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.