Amen Ra is much more than just a cartoon. It is the creation of a new exciting mythology for African America. Amen Ra's name is the acronym for Achievement through Mentoring Education and Networking in the RAAMUS Academy and reflects the real life history, mission, and purpose of RAAMUS. This Afrocentric super hero is not the Egyptian God mythos of old, but rather a manifestation of the collective spirit of RAAMUS(Responsible African American Men United in Spirit) and our proud African heritage (which, of course, includes the Egyptian mythos). Unlike many Eurocentric super heroes who claim to be Gods, this Amen Ra character makes no such claim. This dynamic mythological story inspires kids to excel in school, to learn their history, and to develop a healthy cultural value system of respect and righteousness.

Mainstream culture has produced numerous mythical and legendary fictional heroes that serve to instill and reinforce positive Eurocentric values (e.g. Tarzan, Hercules, Superman, Lone Ranger, Sherlock Holmes etc.) However, since we were physically and mentally severed from our African roots we were also mentally severed from our cultural myths. Since that time we have not created any new ones either. [ Note: The only redeeming mythical story in African American pop culture is John Henry who dies of a heart attack after a brief by futile victory against the Steam Engine. ]
 
 

RAAMUS is trying to change this situation in order to give our future generations what other healthy cultures already have, and use, in the strategic socialization of their young. Amen Ra is intended to fill that void. Amen Ra is both a character and story of mythological proportions. He is a dynamic Afrocentric super hero who fights racism and ignorance (what all responsible Americans should fight against). He promotes cultural identity and education as the ultimate tools of our liberation.
 
 
 
 

Can Amen Ra compete with the omnipresent and media-hyped Eurocentric heroes like Superman, Spiderman, X-Men, Hercules, Tarzan, and Batman for the minds and hearts of our youth? Preliminary feedback says yes! This project is a demonstration of our potential to create and define our own fictional heroes in the spirits of Kuumba (creativity) & Kujichagulia (self determination).

[ Note:  Of course, we must continue to promote and educate our children about the real life (non-fictional) heroes of our history and culture (e.g. Malcolm X, Dr. King, Shaka Zulu, Imhotep, Harriet Tubman, etc.) but we must also recognize that fictional mythology transcends space and time and is even more effective for instilling youth values and character. For example, mainstream media promotes the adventures of Superman (fiction), Hercules (fiction), and others, as much, or more, than it does George Washington (non-fiction) and other real life characters. Remember! Mythological characters and their timeless stories are creatively invented, and not real (but linked to reality through creative story telling). Yet, they are real in the minds and hearts of the young and old alike, from generation to generation...

Amen Ra encourages education in a way that's righteously potent and cool for our young. Although the cartoon is a non-funded pilot project, it has been found to hold it's own against the super industrial matrix of Eurocentric comic animation (e.g. X-Men, Spider man, Bat man) in the minds and hearts of many young African American males. Given more funding and exposure, it's potential as a media-based educational and cultural motivation tool is unlimited!

We hope that you will join us in this new (untapped) arena of possibility and struggle. Indeed, the tools of liberation are found, and fought, on many battlefields. We have just begun to enter what is possibly the most important vehicle for shaping the conceptual references of our young. Like Superman, and Hercules,  success can only be achieved through the collective will of the people to accept and promote it's own mythology from generation to generation. Let us begin now!

For more information please write: Ken Ghee, Ph.D., - University of Cincinnati, - Psychology Department.(ML 376) Cincinnati, OH 45221 - or call, (513) 556-5553. or email Dr. Ghee at: Ken.Ghee@UC.Edu.

                         

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