An Afrocentric Examination of Afrocentric Schools: Status, Agency, and Liberation

Abstract

The history of European hegemony in the Western hemisphere has been marked by “objectivity” or a collective subjectivity in which European historians and scholars believe that their viewpoints and perspectives about the world are dominant, causing them to push their ideologies as universal. This objectivity is problematic because it leads to the deliberate omission and falsification of the histories and cultures of other groups of people. This is especially true for Africans who have been relegated to the margins in most European narratives about world history. The most apparent display of this marginalization occurs in the educational sector, specifically at U.S. public schools, where African children are indoctrinated to believe that they lack both a history and culture and therefore, must assimilate to European ideals in order to fare well in society. This narrative is detrimental because it aids in agency reduction. In order to restore African agency in the classroom and to correct the miseducation that African children receive in Eurocentrically grounded school systems, Black scholars and educators began creating Afrocentric schools, a branch of Independent Black Institutions (IBIs) that prioritize the history and culture of Africans across the diaspora, in the late 1960s. Although many of these schools have and continue to combat this successfully, many have collapsed and closed over time thus presenting a significant and alarming issue since they are still relatively new institutions and play a crucial role in unlocking the African genius. The purpose of this study then, is to Afrocentrically examine the history and effectiveness of Afrocentric schools in order to further advocate for their presence in the U.S. in light of these closures. This will be done by discussing the characteristics of Afrocentric schools as well as the ways that they have and continue to impact African people, by analyzing the criticisms that they receive from Eurocentrically aligned Africans and Europeans, by assessing literature from Afrocentric scholars who have explored the closing of some Afrocentric schools, and most importantly, by comparing Eurocentric and Afrocentric curricula to highlight the importance of agency restoration and cultural reclamation for Black children in centered learning. This study will also proffer suggestions for African community members, educators, and activists to promote Afrocentric education beyond institutional settings. This study is framed by several research questions, specifically: (1) What is an Afrocentric school and why are they important for African people? (2) What are the components of Afrocentric Education? and (3) What corrective measures can Afrocentric educators, scholars, activists, community members, and institution builders take to maintain the status and stability of Afrocentric schools and more importantly, promote Afrocentric education beyond institutional settings?