Afrocentric education has potential to transform and improve our current education system and the adults that our education system produces. Asante described “Afrocentricity” as assigning African (hereafter referred to as Black) ideals at the centre of current African culture and behaviour (Frederick & Shockley, 2010). Afrocentric education blossomed from Asante’s Afrocentricity—it is an education in which Black culture, Black history, the Black experience, and Black excellence is not only incorporated but stressed in the curriculum, and it aims to reconnect Black children to their African heritage (Frederick & Shockley). Afrocentric education goes far beyond Black history month and education about slavery. It surpasses the incorporation of Black authors, historical figures or artists in the curriculum. Afrocentric education offers Black students the resources they need to navigate and excel in the Western school system, and later the Western world, by placing them at the centre of their education—teaching them about African history, which leads to a profound level of self-understanding. In Afrocentric education, Black students become “the subject of their own cultural and historical story” (Frederick & Shockley, 2010). In order to achieve this self-love and self-understanding, Afrocentric education tells Black students that they are not “the object of someone else’s stories.” In a classroom setting, this means that Black students do not see their ancestors as the slaves of Europeans. Instead, Black students would see and explore that, far before their ancestors were sold into slavery, they had their own established civilizations with distinct African values, teaching methods, languages, religions, and world views. In Afrocentric education, learning about these aspects of African history is known as re-Africanization, a process in which Black students reattach themselves to African culture (Frederick & Shockley, 2010). Afrocentric education’s manipulation of how Black students see themselves and their ancestors forces Black students to acknowledge and accept Black history beyond slavery. This is not to say that Black students should not learn about the years of slavery that their ancestors endured; however, it does mean that Black students should learn about the culture and life that was stripped from their ancestors during the years of slavery (Frederick & Shockley, 2010). Understanding this history creates an empowering identity for Black students (Akua, 2020). Afrocentric education’s emphasis on Black history prior to slavery can lead Black students to self-love, self-understanding, self-empowerment, and identity.
Afrocentric education places Black students at the centre of their education by highlighting Black excellence in courses such as math and science—Black mathematicians, scientists, as well as artists and writers, are emphasized in an Afrocentric classroom in order to lead Black students to feel entitled to these academic fields. For example, an Afrocentric classroom, “would want to connect [biology] to Ernest Just, a pioneering black biologist who recognized the role of the cell surface in the development of organisms” (Cohen, 2016). The Afrocentric classroom breaks down the dynamic in which Europeans are the sole holders of knowledge. As a result of abolishing this dynamic, Black students can recognize their place in various academic disciplines while identifying with Black role models. Asante says this best when they say, “the African American child must not be renters of Eurocentric information, they must be owners” (Cohen, 2016).
Afrocentric education has a long-lasting impact on its students for it strives to teach its students spiritually just as their African ancestors did. Afrocentric educationists claim that Black students with Afrocentric understanding of their world will be able to more easily navigate their lives and the modern struggles of being Black (Frederick & Shockley, 2010). This is achievable by tapping into the spirit of Black students, evoking understanding and appreciation for all surrounding cultures. In other words, Black students are taught to understand that all elements of our universe are unified and work together (Akua, 2020). This means that surrounding cultures are seen through a lens in which they are connected spiritually.
Afrocentric education has just begun its journey in the Western world; however, with every step taken towards its development, the shackles which have held back Black students from excelling are undone. Afrocentric education aims to develop Black students’ self-love and self-understanding by exploring overlooked African history. It also aims to develop Black students’ entitlement to education by inserting significant Black figures of all academic disciplines into the curriculum. It strives to go beyond academics by teaching spirituality and unity amongst all, resulting in everlasting positive affects for all.
References
Akua, C. (2020). Standards of afrocentric education for school leaders and teachers. Journal of Black Studies, 51(2), 107–127. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021934719893572
Cohen, R. M. (2016, September 2). The afrocentric education crisis. The American Prospect. https://prospect.org/education/afrocentric-education-crisis/.
Sesanti, S. (2018). Teaching Ancient Egyptian Philosophy (Ethics) and History: Fulfilling a Quest for a Decolonised and Afrocentric Education. Educational Research for Social Change, 7(0), 1-15. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2221-4070/2018/v7i0a1
Shockley, K. G., & Frederick, R. M. (2010). Constructs and dimensions of afrocentric education. Journal of Black Studies, 40(6), 1212–1233.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Quarina Paris
Quarina Paris is a full-time education student at McGill University and part-time substitute teacher. She plans to pursue doctoral studies focusing on the Black-Canadian student experience after spending a few years teaching high school literature. She strives to assist in reframing the experience of Black-Canadian students in the near and far future.
This article is featured in Canadian Teacher Magazine’s Winter 2022 issue.
