Story from our CEO - January 26
January Reflections: Legacy, Love & Leading Our Kings Forward
Greetings Family,
With love, grace, and genuine sincerity, I write this first newsletter of 2026 with a heart full of reflection, gratitude, and purpose.
This month, I dedicate this message to my beloved mother, Deloyce A. Shaw, a retired elementary school teacher who served our children and community for over 30 years. On January 4th, 2026, she transitioned from this life, leaving behind a legacy rooted in education, service, and unconditional love. One of the greatest gifts I’ve known is to have parents who cared for me when I couldn’t care for myself and to be able to care for them when they were no longer able to care for themselves. I carry her spirit with me in everything I do, especially in our work to uplift and affirm the next generation.
Amid the pain of loss, I was also blessed this month to celebrate the birthdays of my grandson and my partner in purpose, LaShawn. These moments of joy remind me of the importance of family, legacy, and love; the very pillars that ground our mission.
We also lift up our brother King James, a Jegna and early elementary teacher in our community, who experienced the tragic loss of both his uncle and brother last month. Please hold his family in your prayers, and, if you feel called, consider supporting them through their GoFundMe: In Memory of a Beloved Father and Friend.
With all that is happening in our country, the violence, the inequities, and the ongoing assault on truth and justice, we must remain steadfast in our commitment to serving our children, our families, and our communities. We are the stewards of both ancestral memory and future possibility.
I want to extend deep appreciation to the staff, students, and families of Kingmakers of Oakland. Your dedication to this work is nothing short of sacred. You show up every day to ensure our youth know who they are, where they come from, and what they are capable of becoming.
Kings in the Making: The AI² Lab — Ancestral × Artificial Intelligence
In January, we launched one of our most ambitious and visionary programs to date: the AI² Lab, a space designed to explore the intersection of Ancestral Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence. This experience is not just about technology, it’s about identity, legacy, and responsibility.
We invited our Kings to examine what it means to know who and whose they are, to ground themselves in ecological wisdom, and to engage AI as a tool to deepen human connection, not replace it. Here's a snapshot of the powerful workshops that took place:
🔹 Know Thy Self: My Personal Impact Website
Facilitators: Leandrew, Jonas, and Siva (PosterChild Team)
Our Kings mapped their stories, linking ancestral roots to present-day impact. Through storytelling and web design, they built lightweight personal websites that document their journey and future ambitions.
AI Tools: AI Chat, PosterChild
🔹 Legends of the Lineage: The Comic Book Cover Lab
Facilitator: Theo Hollingsworth
Using comic book artistry, students created visual representations of ancestral power. Drawing from community elders and historical figures, they designed professional-grade comic book covers honoring their heroes.
AI Tools: Google Gemini
🔹 On the Shoulders of Giants: A Research & Design Workshop
Facilitator: Gemeny Givens III
This workshop instilled research skills grounded in historical Black scholarship. Kings learned to vet AI-generated content and produce fact-checked reports on the leaders who paved their paths.
AI Tools: NotebookLM, Google Gemini, Google Scholar
🔹 Ancestral Futurism: Fashion Design Lab
Facilitator: Senay Alkebu-Lan
Students explored fashion as “wearable memory.” Inspired by Diasporic artifacts and music, they crafted digital garment concepts rooted in ancestral symbolism and futuristic imagination.
AI Tools: Google Gemini
🔹 Black Terminus: AR & Mural Activation
Facilitator: Damian McDuffie (Black Terminus)
By layering digital life over the physical, students turned murals into interactive portals. Their creations merged history with future vision through augmented reality.
AI Tools: Meta AI, Black Terminus AR
We are planting seeds of possibility in soil enriched by our ancestors. AI is simply the tool our Kings are the creators, the innovators, the truth-tellers. And our job is to ensure they know how to wield power, ethically and imaginatively, to build a world worthy of their brilliance.
Thank you for your continued support, love, and belief in this work.
In love and purpose,
Bro Chris