About Us
MISSION STATEMENT
Our aim is to help people succeed by showing them how to succeed on a chess board, then transferring those skills back into their everyday lives.
MOB core values
1.Healthy fun
We see chess as a healthy sport that should be enjoyed by people from all walks of life. We are dedicated to creating safe spaces so that we can teach and play chess in a fun engaging way to promote respect, love and humanity across the globe.
2. Identity
Inner city youth face many challenges and often feel misrepresented by wider society. Chess can be used as a tool to increase the awareness of the many opportunities that are all around us. We will continuously work on removing the sigma that chess is a game reserved for the privileged by encouraging all people from all societies to engage in chess.
3. Empowerment
Teaching life lessons that inspire transformation in our youth and their families. Helping people realise their true potential by providing opportunities and new experiences in friendly environments.
4. Development
Creating networks to bridge the gap between, business, leadership, schools, family, and community organisations. Encouraging the entrepreneurs around us to start up businesses of their own and link those skilled individuals with the right support they need to be creative and successful in their chosen field.
Mind Over Body is more than a chess website. We are a community building long lasting connections between the Black British lived experience, popular culture, and Black global culture. We aim to create an online platform that combines these elements for the benefit and education of future chess players.
I believe chess is a game that everyone should at least know how to play. Teaching chess has helped me build positive relationships with people in my community, boost my mental health, develop my confidence and well-being. Every day I look forward to what is next install for me in the world of chess.
Our Team
Asante
OWNER AND CHESS TEACHER
Mind Over Body Chess Academy was founded in 2013 when Chess Tutor Asante decided to setup a chess club for children in the heart of the city right where he grew up in Birmingham, England.
Asante’s background is rooted in youth development and working with community grassroots organisations. Before launching MOB in 2013 Asante was heavily involved in youth & community work in London. He first got involved in community work studying with the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement. He was studying Black history, Black culture and African spirituality, which led to him becoming a member of the organisation. He began volunteering as a youth mentor for Eastside Young Leaders Academy. An organisation that runs after school youth programmes, offering support to families from the African and Caribbean community. EYLA would help Black boys stay focus on education and away from potential dangers in their environments. In 2007 he quit his job at a theatre company to pursue working as a Youth Mentor at a primary school in East London. He states that “as much as I enjoyed working in the creative arts industry, I wanted a job that allowed me to make a positive contribution to society. Working with children full time was a new challenge for me”. In 2009 Asante decided he wanted to take a trip to West Africa, Ghana. The experience allowed him to explore his interest for education, Black culture and Black people in a fulfilling way. Visiting schools and connecting with the local people of Ghana helped him to see Africa in a different light.
In 2013 he decided to leave London and move back to Birmingham where he grew up. Still interested in youth and community work, he launched Mind Over Body Chess Academy at Malika House. A well known community centre in Birmingham. In 2014 Asante alongside Mind Over Body co founder Seba Amosu held their first chess tournament at Malika House. In 2016 MOB partnered with other grassroots community organisers to run half-term youth programmes in Birmingham. This gave Asante the opportunity to deliver more of the type of work he experienced living in London. In 2017 Asante enrolled at Birmingham City University to get a sociology degree in Black studies. This course allowed him to explore the Black lived experience in a context that added to his past, present and future experiences. In 2019 Asante and Amosu held their sixth annual chess tournament at the university Asante was attending.
After graduating Asante became a member of the team at The Legacy Centre of Excellence which is an arts, business and community centre for the Black community. Joining the team at LCOE provides Asante with another opportunity to pursue his interests. He states that “being here feels like I have come full circle with my mission to giving back and do something meaningful for the community I grew up in”.
Seba Amosu
OWNER AND CHESS TEACHER
Seba Amosu is a Chess Tutor, Mentor, Rapper/Spoken Word artist and Moral Philosophy teacher who has been teaching Black children for 17 years.
In 2004 Seba Amosu performed as the artist ‘Gallant’ at Windrush Square in Mosiah (Aug) 2004 catching the attention of Matthew Burke a.k.a shortMAN who encouraged him to perform at V.O.I.C.Express. Seba Amosu as Gallant recorded various songs which became known within the Pan-Afrikanist community such as: Race First, Fight Back, Science R.B.G and the songs were performed at the Conscious Mosiah event MOSIAH STORM.
In 2006 Seba Amosu joined Nubia Afrikan Community Foundation School where he learned the skills of teaching children and taught voluntarily at the school until June 2016.
In 2011 Seba Amosu travelled to Baltimore where he did music recordings with Precise Science and Mic2Mouth music as well as connecting with the Pan Afrikan Liberation Movement by performing at the Pan Afrikan Day Of Solidarity in 2011, 2012 and 2013. During 2013 Seba Amosu shared that Mind Over Body would be coming into existence.
He is the founder of the London branch of Mind Over Body Chess Academy and started running chess tournaments independently from December 2016. Before that he assisted Asante in the annual London and Birmingham chess tournaments in April 2014, April 2015 and April 2016.
The chess tournaments that were ran in London took on Afrikan centered themes and included imagery that would enhance the importance of Afrikan culture to our children. This approach has given incentive to the chess tournaments and chess club for Black children. The most known chess tournament is The KA Tournament which is an intergenerational chess tournament done in honor of Kwesi Abraham who is one of the original 3 students of Mind Over Body that passed away in June 2016.
Seba Amosu has taught in various different Saturday Schools for Black children and has held tournaments with those children in an attempt to connect the children through critical thinking and memory which would then be applicable to discussions within the Moral Philosophy classes. Seba Amosu’s music and spoken word poetry is a reflection of his teachings and lessons he received as a young child growing up in a Saturday School institution himself.
He was taught how to play chess by the founder of Mind Over Body Chess Academy Asante and through the many discussions with him on helping our youth joined him in setting up a chess club for Black children. This decision changed Seba Amosu’s life and the results have grown from strength to strength.
The rewards of chess for Black children have been quite significant and the calculated approach to chess has been a major factor in how Seba Amosu birthed Seba Amosu Activities out of the influence that Mind Over Body Chess Academy had on him.
From Seba Amosu Activities came the Moral Philosophy classes which focuses on teaching young Black children about ancient Afrikan philsophies whilst also infusing up to date discussions on what effect the community and Black youth today.
Seba Amosu continues to wave the flag and showcase chess tournaments for Black children at a high level whilst showcasing Afrikan pride and Afrikan nationalism through the game of chess and Moral Philosophy.