TEMBO

Teaching & Educating Men of Black Origin

In Africa, tembo is the Swahili word for elephant. Swahili or Kiswahili (known in Swahili itself as Kiswahili) is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique. By studying the social behaviors of African elephants researchers discovered that, among this species, adult males (or bulls) play a pivotal role in the socialization of younger males in the group. Within elephant populations where no bulls were present the younger males, upon reaching puberty, would often display destructive, antisocial, behaviors that jeopardized the wellbeing of their herds as well as that of other animals in the region.

We selected the elephant as its symbol in order to reinforce and reemphasize the significant role that adult men play in modeling and shaping the attitudes and behaviors of younger males. TEMBO Squad is an organization of Chicago State University’s African-American male students, staff, and faculty who are dedicated to bringing about positive social change through the teaching and learning of traditional African values, customs, traditions and practices. This approach is based on the premise that socialization is a key component of proper education. The primary mission of the TEMBO is to overcome negative stereotypes and restore the positive image, perceptions, and actions of African American males locally, nationally, and globally.

TEMBO is the Black male leadership organization on campus. Open to all male students at Chicago State University who self identify as African-American, interested applicants must complete a membership application. Active student membership is described as being in good academic standing with the university and having participated in at least three (3) TEMBO events per semester.