Independent Black Institutions: African-Centered Education Models

Accountability for equity: can state policy leverage social justice?

“…We agree with Shujaa (1994), Hilliard (1995), Suárez-Orozco and Suárez-Orozco (1995), Shujaa and Afrik (1996), Valencia (1997), and Valenzuela (1999) that simply improving the performance gap and negative treatment that children of colour experience within the existing structures of schools will not necessarily lead to the kind of schooling that values, supports, validates, challenges, and nurtures Latino/a-American, African-American, Native American, and Asian-American children. Also, we want to emphasize strongly that we support those who are engaged in the work of creating, operating, and researching schools that accomplish the latter through various approaches, including culturocentric orientations; see, e.g., Lomotey (1992) and Shujaa (1994) on Afrocentric schools.…”

Say It Loud: An Action Research Project Examining the Afrivisual and Africology, Looking for Alternative African American Community College Teaching Strategies

“…This study found that the respondents expressed racial self-love, and Black pride to ascertain knowledge about their African ancestors and African history. Such a viewpoint of African American students has relevance in the pedagogical and andragogical aims of the 146 African-centeredness approach (Akoto, 1994;Asante, 1991;Hilliard, 1992;Karenga, 2006;Ladson-Billings, 1992Lee, 1994;Lomotey, 1992;Poe, 2006;Ratteray, 1994;Shujaa, 1994).…”

“…Gibson (2007) also disclosed that the participants expressed a desire for positive representations of African Americans to be included in classroom curricula. Lomotey (1992) reasoned that an African-centered curricula entitles African…”

“…American students be viewed positively as heirs of African philosophical and intellectual greatness (Lomotey, 1992). Karenga (2002) articulated the Nguzo Saba (The Seven Principles) as a structure of communal African mores that have been undertaken within the African-centered approach.…”

“…A parting comment to the educator desiring to be culturally competent in the instruction of African American learners is seek to understand them, continue to understand them, and never cease to not understand them. In other words the culturallyrelevant-minded (Ladson-Billings, 1992, 1995a, 1995b) teachers must seek to give African American students their true ancestral history that begins in Africa (Akbar, 2004;Akoto, 1994;Asante, 1991;Bailey, 2005;Hilliard, 1999;Karenga, 2006;Lee, 1994;Lomotey, 1992;Nobles, 1986;Shujaa, 2005;Winters, 2002).…”