CONTEXT: College/University Course (Undergraduate)

TYPE OF ACTIVITY: Cooperative Learning and Reader’s Response (Written, e.g., journaling, poetry, essay, etc.)

TOPIC: Cultural Studies

Ask everyone to write a reflective essay to the following question using the 3R’s of reflective writing (Retell, Relate, and Reflect): How does Conjuring Black Funk fit into current sociopolitical or cultural moment? Encourage them to use evidence from each of the three sections of the book. (50 minutes)

Divide the group into pairs and have the members of the pairs exchange papers. Ask each person to read their partner’s paper and write a brief summary highlighting the reflective essay’s main points. (15 minutes)

Have the pairs form groups of four or six. Ask each member to present the highlights of his/her partners’ reflective essay. The presenter may use her or his summary to help her or him with the presentation. (35 minutes)

TOTAL MINUTES: 100 minutes

By Barrington Maxwell, educator

CONTEXT: College/University Course (Undergraduate) and College/University Course (Graduate/Post-Graduate)

TYPE OF ACTIVITY: Reader’s Response (Non-Written, e.g., visual art, movement, performance, etc.)

TOPIC: Open

Requires advanced notice.

Ask everyone to choose their favorite passage from the book and an object that they feel can represent an idea from the passage.

Ask everyone to present their object to the group and explain why that object is symbolic in representing the idea from the passage.

TOTAL MINUTES: 50 minutes

CONTEXT: Community-Based Organization/Group (Young Adult 18-25), Community-Based Organization/Group (Adult 26-Up)

TYPE OF ACTIVITY: Reader’s Response (Non-Written, e.g., visual art, movement, performance, etc.)

TOPIC: Cultivating A Life of Soul and Spirit, Self-Efficacy, and Sexual Decision-Making

Ask everyone to read What the Funk… Why the Funk… How the Funk? (p. 13) (10 minutes)

Ask each person to generate five words that expresses his or her personal definition of Black Funk. (5 minutes)

Ask each member to browse through Conjuring Black Funk and identify one title from each of the three sections of the book that relates to his or her definition. Encourage people to read the works of the titles they are considering in making their decision about the three titles. (15 minutes)

Ask the group to form groups of four or five people to create expressive works of Black Funk using their words, the titles, and images that they draw, sketch, or paint on newsprint paper. Provide them with materials to draw, sketch, and paint. (45 minutes)

Display each group’s work around the room. Ask the entire group to tour the gallery of work. At each station, after people have had a moment to view the work in silence, ask the group briefly talk about the meaning of the work. (45 minutes)

TOTAL MINUTES: 120 minutes

CONTEXT: Community-Based Organization/Group (Young Adult 18-25), Community-Based Organization/Group (Adult 26-Up)

TYPE OF ACTIVITY: Reader’s Response (Written, e.g., journaling, poetry, essay, etc.) and Group Discussion

TOPIC: Relationships

Ask everyone to read The Erotic as Affinity: How I Became a Godfather and Queer Daddy (p.213)

After everyone is finished reading, say: “Each of the sons share unique bonds with Dr. Herukhuti. Imagine that you were the fifth son/daughter. Write a brief narrative describing how it might be if you were the fifth addition to the family. Be sure to incorporate how having a queer daddy could be beneficial to you as you continue to grow and mature.” (15 minutes)

Arrange the group in a circle. Ask each member to share their narratives with the group. (10-20 minutes)

Ask the group to discuss the possible pros and cons of having a queer family. (30 minutes)

In concluding, highlight keys points of the discussion. (5 minutes)

TOTAL MINUTES: 70 minutes

By Dr. Herukhuti

CONTEXT: Community-Based Organization/Group (Young Adult 18-25), Community-Based Organization/Group (Adult 26-Up), College/University Course (Undergraduate)

TYPE OF ACTIVITY: Cooperative Learning

TOPIC: Building Community

In groups of four, assign each member of the group one of the following:

• How We Use the Master’s Tools to Dismantle Our House
• Scrambling/Fighting to Suck Farrakhan’s Dick: BMX-NY and NBJC
• Pimps & Hos
• Whose Boot Is This?: Barebacking Advocacy and the Right to Fuck

VARIATION #5.1: Ask each person read their assigned work (15 minutes), identify the argument in the work (5 minutes), and share the argument with the other members of their group (10 minutes).

Ask the group to discuss (30 minutes):

• What do you believe the author’s purpose/intention was in writing these pieces?
• How successful was he in accomplishing his purpose/intention?
• What do you know from your experience that challenges the author’s perspective?
• What do you know from your experience that supports the author’s perspective?
• What solutions can you image to address the issues the author raises?

Ask everyone to form a large group and share anything they wish related to the activity (10 minutes).

TOTAL MINUTES: 70 minutes

VARIATION #5.2: Ask each person read their assigned work (15 minutes) and then form a group with everyone who has read the same piece of work. Ask them to use that group to talk about what they read and identify the argument in the work (15 minutes).

Then have them go back to their original group of four and share the argument of the piece they just discussed with the other members of their group (15 minutes).

Ask the group of four to then discuss (30 minutes):

• What do you believe the author’s purpose/intention was in writing these pieces?
• How successful was he in accomplishing his purpose/intention?
• What do you know from your experience that challenges the author’s perspective?
• What do you know from your experience that supports the author’s perspective?
• What solutions can you image to address the issues the author raises?

Ask everyone to form a large group and share anything they wish related to the activity (10 minutes).

TOTAL MINUTES: 85 minutes

By Dr. Herukhuti

TYPE OF ACTIVITY: Group Discussion

TOPIC: Sexual Decision-Making

Prior to the activity prepare sheets of paper with two sets of twenty horizontal lines (one set down the right side of the paper, one set down the left side), each set taking up less than half the paper. Prepare enough sheets for all the participants.

Give each participant a sheet of paper and pencil. Ask the participants to write on the left side of lines on their paper the titles of 20 adult (i.e., pornographic) films that they have most frequently watched. They don’t have to list as many as 20 titles but it’s better that they don’t list more than twenty. (10 minutes)

Once they have listed their titles on the left side of their paper, ask them to write on the right side of lines 20 of the most personally pleasurable sexual acts.(10 minutes)

Once they have finished writing, ask the participants to draw a line from any movie that includes a portrayal of a sexual act to that sexual act. Once they have completed the task ask them to think about what the comparison of their two lists demonstrates. (5 minutes)

VARIATION #4.1: Read Porn, Pleasure, and Profit to the group. (15 minutes)

Ask the members of the group to share their thoughts and feelings about their lists and the reading. (40 minutes)

VARIATION #4.2: Read Porn, Pleasure, and Profit to the group while the members follow along with their own copies. (15 minutes)

Ask the members of the group to share their thoughts and feelings about their lists and the reading. (40 minutes)

VARIATION #4.3: Ask everyone to read Porn, Pleasure, and Profit. (15 minutes)

Ask the members of the group to share their thoughts and feelings about their lists and the reading. (40 minutes)

TOTAL MINUTES: 80 minutes

By Dr. Herukhuti

CONTEXT: Book Club/Readers Club

TYPE OF ACTIVITY: Reader’s Response (Non-Written) and College/University Course (Graduate/Post-Graduate)

TOPIC: Self-Efficacy

Ask group members take turns reading out loud sections of Fetish: For/Of Whom? (15 minutes). After the reading provide everyone with two sheets of large newsprint or easel paper, markers, and other materials for creating visual images. Ask each group member to use the materials to create an image of their fetishes on one of the sheets of paper and an image of how they are fetishized on the other sheet of paper (30 minutes).

Ask everyone to post their images on the walls in two parts of the room, one for their fetishes and the other for how they are fetishized (5 minutes).

When all the images have been posted, ask the group to silently look at the two sets of image galleries (5 minutes). Reconvene the group and lead a discussion with the following questions (45 minutes):

• What feelings do you experience when creating your images?
• What feelings do you experience in viewing the image galleries?
• What thoughts came to mind as you viewed the image galleries?
• What do you think about the ideas raised by the reading?

End the group by asking each person to say one word to express what they are feeling about their sexuality based upon the discussion (5 minutes).

TOTAL TIME: 105 minutes

By Dr. Herukhuti

CONTEXT: Community-Based Organization/Group (Young Adult 18-25), Community-Based Organization/Group (Adult 26-Up), and College/University Course (Undergraduate)

TYPE OF ACTIVITY: Cooperative Learning

TOPIC: Relationships, Self-Efficacy, and Sexual Decision-Making

In groups of four, assign each member of the group one of the following:

• Fetish: For/Of Whom?
• Liberation or Murder: Ways We Respond to Ecstasy & Pleasures
• You Know You’re A Freak When…
• BDSM

VARIATION #2.1: Ask each person read their assigned work (15 minutes), identify the argument in the work (5 minutes), and share the argument with the other members of their group (10 minutes).

Ask the group to discuss (30 minutes):

• What pleasures, fetishes, or sexual preferences do you have that you rarely talk about and do you rarely talk about them?
• In what ways are you fetishized or objectified and what impact does that have on you?
• In what ways do you fetishize or objectify others and what impact does that have on your interactions with them?
• What is one thing that you would like to start doing, stop doing, or do more of based upon what you learned from this discussion?

Ask everyone to form a large group and share anything they wish related to the activity (10 minutes).

TOTAL MINUTES: 70 minutes

VARIATION #2.2: Ask each person read their assigned work (15 minutes) and then form a group with everyone who has read the same piece of work. Ask them to use that group to talk about what they read and identify the argument in the work (15 minutes).

Then have them go back to their original group of four and share the argument of the piece they just discussed with the other members of their group (15 minutes).

Ask the group of four to then discuss (30 minutes):

• What pleasures, fetishes, or sexual preferences do you have that you rarely talk about and do you rarely talk about them?
• In what ways are you fetishized or objectified and what impact does that have on you?
• In what ways do you fetishize or objectify others and what impact does that have on your interactions with them?
• What is one thing that you would like to start doing, stop doing, or do more of based upon what you learned from this discussion?

Ask everyone to form a large group and share anything they wish related to the activity (10 minutes).

TOTAL MINUTES: 85 minutes

By Dr. Herukhuti

CONTEXT: Community-Based Organization/Group (Young Adult 18-25), Community-Based Organization/Group (Adult 26-Up), and College/University Course (Undergraduate)

TYPE OF ACTIVITY: Cooperative Learning

TOPIC: Bodies, Health Decision-Making, Healthy Living, and Self-Efficacy

In groups of four, assign each member of the group one of the following:

• (Gym) Bodies That Matter and Why
• How Bodies Fit Into Oppression/Liberation
• Whose Booty Is This?: Barebacking, Advocacy, and the Right To Fuck
• Sexual Courage: The Enduring Legacy of Emmett Till and The War of Terror

VARIATION #1.1: Ask each person read their assigned work (15 minutes), identify the argument in the work (5 minutes), and share the argument with the other members of their group (10 minutes).

Ask the group to discuss (30 minutes):

• What value does the author place on the body?
• In what ways are the author’s ideas about the body useful and not useful for you?
• What is one thing that you would like to start doing, stop doing, or do more of based upon what you learned from this discussion?

Ask everyone to form a large group and share anything they wish related to the activity (10 minutes).

TOTAL MINUTES: 70 minutes

VARIATION #1.2: Ask each person read their assigned work (15 minutes) and then form a group with everyone who has read the same piece of work. Ask them to use that group to talk about what they read and identify the argument in the work (15 minutes).

Then have them go back to their original group of four and share the argument of the piece they just discussed with the other members of their group (15 minutes).

Ask the group of four to then discuss (30 minutes):

• What value does the author place on the body?
• In what ways are the author’s ideas about the body useful and not useful for you?
• What is one thing that you would like to start doing, stop doing, or do more of based upon what you learned from this discussion?

Ask everyone to form a large group and share anything they wish related to the activity (10 minutes).

TOTAL MINUTES: 85 minutes