Product Description

This book is a guide for parents seeking to design a rites-of-passage program for their adolescent youth and for parents considering such a program. Orita (meaning crossroads) prepares participants for adulthood by teaching life management skills in the context of African heritage and biblical principles. At the Orita celebration, family and community honor their youth and acknowledge their transition into adulthood. Parents are guided through every aspect of the design and planning of a program tailored for their youth. The program is also flexible and can be applied to families of various cultures.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1917012 in Books
• Published on: 2000-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

Etta May Ladson, author, publisher, founder, African Christian Teachers Association
This is an excellent text, an original addition to a growing body of literature arguing persuasively for the black family in America to commit itself to a rites of passage event in the lives of its young people on the threshold of adulthood. The volume is appropriately thin, well-conceived, family centered and developed with reference to other important works on the same subject. The authors' preference is for rites using the African continent as backdrop, but the tone of the text makes well written room for families to choose to honor their adolescents around other equally meaningful themes. All seven chapters are characterized by clarity of presentation, intelligent division and development of material, interaction with the reader and extraordinary insight into the difficulties and delights of convincing families to test the transforming power of rites.

Frieda Hale, Adjunct Instructor of English, City University of New York
This book is a blueprint for creating a memorable event to recognize one of life's very important milestones. But perhaps more significant is that it provides the opportunity for our youth to shore up the serious deficits in the areas of support, encouragement, personal and cultural knowledge, and confidence where unfortunately too many have profound needs.

From the Publisher
The authors have experienced Orita rites of passage first hand, having designed, with the help of other parents, a program for their sons.