DEMRI Glossary

What is Mind Mapping?

Mind maps provide a structured way to discover, capture and organize ideas and information. They help cultural communicators to understand concepts by breaking them down into their component parts.

The technique is used to develop new ideas, or to break down and better understand existing cultural information and avoid circular thought. Whether developing new ideas, adopting new behavior patterns or organizing existing information, mind maps help you isolate & see how all information fits together within Maximum Cultural Development (MCD) frameworks. Mind maps provide an expansive and flexible structure to support our thinking and avoid circular thought.

Key Characteristics of Mind Maps: Single Central Topic

Unlike other visual diagrams and frameworks, an MCD Mind Map is built around the single central topic relative to maximum cultural development. All the information on our MCD map is “anchored” to the same start point, MCD. By placing this main idea at the center, it’s easier for the diaspora to understand the core focus of the MCD Mind map.

Message to the People, The Course of African Philosophy, by: Marcus Garvey

In 1937, Marcus Garvey, founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and one of the most controversial figures in the history of race relations, assembled his most trusted organizers to impart his life's lessons. For one month he instructed this elite student body — at its peak the largest international mass movement of African peoples — on topics ranging from universal knowledge and how to attain it to leadership, character, God, and the social system. 

A crucial guide to the understanding of Garvey's philosophy and teachings, Message to the People features profound insights into the nascent days of the Civil Rights movement. This volume will prove an enlightening companion to students of African American and twentieth-century history.

Maximum Cultural Development (MCD) is a series of sets and subsets which in aggregate form a coherent cultural system. A proactive system of thought, values, ethics, social principles, imperatives, language, speech and action. When fully understood and implemented they support and sustain the development, establishment, maintenance and refinement of critical thought, effective communication, problem-solving and ethical reasoning.

It is a system with strict emphasis on healthy principles of human development and self-defense that promote environments acutely attuned to the historical, sociological, cultural and the economic contexts of knowledge theory and action.  Maximum Cultural Development is not an anti-white mindset, or ethnocentrism. However, it's origin lies within the Black Community and is the pro-Black, self-loving result of years of exposure to white supremacy and it's many forms of oppression.

What are some of the intrinsic systems involved in Maximum cultural development?

In the context of Maximum Cultural Development (MCD), we use a broader understanding to identify some intrinsic systems that play a role in cultural development:

1. Belief Systems: Belief systems, including religious, philosophical, and ideological beliefs, are intrinsic to maximum cultural development. They shape individuals' values, behaviors, and worldview, and influence the collective identity and social norms within Black culture.
2. Language and Communication: Language is a fundamental aspect of culture and plays a crucial role in communication, knowledge transmission, and cultural expression. The development and evolution of language systems are intrinsic to maximum cultural development.
3. Social Systems: Social systems, such as family structures, kinship systems, social hierarchies, and community organizations, are intrinsic to maximum cultural development. They shape social interactions, roles, and norms within our culture.
4. Artistic and Creative Expression: Art, music, literature, dance, and other forms of creative expression are intrinsic to maximum cultural development. They reflect and shape our cultural values, aesthetics, and identity.
5. Education and Knowledge Systems: Education systems, including formal and informal learning processes, are intrinsic to cultural development. They transmit knowledge, skills, and cultural values from one generation to another, but care must be exercised within the American education system since it is commonly engineered to negate the self-esteem of black youth through special-education programs.
6. Economic Systems: Economic systems, such as modes of production, trade, and resource allocation, are intrinsic to maximum cultural development. They influence the material aspects of culture, including livelihoods, economic activities, and consumption patterns.
7. Political Systems: Political systems, including governance structures, laws, and decision-making processes, are intrinsic to maximum cultural development. They shape power dynamics, social order, and collective decision-making within our culture.

It is important to note that these intrinsic systems are interconnected and mutually influence each other. They contribute to the overall development and evolution of our culture.