Confronting hoteps: Addressing theoretical misconceptions of Afrocentricity and exploring African-centered school models for Black students and communities

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Thursday 4:15pm
  In Poster Session: Critical Examination of Race, Ethnicity, Class, and Gender Poster Session

Abstract

Assimilationist and redacted versions of history are being promoted in national curricular standards via book bans and prohibited conversations on diversity. These frameworks promote historical inaccuracies and ignore the complicated relationships between racism, colonialism, imperialism, and education. There is an exigent need for critical racial conversations to be integrated in curricula. This paper examines the role of Afrocentric education in the promotion of greater educational parity for Black students. Findings from this research detail the damages of curricular hegemony and repositions African-centered education as a necessary component of learning. In doing so, this paper demystifies contemporary understandings of Afrocentricity and provides a more historically accurate understanding of Afrocentric theory. Findings demonstrate the critical role of addressing curricular inequity in schools.

Author

• Marcia J. Watson-Vandiver, Towson University