DOCSLIB.ORG

Afrocentric Schools and Their Potential for Improving Black Student Achievement While Upholding Brown

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Afrocentric Schools and Their Potential for Improving Black Student Achievement While Upholding Brown Fordham Urban Law Journal Volume 47 Number 4 Symposium: Urban Intelligence and Article 12 the Emerging City 2020 The Path Less Traveled: Afrocentric Schools and Their Potential for Improving Black Student Achievement while Upholding Brown Chaz Rotenberg Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/ulj Recommended Citation Chaz Rotenberg, The Path Less Traveled: Afrocentric Schools and Their Potential for Improving Black Student Achievement while Upholding Brown, 47 Fordham Urb. L.J. 1173 (2020). Available at: https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/ulj/vol47/iss4/12 This Note is brought to you for free and open access by FLASH: The Fordham Law Archive of Scholarship and History. It has been accepted for inclusion in Fordham Urban Law Journal by an authorized editor of FLASH: The Fordham Law Archive of Scholarship and History. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE PATH LESS TRAVELED: AFROCENTRIC SCHOOLS AND THEIR POTENTIAL FOR IMPROVING BLACK STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT WHILE UPHOLDING BROWN Chaz Rotenberg* Introduction ........................................................................................... 1174 I. A History of the Afrocentric School Movement ........................... 1178 A. The Rise, Fall, and Reemergence of Afrocentric Schools Nationwide ............................................................ 1178 i. Other “Centric” Schools ................................................. 1181 ii. Education Inequality in the United States .................. 1182 B. Afrocentric Schools in New York City ............................... 1184 i. Rampant Inequality and Segregation in New York City Schools ................................................................... 1184 ii. The Reemergence of Afrocentric Schools within New York City .............................................................. 1187 II. The Diverse Spectrum of the Afrocentric Schools Debate ........ 1189 A. Proponents of Afrocentric Schools .................................... 1189 B. Opponents of Afrocentric Schools ..................................... 1194 C. Comparing the Legal Arguments of Proponents and Opponents ........................................................................... 1197 i. “Separate Is Inherently Unequal” ................................. 1198 ii. Eliminate Feelings of Inferiority .................................. 1199 III. The Push for an Afrocentric Education Requires New York City to Invest ................................................................................... 1203 A. Policy Benefits and Moral Justifications for Afrocentric Schools ................................................................................. 1204 * J.D., 2021, Fordham University School of Law; B.A., 2015, University of Michigan. Thank you to the editors and staff of the Fordham Urban Law Journal for their patience and dedication. Thank you as well to Professor Aaron Saiger for encouraging me to pursue this topic in his Education Law course, Professor Tanya Hernandez for introducing me to perspectives and sources I had not previously considered, and Natasha Babazadeh for pushing me to think more critically about the Note’s structure and argument. 1173 1174 FORDHAM URB. L.J. [Vol. XLVII B. Resolving the Legal Issues Surrounding Black-Immersion Schools .................................................. 1205 C. Proposals for Advancing Immersion Schools .................... 1207 i. Limited Data Calls for Further Research ..................... 1207 ii. Make Charter Approval Easier for Immersion Schools ........................................................................... 1209 Conclusion ............................................................................................. 1211 INTRODUCTION At Ember Charter School, an Afrocentric lower middle school nestled into Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, students develop mental resilience through an African-centered curriculum.1 Children of any race may apply to Ember,2 but currently, of its 523 students, 516 are Black3 or Latinx.4 Ember prides itself on Black leadership and embraces an educational model centered around the experiences of its students, many of whom are at-risk or underserved.5 The curriculum emphasizes that the world existed before 1492 and Christopher Columbus’s conquest and colonization of the Americas, focusing on African culture and history.6 Students frequently attend school trips so that they can connect to their heritage.7 Parents choose Ember because teachers and students physically and culturally resemble their children.8 They say that 1. See Larisa Karr, Re-Emerging Demand Seen for City’s Afrocentric Schools, CITY LIMITS (Feb. 18, 2020), https://citylimits.org/2020/02/18/re-emerging-seen-for-citys-afrocentric-schools/ [https://perma.cc/626E-EXDV]. 2. See Eliza Shapiro, ‘I Love My Skin!’: Why Black Parents Are Turning to Afrocentric Schools, N.Y. TIMES (Jan. 8, 2019), https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/08/nyregion/afrocentric-schools-segregation-brookl yn.html [https://perma.cc/LF6N-PMAU]. 3. This Note purposefully capitalizes “Black” and “White” when referring to individuals or groups of people. However, it uses lowercase when referencing institutions or concepts, such as “white schools” or “white privilege.” 4. Ember Charter School Enrollment (2018–19), N.Y. STATE DEP’T EDUC., https://data.nysed.gov/enrollment.php?year=2019&instid=800000067236 [https://perma.cc/3BKN-BQFE] (last visited May 31, 2020). 5. Id. 6. See Karr, supra note 1. 7. See id. After returning from a recent six-week trip to South Africa, one 14-year-old Ember student reflected, “It was an opportunity for me to learn more about my history, learn more about the struggles and actually see it for myself.” Id. 8. Ember Charter School receives 500 applications each year for about 90 available seats. See id. 2020] THE PATH LESS TRAVELED 1175 Ember embodies “self-determination” in the neighborhood, unlike many of the local public schools.9 Plenty of Black parents are deeply dissatisfied with New York City’s public schools.10 Public schools in Brooklyn are hemorrhaging students at an alarming rate, along with the per-pupil funding.11 A 20-minute walk from Ember, P.S. 25 Eubie Blake School has only 82 students enrolled, despite its four-story building that has a capacity for about 1000 students.12 At P.S. 5 Dr. Ronald McNair (a 10-minute walk from Ember), they cannot afford to staff its brand-new music program and science lab with full-time teachers.13 Some parents also complain about a lack of discipline and structure in public schools.14 One mother kept her son out of public schools in part because of her experience as a Brooklyn public school student: “Kids used to run amuck . [Y]ou had your teachers who cared. And then you had a lot of teachers who really didn’t care.”15 Black parents’ growing frustration with public education has led them to yearn for alternative solutions.16 There are many reasons why New York public schools have diminished.17 Some parents blame the quality of public schools directly.18 Others attribute the poor performance to the lack of available public resources, which competitive and in some cases “predatory” charter schools tend to monopolize.19 Finally, many parents argue that the rapid gentrification of their historically-Black neighborhoods — specifically, the influx of middle- to upper-class White parents — causes funding and student enrollment to decrease in certain “failing” public schools and increase in other “selective” 9. See Episode 6: Mo’ Charters Mo’ Problems, SCH. COLORS (Nov. 8, 2019) [hereinafter SCHOOL COLORS, Episode 6], https://www.schoolcolorspodcast.com/episodes/episode-6-mo-charters-mo-problems [https://perma.cc/XRK2-TBQY]. 10. See id. 11. See Episode 1: Old School, SCH. COLORS (Sept. 20, 2019) [hereinafter SCHOOL COLORS, Episode 1], https://www.schoolcolorspodcast.com/episodes/episode-1-old-school [https://perma.cc/U8RB-PSN3]. 12. Id. 13. SCHOOL COLORS, Episode 6, supra note 9. 14. See id. 15. Id. 16. See id. 17. See SCHOOL COLORS, Episode 1, supra note 11. 18. See id. 19. SCHOOL COLORS, Episode 6, supra note 9. 1176 FORDHAM URB. L.J. [Vol. XLVII public schools.20 The answer likely lies in some complex combination of all of the above. Nevertheless, Ember and other Afrocentric schools across the city insist that they do not adopt exploitative charter practices. Furthermore, the Afrocentric model avoids the for-profit and punitive disciplinary policies that define many of New York’s other popular charters.21 In fact, during a two-year moratorium of new charter approvals in Bed-Stuy’s School District 16, Ember made strides to develop relationships with the struggling community public schools.22 Despite Ember’s growing popularity among Black parents and students and its rooted connection to the Bed-Stuy community, the school still faces considerable institutional adversity.23 In June 2019, the New York State Department of Education Board of Regents rejected Ember’s plan to expand its program to high school because of its “culturally responsive mission.”24 The Board of Regents approved every other charter renewal and expansion in New York City, and the city even preliminarily authorized Embers’ charter in May 2019.25 Additionally, the Board of Regents rejected Ember’s charter without consulting the school’s parents or students.26 The Board of Regents cites to Ember’s low math test scores (compared to 20. See Episode 7: New Kids on the Block, SCH. COLORS (Nov. 22, 2019), https://www.schoolcolorspodcast.com/episodes/episode-7-new-kids-on-the-block
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Afrocentric Education: What Does It Mean to Toronto’S Black Parents?
    Afrocentric Education: What does it mean to Toronto’s Black parents? by Patrick Radebe M.Ed., University of Toronto, 2005 B.A. (Hons.), University of Toronto, 2000 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL STUDIES (Educational Studies) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) October 2017 Patrick Radebe, 2017 Abstract The miseducation of Black students attending Toronto metropolitan secondary schools, as evinced by poor grades and high dropout rates among the highest in Canada, begs the question of whether responsibility for this phenomenon lies with a public school system informed by a Eurocentric ethos. Drawing on Afrocentric Theory, this critical qualitative study examines Black parents’ perceptions of the Toronto Africentric Alternative School and Afrocentric education. Snowball sampling and ethnographic interviews, i.e., semi-structured interviews, were used to generate data. A total of 12 Black parents, three men and nine women, were interviewed over a 5-month period and data analyzed. It was found that while a majority of the respondents supported the Toronto Africentric Alternative School and Afrocentric education, some were ambivalent and others viewed the school and the education it provides as divisive and unnecessary. The research findings show that the majority of the participants were enamored with Afrocentricity, believing it to be a positive influence on Black lives. While they supported TAAS and AE, the minority, on the other hand, opposed the school and its educational model. The findings also revealed a Black community, divided between a majority seeking to preserve whatever remained of (their) African identity and a determined minority that viewed assimilation to be in the best interests of Black students.
    [Show full text]
  • An Afrocentric Case Study Policy Analysis of Florida Statute 1003.42(H) CHIKE AKUA Georgia State University
    Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University Educational Policy Studies Dissertations Department of Educational Policy Studies Fall 1-6-2017 The Life of a Policy: An Afrocentric Case Study Policy Analysis of Florida Statute 1003.42(h) CHIKE AKUA Georgia State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/eps_diss Recommended Citation AKUA, CHIKE, "The Life of a Policy: An Afrocentric Case Study Policy Analysis of Florida Statute 1003.42(h)." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2017. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/eps_diss/155 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Educational Policy Studies at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Educational Policy Studies Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ACCEPTANCE This dissertation, THE LIFE OF A POLICY: AN AFROCENTRIC CASE STUDY POLICY ANALYSIS OF FLORIDA STATUTE 1003.42(H), by CHIKE AKUA, was prepared under the direction of the candidate’s Dissertation Advisory Committee. It is accepted by the committee members in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Education and Human Development, Georgia State University. The Dissertation Advisory Committee and the student’s Department Chair, as representatives of the faculty, certify that this dissertation has met all standards of excellence and scholarship as determined by the faculty. _________________________________ _________________________________ Joyce E. King, Ph.D. Janice Fournillier, Ph.D. Committee Chair Committee Member _________________________________ _________________________________ Kristen Buras, Ph.D. Akinyele Umoja, Ph.D. Committee Member Committee Member _________________________________ Date _________________________________ William Curlette, Ph.D.
    [Show full text]
  • Resurrecting the Educational Praxis of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, 1875-1950 by Jarvis R
    Culture, Curriculum, and Consciousness: Resurrecting the Educational Praxis of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, 1875-1950 By Jarvis R. Givens A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in African American Studies in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in Charge: Professor Ula Y. Taylor, Chair Professor Na’ilah Suad Nasir Professor Daniel H. Perlstein Spring 2016 Culture, Curriculum, and Consciousness: Resurrecting the Educational Praxis of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, 1875-1950 © 2016 by Jarvis R. Givens Abstract Culture, Curriculum, and Consciousness: Resurrecting the Educational Praxis of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, 1875-1950 by Jarvis Ray Givens Doctor of Philosophy in African American Studies University of California, Berkeley Professor Ula Y. Taylor, Chair While Black educational history generally centers the infamous debate between Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois, this dissertation re-conceptualizes this framing through an innovative exploration of the work of Dr. Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950). Culture, Curriculum, and Consciousness analyzes Woodson’s argument that the ideological foundations of schools relied on a human history of the world that centered Whiteness and distorted the humanity of Black people. He not only advocated for a transformation that would supplant the ideological stronghold White supremacy had on Black education, but he simultaneously created an alternative model that centered Black humanity and cultural achievements. Coupling archival methods with critical text analysis and coding schemes, I examine how Woodson institutionalized his educational praxis through the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), self- published textbooks, and his close relationship with Black teacher networks.
    [Show full text]
  • The Case for an African Centered Education System in Africa: a Case Study on African Leadership Academy, South Africa
    The Case for an African Centered Education System in Africa: A Case Study on African Leadership Academy, South Africa By Chizoba Mary Imoka A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Master of Education Graduate Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto © Copyright by Chizoba Mary Imoka 2014 The Case for an African Centered Education System In Africa: A Case Study on African Leadership Academy, South Africa Chizoba Mary Imoka Master of Education Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education University of Toronto 2014 Abstract This thesis makes a case for education reform in Africa. It argues for an education system that is African centered and poised to develop Africans who can serve as the agents and leaders of Africa’s transformation. Through a case study of the leadership institution - African Leadership Academy (ALA) whose goal is to develop the next generation of African leaders that will transform Africa, this thesis illustrates the potential of an African centered education system in bringing about development in the continent. Also, the dreams, aspirations, and views of an important but often neglected group in deliberations about how to develop Africa – the average African (especially African youth) are presented. In so doing, the thesis provides a framework upon which an African centered education system in Africa can be developed from. ii Acknowledgements African scholars stand on the shoulders of giants and super heroes/sheroes such as Kwame Nkurumah, Julius Nyerere, Patrice Lumumba, Nelson Mandela, Yaa Asantewaa, Queen Amina and millions of children who spent their lives fighting or being humiliated for the sake of the continent.
    [Show full text]
  • A Case Study Examining the Experiences of an African-Centered Rites of Passage Program Within a Community Based Organization
    Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Graduate Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 2021 “UBUNTU” I am because we are: A case study examining the experiences of an African-centered Rites of Passage program within a community based organization Alade S. McKen Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd Recommended Citation McKen, Alade S., "“UBUNTU” I am because we are: A case study examining the experiences of an African- centered Rites of Passage program within a community based organization" (2021). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 18557. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/18557 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. “UBUNTU” I am because we are: A case study examining the experiences of an African- centered Rites of Passage program within a community-based organization by Alade Shola McKen A dissertation submitted to the graduate faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major: Education Program of Study Committee: Katy Swalwell, Co-major Professor Julio Cammarota, Co-major Professor Isaac Gottesman Noreen Rodriguez Douglas Wieczorek The student author, whose presentation of the scholarship herein was approved by the program of study committee, is solely responsible for the content of this dissertation. The Graduate College will ensure this dissertation is globally accessible and will not permit alterations after a degree is conferred.
    [Show full text]
  • Pan-Africanism: a Quest for Liberation and the Pursuit of a United Africa
    genealogy Article Pan-Africanism: A Quest for Liberation and the Pursuit of a United Africa Mark Malisa 1,* and Phillippa Nhengeze 2 1 Department of Educational Research and Administration, University of West Florida, 11000 University Pkwy, Pensacola, FL 32514, USA 2 Department of Economics, Africa University, Mutare, Zimbabwe; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 23 July 2018; Accepted: 7 August 2018; Published: 14 August 2018 Abstract: Our paper examines the place of Pan-Africanism as an educational, political, and cultural movement which had a lasting impact on the on the relationship between liberation and people of African descent, in the continent of Africa and the Diaspora. We also show its evolution, beginning with formerly enslaved Africans in the Americas, to the colonial borders of the 1884 Berlin Conference, and conclude with the independence movements in Africa. For formerly enslaved Africans, Pan-Africanism was an idea that helped them see their commonalities as victims of racism. That is, they realized that they were enslaved because they came from the same continent and shared the same racial heritage. They associated the continent of Africa with freedom. The partitioning of Africa at the Berlin Conference (colonialism) created pseudo-nation states out of what was initially seen as an undivided continent. Pan-Africanism provided an ideology for rallying Africans at home and abroad against colonialism, and the creation of colonial nation-states did not erase the idea of a united Africa. As different African nations gained political independence, they took it upon themselves to support those countries fighting for their independence. The belief, then, was that as long as one African nation was not free, the continent could not be viewed as free.
    [Show full text]
  • The Controversy Over the Portland Public Schools' African-American Baseline Essays, 1983-1992
    Portland State University PDXScholar Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses 5-9-1997 The Controversy Over the Portland Public Schools' African-American Baseline Essays, 1983-1992 Thomas Damian Rand-Luby Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds Part of the History Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Rand-Luby, Thomas Damian, "The Controversy Over the Portland Public Schools' African-American Baseline Essays, 1983-1992" (1997). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 5304. https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.7177 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. THESIS APPROVAL The abstract and thesis of Thomas Damian Rand-Luby for the Master of Arts in History were presented May 9, 1997, and accepted by the thesis committee and the department. COMMITTEE APPROVALS: Friedrich Schuler Darrell Millner, Representative of the Office of Graduate Studies DEPARTMENT APPROVAL: Gbrddn Dodds, Chair De),aftment of History ****************************************************************** ACCEPTED FOR PORTLAND ST ATE UNIVERSITY BY THE LIBRARY on l!h 1 /1; )C/f1- ABSTRACT An abstract of the thesis of Thomas Damian Rand-Luby for the Master of Arts in History presented May 9, 1997. Title: The Controversy Over the Portland Public Schools' African-American Baseline Essays, 1983-1992. This thesis chronicles the controversy surrounding the implementation of the multicultural education curriculum in the public schools of Portland, Oregon between 1983 and 1992.
    [Show full text]
  • Decolonizing Education in Post-Independence Sub-Saharan Africa
    Decolonizing Education in Post-Independence Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case of Ghana A thesis presented to the faculty of the Center for International Studies of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts Ousmane Diop December 2013 © 2013 Ousmane Diop. All Rights Reserved. 2 This thesis titled Decolonizing Education in Post-Independence Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case of Ghana by OUSMANE DIOP has been approved for the Center for International Studies by Stephen W. Howard Professor of Media Arts and Studies W. Stephen Howard Director, African Studies Lorna Jean Edmonds Vice Provost for Global Affairs 3 Abstract DIOP, OUSMANE, M.A., December 2013, African Studies Decolonizing Education in Post-Independence Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case of Ghana Director of Thesis: Stephen W. Howard The research focuses on Ghana, as a case study to investigate the history of education in Sub-Saharan Africa. It claims that African education (Ghanaian education in particular) has had a long history of colonization that the post-independence period has not yet been able to subvert. Ghanaian education is still under Western dominance, leading many scholars to denounce the mere ―copy paste‖ and ―mimicry‖ of Western curricula in Ghanaian schools. This research advocates a decolonization of African education in order to align African education with the African context and challenges. This research is based on secondary data analysis to gauge the evolution of Ghanaian education from pre-colonial to post-colonial and the efforts towards decolonization. The research reaches the conclusion that, despite the domination of Ghanaian education by Western models and the negligence of African/Ghanaian indigenous knowledge, the Government of Ghana displays much devotion to adapting education to national needs.
    [Show full text]
  • Combining African-Centered and Critical Media Pedagogies: a 21St-Century Approach Toward Liberating the Minds of the Mis- Educated in the Digital Age
    LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations Spring April 2012 Combining African-Centered and Critical Media Pedagogies: A 21st-Century Approach Toward Liberating the Minds of the Mis- Educated in the Digital Age Shani Byard Loyola Marymount University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/etd Part of the African American Studies Commons, and the Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education Commons Recommended Citation Byard, Shani, "Combining African-Centered and Critical Media Pedagogies: A 21st-Century Approach Toward Liberating the Minds of the Mis-Educated in the Digital Age" (2012). LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations. 243. https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/etd/243 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School. It has been accepted for inclusion in LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY Combining African-Centered and Critical Media Pedagogies: A 21st-Century Approach Toward Liberating the Minds of the Mis-Educated in the Digital Age by Shani Byard A dissertation presented to the Faculty of the School of Education, Loyola Marymount University, in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Education 2012 Combining African-Centered and Critical Media Pedagogies: A 21st-Century Approach Toward Liberating the Minds of the Mis-Educated in the Digital Age Copyright © 2012 by Shani Byard Loyola Marymount University School of Education Los Angeles, CA 90045 This dissertation written by Shani Byard, under the direction of the Dissertation Committee, is approved and accepted by all committee members, in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education.
    [Show full text]
  • African Centered Schooling: Facilitating Holistic Excellence for Black Children
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Faculty Publications from Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Children, Youth, Families & Schools, Nebraska Schools Center for Research on 2007 African Centered Schooling: Facilitating Holistic Excellence for Black Children Tonia Renee Durden University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cyfsfacpub Part of the Pre-Elementary, Early Childhood, Kindergarten Teacher Education Commons Durden, Tonia Renee, "African Centered Schooling: Facilitating Holistic Excellence for Black Children" (2007). Faculty Publications from Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools. 16. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cyfsfacpub/16 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Children, Youth, Families & Schools, Nebraska Center for Research on at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications from Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Published in The Negro Educational Review, 58:1-2 (2007), pp. 23-34. Copyright 2007 NER; published by Florida A&M University. African Centered Schooling: Facilitating Holistic Excellence for Black Children Tonia Renee Durden' Georgia State University Abstract During the early 1970s, scholars, parents, and educators began a campaign for schooling experiences that were culturally affirming for Black children. This community of concerned individuals vested their energy and support in schools that subscribed to a worldview and ideology of education that fo- cused on enriching the holistic development of children. The product of these efforts is known as the African centered school movement.
    [Show full text]
  • November 1999
    November 1999 (changes made from press-edited copy) "Island by island we must go across" Challenges from Language and Culture among African Americans Shirley Brice Heath Stanford University In 1987, the poet William Meredith wrote a curious set of five verses under the title "Do not embrace your mind's new Negro friend." He urges "atonement first" for those who claim new friendship and are convinced in their minds that they have the "right story" about the history of "Jews or Negroes or some dark thing." Though deceptively simple on the surface, the poem savagely pierces abundant late twentieth-century liberal claims to having no prejudice or to having "on good authority" understandings about what is right and good for others. Meredith condemns patronizing claims of brotherhood and urges intense self-examination of motives as well as relentless recovery of stories not told and connections never acknowledged. He calls such a program of self scrutiny and search for new lessons a "friendless struggle" that will be long, laborious, and painful, but "island by island we must go across." This chapter represents a small beginning of such crossings. The traveler-as-author here acknowledges a position that carries the label of "outsider." However, even for those who carry the identity of "insider" in studies or approaches they see as an ethnic, or racial label, thinking along the lines of Meredith's caution is worthwhile. Examination of motives and degrees of thoroughness in determining stories and not merely the "right story" helps ensure for any ethnic- centered work that it does not fall into patterns of ethnocentrism that have so long marked Eurocentric research and policy.
    [Show full text]
  • Afrocentric Curriculum: a Paradigm for Healing and Education Ameer Akinwale Ali University of Missouri-St
    University of Missouri, St. Louis IRL @ UMSL Dissertations UMSL Graduate Works 12-15-2016 Afrocentric Curriculum: A Paradigm for Healing and Education Ameer Akinwale Ali University of Missouri-St. Louis Follow this and additional works at: https://irl.umsl.edu/dissertation Part of the Education Commons Recommended Citation Ali, Ameer Akinwale, "Afrocentric Curriculum: A Paradigm for Healing and Education" (2016). Dissertations. 34. https://irl.umsl.edu/dissertation/34 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the UMSL Graduate Works at IRL @ UMSL. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of IRL @ UMSL. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Afrocentric Curriculum: A Paradigm for Healing and Education Ameer Akinwale Ali M.A., in Social Work, St. Louis University, 2000 B.A., History and Sociology, Lincoln University, 1995 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate School at the University of Missouri-St. Louis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Education with an emphasis in Adult Education December 2016 Advisory Committee E. Paulette Isaac-Savage, Ed.D. Chairperson Angela Coker, Ph.D. Talmadge C. Guy, Ed.D. Virginia Navarro, Ph.D. Copyright, Ameer A. Ali, 2016 i ABSTRACT As a result of the plight of some African-American men, changes are needed to improve the US mental health system’s curriculum and practices in order to produce sustainable positive outcomes culturally-relevant therapy is key to addressing the needs of this under serviced population. Afrocentric psychotherapy provides one promising culturally relevant framework to address the needs of African-American men clinically.
    [Show full text]