The Current Status of Dr. Umar’s FDMG Academy

The FDMG Academy located at 610-611 East 17th Street Wilmington, DE 19802 is a proposed new school commissioned by certified school psychologist Dr. Umar Johnson. According to Dr. Umar, the school is to serve as a training institute to craft a new generation of Black people with commitment to community, knowledge of self, and a desire to connect with Africa. Here are the latest updates on the project:

FDMG Academy Inaugural Semester Begins September 3, 2024​

According to Dr. Umar Johnson the school launch has moved from February 2023 to September 3, 2024. The school will launch with an education plan for Grades 2 - 4 and will expand one grade or more each additional year of operation. Please refer to the “Grades to be Served” section of the article for more detail.

Student Orientation Begins August 21st, 2024​

According to Dr. Umar, the school will have a mandatory week long orientation which will prime students for the rigorous classes that are to come.

• Day 1 - Aug 21, 2024 - Nat Turner Day. The students will be taken to “Nat Turner Land” where they will get a detailed education on who Nat Turner was, what he accomplished, and why it is critical.
• Day 2 - Aug 22, 2024 - Field Trip to the National Great Blacks in Wax Museum in Baltimore, MD. https://www.greatblacksinwax.org
• Day 3 - Aug 23, 2024 - Field Trip to the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in Washington, DC.
• Day 1 August 24, 2024 - Field Trip to the grave sites of both Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman

Tuition Schedule at FDMG Academy​

Tuition arrangements at the FDMG Academy will vary based on what year of attendance your child is in. For the first year of the school payment terms are as such:

First Year Payment Terms​

Tuition is bi-yearly and payable per semester:

• Fall Semester - Paid in the Summer
• Spring Semester - Paid in the Winter

Second Year Terms​

Parents will be eligible to pay Fall and Spring Semester dues in two payments once their student has successfully completed one year of education. It will bring the total amount of payments to 4 per grade year for parents that elect for this arrangement.

Third Year Terms​

Parents will be able eligible for a month-to-month tuition payment arrangement after their child has successfully completed 2 years.

The Doctor is Serious About Payment​

Dr. Umar Johnson makes it clear that parents that have a hard time investing money into their children’s education are not welcome at the school. There are other schools in the Black America he recommends parents send their child to if a curriculum of freedom, self-sufficiency and liberation is not a cause worth investing in.

Grades To Be Served at FDMG​

While the school is slated to provide a full K-12 education, it will begin with classes for grades 2 - 4. Dr. Umar has gone on record saying that it will take a total of 8 years from the inaugural session to ramp up to a full K-12 operation with daycare included. See the breakdown below for more information.

• 2024 - 2025 Session:
  • Grades 2 - 4
• 2025 - 2026 Session:
  • Grades 1 - 5th
• 2026 - 2027 Session:
  • Grades K - 6th
• 2027 - 2028 Session:
  • Grades Pre-K - 7th
• 2028 - 2029 Session:
  • Grades: Pre-K - 8th (Includes Daycare)

High School Grades will be added once per year starting in 2030

Curriculum at FDMG​

Dr. Umar Johnson has yet to totally reveal the full curriculum of the new school but it will follow state education mandates. Parents can expect that their children will learn standard subjects such as math, science, english, and history in addition to the specialized political science, international economics, and social education that the Dr. Umar has promised.

There will also be additional studies to help the children understand their connection to Africa and divorcing them from the mentality that their history begins in the USA.

Weekly Extended Day​

Each week will feature a “long day” where the school will eat dinner together to help foster the Black community in the boys and girls at the academy. Dr. Umar Johnson will personally deliver a fireside chat to the kids that will focus on educating the children on an Black elders of prominence and distinction.

Extracurricular Activities at FDMG​

• Gun Club
• Fishing
• Hunting
• Camping

Mental Health and Behavioral Regulation​

Dr. Umar Johnson who is credentialed in clinical psychology has made it clear that the school will not recommend or prescribe any behavior management medications for any of the students. Since the school is dedicated to Black boys and girls their will be special programs specifically to help Black children learn and prosper within the academy and in the world.

Nutrition for the Students​

According to Dr. Umar Johnson, 90% of the food will be raw and vegan.

Busing Will Serve Black Children in 8 Cities​

• Pick Up and Drop-Off Locations
  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Chester, Pennsylvania
  • Baltimore, Maryland
  • Eastern Shore, Maryland
  • Trenton, New Jersey
  • Camden, New Jersey
  • Dover, Delaware
  • Wilmington, Delaware

The Story of FDMG​

FDMG gained life circa 2014 after Dr. Umar shared his dream of an academy that taught Black boys leadership skills. In 2019, Dr. Umar moved the project forward by purchasing the campus of the then defunct Maurice J. Moyer Academy in Wilmington, DE. Since then...the scope of the project has expanded several times to include girls, daycare, and an educational pipeline directly into college. After several false starts and missed deadlines the excitement for the project has began to wane and the community is now looking for answers.

Criticism of the Project​

Members of the Black community have taken issue with the project due its lack of transparency, constantly shifting launch dates, and the lack of academic professionals involved in the development. Individuals with academic expertise have casted doubt on the project due to its lack of an oversight committee e.g. Board of Directors/Governors. Their concerns are that without an education lead, that the curriculum could be subpar and not consistent with educational standards. Outside of platitudes about “building” and “leadership” there has been no curriculum pertaining to History, Math, Science, Technology, or any other subjects of great import.

Another point of contention was the state of the Moyer Academy buildings upon purchase by Dr. Umar. A significant amount of capital had to be used to make the buildings serviceable for children. Critics state that Dr. Umar should have purchased a smaller, ready-to-use facility and applied the time and capital resources to providing a first-rate academic program.

Lastly, some of the more low vibrational critiques call the Academy a grift and state that the donations are used to fund Dr. Umar Johnson’s life. They believe that the video updates with new paint, new signage, and windows are done to show progress to those who are personally invested and to keep them contributing.

Our Perspective on the FDMG Academy​

We believe that the scope of the project was too large from the onset and that Dr. Umar Johnson was not properly capitalized nor staffed to pull it off in a reasonable amount of time. It is our opinion that Dr. Umar may have become enamored with the vision of FDMG which led him to purchase a set of buildings that have been nothing more than a drain on capital.

However, we are still rooting for the success of Umar because the loss of millions of the community’s money behind a vanity project would be a huge shame. Whether it be for a Black school or any other project, Black people must learn to be pragmatic, disciplined, and fact-led. Individuals who claim to stand for us need to understand that there are clear deadlines and expectations when leveraging our resources, celebrity or not.

If a person misuses Black people’s resources there should be no expectation from the perpetrator that they can or will catch a break. The era where truth has to be silenced and where prominent members of the community demand excuses be accepted must end. We have too much data and examples of successful project planning, development, and completion in this country to accept second-rate developments from anyone...Black or not.

Additional Information on Dr. Umar Johnson​

Breakfast Club Interview​

Dr. Johnson was on the Breakfast Club to talk about the FDMG Academy and its important to Black boys and girls. Watch the Breakfast Club video on Youtube below:

Dr. Umar Johnson Book Recommendations and DVDs​

Psycho Academic Holocaust by Dr. Umar Johnson

The Planned Drugging of the Black Community by Dr. Umar Johnson

How to Engage FDMG​

Those who are interested can reach out at the following

PO BOX 9634
Wilmington, Delaware 19809

610-611 East 17th Street
Wilmington, DE. 19802

How to Watch Dr. Umar​

https://youtube.com/@KingKongConsciousness