ABOUT THE NATIONAL BLACK COUNCIL OF ELDERS
(NBCOE)

The National Black Council of Elders was first envisioned by Mwalimu Wesley Kabaila, then Chief of Staff for the Friends of the African Union of the Congress of African People as an opportunity to raise up a cadre of conscious African American Elders committed to the continued development and sustainability of communities throughout the African Diaspora, wherever African-descended people reside. The Friends of the African Union has taken on the responsibility of organizing the many and diverse sectors of the African American Community into a National Black Council of Elders (NBCOE), which has the responsibility of organizing an African American Congress with representatives from each sector of the AA community.

OUR STEERING COMMITTEE/Interim Executive Council

Meet our team of dedicated Africans here to assist OUR developing communities.

Presiding/Administrative Elder Wesley Kabaila

Founder and Convenor

Convenor of the National Black Council of Elders, a governing, economic empowering and value based organization which seeks to organize the African American, Diasporan and Global African Community. The National Black Council of Elders is designed to develop a national movement of Elders who are a leadership Cadre, willing to engage in decision making and program development at a national level, preserve, protect and promote Africana culture, and to establish relationships with other African descendants around the globe for further collaboration.

Mwalimu Kabaila brings experience in the Black Power Conference, Phila., 1968; organizer in the Committee for a Unified Newark (CFUN) which elected the first Black Mayor of a major U.S. city.; representative to the National Black United Front, L.A. chapter.; representative to the Black American Political Assoc. of California (BAPAC); 25 years as L.A. County Probation Officer; 20 years as a Simba Wachanga, one of the most disciplined, culturally and politically conscious youth movements in the country. B.S. Degree w/honors, Univ. of Southern California; Doctoral Candidate, Southern African Politics and Culture, UCLA; 1yr 1/2 Law School.

QM Leona M. Abdullah-Ward

Deputy/Vice Presiding Elder (Naibu)

Food scientist, teacher, spiritual seeker, administrator. Providing consulting and management services for capacity building, organizational, operational, and strategic planning processes to non-profit and profit entities. Karim engages in projects involving community development through land management, international research, health & healing, life skills training, academic instructions and social service delivery.

His latest vision is to establish a philosophy and project, called “Nature Culture”, combining multiple holistic activities, disciplines and environments where brain function is enhanced, body cells are renewed and individuals achieve greater awareness of “self”. He is an avid gardener and writer of subjects on food science, community sustainability and spiritual awareness. He presently spends a great deal of focus researching the propagation of plants for medicinal and culinary uses. Karim holds a MS degree in Community Economic Development and lives in Tuskegee, Alabama.

QM Wakeelah T. Martinez

Charter Member

Chief Queen Mother

Education Circle Lead Advocate

Recently designated as a most valuable trainer for Blacks In Government Training Conference 2010 and 2011 with 30 years of circling the globe teaching Communication Studies at such institutions as Howard University, Morgan State University, and the University Putra in Malaysia and facilitating organizational development and coaching executives in the US, Malaysia and Africa, Wakeelah current focus is sharing her passion, knowledge, skills and expertise for leadership development and human transformation with community-based organizations and businesses interested in international trade and development.

She is the National and International Ambassador for the Wichita Council of Elders and Lead Organizer for the development of the Yilo Krobo 7th Division in Wasoner, Ghana.

Elder Mosi Kitwana and QM Maaskelah Thomas
Administrative Advisors to the Presiding Elder

Mosi Kamau Kitwana of Yoruba lineage, is the first born son of Calvin L. Covington with roots in Colleton County S.C. where Mary Fletcher was born in 1813. Mosi's mother is Reverla Pearson Covington the member of Pearson family of Bennettsville, S.C. and Laurinburg, N.C. and grand daughter of Bishop Wilson Pearson. Descendants of George and Nancy Pearson of Bennettsville, born around 1825.-Mosi has seven children and eleven grandchildren.

Mosi is a retired senior executive for national and international associations local government chief executives. His portfolio included advancing leading policies and management practices for local government and regional sustainability, including environmental, economic, and emergency management, plus public safety and governance policies through technical assistance, training, and peer to peer learning for local government professionals around the world, particularly Africa and also including the Caribbean, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.- He was also responsible for association and corporate partnership initiatives for business, environmental, and social responsibility.

Mosi was a member of the African Community of Chicago and is a former board member for the Institute of Positive Education, Third World Press and New Concept Development Center in Chicago. He served as a cabinet member for Harold Washington, Mayor, City of Chicago, leading waste management and environmental services for the city.- Mosi Kamau is a former board member for Body Wisdom/Interplay and Community Healing Network. He was educated at Northeastern University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He and his wife Imani reside in Virginia.

Maaskelah Thomas, Ph.D. is a native and lifelong Wichitan (Wichita, KS); she is researcher/scholar-practitioner/activist. A student of Ethnic and Women’s Studies at Wichita State University, QM Dr. Thomas ultimately received her undergraduate degree from Tabor College - a Bachelor of Science in Management and Organizational Development. After discovering that she enjoy working with adult students, she continued her education and received a Master of Science in Education from Newman University, with an emphasis on Adult Education. From there, she went on to receive a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. from Fielding Graduate University in Human and Organizational Systems (with an emphasis on Organizational Sociology/Anthropology within the Social Justice, Diversity, and Inclusion Concentration).

QM Dr. Thomas, a strong proponent of organizational excellence, has worked for over 40 years with community-serving organizations and agencies, building, developing, and sustaining partnerships to leverage resources between community agencies, organizations, businesses, schools and colleges, civic groups, and citizens. Her research interests focus on capacity building and strengthening culturally-based human service organizations and communities. She is the Principal Consultant for Transformative Concepts Consulting Group, and a founding member of the African American Council of Elders ~ Wichita/SouthCentral Kansas and the National Black Council of Elders. She is the author of Calling the Elders: Reclaiming and transforming our community Through Elder Wisdom - a Guide and Toolkit for Developing Local Councils of Elders.

She and her husband Gary are parents to eight children and grandparents/great-grandparents to more than twice that many (35 at the most recent count, plus five great-grands).