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1. Black-Focused Schools in Toronto - Hmmm maybe I’ll start my own school! « Immigration, Assimilation, Ethnicity and All That Jazz on 18 Jun 2008 at 10:16 am

   […] by chinesecanuck on June 18, 2008 Racialicious has a post on the black-focused school that will open in Toronto in 2009.  The school is going to be sharing premises with an existing elementary school.  The kids in the […]

2. Gratuitous Keanu post at Racialicious - the intersection of race and pop culture on 18 Jun 2008 at 2:14 pm

   […] the rest of you have been discussing totally trivial matters like Eurocentric education and government corruption, I’ve been pondering this vastly more important […]

3. EURO-CENTRIC, UNCE UNCE: Afro-Centric and Euro-centric Schools « Pregnant Drug-Dealing Prostitutes on 18 Jun 2008 at 6:58 pm

   […] was reading up on Racialicious, because the name make me think delicious! XD And saw that Afro-centric Schools were being brought up, I decided to write my thoughts on not Afro-centric Schools, but Euro-centric schools and give the […]

Comments

1. miss girl wrote:

   i like the idea of this school, but wouldn’t a multicultural classroom be more beneficial to students than one that is strictly ‘monoracial’?

   Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 6:45 am ¶

2. kar-leone wrote:

   They said the school would be afrocentric they didn’t say it would ” blacks only” right?,

   Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 7:47 am ¶

3. atlasien wrote:

   It’s really hard to comment on this case without a good understanding of the Canadian educational system… other than to say, yikes, it really brought out some racist spewing. I don’t see what the problem is in attempting to hire more teachers that can relate to the students. Especially in higher grade levels, this can be really crucial, since teachers are kind of a backup emotional support for teens in trouble.

   That being said… “Afrocentric” is such a broad word that can mean so many things I wouldn’t dismiss it out of hand. But I’m really skeptical about some of the theories associated with it in the realm of education. For example, in Rev. Wright’s speech to the NAACP, which I caught a few minutes of, he mentioned that African-American children were “more right-brained than left-brained”, “more creative”, and should be taught using different styles that involve more music and body movement. I think this idea just replaces biological essentialism with cultural essentialism, and would be terribly cruel to the “non-normative” segment of children who happen to love math and logic and arranging things in neat, straight lines while sitting down quietly…

   On the other hand, they could be using “Afrocentric” very simply, as a way of denoting “non-Eurocentric”. In other words, REAL history.

   Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 7:52 am ¶

4. Erica B. wrote:

   It doesn’t help that the algebra, as written, is slightly wrong (or, at best, incredibly badly drawn)…

   I honestly don’t know enough about what the differences might be — it can’t be different algebra, obviously, but what are the changes? Is it just how the classroom is run or the students are interacted with? Are there any actual curricular differences?

   Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 7:55 am ¶

5. Jas wrote:

   I find that a lot of people seem to have very warped ideas about these school when I was looking in to them.

   1. I don’t believe that anyone said the school was “black only” or that the staff would be “all black”. I think the general reasoning is that blacks should be willing and grateful to attend Eurocentric schools filled with whites learning white history, white achievement, and white accomplishments but somehow whites going to Afrocentric schools filled with blacks learning black history, black achievement, and black accomplishments is racist, separatist, and segregation.

   2. This is not segregation and I would think people who lived through segregation especially would know the difference between these schools and the rampant institutionalized racism that thrived in the 60s and before.

   No one is going to be forced to go to this school and I’ve never seen anything that indicates that non-blacks will be kept out. People aren’t going to be forced to sit on the back of the bus or drink out of race specific fountains. I doubt any whites are going to be threatened with violence or death if they are in fact interested in attending the school.

   Personally I think it’s just very telling how people equate this with “segregation” when I really just think it’s about people who have warped/naive ideas about race, racism, education, teacher bias, etc.

   Opponents of this school may be well intentioned but this sounds like a problem that has been going on in Toronto for at least a couple of decades. So while many parents (especially many white ones I’m sure) seem willing to talk about this problem for another decade while blacks continuously fall behind, I’m just glad to see someone doing SOMETHING pro-active that will take place within the next few years and won’t just be the same soundbites. Whether it brings results or not remains to be seen.

   3. There is racism in Canada. No offense to any Canadians but the smugness of some Canadians who talk about America like it’s the bastion of racism and their “multi-cultural society” is so much more tolerant is a complete crock. Personally from what I’ve read it’s not a matter of racism not being as bad as much as it is many of the people there seem more complacent towards the issue than Americans. Even the minorities.

   4. The fact that so many individuals in an educational field no less would equate something like this to segregation just goes to further show how clueless many people are out there about racism and institutionalized racism.

   5. I think this has more to do with racial fears on the part of some whites than it actually does any constructive criticism of the schools themselves. Looking at the big picture you’re basically replacing a Eurocentric curriculum, which everyone is supposed to be on board for and accept docilely like good little minorities, with an Afrocentric one. And somehow one is okay while the other is racist and separatist.

   I kind of went on a rant but I remember talking about this with a lot of whites back when the school proposals started getting alot of attention and I was quite fed up with the ignorance. Especially coming from whites I thought would see where I’m coming from. But I’m not one of those people who needs everyone to agree with them but still just seeing people bash this idea without even thinking about it critically is beyond irritating.

   Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 7:56 am ¶

6. Kandee wrote:

   The school will be multi-racial but will steer the curriculum away from Eurocentrism. It is open to everyone. One person summed up the school proposal very well: “So students will still be learning about medieval times, for example, but rather than studying it from a perspective of Christian Europeans going out and educating uneducated Africans and South Americans, we would change the optics to recognize that those continents had rich cultures already,”

   Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 7:58 am ¶

7. Torontonian wrote:

   I blogged about this issue twice:

   Africentric education is not black segregation.
   Black math teacher can’t do math, according to racist cartoon

   Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 7:59 am ¶

8. Andom wrote:

   @miss girl:
   Since when are race and culture the same thing? Just because two people are considered to be of the same color/race does not preclude them from representing different cultures. A “black classroom” can consist of an Afro-Brazilian, a kid from Angola, the descendant of a Siddi from India, a Saudi Arabian, a Dominican kid, and an Afro-Canadian that is descended from slaves. Is that not multicultural? There is nothing monolithic about “blackness,” for it has always represented a diverse group of peoples and perspectives (even before trans-continental slavery). To say that the cultural differences between a Sudanese goat herder and an African-American businessman are non-existent (or at least negligible to those differences between people of two different races) foolishly places too much importance on race as the determinant of identity and experience.

   Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 8:29 am ¶

9. j wrote:

   The cartoon suggests that an Afrocentric education is basically an inferior education, indicated by the very wrong math on the board, an attitude that seems to be reflected by some of the responses in the newspaper. All of this is more evidence of why such a school is needed - if anything, just to counter still prevalent assumptions about the inferiority of black people.

   Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 8:33 am ¶

10. John wrote:

    I’m from the US, so certain things may be different.

    From a curriculum point of view, this is a pointless move. In high school, we took one class that could be deemed “Eurocentric.” That was World History. The rest of my schedule was filled with mostly math, English, and science, which I guarantee is race neutral. Is a change in one class enough reason to start an entirely new school? Why not just offer an alternative to World History? It’s not a Eurocentric curriculum, it’s a Eurocentric class. The rest of the curriculum is race neutral.

    However, if one argues that this is because blacks learn differently, then we are treading on very dangerous grounds. Once we acknowledge that one race is consequentially different than another genetically, we are opening the flood gates to another era of extreme racism. For example: if blacks are different learners, maybe they’re poorer learners? All the evidence points to that. And if they’re poorer learners, they shouldn’t pollute our schools. Etc, etc.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 8:46 am ¶

11. Slush wrote:

    I’m in favor of any educational program that opens the doors to non-white-normative Euro-centric education. Sure, I don’t think this will change math and science classes too much, but it sure as hell affects what you read in English and what you are told is history. It takes time, effort, and emphasis to change the Euro-centric model, so it’s got to be an active program.

    In my high school, where I was beginning to put pieces together and figure out what the world was about, we read exactly one book ever by a person of color - Zora Neal Hurston - and I don’t think we even covered the civil rights movement in history class, nor anything about Africa beyond De Gama reaching Cape Town, nor any history of any colonized country beyond which important European power it was colonized by. (In passive voice, just like that.) Granted, this was public high school in Wyoming, not a bastion of diversity or progressiveness in any way. There are plenty of better models out there. But Heart of Darkness is still seen as a classic must-read for American education. Aaaaahhh!

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 8:56 am ¶

12. Tiffany wrote:

    I livei n Toronto, I have attended the meetings for the proposal of this school, the school is not for “black” children only. The media of course has presented it that way so that it would cause a problem. The school is open to “everyone” but the curriculum is centered around afrocentric learning.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 9:23 am ¶

13. Abu Sinan wrote:

    I wouldnt support a curriculum that was “centric” anything.

    An “Afrocentric” school misses the point. The point SHOULD be to treat all races and ethnicities equally, to cover and raise the importance of all peoples.

    In creating “Afrocentric” schools people are simply turning into the monster that created the problem in the first place.

    We have “Eurocentric” systems placing too much importance on one area of the world, then we’ll have “Afrocentric” schools placing too much importance in different area of the world.

    The idea should be to come up with an equal and balanced viewpoint.

    This just purpetuates the problem.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 9:43 am ¶

14. Tiffany wrote:

    @jas
    “There is racism in Canada. No offense to any Canadians ”

    None taken, theres a lot of racism in Canada, but people are brainwashed into this “multi-cultural” crap , even french canadian don’t agree with multi-culturalism and french canadians also have extreme hate for british canadians (fyi french& british still falls under “white” but they dislike each other).

    “4. The fact that so many individuals in an educational field no less would equate something like this to segregation just goes to further show how clueless many people are out there about racism and institutionalized racism. ”

    EXACTLY

    “5. I think this has more to do with racial fears on the part of some whites than it actually does any constructive criticism of the schools themselves. ”

    exactly, everyone treats and looks at black people badly ,but when we make effort to change and do positive things to help our community and children then everyone still has a problem with it because they fear us advancing!!!

    @Andom

    “Just because two people are considered to be of the same color/race does not preclude them from representing different cultures. A “black classroom” can consist of an Afro-Brazilian, a kid from Angola, the descendant of a Siddi from India, a Saudi Arabian, a Dominican kid, and an Afro-Canadian that is descended from slaves. Is that not multicultural? ”

    Exactly, great points, I say this all the time, people assume that because we all look similar or that we are labeled black that are culture is the same and thats incorrect. For example I was born in Toronto, but my mom is from Barbados. I have friends who were born in Toronto but their parents are from East Africa or Brazil, or France etc etc the list goes on we have a diverse culture within our race…That is already mutli-cultural.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 9:47 am ¶

15. DEAF FEMINIST PUNK!! wrote:

    I just DON’T f–king understand why white people are so against the idea of an Afro-centric educational program (or Afro-centric school).

    Oh right. Are White people afraid of being endangered? lolz.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 9:51 am ¶

16. Andom wrote:

    @john:
    I agree Math and Science are neutral, but English is not race-neutral by any stretch of the imagination (or class neutral). The standardization of English and the traditionalist nature of the Western canon has unquestionably pushed and valued a Eurocentric agenda (from the simple fact that language is the mode through which oppression is communicated to more complicated debates about the merit of various literary works within the “ethnic studies” framework or the issue of ebonics in the classroom)
    peep a blog entry I wrote a while back: http://blackjusticeblog.blogspot.com/2007/03/reclaiming-black-english-in-ivy-league.html

    Also, do some research thru google for Nobel Prize in Literature Winner Saul Bellow’s famous comments concerning literature and multiculturalism (google zulus and papuans)…extremely offensive stuff

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 10:27 am ¶

17. Jas wrote:

    @Abu

    You’re making a great suggestion but one that’s been made time and time again for decades and in most cases is never implemented. You might as well just say “People should stop being racist” and expect it to happen. It won’t. It would be great if people could have equal and fair viewpoints and learn that way but realistically I have a hard time believing that will happen.

    Now I’m under the impression that these schools are for children who are elementary/junior high aged so it’s not like these kids are going to be living in some black bubble their entire educational careers. So I don’t think these kids are only going to be exposed to a one-sided view.

    I’m not sure how Canada’s education system works but if it’s anything like the US or what I went through when I was in elementary school/junior high (90-98) then it’s all white people, all the time as far as the curriculum is concerned. Everything I learned about black history, black accomplishments, Africa, etc I had to do on my own time and only because my interest was sparked by chance.

    Basically I really don’t see what’s wrong with any school that looks at the world from a perspective that’s different from the way some whites want everyone to see the world (basically through a Caucasian prism).

    And like I said before I think there are many individuals out there who deep down do not want the status quo to change for blacks or see advancement in the black community. This holds true for other communities as well. Let’s face it there are people out there, and this isn’t just whites, who do not want to see other racial/ethnic/cultural groups succeed or advance. Either due to fear of competition, insecurities, a combination, etc.

    Multi-culturalism for many individuals is fine as long as there is one dominant culture that basically sets the status quo. In America and Canada that would be whites. Personally I really don’t believe in multi-cultural societies. At least not in the way they’re described today.

    There’s really a huge difference between being a multi-cultural society and having a bunch of different people living in the same country and slapping that label on it.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 10:46 am ¶

18. CVT wrote:

    I’m surprised there aren’t more teachers reading this and/or commenting. Points out how necessary this school really is.

    John - I’m a middle school math teacher. And, although numbers themselves have nothing to do with race, teachers’ expectations of what students are capable of very much do. In our current world, teachers (of all races), expect LESS of African-American students. Period. Kids aren’t stupid. They pick up on that, and it makes them try a little less, get frustrated a little more; it causes the teachers to pay a little less attention to them, work a little less hard to teach them the “hard” math (generally on a sub-conscious level).

    Now - put kids in a school where the majority of the other students are African-American, and suddenly, they get to see other African-American kids (MANY of them) EXCELLING at math. Better yet, give them an African-American (I guess all this should be referring to African-Canadian . . . I’ll just say “black”) TEACHER, and suddenly THAT’S who’s bringing the curriculum, another indication that they CAN do it.

    It really does build on itself. Granted, an “Afro-centric” school doesn’t guarantee any of this (and it can happen in a predominantly white school), but it just makes it a little more likely. Our current school system is so stacked against kids of color, changing the odds a little bit shouldn’t be a bad or scary thing.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 11:11 am ¶

19. Abu Sinan wrote:

    Jas,

    If it is okay because ” it’s not like these kids are going to be living in some black bubble their entire educational careers” then I fail to see the reason to create another “centric” school in the first place.

    The drive to create seperate, but equal, schools was dropped here in the USA decades ago.

    In the long runa school like this will not help the children who attend anymore than attending any other “centric” school will help.

    I guess they kind of equal each other out. Both students come out with an unrealistic idea of that the world is all about.

    “Afrocentric” schools are nothing more than mirror images of “Eurocentric” schools.

    Copying the problem is NOT part of the solution. This is as wrong as those non white racists who argue they have a RIGHT to be racist because whites are racist.

    It’s just not kosher/halal.

    You dont solve or overcome a situation by copying it.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 11:13 am ¶

20. Latoya Peterson wrote:

    @Abu -

    Well, if that is the case, what is the need for these schools?

    French, French immersion, Roman Catholic, arts-based, sports-based, native schools as well as a gay/lesbian high school,” she wrote.

    The afro-centric school - which I am finding out is a separate program within a regular school, I’ll edit the post above in a minute - is set up to fix a targeted problem, namely the drop out rates of black students.

    If Roman Catholics, French speakers, Natives, Gay and Lesbians, and Athletes already have schools dedicated to speak to their needs, why can’t black Canadians? And, as far as I’ve read, attendance at this school is not mandatory.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 11:17 am ¶

21. Juanita Crider wrote:

    What I find interesting whenever most discussions of Afrocentric ed/curriculum etc… come up is that something pro-black is automatically perceived as anti-white. Perhaps this is because historically in the U.S. when something was/is advertised as pro white it is implicit that it is also anti-black.
    In some ways being pro-black, i.e. taking personal responsibililty, working on uplifting our communities, and institutions, families etc… is just what some of the naysayers to Afrocentric ed are arguing we should do. I guess we just need to do it their way …(insert tongue in cheek)

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 11:25 am ¶

22. Jas wrote:

    @Abu
    *****If it is okay because ” it’s not like these kids are going to be living in some black bubble their entire educational careers” then I fail to see the reason to create another “centric” school in the first place.*****

    Personally I’d rather have black children in schools where they have an environment that’s positive for black students and is also willing to teach them something about themselves and where they come from.

    Where the teachers just aren’t going to assume they’re underachievers or not capable which is something you see in MANY schools and with many teachers. Which I think is much better than just having them follow a pure Eurocentric K-12 model which obviously isn’t working.

    ****The drive to create seperate, but equal, schools was dropped here in the USA decades ago.****

    Once again, this is NOT segregation or “seperate but equal”. This is NOT a black only school and non-blacks are welcome to attend. Black parents don’t even have to send their children there if they don’t want to.

    I really don’t understand why so many people are having a hard time discerning the difference between segregation/institutionalized racism and voluntary Afrocentric schools where everyone is welcome. This is not confusing.

    ****I guess they kind of equal each other out. Both students come out with an unrealistic idea of that the world is all about.****

    I don’t understand how black children who attend an Afrocentric school and then go to a regular highschool will come out with an “unrealistic idea of the world”. And having a different perception of the world doesn’t make it “unrealistic”. I’m not sure how teaching black children black history, and black accomplishments will give them anymore of an “unrealistic” view than the status quo of Eurocentrism.

    ****Copying the problem is NOT part of the solution.****

    It’s not “copying a problem” if it’s beneficial to the students. This “problem” doesn’t seem to hurt whites nearly as much as it does blacks. I don’t see how taking a similar approach and applying it from a different direction to take in the needs of students whose needs obviously aren’t being met in the mainstream education system is “copying a problem” as much as it’s trying to find a solution by actually taking action.

    I’m sorry but too many people are quite content to sit around and talk about the problem until their jaws ache but you never see any actual action taken.

    Non-blacks living in Toronto can obviously afford the all-talk/no action approach which obviously hasn’t done anything because there kids aren’t the ones failing, but I think its’ ridiculous asking black kids and black parents to ride out their abysmal performance due to the racial insecurities that people have in regards to trying something new to improve the quality of black children’s education.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 11:47 am ¶

23. Korolev wrote:

    As long as the school welcomes all people of all ethnic groups, I don’t see any legal or moral problems.

    I’m not very well versed on Afro-centrism, but if it’s about informing the population about the history and the culture/languages of African nations, then I’m all for it. I think that every school should have a program such as this, given how little people in the West know about Africa.

    Ideally, I don’t think there should be any “centrism”. School should teach Mathematics, Science and Language skills, with Cultural education (such as historical education) being a very open, non-fixed thing. After all, numbers and chemical laws don’t have political or ethnic bias - I’ve never seen Avorgadro’s number being politicized, nor have ever I seen a nucleus profess any type of ethnic centrism. However, history class and social studies classes can be extremely politicized and biased towards cultural groups.

    This is why instead of making an “afro-centric” school, I believe that all Canadian schools should instead “de-rigidify” history and social studies. In other words, students would be allowed to investigate and learn areas of history and culture that interest them most. I don’t think Black students should be forced to learn European culture (although if they want to, that’s great), but should be allowed to investigate African culture and African history (if they so choose). This would allow schools to educate, while allowing social classes to remain culturally relevant to the respective ethnic groups that attend.

    Of course, we could do what I’ve always advocated - educate everyone about everyone’s history. Seeing as we are all humans, I don’t see why we can’t share history/achievements. I consider the History of Black/Indians/Arabs/Chinese/Japanese/Caucasians, ect, ect, to be part of my history.

    If we are all truly equal (and I profess that we are), then everyone’s history is everyone’s. Or at least, that’s how it should be.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 11:50 am ¶

24. Abu Sinan wrote:

    Is there any proof that such a program helps? I am sure this is not the first Afrocentric program is it?

    Is the drop out rate in the African American community all about having to learn European history and languages or is it deeper than the Eurocentric nature of American education?

    If this is the main reason the school is being set up I suggest that it is misdirected. I think the students most likely to sign up for such a program will be those students who are interested in learning in the first place and less likely to drop out anyway.

    As one well known African American cartoonist stated the problem is a culture where it is respected to “aspire to fail”.

    Instead of offering a whole different program I suggest that adding courses to the curriculum that all students have to take would be a better move. That way ALL students are involved.

    I am just NOT a fan of setting up programs that are “centric” to anything. Again, such a program by it’s very nature is going to be skewed in one direction.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 12:29 pm ¶

25. Jas wrote:

    @Korolev

    All schools have some centrism involved in them whether they outright say so or not. The majority of schools in America are very Eurocentric. No one actually says that because it’s simply the default/norm. Kind of like how there’s affirmative action which is seen as racist because it’s an actual legal construct while white privilege is written off/ignored/denied because it’s simply ingrained in American society and isn’t based on any type of ideological/legal construct.

    It’s kind of like how American = white without having to say so while you have African-American, Asian-American, Latino American etc. If you go anywhere in the world and start talking about Americans I’m willing to bet most people will think about whites. Nothing besides “American” needs to be said.

    Those were some pretty good suggestions though but remember we’re talking about elementary school kids here who I don’t think are really capable of picking their own curriculum. I think some mandatory foundation needs to be laid down and options later on need to be available and *actively presented* to the children when they reach junior high/high school age.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 12:32 pm ¶

26. Abu Sinan wrote:

    Jas,

    You write:

    “Non-blacks living in Toronto can obviously afford the all-talk/no action approach which obviously hasn’t done anything because there kids aren’t the ones failing, but I think its’ ridiculous asking black kids and black parents to ride out their abysmal performance due to the racial insecurities that people have in regards to trying something new to improve the quality of black children’s education.”

    Would you then, for the same reasons, support a entire and open Eurocentric program for poor white youths in the South of the US who have terrible drop out rates? Do you think such a program would help?

    I think we are looking in the wrong direction here. I dont think young white kids in the south drop out of school because they were not exposed to Goethe, Schiller, Heine, Beethoven and Bach. They drop out because of social economic conditions and defects and issues in the local culture in which they live.

    You can teach these kids about Goethe all you want and let them be involved in Eurocentric history and other items as much as you want and they’ll drop out the same.

    Why? Because it isnt these things that are making the kids drop out of school.

    I dont think Afrocentric education is “new”. I am no expert on this stuff but I have been hearing about it off and on for years.

    If it works certainly there would be studies to support it right?

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 12:35 pm ¶

27. John wrote:

    Like some of you guys are stating (like CVT), I also believe that most of the people who do poorly in K-12 do poorly not because they aren’t intelligent enough, but because they don’t put in the effort to. This doesn’t apply to just blacks, but to everyone. Performing poorly in school, for the most part, is an attitude problem.

    Where do these adverse or lackadaisical attitudes toward education come from? Family, friends, and peers. Having a strong emotional support structure around a student is essential for the student to do well. Since most people have families, the root cause of such attitudes is family. I know there are a lot of issues that families may endure, but in the end, a person’s world view, including how much they value education, is heavily influenced by their upbringing. So rather than blame the education system (which I do admit hinders to an extent minorities), shouldn’t the parents get their acts together first?

    @CVT,
    What’s to say that bringing together high performing black students and poor performing black students will raise up the poor students rather than push down the good students? There are instances where being academically inclined makes you a “nerd” and an outcast. And in order to be friends with a certain clique, a person changes for the worse.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 12:47 pm ¶

28. Latoya Peterson wrote:

    Afrocentric schools are pushed, but only a few have been implemented.

    However, afrocentric programs do help reduce problems in at risk youth:

    Taken together, the results of the these exploratory studies suggested that the enhancement of cultural identity and the promotion of academic competence reduce the risk of problem behaviors in African American youth.

    http://www.springerlink.com/content/w33283541p2m88t6/

    Examines the success of Jewish Day schools (in terms of curriculum, parent involvement, and societal implications) in the United States and Afrocentric educational programs (in terms of arguments for, focus on male students, transition to adulthood, and community involvement) in developing positive self-concepts and academic success among students. (JB)

    Long Link to the study

    Journal Articles:

    Harvey, A. R. & Hill, R.B. (2004). An Afrocentric youth and family rites of passage program: Promoting resiliency among at-risk African American males. Social Work, Vol.

    And here is an older study from 1996, full text available, which says:

    The results of this study support the hypothesis that participants in a culturally relevant SST program will show statistically significant gains in social skills. Although the AACT program produced no measurable gains on empathy and cooperativeness, participants across conditions showed a statistically significant increase in assertiveness and selfcontrol skills. This finding is consistent with previous research on social skills development and training (Elliott, Sheridan, & Gresham, 1989; Gresham & Elliott, 1990). Such increases in levels of assertiveness and self-control can result in decreased levels of anger and potentially aggressive responses in social interactions, while increasing appropriate responses to conflict situations.

    http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3626/is_199610/ai_n8745926/pg_6

    So most studies tend to point to a benefit to giving black students something to be proud of in an environment where they are considered the norm.

    Also, I am not sure what the issue is - this school was created to treat a specific problem - the 40% dropout rate, which is equally rooted in academic issues and social factors.

    I wonder why people are so resistant to something that will help students to succeed.

    Just like single sex education, afro-centric education isn’t for everyone. However, if a student is struggling, it is better to have options for where they can go as opposed to just allowing them to slip through the cracks.

    And, Abu, I’m sure if poor whites were experiencing a 40% drop out rate in Canada, there would be someone advocating for a strategy to help them as well.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 12:48 pm ¶

29. Jas wrote:

    Abu different kids can perform recently for different reasons. In America most school systems are still segregated even though segregation was abolished decades ago. But due to zoning laws you basically go to school with the types of people you live around. And in America whites live by whites, Asians live by Asians, Blacks live by Blacks, and so on.

    I’m not sure how the demographics work in the South but if there are white kids down there failing in schools that I’m assuming are predominantly white then I’d say race probably isn’t the issue. But just because race isn’t a factor for those students doesn’t mean it’s not a factor for others.

    In THIS case however it sounds like black students who are going to “multi-racial” schools are dropping out at much higher rates than non-black peers they’re attending the same school with. Which to me indicates that the problem most likely has some racial aspect to it.

    I’m not saying there aren’t any other factors at play but honestly the only bad thing I see happening out of these schools is if there’s just no improvement. And at worst some money and time was wasted to at least try something instead of doing the same old nothing.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 12:59 pm ¶

30. Jas wrote:

    Bah first sentence should have said different perform differently for different reasons. Not sure how I butchered that.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 1:00 pm ¶

31. kar-leone wrote:

    @ Abu
    **Would you then, for the same reasons, support a entire and open Eurocentric program for poor white youths in the South of the US who have terrible drop out rates? **

    I went to school in the US the education is already very Eurocentric. Which is not a bad thing in and of itself but, The problem is how its taught and how other perspectives are not even addressed

    Secondly I dont quite think that “racial insecurities” are the reason for bad performance by some black students. I think it’s tied to expectations of teachers and theose teachers interest in them. I went through being written off by my first grade teachers because they thought I was some kind of trouble-maker in training.

    The fact is that schools often don’t reflect the kids identity. And for a black male, particularily when I was in middle school I often felt left out.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 1:01 pm ¶

32. Latoya Peterson wrote:

    @kar-leone:

    Oh, thanks for reminding me. I meant to write about education and tracking - and how once you’re labeled something (be it “disruptive”, “special needs,” “remedial,” or even “gifted”) has an enormous role in how the rest of your educational life will go.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 1:05 pm ¶

33. NancyP wrote:

    The curriculum for general schools should include genuine world history, which means some African, Asian, AuZ and PI, S. American, First Peoples N. American, as well as the usual European and N. American anglo history. I’d make history a four year course (but then again, I was a history major….).

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 1:06 pm ¶

34. Thea wrote:

    As someone who lives in Toronto and has worked for anti-racist youth orgs, a lot of the talk around the Afrocentric schools has been really annoying.

    They are NOT black only schools. Anyone can go to the schools. They simply have a Afrocentric curriculum - pointing out the fact that all other schools have a white-centric curriculum, which makes some people uncomfortable.

    Like in many urban North American cities, the school system has failed black folks (and other communities of colour) horribly. There have been many school policies, like the Safe Schools Act, that have openly targeted kids of colour. The rates at which black kids drop out of schools are awful - and you have to recognise at some point that maybe there’s something wrong with the schools (not the kids!) if the drop out rates are so high.

    I think the schools are a great idea and am extremely relieved that one is going to open. If I have kids in Toronto I’ll send them to the Afrocentric school if I can. I’m not black but any curriculum that actually openly critiques the fact that white is the dominant culture sounds pretty amazing to me.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 1:54 pm ¶

35. african mathematics wrote:

    watch this lecture about african mathematics. These african maths led to fractal theory THOUSANDS of years before the west had ever heard of it. And when they did, it eventually led to the binary system that led to the computer you are using right now.

    WATCH IT!!
    Ron Eglash: African fractals, in buildings and braids.

    http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/198

    THIS should be the focus of afro-centric mathematics. ILL.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 2:35 pm ¶

36. miss girl wrote:

    apologies - i meant to say multiethnic/racial.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 2:36 pm ¶

37. atlasien wrote:

    I live in a deep south state known for massive educational failure. Black kids are definitely not the only ones getting screwed over by the system.

    I think that cultural relevance, on its own, is probably much less of a factor than class. It’s just that race is going to interact with class in many ways to determine who gets the biggest slice of educational resources. In middle-class and professional neighborhoods in Atlanta where the black population is anywhere from 50-98%, there are many strong public charter schools, and the students in those schools are definitely better off than lower-class rural white kids. But overall, black families have much less political power to improve schools in their neighborhoods than white families do, even when the families have the same amount of money. And lower-class urban black neighborhoods have the worst schools of all.

    The only way to really check would be to compare situations like 1) cultural relevancy but few resources and a lower-class background of students 2) no cultural relevancy but greater resources and an upper-class background of students… I’ll have to check out those study links.

    Ultimately, I think the system (at least here in Georgia) is going to stay totally screwed until the fundamental economic inequalities are fixed. And that’s going to be a lot harder political fight than changing the curriculum.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 2:43 pm ¶

38. Ali wrote:

    *warning* this is a long-ass comment, please brace your brains accordingly *warning*

    I would like to start by saying that the conversations and comments in this thread have been simply astounding. I seriously haven’t completed a single work related task for the past two hours because I am so engrossed.

    I can’t believe a mainstream paper would run such a blatantly racist cartoon! The opposition this school is being met with makes me so angry. If you don’t agree with the premise of the school don’t fucking send your kids there! That’s why you have a choice. I am so sick of all of these white males (especially those who are not economically disadvantaged) complaining about how they are being discriminated against and “losing” their country. Their eyes are so obstructed by greed and knee-jerk self-pity that they can’t see the forest for (their distorted view of) the trees. I have never read any article that suggests this school is limited enrollment to blacks only. The term Afrocentric is a reflection of the curriculum (and perhaps the faculty) not a litmus test for who will and will not be admitted.

    @atlasien - I agree that Afrocentric is a rather broad and loosely defined term. I took it to essentially mean, non-Eurocentric, especially as it pertains to the study of history. Also, that idiotic statement made by Rev. Wright is just as racist as that cartoon.

    @Jas, Andom - GREAT comments! Andom way to stomp out those multi-culti assumptions. Saying “black” is like saying “Asian.” You’re lumping literally tens (perhaps hundreds) of cultures into a single category.

    @John - You went to a race-neutral high school where not even your English class was Euro-centric?! Is this school located on Mars? If not, how soon can I pre-enroll my future kids! Just because you don’t feel that you’ve personally experienced something does not mean that isn’t happening. I challenge you to interview a few of the POC who went to your high school and ask them if they feel they can cosign your “race-neutral” experience.

    @Slush - Great call on the more specific term “non-white-normative Euro-centric education.” There have always been POC roaming around Europe (and of course impacting European society). Most of us just weren’t taught about them.

    @Jas - Jas you are on fire today! Another great comment at #22. Jas said, “Personally I’d rather have black children in schools where they have an environment that’s positive for black students and is also willing to teach them something about themselves and where they come from.

    Where the teachers just aren’t going to assume they’re underachievers or not capable which is something you see in MANY schools and with many teachers. ”

    There are many old school blacks (especially those who come some economic privilege) who lament integration in the US (to this very day) for this very reason. They say that black teachers at all black institutions had more of a vested interest in the success of their students because they literally saw their future in those kids. Instructors were unwilling to write you off or let you slack because they needed every successful mind they could get. Professors and students were struggling against oppression together.

    As a student who rebelled against professors in high school for what I felt was a dishonest and indoctrinating curriculum I would love to see this school receive a fair chance and equal support. I remember flat out refusing to do an assignment and taking a zero for a family history project after our teacher referred to the fun we would have while fondly digging up stories on the “boat trip” our relatives took over here. Obviously he was referring to one of the nicer Ellis Island style boats and not a slave ship but I was pissed at him for saying that in with me sitting in the front row. When I challenged him on the difficulty of the assignment for some students he flat out ignored my complaints. (As an aside, this same teacher went on to accuse me of plagiarism later in the school year because he did not believe I “could have possibly written” one of the papers I turned in. I need to find out what he’s up to now. Hopefully it’s not teaching!)

    @ Abu Sinan - You said, “Instead of offering a whole different program I suggest that adding courses to the curriculum that all students have to take would be a better move. That way ALL students are involved.” I agree that this should be part of the solution but this can be very difficult to accomplish. I remember approaching my local school board about including a multi-culti class as a mandatory requirement for graduation and being swiftly shut out. I think it’s important to remember that non anti-racist whites very often view diversity/inclusivity issues as strictly POC problems that really don’t have anything to do with them, especially if they aren’t feeling “in the mood” to deal with it.

    @african mathematics - I am loving African fractals. Everyone’s expense reports are officially going to be late because I now have spend the next hour researching Ron Eglash!

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 2:54 pm ¶

39. Becky wrote:

    I guess my only question is - if the problem is that the current schools are too Euro-centric, why not change the ciriculum in those schools to be more diverse? I think students of all races and cultures could benefit from having a less Euro-centric education. Is it just that that process would take time and these students need help now?

    The math in the cartoon is wrong, but it’s hard to say if that’s racism, or if the cartoonist just doesn’t know algebra.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 2:58 pm ¶

40. whatever15 wrote:

    My sister told me that whenever she walked into a science classroom at her college she would always get looks. Also, when working in groups, others would be less inclined to listen to her suggestions whether it be right or wrong (My other sister who had an “African” accent didn’t have that problem). She’s always felt the impression that blacks were viewed as less intelligent and it really annoyed her and made her a little depressed. The only people she could talk to about this were her other minority friends. When black kids are failing they have no one, academically, to turn to unless they have a professor who they feel really close to (which is not easy to find even for white students). Most of the professors are white and already have a negative opinion of black people so most black students don’t want to go to see someone who has a condescending view of them. Even some minority professors have low expectations for black students. Might I also add that this view places added pressure on black students because you’re not only failing or succeeding yourself, but for the whole black community. Yet when a black student succeeds they’re seen in the US as the exception not that rule which pretty much sucks.

    In my case, I did really horribly on standardize exams because I never learned “how to take those exams” (trust me there are tricks to them). So I would always have to prove myself once I entered the class. Of course my teachers were surprised when I would perform at the top of my classes. Then they would take interest in me. However, the kids that were failing, especially if they were minorities, would be pushed to the wayside. My sisters, (more like parents because my parents were always working), bought books, etc to help me in taking those standardized exams. However, some parents don’t have the time, the mentality, or the money, esp the money, to help their kids. In my case, my family is first generation immigrant so we have the education is key factor. BUT living in the US for a few years has drained us a little. It also helps tremendously when the family has someone who is college educated.

    I think the money should be better spent on improving schools and hiring better teachers, for now. The most important stages of intellectual development IMO is elementary to junior high school. I also like the option of learning other cultures, history, religions than the standard Eurocentric curriculum. However, I believe that programs geared in supporting and motivating minorities and poor whites would go a long way in improving the drop out rates. Hiring people who actually care whether kids, no matter the ethnicity, learn is the key. Something along the lines of Big brother Big sister because not everyone gets the support they need at home.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 2:59 pm ¶

41. RainaWeather wrote:

    I think this is a good idea. One of the reasons I want to be a teacher is so I can teach a more encompassing view of history. One that lets Blacks as well as other minorities know that their histories and cultures are also important. A long term goal of mine is to open a community center that teaches about black history, arts and literature.
    @Slush: Ditto about Hurston. She seems to be the only black author who has made it into regular English classes. In my 11th grade year she was the only black author we were going to read so the students demanded that we read more black authors. Luckily, our teacher really cared about our opinions so she changed the curriculum to be more inclusive.

    As there’s a school for just about every other demographic, I don’t see how this one promotes segregation.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 3:05 pm ¶

42. John wrote:

    @Ali,
    I’ll retract my statement about race-neutral English classes. I was thinking more of grammar and style rather than literature. And as for my high school, while we did include the classic English canon (Shakespeare, Dickens, etc.) we also include non-”Eurocentric” novels such as Invisible Man, House on Mango Street, and The Joy Luck Club.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 3:15 pm ¶

43. Cara wrote:

    Afrocentrism IS NOT the mirror image of Eurocentrism. Please research what Afrocentrism actually is before making the assumption that a curriculum/program based on these ideals is “reverse-racism.”

    Are Jewish schools anti-Christian, are Catholic-schools anti-muslim, are Magnet schools anti-average :o)……..Why are we trivializing the issue. An Afrocentric program would simply be “African” centered. What’s wrong with that?! Everyone came from African in one way or the other. Why are ppl so afraid of centering (even one) aspect of education on the continent?

    I also don’t understand the analogy of “poor whites in the Southern US.” Even in the Southern US a white student (poor or otherwise) has the opportunity to be surrounded by ppl who look like them and have similar heritage (and priviledge, i.e. white priviledge). And as a native of North Carolina…FYI…there are Affirmative Action programs….YES Affirmative Action programs….that help poor white students from rural areas in my state attend college with exceptions in testing standards and required courses. In some areas students have to choose b/t Chemistry and Tractor Driving school…..seriously…..b/c they are both electives. So some students choose to work in agriculture and are not able to get the courses they need or adequate prep for standardized tests. THEREFORE, universities waive these requirement (like my alma matter in the early ’80s) in order to give these students access to agricultural programs that will train them in order to return home and work on family farms, etc. AND if these students happen to be white males from the mountains of North Carolina, they get even greater consideration b/c they are a minority in that region (believe it or not).

    So where are the crys for reverse-descrimination in these cases. There are none, because ppl don’t hear about these programs and a poor white person receiveing help is not a HAND OUT or making an EXCEPTION.

    But I digress……..Afrocentric education would benefit noth only the black students it is set in place to help; but white students as well.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 3:41 pm ¶

44. Cara wrote:

    a few more thoughts………

    When people puch for “afrocentric” education, they oftne equate all african-centered education with radicalism (more specifically the black radicals of the ’60s). However, African influenced on education go back thousands of years.

    To view a list of the differences between Afro- and Euro- Centered views please visit : http://dickinsg.intrasun.tcnj.edu/diaspora/views.html.

    I don’t agree with all of the listed differences, and I certainly don’t believe that one is better than the other. But students should be exposed to the difference and decide where they fit. They should also be exposed to Indo-, Asian-, etc. Centered world views. We are not all the same. And there is not just one method that works.

    This program is for Black-Canadiam kids. These students are of African descent, so culturally speaking, why would they choose another method if the intent is to reach them on a cultural level (Diasporically speaking not in term of nationality)? If Asian students are finding it difficult within a mostly white system then create a program that is Asian-centered and so on. Heritage is important! And those who benefit most from the current system continue to push for a denial of Heritage and Cultural difference. We can’t white wash everyone, expecially when we are not all white. And by WHITE you know what I mean. As long as this program is open to everyone [which doesn’t seem to be a requirement for Magnet, Catholic, Jewish, etc. schools but none the less] I don’t see a problem with it.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 3:52 pm ¶

45. Fatemeh wrote:

    Does anyone else see a parallel between this story at the one about the Kahlil Gibran academy in NYC? While that story was an actual school (not just a program) with an Arabocentric focus, there was a lot of similar shit talk.

    I think Latoya’s point is a good one: if students of other persuasions get similar programs, why not the black kids? I just hope their program has more success than the Gibran academy.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 3:57 pm ¶

46. Jas wrote:

    Whatever15 I know what you mean. I’m in a microbiology class and I’m the only black male. The rest are white females, one white male, and one black female. On the first day of lab not surprisingly I was the only one who couldn’t get a partner until the other black girl showed up like 20 minutes.

    People also need to realize just like having a bunch of different people in a country and labeling it “multi-cultural” is basically lip service, just because you have a bunch of students of different races attending the same school doesn’t mean that everyone is going to get along and expand their horizons.

    When I graduated HS in 2002 the school was about 48% black and 44% white. And the white and black kids did not hang out with each other. There was no animosity between different racial groups, but it was quite obvious to me very few people in my class graduated with an enlightened view towards other races or racism in general.

    The thing I like most about these schools is it’s an idea that is actually being implimented instead of being endlessly talked about by people who it doesn’t directly affect.

    Honestly even if the black students don’t necessarily have an enlightened worldview towards other races when they leave those schools to me that would be a small price to pay as long as their drop out rate falls.

    I seriously can’t imagine too many white parents (I’m not saying ALL or trying to generalize but many) who are concerned with their children’s view towards other races and their school’s diversity as long as their kid is succeeding successfully.

    When it comes to non-white kids/parents trying to branch out and establish a different worldview, suddenly multi-culturalism/diversity/etc is essential to them as far as many whites are concerned. And I can’t help but wonder where all the concern has been regarding these drop-out rates for the last several years, yet they’re quick enough to invoke diversity and segregation when someone goes against the status quo. It just seems really ridiculous.

    @Ali

    Thanks. I usually don’t post in too many topics but the discussions I’ve had regarding this issue pushes my buttons for some reason.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 4:09 pm ¶

47. A. wrote:

    Because white history is obviously EVERYONE’S HISTORY!

    But if you dare spend more than 2 days on slavery, then you’re fucking up.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 5:21 pm ¶

48. Nicole wrote:

    When I think of Afrocentric, I think of a classroom were it is safe to explore the history from a racial perspective without anyone feeling hurt or indifferent. It is also means to me that students will be taught with best practice methods that are proven to help students from African descent. Education is really Eurocentric and somewhat multicultural. If the Eurocentric way is not working, why not find other culturally progressive and aggressive means to reach children that do not learn the same way as their white peers?

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 6:45 pm ¶

49. shah8 wrote:

    You know, this sorta thing happened in the busing debates. A lot of white people twisted the whole conversation into about how their white kids being forced to schools far away, when the vast majority were black children being given the opportunity to attend white schools. The actual problem was that white people thought that the value of the school’s education would go down if black people attended (beyond the fact that many didn’t want black children around their children, period).

    Same with the afro-centrism situation. It’s the same ole’ same ole’ brown menace threatening white self image as being pure as driven snow…

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 6:52 pm ¶

50. miss girl wrote:

    “…just because you have a bunch of students of different races attending the same school doesn’t mean that everyone is going to get along and expand their horizons.”

    Sure, but wouldn’t that kind of environment be at the very least better than, let’s say, an all-white school?

    And again, I’d like to emphasize that I meant multi-ethnic/racial, and not cultural. I completely understand how two people, for example, though of the same “color”, can come from two extremely different cultures.

    I think the ideal classroom for me would be one that has a multicultural and multiethnic curriculum and class population. More teachers and administration of color wouldn’t hurt, either.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 9:35 pm ¶

51. DivergentDana wrote:

    “I guess my only question is - if the problem is that the current schools are too Euro-centric, why not change the ciriculum in those schools to be more diverse? I think students of all races and cultures could benefit from having a less Euro-centric education.”

    Because most people don’t have a big problem with the status quo. In fact, they’d probably raise holy hell if the history curriculum shifted significantly away from Eurocentrism… because it isn’t seen as “Eurocentrism”. At best, the idea that every other culture is depicted as a historical also-ran is seen as a coincidence, at worst, a testament to an evident cultural (perhaps racial in the minds of some) superiority that must be perpetuated by the children of these nations, lest the light of the world go out.

    Posted 18 Jun 2008 at 10:37 pm ¶

52. fejack wrote:

    The ideal for a country’s school curriculum would be to have courses encompassing most of the cultural and ethnic groups that built up the society.

    In Canada, 85% of the population claims to have European roots. Another 10% can claim roots in Asia. Native roots account for 3.6% and African roots for 2.5%.

    Mathematically speaking, Afro-centrism is not really a priority in Canada.

    And if there should ever be an Afro-centrist curriculum I think it should be taught to the majority: to help debunk stereotypes about African History and cultures and the current geopolitical situation.

    But then again, to be consistent, the same should be done with History and culture of Asia and the Native people. It would actually do a lot of good to the kids to learn about other cultures and broaden their understanding of History and Geopolitics.

    Posted 19 Jun 2008 at 12:20 am ¶

53. Erica M. wrote:

    Well, to be honest, as a white person, I am more interested in Europe than any other continent. So, I really don’t see a problem with teaching Afrocentric history. If I was black, I would imagine that I would be more interested in Africa.

    Maybe it would be more prudent to offer an alternative to the Eurocentric history class, rather than creating an entirely separate school. Because as mentioned above, all other subjects are pretty much race neutral. At my high school, we had a choice of taking History (Eurocentric version of course) or Native Studies.

    On a side note, I would be worried if people didn’t take this Afrocentric school seriously. Like if a university was looking at an application and they saw credits from this Afrocentric school, would they be hesitant to accept them?

    I also find it strange that Canada is considering an Afrocentric school when in reality, we don’t have that many black people. Americans should be the ones considering something like this.

    Posted 19 Jun 2008 at 2:13 am ¶

54. DivergentDana wrote:

    But why wouldn’t people take the school seriously, Erica M…. especially when, by your own admission, most subjects taught would be “race neutral” except history and perhaps English?

    Posted 19 Jun 2008 at 8:09 am ¶

55. Abu Sinan wrote:

    Kar writes “I went to school in the US the education is already very Eurocentric. ”

    Not really. See, I went to school in the USA and eventually graduated from a American university, but was born in Germany to American parents and have lived and worked in Europe for years.

    I see very little of what could be called “Eurocentrism” in American education. As a matter of fact, European history is often covered very poorly and European culture is almost entirely missed.

    I am of a German background and nothing I learned in American schools taught me much of anything about Europe, it’s cultures or it’s literature.

    Germany is the most populous country in Europe with German being the most spoken language, it would be safe to say that anyone educated from a “Eurocentric” school would be well aware of German things right?

    The truth is when we talk about “Eurocentric” it is just a nice way of saying that the educational system is based on white Americans. Europe, on the whole, doesnt really enter into it that much either.

    As a German-American I would have loved to have read about Goethe in my American high-school, it might have kept me more engaged, who knows?

    The sad fact is that American schools suck, they dont get really taught “centric” anything, if they are getting taught anything at all.

    As a white guy I went my entire years through high school and didnt learn anything more than superficial about “Europe” so the term “Eurocentric” is a bit of a misnomer itself.

    When I wanted to learn about Europe I had to travel there and take classes at the Uni.

    All in all I think the REAL subject here is that there is a break down in society, some parts of it more than others, so that a lot of people just do not respect and value education.

    Being smart, reading, learning, is seen as being lame, booring, or even being “a sellout”.

    Until our country starts to respect learning and education again nothing will get any better.

    Posted 19 Jun 2008 at 9:41 am ¶

56. Ron wrote:

    Abu Sinan -

    As a fellow muslim, I understand your perspective. However, Islamic universalism is a myth at best. I deal with reality not what life should be.

    To say that the American educational system is not Eurocentric/White Centric is negation of the highest order.

    Your statements are intellectually dishonest and speaks more to an agenda rather than pragmatic goals.

    The research is available regarding Afro-centric schools and their success.

    For example, Marcus Garvey schools have always been looked at as models in the black community.

    Yes, you are right regarding families not valuing education. However, the idea behind the Afro-centric school is just that parents valuing their children’s education.

    People who are trying something different to educate their children.

    Private schools, male/female only, afrocentric, theme and magnet schools and parental involvement are just part of the solution.

    There exists Japanese, Jewish, Hindu, Korean, Chinese based schools in my area.

    Why all the fuss over an Afro-centric school?

    It kind of makes you wonder.

    Salaam

    Posted 19 Jun 2008 at 10:21 am ¶

57. Slush wrote:

    @Abu

    I have to disagree. I think most or all countries study their own national history, which seems appropriate. So of course we study American history, and unsurprisingly that’s dominated by white men. Okay. I hate that, but we’re working on it.

    But to the extent that Americans study ‘world history,’ the ‘world’ is actually equivalent to Europe. That doesn’t make them experts on European anything, for sure. But it means that the ‘world’ in American education does not extend to Asia, Africa, or South America, because, the message is, those uncivilized/undeveloped countries don’t do anything worth noting. There are a couple exceptions for King Tut and some tidbits on Aztec or Mayan cultures. The ancient world was a little broader, but notably, once Europe hit the middle ages, there is no other history of import.

    In middle school I studied a bit about the beginnings of agrarian life in the fertile crescent, without ever being informed that that area is now Iraq, (despite that this was the middle of the Bush I Iraq war), or being offered any information about anything that ever happened there later than about 2000 BCE. I memorized a hundred fucking 16th century European explorers but never heard of Genghis Khan, and certainly not Simon Bolivar, aristocratic as he was. World history = European feudalism, Renaissance, enlightenment, colonizing, and World War II - where once again, ‘world’ equals Europe, but this time plus Japan.

    Posted 19 Jun 2008 at 10:24 am ¶

58. Benjamin Jancewicz wrote:

    They’re going about this backwards.
    Why not have elective classes for black students? You don’t need a whole school. It’s a waste of money. If it’s important to have a time and place where they can focus on learning without distractions or inhibitions, a summer camp might be appropriate as well.

    The idea (I’m guessing) was to prepare black students better to deal with living and working in a majority-white culture. It’s obvious that they’re not dealing very well currently, given the disproportionately high dropout rate.

    If you make the class elective, that means that a white student could take it too if they wanted to; allowing them to learn about the struggles their black peers are going through.

    For that matter; it might even be useful for students of other racial and cultural backgrounds to attend as well. They could benefit from the information shared in the class.

    Posted 19 Jun 2008 at 2:00 pm ¶

59. CVT wrote:

    It should amaze me how hard it is for people to understand how biased (consciously or not) our education system is - but it doesn’t. I’m too used to it by now.

    Everybody should study some psychology, so you can understand what happens to kids and how much little things make a difference (unfortunately, usually for the negative).

    @Abu Sinan and anybody who actually wants some understanding here, do a little bit of research into psychological “priming” and the effects it has on test scores based on gender, race, etc. THAT’S what we’re talking about here. It’s not about history or social studies. Read my previous comment - math is not biased, but those who teach it (and HOW we teach it) is. PLEASE, just read about priming and then tell me that this stuff doesn’t matter or make a difference.

    Posted 19 Jun 2008 at 4:19 pm ¶

60. CVT wrote:

    Not the most complete explanation, but a good start:

    http://www.daylightatheism.org/2007/01/priming-the-mind.html

    Posted 19 Jun 2008 at 4:21 pm ¶

61. Anupa wrote:

    A few things — it’s important to recognize, for the non-Torontonians, that this decision is not representative of Canada (which is far more homogeneous than our multiculturalism-touting politicians will attest to). This is a purely Toronto-based idea.

    It’s also important to understand that Toronto is a very diverse city, where students of many ethnicities learn side-by-side. I’m not denying the existence of racism–both overt and systemic–but as far as I’ve seen and in my high school experience, everyone seems to get along just fine. (The exception to this model of multi-racial schools are the affluent/poor pockets in the city where the former is overwhelmingly white and the latter is overwhelmingly of colour, black/brown(south asian)/whatever).

    What doesn’t get mentioned often is that along with black (Somali/Jamaican/etc) communities in Toronto, students of Portuguese and Vietnamese descent also face high drop-out rates. Clearly it’s not just a black problem. (http://parentcentral.ca/parent/article/420254)

    That said, after having researched the issue for a story in a local magazine, it seems that the reason why it’s so hotly disputed is because people are scared and they don’t understand the rationale behind the need for this school. More than just a predominately eurocentric curriculum, the reason for Africentric schools is the systemic racism that primes black students and other students of colour for failure. No one has ever said white children wouldn’t be allowed at this school; it’s about providing a supportive environment for black kids who feel marginalized. The fringe benefit of this is a pro-black (non-politicized) curriculum.

    Where the argument for Africentric education should get most of it’s steam from is the existence of a First Nations school and LGBTQ alternative education program within the Toronto District School Board.

    Having talked to quite a few young people about this, it seems like it’s not exactly a popular idea. They’re comfortable in their environments and being friends with kids of all races. Still, that sentiment might be based on the media’s fear-mongering.

    My take on this whole thing is that it might be better to invest money into the whole system so that all children benefit from a balanced and fair education. I’m not black, but I wish I didn’t have to wait until university to really understand what colonialism meant for me as a South Asian, to find out about Khush, or read DuBois and Langston Hughes. If those things fundamentally changed my life as a pseudo-adult, imagine what it might do for kids and teenagers.

    Posted 19 Jun 2008 at 5:25 pm ¶

62. Slush wrote:

    Karen Salazar is a high school teacher who was fired from her position at a school in LA because her curriculum was too “Afrocentric.”
    As she says: “I am being fired because I am trying to ensure that my curriculum is relevant to my students’ daily lived experiences…”

    http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2008/06/19/latina-teacher-fired-for-not-regurgitating-the-same-old-crap/

    Posted 19 Jun 2008 at 8:13 pm ¶

63. Britta wrote:

    I’m coming kind of late, but I’ll add my 2 cents.
    I’m a white girl who went to an afrocentric school, and wasn’t scarred for life (well, unless you count a commitment to antiracism When I went on to more mainstream education, I was in no way disadvantaged compared to my peers. if anything, I had a huge advantage in that I had a greater perspective, and ability to think in different ways, to critic white mainstream biases, and a wider knowledge about life/people different from me.

    We learned many of the things you learn in a Eurocentric school, except from a different/more inclusive perspective. We also learned about things completely left off the curriculum– for history/civics/current events, we learned the regular stuff as well as the depeopling of the Americas, the Middle Passage, Jim Crow, the Guatemalan civil war, apartheid resistance in South Africa, etc. In English, we studied African, Latin@, Black American, and Asian literature. We also learned standard English grammar, writing skills, etc. In terms of math and science, of course we learned the same topics, but in a different way. Science was less about following a lab book than working collaboratively to solve a problem/”discover” some scientific principle. Math too was less competitive, with students allowed to pace themselves, and tests were more diagnostic tools than things to get a certain grade on.

    Posted 20 Jun 2008 at 1:11 am ¶

64. Davita Cuttita wrote:

    Well, speaking as a Jamaican girl raised and living in Canada, I can give some of you the d/l on this situation.

    The media has definitely messed the entire thing up; creating a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” kind of atmosphere for these kids by saying they’ll only learn about Black people.

    Firstly, these schools will accept ALL students of ANY race, sexual background or religion. The only difference is that the curriculum will now reflect the history, art, literature and achievements of all Coloured People, with emphasis on Black achievements.

    Because of all this stigma, I’m sure some parents may be reluctant to send their child to a school where, hopefully; historical events will be truthfully told and not glossed over. I also fear for the children–if they tell someone they go to this school, and this person is still under the misinformation that it is somehow a place of racism and segregation; that person will probably think that “hey, that kid’s parents are Black supremacists and raising them to hate White people”. Sad, but yeah; this is how badly the media have fucked it up.

    The funny thing though, is that (years and years ago) before people proposed for a whole new school, some were simply vouching for the government to edit the textbooks to include more Coloured history children could learn along side the typical European stuff. This legistlation was refused and of course, there are still no plans for them to revise the textbooks or even the curriculum–AT ALL.

    This isn’t even the first Africentric school in Canada either, there’s been others around for years.

    I’ve already written extensively on the shocking findings of the Canadian history textbook for 7th graders on my blog with G.D. Slavery is not mentioned and the Underground Railroad receives some lip-service on the last two pages of the entire book.

    Furthermore, Natives are portrayed as laid-back maids for the Europeans (they have 10 pages in the book) whilst all the wars, battles and struggles of White people and the pioneers, Generals, etc take up all the rest of the pages and are thoroughly discussed and of course, glorified.

    No other ethnic groups are featured in the book, and the faces of coloured people appear in about 12-15 photos in total out of a 248 page book.

    I’m not even shitting you, I was reading through this textbook YESTERDAY.

    I know– it’s absolutely ubsurd. All of this could have been avoided if the government just looked at the facts that:

    –>50% of the population of Toronto, (the capital city of Ontario & where I live) will be non-White by 2012

    and…

    –>Due to the crushingly low birthrate in this country, immigrants and Natives (Natives have the highest birthrate in the country despite being roughly 2% of the 33 million population) are basically keeping the populous up single-handedly. Wonder what the effects of THAT will be in the next 20 years.

    By eigth grade, students will study racism by watching “Roots”, reading about the civil rights movement and writing essays. This is the first and last time slavery will be mentioned in the curriculum; ever.

    The problem here is that it’s all American history: So, what? Canadians didn’t enslave people, impose a Chinese head tax and blow Asians up in mines or murder Natives? C’mon government–tell the truth!!

    I think this just worsens anti-American sentiments by saying White Canadians are “good” and White Americans are automatically monsters. I didn’t even know there was slavery in Canada until I was about 16/17, even then the details are few as if it wasn’t “as bad” as in America. I couldn’t even find any books on it.

    If the government decided NOT to be racist and actually gave a damn about all children, they would’ve just changed the curriculum.

    It’s a complete racist mess.

    Posted 20 Jun 2008 at 9:56 pm ¶

65. Lelielle wrote:

    I’m a Canadian white gal and I’m all for this. I was really disappointed and angry when I graduated from high school only to finally find out about all this history and facts which had been left out or had been only briefly been touched on (Residential Schools, Japanese internment etc.) Anything that will get kids learning real history what hasn’t been “whitewashed” pardon the pun. I could name another 1000 things wrong with the school system here but that point is definitely a big one. I hope this starts some good dialog.

    Posted 21 Jun 2008 at 12:51 am ¶

66. Annie wrote:

    As the wife of a high school teacher who has taught many people of color, I too am surprised at how few educators’ voices have shown up in this comment thread.

    I think the uproar is misguided and, as others have said better than I, fear-based. At least here in the U.S., privileged whites send their children to all types of “alternative” schools - nature-based schools, foreign-language schools, religious schools, you name it. So I don’t think the problem here is that an “Afrocentric” school would deviate from the public school curriculum.

    Moreover, from a strictly pragmatic standpoint I don’t see any alternatives being offered up to better serve black students. No one with half a brain would argue that they’re being served well. Perhaps this school would also fail the students it is meant to serve. But perhaps it would succeed.. that would be an achievement tantamount to finding a cure for a disease! I think the success of such an initiative is what is really feared.

    Posted 23 Jun 2008 at 8:55 pm ¶

67. Mogs wrote:

    Okay, well I’m here really late so I don’t know if anyone will read this, but I just have to say: how about an Amero-centric school? Why should we have to identify ourselves only in terms of Europe or Africa or some other Old World continent? A curriculum that focuses on world events from a variety of AMERICAN perspectives would be best. Spending forever on the War of the Roses and learning almost nothing about, say, Spanish settlement of the Americas, or the Japanese internmet camps, or what have you that happened on the continent where I live, seems ridiculous to me. Oh, and I’m using “American” to mean “the Americas” or “the New World” or whatever, not just the US. Maybe my frustration with the idea of Euro/Afro-centric curricula stems in part from my own high school experience in English class. We spent the first seven semesters of all four years reading stuff written by dead Europeans, and then the last semester reading “modern American” fiction which apparently means anything writting in the Americas by a minority in the last century or so. So non-whites get shafted, because they get only an eighth of the time, and white Americans get shafted too because we’re not represented in the assigned reading by anyone from our own continent. Bad system.

    Posted 24 Jun 2008 at 12:36 am ¶

68. DivergentDana wrote:

    So ya’ll never read Twain, Poe, Whitman or Emerson, Mogs? *looks at you as if you were a hydra* And how would it benefit students to know next to nil about the roots of the English language’s literature and nothing about that of the rest of the world that is not Europe, either?

    Posted 26 Jun 2008 at 3:10 pm ¶

69. Cameron wrote:

    I attended a panel discussion at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec of black educators talking about importing an Afro-centric school to the black community of Montreal.

    Many of those who spoke (including many black Canadians) reiterated the point of view that this is a step backwards toward segregation.

    This is far from the truth. I am Torontonian, and never experienced anything more than lip service paid to Black History Month. I do not recall learning about a single black Canadian in school.

    As panelists pointed out, the drop out rate is FORTY PERCENT! This is an emergency! Even if this project does not work out exactly as planned, it is hard to imagine it performing worse than the status qu0.

    I’m disappointed in “liberal” Torontonians for automatically turning on this timely idea.

    Posted 26 Jul 2008 at 1:53 am ¶

70. Mr. R. Sinclar wrote:

    The reality is clear: a debate exist because there lies hidden residue of racism, lingering prejudices and self-hatred on both sides. When has the United States and Canada ever eradicated their Euro-centric curriculum and white-structured institutions of learning? They haven’t! Their system was created on the premise of white supremacy and Euro-centric political-social domination, that has never changed. What we see in both North American nations is white supremacy hidden behind a veil of multiculturalism. The very fact that all positions of power in government and financial centers in the Americas have always been and is still maintained by whites, while regardless of how wealthy any people of color are; still remain glued to a status of unequal in the eyes of those who control the realms of power. Afro-centric schools are extremely necessary, and are not in any way subversive, reverse racism or segregation. These terms are gives by those who fear the rise of black excellence, power and leadership- as seen with the recent U.S. Presidential Election of the first black President over 500 years. Even this causes resentments for some whites who secretly hate the idea, but swallow their pride as to not seem racist. Most blacks who are against the idea of an Afro-centric School is merely brainwashed and suffering from a deep rooted self-hatred, that they can’t even see the significance of that beautiful concept. Only because they are confused on the times in which we now live, and that they are content with their petty little lifestyles that anything that appears to go against their so-called success- is somehow “black racism!” When you look at the state of black children in both Americas, their are severely lacking and actually suffering academically due to the present Euro-centric school-based systems. No one wants to analyze the situation truthfully and just say that black children learn differently and need a educational curriculum based on their cultural make-up, thinking and psychological well-being. They need to feel good about themselves, their history, their self-worth and their agenda. They need to know that they are not only apart of a multicultural nation but they are part of an ethnic group with an agenda to reinforce, promote and to preserve the very essence of our existence. Euro-centric schools don’t incorporate this idea, but they do when it comes to white children. No one accuse the Jews, Aboriginals/Native Americans, Catholics, or current whites with racism in the schools when they promote their ethnic rise, yet when blacks think of doing something for themselves- it is labeled as “discrimination, racism, hate and moving backwards.’ Which only shows that: white racism and black self-hatred still exist! Unless both sides change their thinking and begin to embrace the idea that everyone has the right to love their culture, identity and self-expression on educational, social, political, cultural and spiritual levels- then they will always suffer from a mental illness that pushed them under the carpet of normality and human decency!

    Posted 25 Nov 2008 at 2:22 pm ¶

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