What is The Ivan Van Sertima Cultural Circle?

One of the first things you'll learn in a self study program is much of what you've been led to believe about the world is based on information that is incorrect, and or incomplete. This is especially true when the study involves information about people of African descent.

The Cultural Circles self study program is for any person who is genuinely interested in learning how to construct an accurate picture of the world and how to claim their rightful place in it.

Unlike the 'rugged individualism' that prevails in most western cultures, ancient Africans understood that all beings were interrelated and interdependent. This philosophy is best expressed in the African proverb, 'I am because you are and because you are, therefore I am.'

Organizational Structure

1. Cultural Circle groups will consist of at least 7 but no more than 13 people.
2. Groups will meet no less than once a month and no more than every other week.
3. Each group will be administered by a three-person steering committee selected by the group.

The steering committee will consist of a Recorder, Archivist and a Moderator.

• Recorder: takes minutes during each study session and at any steering committee meeting, reads the minutes from the previous session.
• Archivist: keeps a journal in which the group’s history, activities programs, and documents are maintained.
• Moderator: convenes all study sessions; reads the goals and objectives of Cultural Circles at each session; maintains balanced and focused interaction during book discussions.

Study sessions provide consistent opportunities to share insights, opinions, and perceptions about what you have read and/or researched. The group(s) also provides a safe place to seek answers to questions that may arise during your study.