This book is a guide for parents seeking to design a rites-of-passage program for their adolescent youth and for parents considering such a program. Orita (meaning crossroads) prepares participants for adulthood by teaching life management skills in the context of African heritage and biblical principles. At the Orita celebration, family and community honor their youth and acknowledge their transition into adulthood. Parents are guided through every aspect of the design and planning of a program tailored for their youth. The program is also flexible and can be applied to families of various cultures.
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This book is a blueprint for creating a memorable event to recognize one of life's very important milestones. But perhaps more significant is that it provides the opportunity for our youth to shore up the serious deficits in the areas of support, encouragement, personal and cultural knowledge, and confidence where unfortunately too many have profound needs. -- Frieda Hale, Adjunct Instructor of English, City University of New York
This is an excellent text, an original addition to a growing body of literature arguing persuasively for the black family in America to commit itself to a rites of passage event in the lives of its young people on the threshold of adulthood. The volume is appropriately thin, well-conceived, family centered and developed with reference to other important works on the same subject. The authors' preference is for rites using the African continent as backdrop, but the tone of the text makes well written room for families to choose to honor their adolescents around other equally meaningful themes. All seven chapters are characterized by clarity of presentation, intelligent division and development of material, interaction with the reader and extraordinary insight into the difficulties and delights of convincing families to test the transforming power of rites. -- Etta May Ladson, author, publisher, founder, African Christian Teachers Association
This is an excellent text, an original addition to a growing body of literature arguing persuasively for the black family in America to commit itself to a rites of passage event in the lives of its young people on the threshold of adulthood. The volume is appropriately thin, well-conceived, family centered and developed with reference to other important works on the same subject. The authors' preference is for rites using the African continent as backdrop, but the tone of the text makes well written room for families to choose to honor their adolescents around other equally meaningful themes. All seven chapters are characterized by clarity of presentation, intelligent division and development of material, interaction with the reader and extraordinary insight into the difficulties and delights of convincing families to test the transforming power of rites. -- Etta May Ladson, author, publisher, founder, African Christian Teachers Association
From the Publisher
The authors have experienced Orita rites of passage first hand, having designed, with the help of other parents, a program for their sons.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
From Roots to Responsibility,
By Dr. Mae Alice Reggy-Mamo (Nairobi, Kenya) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Orita: Rites of passage for youth of African descent in America (Paperback)
First, I want to congratulate the authors of "Orita: Rites of passage for youth of African descent in America" for an informative, inspiring, well written and beautifully designed book that charts the journey from "roots" to "responsibility". Written from first-hand experience in raising their own son, the authors have laid the foundation for a new and lasting tradition for descendants of the African Diaspora. More accurately, they have revived ancient African traditions, and demonstrated that they can work within a American modern setting. Based on scholarly research of anthropologists, educators and other professionals, and on biblical principles, the book explains all aspects of organizing an Orita rite-of-passage, including a sample program and ceremony which the authors participated in creating for their own son. It is a timely book because many of us lament the weakening of the family structure, but we don't have clue how to go about strengthening it - even within our own households. Orita provides today's families and communities with easy-to-follow guidelines for a formal initiation into adulthood for boys and girls. It offers us a clear, systematic, goal-oriented approach to building self-esteem, knowledge of finance, instilling a sense of responsibility and moral values, development of communication skills - all the things we wish for our children. But it goes beyond wishful thinking - it is an action plan that can guide parents and heritage communities through the "dangers, toils and snares" of rearing descendants of the African Diaspora in the 21st century context. As an African-American parent, the book has been helpful to me in deeply personal ways: first, it has inspired me to delve into our own family histories, songs, wisdom sayings, oral stories to find culturally-appropriate ways for celebrating our unique cultural heritage. It has also challenged me to grapple with the fairly uncharted area of becoming a better (step)parent, grandparent, godparent and community elder in order to help the younger generation become responsible, confident, God-fearing, achieving, and empowered - all that God wants them to become. Although written primarily for descendants of the African Diaspora, in exploring the Orita rites-of-passage, this book becomes a unique guide on successful parenting applicable to people of other races and ethnic backgrounds.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
From Roots to Responsibility,
By Dr. Mae Alice Reggy-Mamo (Nairobi, Kenya) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Orita: Rites of passage for youth of African descent in America (Paperback)
First, I want to congratulate the authors of "Orita: Rites of passage for youth of African descent in America" for an informative, inspiring, well written and beautifully designed book that charts the journey from "roots" to "responsibility". Written from first-hand experience in raising their own son, the authors have laid the foundation for a new and lasting tradition for descendants of the African Diaspora. More accurately, they have revived ancient African traditions, and demonstrated that they can work within a American modern setting. Based on scholarly research of anthropologists, educators and other professionals, and on biblical principles, the book explains all aspects of organizing an Orita rite-of-passage, including a sample program and ceremony which the authors participated in creating for their own son. It is a timely book because many of us lament the weakening of the family structure, but we don't have clue how to go about strengthening it - even within our own households. Orita provides today's families and communities with easy-to-follow guidelines for a formal initiation into adulthood for boys and girls. It offers us a clear, systematic, goal-oriented approach to building self-esteem, knowledge of finance, instilling a sense of responsibility and moral values, development of communication skills - all the things we wish for our children. But it goes beyond wishful thinking - it is an action plan that can guide parents and heritage communities through the "dangers, toils and snares" of rearing descendants of the African Diaspora in the 21st century context. As an African-American parent, the book has been helpful to me in deeply personal ways: first, it has inspired me to delve into our own family histories, songs, wisdom sayings, oral stories to find culturally-appropriate ways for celebrating our unique cultural heritage. It has also challenged me to grapple with the fairly uncharted area of becoming a better (step)parent, grandparent, godparent and community elder in order to help the younger generation become responsible, confident, God-fearing, achieving, and empowered - all that God wants them to become. Although written primarily for descendants of the African Diaspora, in exploring the Orita rites-of-passage, this book becomes a unique guide on successful parenting applicable to people of other races and ethnic backgrounds.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great for any culture,
By Ms. Understood "Ms. Understood" (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Orita: Rites of passage for youth of African descent in America (Paperback)
Marilyn and Warren Maye present an impressive rite of passage through Orita. I feel it is important to mention that this book, while billed as rites of passage for youth of African descent, may also be modified for use by people of all cultures interested in instilling a sense of responsibility and maturity in their emerging young men. I found through my reading that the concepts in this book carry across all cultural divides and are valuable tools for the process of entrance into manhood. The book is well thought-out and relies on time-tested techniques and insights.
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While deciding how to publish this book, we had a conversation about it with another author. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
African Americans, African Diaspora, Nguzo Saba New!
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While deciding how to publish this book, we had a conversation about it with another author. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
African Americans, African Diaspora, Nguzo Saba New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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