The Simba Circle -- Changing the Lives of African American Boys

     Strawberry Point, Iowa (ELCA) -- "Too Black, too strong!" was the daily chant of about 150 African American boys and men from 22 cities across the United States who came here to participate in a two-week program, The Simba Circle.  Sponsored by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Division for Church in Society, The Simba Circle is now in its seventh year.  It provides activities, programs and events that promote education, cultural clarification and spiritual development to benefit the young men, their families and their communities.  In Swahili "Simba" means young lion.
     "After the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles in 1992, we realized that an entire of generation of African American males were either forgotten about or written off," said Gaylord Thomas, ELCA director for community development services, Division for Church in Society.
     "It was this turn of events that made some of us realize that something had to be done.  After participating in a number of meetings where the topic of discussion was the young African American male, a group of us came together in a meeting of the minds and The Simba Circle is the result," Thomas said.
     "Early on we realized that this was a never-ending work in progress.  With all the tools and all the experiences we've incurred over the last seven years Simba is still very much a Spirit- driven, day-by-day venture," said Thomas.
     Thomas provides leadership and direction to The Simba Circle.
     Simba blends The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa, The Nguzo Saba -- the gospel of Jesus Christ -- and the cultural richness of Africa and African American people to reach African American males and those who journey with them.
     Kwanzaa is a non-religious celebration of the oneness and goodness of life during which African Americans are called to reflect upon and honor their past, evaluate and understand their present, and dedicate themselves to a fuller, more productive future.  The seven-day celebration starts Dec. 26.  Each day focuses on one of the seven principles: Umoja -- unity; Kujichagulia -- self-determination; Ujima -- collective work and responsibility; Ujamaa -- cooperative economics; Nia -- purpose; Kuumba -- creativity; and Imani -- faith.  All seven principles are biblically based.
     "The spiritual aspect of the Simba process is critical," said Thomas.
     Simba camp participants are organized in groups.  They are "Simbas," "Nation Builders" and "Elders."  Nation Builders act as mentors to the young men.  They are ages 19 to 35 and range from former gang members to college graduates.  Nation Builders are expected to relate to the young men on their levels and lead them through the process of self-discovery.  They share personal experiences and stories of their faith and life journeys.
     Prior to the camp Nation Builders are interviewed by the council of elders who consist of ELCA staff, members of ELCA congregations, community leaders and other professionals.  Four- to six-day training sessions are conducted to determine strong points and to identify areas of potential weakness.
     Nation Builders are presented with a series of situations that they may encounter during the camp, environmental training and training on African culture and rituals.
     "On the final day of training the Nation Builders lead a ritual to affirm who they are and their completion of training.  During this ritual I was choked up with tears," said Thomas.  "They were tears of sorrow and tears of joy.  Sorrow because after seven years I can fully anticipate the struggle we are about to partake.  Tears of joy because of what comes out on the other side," Thomas said.
     The Simbas, ages 10 to 18, are organized in "tribes" according to age.  They come to the camp from a variety of home lives.  Some are in foster care or live with relatives, and some live in single-parent or two-parent homes.  Their experiences range from abandonment to living "the American dream."
     Dr. Lewis Dodley, Columbus, Ohio, heads the Outward Bound program at the camp.  Outward Bound programs use the outdoors to teach people about themselves, their relationships with nature and other people, and how they can use these experiences at home, in daily life and in their professional careers.
     "We try to help these young men to unravel the message of what it takes to be a real man.  They have all these myths of what a 'real man' is, so we try to dispel those myths," said Dodley.
     "Those myths limit you from crying, showing your real feelings. They limit you from having fun in a lot of ways.  The role-play we do at the camp, dispels some of the myths that a man is not supposed to cry, that a man is supposed to take care of everything and that he has to be strong at all times," he said.
     "Weaving my own experiences along with academics has helped me to be able to deliver the message to these young men that those are all myths -- that men can and do cry, that you do not have to be strong all the time and that it is okay to be yourself," Dodley said.
     Dodley helps to facilitate the training of the Nation Builders and supervises the high-adventure sports.
     During Nation Builder training the council of elders observes and evaluates potential Nation Builders.
     "First, we are looking for someone who is spiritually grounded, not necessarily religious but spiritual.   We are looking for that person who has a passion for working with children, a person who knows or understands the trauma or the things that they [the boys] have dealt with," said Dodley.   "If one had negative feelings toward his father he must have dealt with those problems before he can help any of these young men," he said.
     "We need to know where they [Nation Builders] stand on drugs and alcohol.  We are looking for people who are consistent and are willing to make a commitment.  We are looking for young men who are eager to learn, energetic, and who can dry a tear if there is a need.  We are looking for someone who has gifts to share, and we all have gifts even if that gift is simply talking or listening," said Dodley.
     The curriculum for Simba "comes from a wide range of sources, from people who have worked with youth, and/or have developed self-help material," said Venus Williams, director of the Kujichagulia Lutheran Center and SeedFolks Youth Ministry, Milwaukee Lutheran Coalition, a ministry of the ELCA Greater Milwaukee Synod.
     Williams sits with "The Circle of Wisdom," a planning team, that meets two or three times during the year preceding the camp to evaluate the previous camp and identify needs for the upcoming camp based on hometown needs.
     "If we identify a need to work on the effects that domestic violence has on children or gang recruitment, we can plan to deal with these situations," said Williams.
     "Our curriculum covers everything from conflict resolution and anger management to goal setting and life planning.  African and African American history, health and nutrition, safety, and male, female, peer and family relationships are also key areas covered in the curriculum," she said.
     "I appreciate the peace of mind that I get when I come to Simba camp," said LaMar Baker,  Chicago.  This is the second year Baker has attended Simba Camp as a Simba.
     "The Kuumba [creativity] principle helps me to come up with creative solutions to problems sometimes.  Some of what I've learned at camp helps me to get along a little better with my younger brother," he said.   "We still argue, but we don't fight like we used to.  We have better respect for each other, and I think we learned that here," said Baker.
     "It's important that, as a Nation Builder, you establish a relationship as a leader without jeopardizing the relationship of trust and respect with these young men," said Joseph Duncan Williams III. Williams attended his second camp as a Nation Builder.
     "I know the st