Amma Culture Teaches African History

Anecia Johnson shares inspirational stories with a group of children in Chico.

Amma Culture in Chico – An African-Inspired Educational Resource

“Being born in a community where we are traditionally less than 2% of the population, I was often the only black student in my classes, even at Chico State University,” says Anecia Johnson, founder of Amma Culture – Education, Sciences and Arts, an African-inspired education resource in Chico, CA. “At some point,” she says with a good-humored laugh, “I accepted being ‘the’ diversifier.”

Striving to represent the correct histories of the African Diaspora

With  Amma Culture for youth, families, and educators, Anecia strives to represent the African diaspora—the varied people groups of African origin dispersed throughout the world. The word “amma” comes from several ancient African languages, meaning “mother” or “god.” Amma Culture’s “overall objective is to disseminate correct histories regarding African Americans and the African diaspora,” she says, rather than histories told from the perspective of conquering cultures. Just as importantly, Anecia desires to help kids—especially those with African heritage—create foundations of confidence to build their futures upon.

Growing up with questions about racial issues and ancestry

Anecia’s parents moved to Chico from the south in the 1950s. The family did not often discuss racial issues or talk about their ancestry, so Anecia grew up with “questions about society in relation to what I was taught or not taught in school and television.”

A history not included in traditional U.S. education

Those questions grew into a driving desire to help kids today understand what she didn’t understand as a child. From sharing the Dogon people’s intricately mapped-out knowledge of the cosmos to telling the story of Mali’s ruler Mansa Musa, the richest man in the world in the 1300s, Anecia brings to light a history not included in traditional U.S. education.

Stories that remedy misconceptions in mainstream education

These stories provide a counter-narrative to widely-held misconceptions, like one that says Africa has always been poverty-stricken and under-educated. “In reality, Africa has been exploited for her wealth for hundreds of years, and Africans were civilizing the world and the Americas before the Europeans came,” Anecia explains.

Introducing under-recognized characters of history helps remedy the low culture-esteem and subsequently low self-esteem African American children often glean from mainstream curricula. “The stories we’re told about ourselves and our ancestors shape how we choose to engage with the world,” Anecia says.

Creation of an online education space

Before COVID-19, Anecia brought her dynamic storytelling and teaching skills to school classrooms, Boys and Girls Clubs, and a few community events. Because of this established network of educators and professionals, the pandemic has accelerated Amma Culture’s creation of an online education space.

Online courses expand the number of families who can access Amma Culture’s fun and engaging history lessons, an especially valuable resource in the ongoing swirl of racial tensions unveiled by the death of George Floyd in May, 2020. “As terrible as his murder is, it is not more terrible than some of the things that go on and have gone on in this community. This is not new,” Anecia says somberly. “It happens. It’s happening now. George Floyd is not an isolated incident.” Anecia herself has experienced both overt racism—verbal abuse and physical violence—and covert racial prejudice. Anecia hopes recent events help “people be more sensitive, aware, and alert to issues.”

Her grandchildren inspire and motivate Anecia

In addition to her personal commitment to the mission of Amma Culture, six sweet children (all under the age of 10) who call her “Grammie” inspire and motivate Anecia. She loves spending time with her grandkids, who respond “absolutely wide-eyed” to her history stories. “My grandchildren will be able to use the knowledge I give them to think critically about what they learn in school. I know it’s going to benefit them later because it’s benefitting me now,” Anecia says. Anecia also loves writing (she even has a book in mind for the future!) and dancing. “I was born to dance,” she says, “In my younger adult years, I discovered African dance and drums as great fitness fun and an avenue of reconnecting with my heritage.”

Born to teach this lesser-known history

Anecia believes “we are all born with a divine purpose. If everybody gets in touch with that part of them, we’ll all be more fulfilled, living a life of true purpose and meaning, and how we help each other will be just a natural outflow of who we are.”

For Anecia, using Amma Culture to pour into kids and families in the North State and beyond answers that divine call, giving the significance of her own experience that will reverberate into the future. As she puts it, “I feel teaching this lesser-known history is what I was born in this place, and this time to do.”

Keep up with the latest Amma Culture activities via Facebook, register for Amma Culture classes, or email to coordinate customized learning opportunities with Anecia.