Mission

We Are Building An Educational Justice Movement

What is FunkEntelechy?

FunkEntelechy VS. The Placebo Syndrome is a 1977 work of funk brilliance by one of our all time favorite groups, Parliament.

We admit that finding inspiration for the name of a new non-profit organization in your funk music crate is a little different. But when you are also the founders of the Museum Of UnCut Funk, anything in the P-Funk realm is fair game.

Entelechy, in philosophy, means the realization of potential.

So the FunkEntelechy definitions that resonate for us are:

    • Reaching one’s potential funkiness
 
    • The actualization of the FUNK rather than the potential

 

The truth is that we talked about starting a non-profit for decades but just never got it done. So the name fittingly reflects the fact that we finally decided to stop talking about it and actually be about it.

FunkEntelechy, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization recognized by the IRS.

Why now?

The post-Obama period of Blacklash that we are currently enduring and the courageous youth who took to the streets to demand change served as a catalyst for reflection.

Two life altering global events unfolding in real time – a pandemic and quarantine overlayed on top of a movement in support of Black lives – intersecting in an extraordinary moment in history, provided the impetus and time to contemplate the following question:

What exactly are we doing in this historic moment to make change?

As lovers of Black history, the rampant ignorance of four centuries of Black contribution and sacrifice to this country on daily display, coupled with the conservative effort to suppress teaching the truth about the Black experience in this country is enraging and unacceptable.

This helped bring our mission into focus.

Our Mission

We are on a mission to change the way Black history is taught in this country.

We understand that for Black lives to truly matter, Black history must matter.

When people believe that you have made no contribution to history, it is easy for them to deny your humanity and equality.

By design, the version of Black history taught in schools is distorted and whitewashed, told through a master narrative that perpetuates white supremacy.

For Black descendants of the enslaved, knowledge has always been our path to justice, power and freedom. Educational justice is a critical and essential intersectional component along with racial, social and economic justice to achieving equality for Black people.

The inaccurate and incomplete teaching of Black history is not only a persistent barrier to Black people achieving educational justice, but an impediment to achieving true racial, social, and economic justice as well as equality.

It is time for America to tell the truth and teach the truth about Black history, so accurate knowledge can be passed down to subsequent generations with the goal of eradicating the pervasive ignorance that has plagued this country for centuries and continues to fuel racial division and hatred today.

Enough.

Our Movement

We are launching a national movement to build awareness and apply pressure on federal, state and local lawmakers and school boards to make change.

To make this happen we are creating a Black educational justice and equity ecosystem, activating a coalition of stakeholders in the Black community including: Black scholars, educators, researchers, HBCU’s, Black studies programs, history organizations, activist organizations, civic organizations, professional organizations, parent, homeschool and student organizations.

We are also reaching out to allies.

Through our Tell The Truth Teach The Truth initiative, we demand educational justice for all Black students.

Educational justice looks like:

  • Educational redress through federal mandate and funding to teach the truth about Black history to all PreK-12 students, in all schools, year round
 
  • Black education and history experts developing new national Black history standards, curriculum and educational materials
 
  • Black educators and history experts being hired to teach Black history
 
Further, we demand educational empowerment for the Black community, through agency over public schools with majority Black student enrollment.
 
Black community empowerment and agency looks like:
 
  • Funding levels that achieve resource equity and meet the total needs of Black students and the Black community
 
  • Culturally relevant, liberatory, anti-racist standards, curriculum and teaching materials, developed by Black experts, that integrate Black history, and intentionally center Black students’ educational, social and emotional needs
 
  • Culturally enriching classroom instruction by Black teachers that builds knowledge across a range of subjects, with an imperative to improve literacy
 
  • Using Black history as a gateway to knowledge building, which will provide positive role models, build self-confidence and positive self identity
 
  • Replacing racist standardized tests with culturally relevant assessments
 
  • Ending racist discriminatory disciplinary practices and school policing
 
  • Re-deploying testing and policing resources in arts, music, sports and other culturally and educationally relevant extra curricular activities that enhance the educational experience
 
  • Hiring Black Superintendents, Principals, Teachers, Counselors, Nurses, Tutors and other necessary personnel to run and support community based schools, and adequately compensating them so that Black students get the champions and guardians they deserve
 
  • School board membership that looks like the student population and community it serves
 

Through our efforts, we will assure that all Black children know who they are, where they came from, and what their ancestors have contributed to this country.

Donate

To make a donation to support FunkEntelechy Inc. and Tell The Truth Teach The Truth, our educational justice movement, click below. FunkEntelechy, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization recognized by the IRS.
Donate

Sign Our Tell The Truth Teach The Truth Petition

To learn more about our Tell The Truth Teach The Truth educational justice movement, read our petition, and add your signature, click below.
SIGN

 

FunkEntelechy Inc. & Museum Of UnCut Funk Co-Founders talk to Kweighbaye Kotee, founder of the Bushwick Film Festival, about Tell The Truth, Teach The Truth.

FunkEntelechy Inc. & Museum Of UnCut Funk Co-Founders talk to Rah Crawford, founder of the World Owned agency, and LADY PHE, founder of Crypto Basel, about Tell The Truth, Teach The Truth.

FunkEntelechy Inc. & Museum Of UnCut Funk Co-Founders talk to Aaron Grizzell, founder of the Black and Brown Comix Festival (BCAF), about Tell The Truth, Teach The Truth.

FunkEntelechy Inc. & Museum Of UnCut Funk Co-Founders talk to Loreal Torres, Chief People Officer at Vested, about Tell The Truth, Teach The Truth.

FunkEntelechy Inc. & Museum Of UnCut Funk Co-Founders talk to Eunice Elliot, at The History Of Being Black Podcast, about Tell The Truth, Teach The Truth.


 

FOLLOW US

Follow our strategic partner, the Museum Of UnCut Funk, on social media to stay up to date.


 

JOIN OUR EDUCATIONAL JUSTICE MOVEMENT

Please sign up for our email list to receive the latest movement information.

* indicates required

TAKE IT TO THE STREETS

Download our digital picket signs.

DEMAND CHANGE WITH YOUR WHOLE CHEST

All proceeds support the Tell The Truth Teach The Truth movement.