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The National Rites of Passage Institute (ritesofpassage.org), The Black Child Journal (blackchildjournal.com) and

The Youth Resiliency Institute’s Mountain Movers Project (mountainmoversproject.com) announce a special edition collaboration for our Fall 2023 issue that will focus on the Restitution of African cultural Heritage and the Black Child.

The submission deadline is August 30, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. (Eastern).

The Mountain Movers Project is a Baltimore, MD/Northeast, OH based project that functions as a hub and resource center providing information, training, programming, and intentional conversations on the role of culturally responsive community based and locally led arts programming in elevating youth centered perspectives, tactics and strategies focused on the restitution of African cultural heritage. This collaboration led by the Mountain Movers Project will also sponsor a series of community-based forums/discussion panels on African Restitution – currently designated to take place in Baltimore, MD; Cleveland and East Cleveland, OH. Going forth, we would like to add other cities and regions as appropriate. This issue seeks to recognize the valuable work already being done on African restitution and to situate in this context an understanding of the wide ranging and significant positive impact such efforts may have on Black children, their families and their communities. Fanon Hill, Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Youth Resiliency Institute’s Mountain Movers Project will serve as Guest Editor for this special edition collaboration. 

African restitution refers to the return of stolen cultural and historical artefacts to African peoples and nations. Over 1,000,000 known African artefacts are held outside the continent (mainly in Europe). Despite worldwide outcry only about 1,000 such artefacts have been returned. These cultural works are part of African ways of knowing and being that helps give meaning to Africans and people of African descent throughout the world. Hence African Restitution, for us, includes efforts to also reclaim stolen knowledge and wisdom for ourselves, our children, and our communities. How might such efforts be described? And how do we build community-based movements to take on such a struggle? We see our cultural heritage as having an ongoing and direct bearing on important quality of life issues for modern day Black families and their children that may not be so readily apparent. 

We are calling for submissions from those who may be active in the restitution work at all levels and in all ways. Those who are involved with African centered rites of passage, and other arts or culturally oriented programs that are community based, multigenerational and child/youth focused are encouraged. Among the many challenges and possible solutions to be addressed:

· How do we (African nations and peoples of African descent) promote and control much - needed conversations about restitution that have been intentionally ignored by European governments and their heritage institutions? 

· What are some community and educational programs that focus on cross generational learning and transmission of cultural heritage for children and youth? How do such efforts get children and youth involved in ways that can enhance their development and can transform the child’s life choices, such as opportunities for internships, careers, world travel and lifetime cultural activism?

·  What current arts, cultural, and rites of passage activities might serve as the basis for regional or community discussion panels at various metropolitan locations. In what ways might such programs propose to collaborate with the Mountain Movers Project or build upon existing relationships with the Black Child Journal or the National Rites of Passage Institute? 

· How can knowledge about worldwide restitution and its potential positive effects on Black children, their families and communities be integrated into classroom/school curricula involving community resources such as artists, rites of passage consultants, classroom workshops and school – wide presentations? 

Submissions from a wide range of perspectives, platforms and mediums - from activists, artists, practitioners and researchers, engineers and technology experts, lawyers, educators, medical and mental health professionals (to name just a few) - all are invited to submit!

The editorial staff of the Black Child Journal, the National Rites of Passage Institute and the Youth Resiliency Institute’s Mountain Movers Project will manage the peer review process. Manuscripts should be prepared according to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Sixth Edition (2009) – one (1) to twenty (20) pages, one-inch margins, Times New Roman 12 pt. font. All parts of the manuscript should be submitted electronically as an attachment to email (“Manuscript Submission” in the subject box) to: blackchildjournal@gmail.com. Submissions should be in MS Word documents (.doc) format, not converted to PDF’s, and without embedded commands or special formatting. All photos should be submitted as separate JPEG files. References, tables, charts, other texts, art-graphics, and appendices should be included at the end of the document. These should not be included in the document word-count described above. Nevertheless, we are more concerned with content that addresses the topic as opposed to any special formatting. Authors are asked to submit a short bio and a black and white JPEG photo as a separate attachment. Inquiries regarding submission guidelines should be addressed to blackchildjournal@gmail.com. Inquiries regarding The Mountain Movers Project should be addressed to  mountainmoversproject.com. The deadline for submission is August 30, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. (Eastern).