The Kinseys with Crenshaw High students
The Kinsey Collection and LA Urban League partner with Crenshaw High School to send students to China for cultural exchange program
The Kinsey Collection, Crenshaw High School, and the Los Angeles Urban League are preparing to lead a delegation of 35 students to China in July to initiate a cross-cultural exchange. The program will allow students to learn about both African-American and Chinese cultures as well as expose them to business, trade and the global economy. Over the past five months, the Crenshaw High students have engaged in an extensive training program; learning Mandarin, African-American history and culture, etiquette, global economics, and trade. The 10-day trip promises to be a life changing experience for the delegation.
The leadership of the Los Angeles Urban League is thoroughly convinced that now is the time to foster innovative collaborations in business and educational sectors of the international community. Since 2006, the Los Angeles Urban League has led two delegations to China and has made intentional efforts in establishing and cultivating a strong relationship with China around mutually beneficial opportunities for Chinese and African- Americans.
Los Angeles businessman, philanthropist and art collector Bernard Kinsey and his son Khalil, have played an integral role in preparing the students in the area of African-American history and culture. Bernard and his wife Shirley’s personal collection of African-American art and historical artifacts has been on national tour for the past six years, most recently being displayed at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
Their book, The Kinsey Collection, serves as a mirror to the exhibit and was given to each student in the program as a textbook to learn of the many and often untold accomplishments of African-Americans from the 1600’s through the civil-rights era. The book was recently adopted by the Florida Department of Education as part of their African-American history curriculum for grades K-12 throughout the state.
The Kinseys recently hosted the participating students at their home as a culmination of the intensive training course and to give the teens an up-close look at some of the artifacts they have been learning about. Bernard Kinsey has been invited to be a speaker at Remnin University (People’s University of China) as part of the school’s master lecture series, further bringing the Chinese a perspective on African-American history and culture rarely provided by a delegation from the United States.
Corporate sponsors for the Crenshaw2China initiative include Mattel, Nike, UPS, American Airlines, Starbucks and Farmers Insurance.
