Transcript Afrocentric Approaches for Culturally Responsive Education

Education for a shared
humanity:
Exploring diverse approaches to
culturally responsive curricula
and pedagogy
Wendy Rago
Victoria Vaccari
Jimmy Aycart
Damien Mulinga Mbikyo
Afrocentric Approaches for
Culturally-Responsive
Education in the U.S.
Wendy C. Rago
M.S. International and Intercultural Education
Florida International University
Pembroke Pines Charter High School;
Pembroke Pines, FL
Research Question
• How can Afrocentric approaches to
schooling promote cultural
responsiveness in diverse educational
environments?
Culturally responsive pedagogy
• Theoretical framework for culturally responsive
pedagogy in public education is based on 3 realities
(Greenwood, 2011)
1. Institutional needs to address increase diverse student
populations
2. Children of color face severe achievement gaps compared
to White students
3. Current curriculum and instruction is predominantly
Eurocentric
“Culturally responsive pedagogy is a student-centered
approach to teaching in which the students' unique cultural
strengths are identified and nurtured to promote student
achievement and a sense of well-being about the student's
cultural place in the world. (Lynch, 2011).
Holzman, M. (2010). Yes We Can: The Schott 50 State
Report on Public Education and Black Males. Schott
Foundation for Public Education. Cambridge, MA.
Retrieved from http://www.schottfoundation.org
Molefi K. Asante’s Framework for
Afrocentrism:
• Educational project to increase agency within
the African American community
• Interdisciplinary; African at center of subject
of study
• African phenomena, events, and persons
with a particular cultural voice, which is
absent of hierarchy and hegemony (Asante,
2000).
Afrocentric curriculum approaches
• Ideas of Afrocentric curricula are
widely varied in their
conceptualizations and
implementations
Case Studies
• African-American Baseline essays
(Portland, OR; 1987)
• Africentric Alternative School (Toronto,
Canada)
• Use of Nguzo Saba Principles of Unity, Selfdetermination, Cooperative Economics, Purpose,
Creativity, Faith
• Betty Shabazz International Charter School
(Chicago, IL)
Internal Education Debates around
Afrocentric Curriculum
Advocates
Critics
• Marable (2000) – interdisciplinary;
integrative
• Karenga (2000)- self-discovery
approach, mutually challenging, and
productive dialogue; utilization of
ethics; relevant to real life African
American experiences.
• Mullings (2000) - ever changing,
challenging a static, historical African
cultural context
• Baker (2000)- vehicle for many
African Americans to nurture their
collective identity; allows for African
Americans to personally invest in the
betterment of the larger population
• Kilson (2000)- sees Afrocentric
studies as an emotive appeal for
“ethnic-group-solidarity-affirming
character” (p. 175); cannot be
translated to an institution forging
systemic outcomes.
• Ravitch (1991)- Afrocentric
curriculum is a “rejection of
multiculturalism” and should be
described as ethnocentric, racial
fundamentalism (p. 272, italics
original).
• Ransby (2000) - creates a “distorted
and one-dimensional view of our
history” (p. 237), refers strongly to
gender bias within both Afro- and
Eurocentric theories.
Conclusion
How can Afrocentric approaches to schooling
promote cultural responsiveness in diverse
educational environments?
• Creating a sense of belonging for all students in order
for them to succeed
• Call for radical reforms to educational curriculum, then
pedagogies follow.
• REVISING WHAT KNOWLEDGE is IMPORTANT at all
levels (primary, secondary, and post-secondary)
Points for Reflection
• Curriculum that C.A.R.E.S.
• Consistent
• Action-based for their own communities
• Relevant to the needs of the demographic
• Engaging with other disciplines
• Student-centered
• Not focused on test scores, but focused on the
development of humans.
• This can naturally enhance students’ sense of belonging
and roots in their community and build skills needed for
the 21st century.
References:
• Asante, M. K. (1991). The Afrocentric idea in education. Journal of Negro Education, pp.
170-180.
• Asante, M. K. (1992). Afrocentric Curriculum. Educational Leadership, 49(4), pp. 28-31.
• Asante, M. K. (2000). Afrocentricity, Race and Reason. In M. Marable (Ed.), Dispatches from
the Ebony Tower: Intellectuals Confront the African-American Experience (pp. 195203) New York: Columbia University Press.
• Asante, M.K. and Ravitch, D. (1991, Spring). Multiculturalism: An Exchange. The American
Scholar. 60(2). pp. 267-276.
• Betty Shabazz International Charter Schools. (n.d.). About Us: African Centered Education.
Retrieved from
http://www.bsics.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=179005&type=d
• Binder, A. J. (2000). Why do some curricular challenges work while others do not? The case
of three Afrocentric challenges. Sociology of Education. pp. 69-91
• Holzman, M. (2010). Yes We Can: The Schott 50 State Report on Public Education and Black
Males. Schott Foundation for Public Education. Cambridge, MA. Retrieved from
http://www.schottfoundation.org
• Greenwood, S.J. (2011). Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: A Study of Implementation.
Scholar Works: California State University East Bay. Retrieved from
http://csueastbaydspace.calstate.edu/handle/10211.5/23
• Lynch, M. (2011, Dec. 14). What is culturally responsive pedagogy? The Huffington Post.
Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew-lynchedd/culturallyresponsivepedagogy_b_1147364.html
• Merryfield, M.M. (2009). Chapter 10: Moving the Center of Global Education: From
Imperial Worldviews that Divide the World to Double Consciousness, Contrapuntal
Pedagogy, Hybridity, and Cross- Cultural Competence. In T.Kirkwood-Tucker (Ed.),
Visions in education (pp. 215-239). New York: Peter Lang.
Thank you!
Wendy Rago
www.msrago.com
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