Afrolantica: Black Boys’ Experiences with Radical Black Love and Single Consciousness in a Christian African American Boarding School

• In Event: The Black Church Ain’t Dead! A Revival on the Educational Legacy of the Black Church

Abstract

In the aftermath of an ecclesiastical anti-black crisis, a denominational shift occurred within the Seventh-day Adventist Church (Author4, 2024). This shift led to the creation of a Black-led ecclesiastical governing structure known as regional conferences (Rock, 2018). These Black-led conferences provided Black autonomy, oversight, and innovation over Black congregations and schools (Reynolds, 1982). This Black independence also provided greater control over their resources, allowing these institutions to form schools (Author4, 2024). In light of the South’s Jim Crow racial caste system, one Black conference founded an all-Black northern boarding school so that Black children would not be subjected to anti-black racism during their high school educational journey (Hewitt, 2016). Furthermore, this school fostered a critical symmetry between the church home and school, cultivating a strong sense of community and generating diverse forms of capital, such as Black Joy (Author4, 2024; Yosso, 2005). This study examined the experiences of Black boys in this educational environment. The findings suggested that Black boys received radical Black love in this environment, which manifested in the school being perceived as a haven, teachers demonstrating a greater investment in their educational success, and the boys aspiring towards liberation.

Author

• Evan Willis, University of North Carolina - Charlotte