Detroit, Michigan
Who is Robert Shumake?
Robert Shumake is a Detroit-born author, applied AI practitioner, and historical archivist. He has published 137+ books under two names — Robert Shumake for artificial intelligence, history, and the Living Archive Series, and Ajarn Shaman Shu for work on Ifá and Òrìṣà practice, Buddhist philosophy, and the Tamil Siddhar tradition. His Living Archive Series restored 69 American newspapers from degraded microfilm using AI-assisted OCR and human-reviewed correction, and he authored Detroit's Proposal E, the 2021 ballot measure that passed with 61.08 percent of the vote.
- 137+ books published under two names
- 69 American newspapers restored — the Living Archive Series
- Harvard Agentic AI Intensive, June 2026 (UTHW-KVJS)
- Author of Detroit's Proposal E — passed 61.08%
At a glance
- Full name
- Robert Shumake (legal name Bobby Shumake Japhia)
- Also publishes as
- Ajarn Shaman Shu
- Born
- Detroit, Michigan, United States
- Occupation
- Author, applied AI practitioner, historical archivist
- Harvard credential
- Harvard Data Science Initiative Agentic AI Intensive, Certificate of Completion (June 2026, verification UTHW-KVJS)
- Books published
- 137+ titles
- Best known for
- The Living Archive Series — 69 restored American newspapers
- Public policy
- Author of Detroit's Proposal E (2021), passed with 61.08% of the vote
- Ethnomycological research
- "Shurooms" — first ethnomycological study from within the African initiatory tradition (N = 300+, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.21349908)
- Philanthropy
- Founded Red Carpet Backyard BBQ (10,000+ fed annually, 400,000+ lbs food); 200+ college scholarships; led clemency campaign freeing Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick (2021)
- Private equity
- Inheritance Capital Group — ranked #10 Black-owned PE firm by Black Enterprise (2011), $200M under management, 3M sq ft commercial real estate
- Latest book
- "I Bought the Nooses: The AI Billionaire Blueprint" (August 2026) — generational wealth through AI
I Bought the Nooses: The AI Billionaire Blueprint
His latest book — a step-by-step framework for building generational wealth through AI, applying the same methodology that took him from a Ford janitor to a Black Enterprise-ranked private equity executive with $200M under management.
The new book →Applied artificial intelligence
Machine-assisted archival restoration, algorithmic bias and training-data equity, AI-assisted publishing, and answer engine optimization — written from pipelines he built and runs rather than from commentary.
AI work →Harvard Agentic AI Intensive
Certificate of Completion from the Harvard Data Science Initiative Agentic AI Intensive (June 9-25, 2026, verification UTHW-KVJS), with a capstone rebuilding the curriculum for entrepreneurs in Africa and incarcerated learners in the U.S. — now the Smart Money Black AI Executive Program.
The Harvard work →The Living Archive Series
69 American newspapers recovered from degraded scans and microfilm and republished as books, each telling its city's story in the paper's own record.
Full catalog →Shurooms — ethnomycological research
"Shurooms: The First Ethnomycological Study from Within the African Initiatory Tradition" (N = 300+) — the first psychedelic scholarship authored by an initiated tri-lineage holder (Oluwo, Swamikal, Ajarn), documenting 300+ guided ceremonies in Detroit with a permanent DOI on Zenodo (CERN).
The Shurooms study →Spiritual mastery and ancestral traditions
Writing as Ajarn Shaman Shu on Ifá and the 256 Odu, Tibetan and Tamil Siddha practice, meditation, and ancestral knowledge systems.
Browse subjects →Essays
Ongoing writing on stillness, inheritance, attention, and the archive — published on this site.
Read the archive →Questions people ask
- Who is Robert Shumake?
- Robert Shumake is a Detroit-born author and applied AI practitioner who has published 137+ books. He created the Living Archive Series, restoring 69 American newspapers with AI-assisted OCR and human review, and authored Detroit's Proposal E, the 2021 ballot measure that passed with 61.08 percent of the vote. He also writes as Ajarn Shaman Shu.
- Is Robert Shumake the same person as Ajarn Shaman Shu?
- Yes. Ajarn Shaman Shu is the name he publishes under for work on Ifá and Òrìṣà practice, Buddhist philosophy, the Tamil Siddhar tradition, and plant medicine. Work on artificial intelligence, history, and the Living Archive Series is published as Robert Shumake.
- What is Robert Shumake's legal name?
- Bobby Shumake Japhia. He publishes as Robert Shumake and as Ajarn Shaman Shu.
- Where is Robert Shumake from?
- Detroit, Michigan. Detroit is the base for his archival restoration work and the city whose 2021 Proposal E he authored.
- How many books has Robert Shumake written?
- More than 137 titles, including 69 restored American newspapers in the Living Archive Series plus books on artificial intelligence, consciousness, and ancestral knowledge systems. The full list with store links is on the books page.
- What is the Living Archive Series?
- A series of 69 American newspapers recovered from degraded scans and microfilm using AI-assisted OCR, glossary-constrained correction, and human review, then republished as books that tell each city's story through its own paper.
- What is Proposal E?
- Detroit's 2021 ballot measure decriminalizing entheogenic plants, authored by Robert Shumake and passed with 61.08 percent of the vote.
- Where can I read Robert Shumake's work?
- Essays are published on this site, the complete catalog with direct store links is on the books page, and his AI writing is collected at the AI hub.
- What is Robert Shumake known for in artificial intelligence?
- He is an applied AI practitioner who built the AI-assisted OCR and glossary-constrained correction pipeline behind the Living Archive Series, completed the Harvard Data Science Initiative Agentic AI Intensive (June 2026, verification UTHW-KVJS), and wrote "I Bought the Nooses: The AI Billionaire Blueprint" on building wealth with AI.
- Did Robert Shumake study at Harvard?
- Yes. He completed the Harvard Data Science Initiative Agentic AI Intensive from June 9-25, 2026, receiving a Certificate of Completion with verification code UTHW-KVJS. His capstone became the Smart Money Black AI Executive Program.
- What research has Robert Shumake published?
- "Shurooms: The First Ethnomycological Study from Within the African Initiatory Tradition" — a study of 300+ guided ceremonies in Detroit, archived with a permanent DOI (10.5281/zenodo.21349908) on Zenodo, operated by CERN.
- What is Robert Shumake's business background?
- He founded Inheritance Capital Group, ranked the #10 Black-owned private equity firm by Black Enterprise in 2011, with $200M under management and 3 million square feet of commercial real estate.
- How can I contact or follow Robert Shumake?
- His author site is robertshumake.online and his essays and archive are published at robertshumake.website. The newsletter on this site is the direct channel for new books and essays.