Like all teens, African American teens find themselves wondering what
they should or should not be doing and how they should behave toward
each other -- only they often have no male role model in the home and
negative models, like gang-banger, on the street. As they struggle to
build their characters, they receive feedback from multiple sources,
causing confusion. Training Black Spirit offers a guide through the
fog of adolescence by providing a personal training aid in ethics --
values -- especially tailored for Black teens. It holds that our
spirits, which protect and sustain us, direct and unify our thoughts,
efforts, and actions.
Author Dr. William L. Conwill helps Black teens prepare for adulthood in
the family, the community, and the world by developing their characters.
Training Black Spirit builds upon African American cultural heritage,
which is all too often absent from Black teens' experience. The
principles presented here provide directives or instructions on living,
as well as a defense against destructive influences. like drugs and
violence. These principles are represented throughout the text by
Adinkra symbols, along with a martial-arts self-defense interpretation
for each principle, which teens discuss with an adult facilitator.
Drawing on brain science, transpersonal psychology, and mainstream
psychiatry, as well as ancient traditions, Training Black Spirit
guides Black teens in conducting a personal and conscious examination of
the traditional principles that enable us to survive, create, and
nurture life.
Keeping teens from heading down the wrong road is am increasing
challenge. Training Black Spirit is a guide for young, black teens to
explore their personal values or ethics through the use of symbols and
values from West African culture to help build character. The book
prepares teens for obstacles they will met with in life, providing
values and behaviors for coping with challenging life experiences.
In light of recent events in Ferguson, Baltimore, and elsewhere, many
black teens find themselves at a crossroads: Who are they today, and who
do they want to be in the future? Training Black Spirit is a guide for
teens dealing with these difficult challenges. As a psychologist Dr.
Conwill has worked extensively with teens in various settings, helping
them their challenges, providing ethical principles to guide them
through.
