where Africana Studies has links to the Black community. One example is in a small community organization in Chicago, the spirit of the community and Africana Studies connection is alive and well. 360 Nation is a community-based nonprofit agency that has taken the lead on filling community voids through the acquisition and transformation of vacant/unutilized space. 360 Nation is an intergenerational community organization based in the Garfield Park community on the west side of Chicago. 360 Nation utilizes relationship building and social capital to promote self-determination for Black children and their families. Through enriched youth/adult partnership, we promote empathy, critical thought, and the obtainment of a creative technical skillset. These valuable attributes will equip children and their families with the temperament, insight, and selfefficacy to become care agents and transform their communities. According to the Chicago Tribune, the West Garfield Park neighborhood has a median income of $26,000, with most residents living below the poverty line and a crime index of one of the worst in the city (Chicago Tribune, 2016). Poverty and lack of opportunity make residents vulnerable to violence and lower their quality of life. Furthermore, families with lower income and lower educational attainment are less likely to see the connection between the learning objectives in the classroom and their daily lives and how they apply what they have learned. 223
