University of Windsor Scholarship at UWindsor Electronic Theses and Dissertations Theses, Dissertations, and Major Papers 2010 Jane-Finch Black Youth Perspectives of Africentric Schooling in Toronto Tina Sharma University of Windsor Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd Recommended Citation Sharma, Tina, "Jane-Finch Black Youth Perspectives of Africentric Schooling in Toronto" (2010). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 250. https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/etd/250 This online database contains the full-text of PhD dissertations and Masters’ theses of University of Windsor students from 1954 forward. These documents are made available for personal study and research purposes only, in accordance with the Canadian Copyright Act and the Creative Commons license—CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivative Works). 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Jane-Finch Black Youth Perspectives of Africentric Schooling in Toronto By Tina Sharma A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies through the Faculty of Education in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Education at the University of Windsor Windsor, Ontario, Canada © 2010 Tina Sharma Jane-Finch Black Youth Perspectives of Africentric Schooling in Toronto By Tina Sharma APPROVED BY: ______________________________________________ Wansoon Park, External Reader ______________________________________________ Finney Cherian, Faculty Reader ______________________________________________ Kara Smith, Advisor ______________________________________________ Andrew Allen, Chair of Defense DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY I hereby certify that I am the sole author of this thesis and that no part of this thesis has been published or submitted for publication. I certify that, to the best of my knowledge, my thesis does not infringe upon anyone’s copyright nor violate any proprietary rights and that any ideas, techniques, quotations, or any other material from the work of other people included in my thesis, published or otherwise, are fully acknowledged in accordance with the standard referencing practices. Furthermore, to the extent that I have included copyrighted material that surpasses the bounds of fair dealing within the meaning of the Canada Copyright Act, I certify that I have obtained a written permission from the copyright owner(s) to include such material(s) in my thesis and have included copies of such copyright clearances to my appendix. I declare that this is a true copy of my thesis, including any final revisions, as approved by my thesis committee and the Graduate Studies office, and that this thesis has not been submitted for a higher degree to any other University or Institution. iii ABSTRACT Africentric schooling in Toronto is a controversial educational initiative. A problem amongst the debatable perspectives published in media and literature accounts are the lack of black youth voices pertaining to Africentric schooling. An attempt is made to explore black youth perspectives of Africentric schooling in Toronto. Participants in this study consisted of five black males and five black females between the ages of 16 to 19. Youth perspectives about Africentric schooling and their desire to attend an Africentric high school were obtained. Youth perspectives revealed that all participants supported the social and cultural tents of Africentric schooling; however, they reported mixed reactions regarding their desire to attend such a school. Stereotypes, intra-group politics, and family and media opinions were fears and concerns of the participants interviewed. To build the academic strengths of urban black youth and promote educational change in our system, it is argued we need to explore Africentric schooling to increase student academic outcomes. Recommendations and avenues for future research are suggested. iv DEDICATION To the man who inspires and guides me every day; my papa, Raj Kumar Sharma. I am everything that I am because you love me. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost I would like to thank God for his continuous blessings. With God, everything is possible. Thank you to all the professors at the University of Windsor that I have had the privilege to learn from. Their informative lectures and constant encouragement have helped me grow both on a professional and personal level. Thanks to my supervisor, Dr. Kara Smith, for her enthusiasm and patience with this project. Her passion and excitement for education are inspirational; so too is her support for social justice. Thanks to Dr. Finney Cherian, for his support and thought-provoking conversations. When he talks, we are compelled to listen. I am in the debt of Dr. Wansoo Park for agreeing to be my external reader; the connection with social work was fitting. Dr. Andrew Allen supported and guided my research; his contribution was constant and has left a mark on this project. Lastly, I thank Dr. Nombuso Dlamini for beginning this journey with me. Her advice and encouragement kept me moving forward, helping me find a new supervisor when she accepted a teaching position elsewhere, all of which are much appreciated. Thanks to Dr. Parbattie Ramsarran for being my mentor and encouraging me to pursue my graduate degree. Her passion for and commitment to social justice transcends beyond the classroom. Lastly, I thank my family and friends for their confidence in me. Their support and pride in my work motivates me to do better every day. Words cannot describe my mother, Santosh Sharma. She is my best friend, teacher, nurse, lawyer and support system. Her love is selfless, pure and her spirit simply magnetic. My grandparents, Chiji and late Papaji, thank you for showing me what it means to be loved unconditionally. They have given meaning to life itself. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY iii ABSTRACT iv DEDICATION v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vi LIST OF TABLES xi LIST OF APPENDICIES xii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION 1 Problem Statement 2 Purpose of the Study 2 Research Questions 3 Significance 3 Overview 4 II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 5 Black Youth 5 Diversity amongst black Canadians. 5 Black youth and education. 6 Cultural differences. 7 Racial tensions. 10 Disadvantage. 13 Africentric Education: Answering the Call for a Relevant Curriculum 17 vii Africentric schooling and black youth. 22 Case examples. 24 Multicultural education. 26 Anti-racist education. 29 Afrocentric Education: Origins and American Perspective 32 Africentric Schooling and the Canadian Educational Landscape 40 Alternative schooling: making room for one more. 41 Alternative schooling and Africentric education. 43 Africentric Education: Mixed Reactions 44 III. DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 53 Overview of Methodology 53 The Context of the Study 54 The research site. 54 The research area. 54 The Researcher’s Role 55 Research Questions 57 Research Participants 57 The population. 57 The sample. 58 Recruitment process. 59 Instruments and Protocols 60 Instrumentation. 60 Interviews. 61 viii Strategies for inquiry. 62 Data analysis. 62 Framework for Analysis 62 Critical race theory. 63 Critical race theory and education. 64 IV. FINDINGS 66 Key Findings 66 Africentric Education: Representation and Inclusivity 67 Representation and inclusivity. 67 A) Curricular material. 67 Discussion of a) curricular material. 74 B) Staff representation. 76 Discussion of b) staff representation. 79 C) School environment and community. 81 Discussion of c) school environment and community. 83 Africentric Schooling: and Social Tensions 84 Africentric mixed reactions. 85 Stereotypes revealed. 87 A) Stereotypes. 87 Discussion of a) stereotypes. 90 B) Intra-group politics. 91 Discussion of b) intra-group politics. 93 C) Media and community opinions. 93 ix Discussion of c) media and community responses. 97 V. CONCLUSIONS, RECCOMENDATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH 98 Conclusion 98 Recommendations 99 Future Research 100 APPENDICES 102 Appendix A 102 Appendix B 105 Appendix C 106 Appendix D 107 Appendix E 108 Appendix F 110 Appendix G 111 Appendix H 113 Appendix I 114 REFERENCES 115 DEFINTION OF TERMS 123 VITA AUCTORIS 124 x LIST OF TABLES Table 1.0 Participant Demographics 58 xi APPENDICIES Appendix A 102 Appendix B 105 Appendix C 106 Appendix D 107 Appendix E 108 Appendix F 110 Appendix G 111 Appendix H 113 Appendix I 114 xii CHAPTER I Introduction With a final vote, 11:9, on January 29th, 2008, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) approved the proposition for the launch of the first Africentric Alternative School (Grades K-5) for children in Toronto. The first school of its kind opened in September 2009 and is located in North York (Keele-Sheppard), Toronto. The Africentric school is an elementary school initiative; an Africentric secondary school has yet to be established. The current Africentric school accommodates 120 children drawn from diverse ethno-cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. The Africentric school curriculum aims to deal with issues of student disengagement, drop out and achievement disparities between black youth and their peers. The Africentric school has an educational program that provides