Afrocentric curriculum approaches and educational implementation

¶ … AFROCENTRIC CURRICULUM FOR K-12 African-American STUDENTS

African-American culture has made enormous contributions to the cultures of the world. The impact is particularly significant in the American context because African-American culture is a major component of what constitutes being American (Asante & Matson, 1991, p. vi).The Recognition of Diversity: The Salad Bowl of the U.S.

Since the middle of the twentieth century, American society has undergone major social transformations, such as changing attitudes towards various ethnic groups and the strengthening of civil rights. Events related to these changes included the civil rights movement, the desegregation of schools, and the decline of the melting-pot ideology, which is the belief of relinquishing one's own cultural heritage and adopting a new American identity. Ethnocentrism, the belief in the superiority of one's own ethnic group, is a phenomenon that exists across cultures and is by no means a problem limited to the United States or Western culture (Strouse, 1987). The United States increasingly recognized the diversity of ethnicity and cultures within its borders as reflected in various events in legislation, such as the establishment of the Public Law 88-352, Title VI of 1964 and Public Law 92-318, Title IX of 1972. Both laws reflected the value of the heterogeneous composition of the nation and were enacted to eliminate racial discrimination. Americans began to broaden their Eurocentric perceptions. This broadening of perceptions was due in part to the large number of immigrants who resided in the United States but sought to be identified with their own culture. What was once referred to as melting pot was now referred to as a salad bowl where the ingredients were mixed, but not blended (Alba, 1990).

The school system is however still very much the product of a melting-pot ideology. Very little allowance is provided for ethnic differences and needs within desegragated schools, which has resulted in often misdiagnosed learning problems. This study, focused upon African-American students, therefore aims to remedy the situation by investigating the possibility of an Afrocentric curriculum for K-12 students.

Statement of the Research Question

Educators have conducted studies and investigated school systems to ascertain why certain instructional strategies are considered effective or ineffective in a given sociocultural context (Wilson-Sadberry, Winfield, & Royster, 1991). This paper addresses instructional strategies and educational research with regard to African-American students by answering the question: What is the feasibility of incorporating an Afrocentric curriculum in K-12 public school systems, which provides instruction geared toward African-American students' learning styles? In order to address that feasibility, a rationale for an Afrocentric curriculum has been provided, which includes the following aspects required to implement an Afrocentric curriculum in K-12 schools:

Afrocentric instructional materials must be adopted that address African and African-American culture and history;

The learning styles of African-American students must be considered to facilitate learning;

Constructivist and culturally relevant pedagogical approaches should be adopted to facilitate intellectual development;

Teacher training must be a high priority;

positive school culture must exist and Parents must be involved to promote their children's positive academic outcomes.

Relevance/Importance of the Question

White (1991) expressed the idea that most White educators, psychologists, and social scientists accept the point-of-view that the experiential backgrounds and/or cognitive limitations of Blacks have deprived them psychologically and culturally. (APA p 37) According to the theory, this deprivation has resulted in Black students' inferior preparation to perform effectively in the "White" educational system. The expressions of Hale-Benson, 1986; Irvine, 1992 and Shade, 1995, support this contention. There are few methods of teaching that address the learning needs of Black students; nor is there evidence of interest in developing methods of meeting the needs of these students. It is essential to restructure teaching methodology so that all students will have equal access to knowledge (Hale-Benson, 1986; Irvine, 1992; Shade, 1995). In order for African-American students to have equal access to knowledge, of their cultural heritage, which stems from Africa, their unique learning styles must be addressed.