Black Founders of the United States of America©

Description

Course Tagline: It’s time to tell the whole story.

Course Description:
The mainstream narrative of American history often begins and ends with slavery when it comes to Black people. Black Founders of the United States of America is a powerful 10-week virtual course that expands this limited view—uplifting the stories of Black men, women, and families who were not only survivors of systemic oppression, but co-architects of the very foundation of this nation. As free people, visionaries, and leaders, they contributed to the democratic, economic, and cultural fabric of the United States long before and after emancipation.

This course goes beyond historical recovery. It invites participants into a journey of ancestral reclamation, exploring how descendants of enslaved Africans have persevered—often at great personal cost—to reconnect with their cultural and spiritual roots in Meritah (Africa). Participants will be guided in reclaiming cultural rites of passage, Indigenous knowledge systems, and generational wisdom that were erased, hidden, or stolen during slavery and colonization.

Course Goals & Objectives:

• To teach a more comprehensive perspective of American History based on evidence
• Restore awareness of Black Americans’ roles as nation-builders beyond the lens of
  enslavement.
• Reclaim Indigenous cultural rites of passage disrupted by the transatlantic slave trade.
• Connect historical knowledge to modern-day cultural identity and resilience.
• Equip participants with tools to integrate this knowledge into education, leadership, and
  empowerment for students and the community.

Who Should Attend:
This course is ideal for educators, parents, students, civic leaders, service providers, community organizations, government agencies, faith-based groups, K–12 and higher education institutions, and anyone ready to engage with a fuller, more truthful version of American history.

Course Format & Details:

• Platform: Zoom (Virtual)
• Schedule: Once a week for 10 weeks
• Session Length: 90–120 minutes (with a break)
• Cost: $350 or 10 weekly payments of $40

Instructor:
Shenmiakhu (Shen-mee-Ahoo) Pernebsati is a scholar-practitioner, educator, and cultural historian whose life’s work is dedicated to illuminating the legacy of Black Founders of the United States of America. Drawing from ancestral wisdom, civic study, and lived experience, he is committed to restoring the rightful place of early African American leaders in the national narrative through education, public speaking, and historical preservation.

Leadership: As the first Grand Historian appointed to the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, Shenmiakhu has played a critical role in preserving and publishing the archives of one of the oldest continuous institutions founded by African Americans in the United States. Through this work, he brings national attention to figures such as Prince Hall, a Revolutionary War patriot and educator whose early efforts in civic organizing, public schooling, and spiritual leadership laid the groundwork for Black citizenship and institutional leadership in America.

Initiation: Shenmiakhu was initiated into several time-honored traditions, including Prince Hall Freemasonry, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and Kebtah (the Earth Center)—a global institution preserving the knowledge systems of the Dogon people of West Africa. Shenmiakhu’s understanding of leadership is shaped by sacred initiation, responsibility to community, and the enduring power of cultural memory.

His historical research and teaching highlight the roles that Black leaders, both famous and forgotten, played in shaping the moral and political foundations of the United States. Through public lectures, curriculum development, and guided workshops, Shenmiakhu educates students, educators, and institutions on the importance of honoring these original architects of American freedom who fought for independence and humanity’s full dignity.

Education: He holds degrees in Spanish and Public Policy from Houston Baptist University and a Master of Arts in Teaching from the School for International Training. Shenmiakhu’s scholarship is enriched by international immersion and research experiences in Spain, Cuba, and Mexico, where he deepened his understanding of language, heritage, and resistance across the African diaspora.

Shenmiakhu teaches that we must look beyond the commonly told stories of America’s founding to reveal a more complete truth—one that includes Black thinkers, soldiers, and builders whose contributions shaped the moral compass and democratic ideals of the United States. His work calls for a return to historical clarity, cultural integrity, and spiritual grounding.