Hidden Curricula, Hidden Harm: (Mis)Representing the Identity of African Children in the Canadian Context

• In Event: Virtual Roundtable Session 1
  In Refereed Roundtable Session: Reimagining Citizenship and Identity: Youth, Education, and Justice in a Globally Interconnected World

Proposal

Introduction: In Canada, public education claims to promote multiculturalism, equity, and inclusion. However, systemic racism persists within Canadian institutions, including schools, curricula, and teaching practices (James, 2021; Campbell, 2020). Meanwhile, Canadian media often underrepresents or distorts African families, usually through stereotypes or deficit-focused narratives (Ellison & Solomon, 2019; Kolluri & Tichavakunda, 2022; Wang et al., 2021). These portrayals tend to highlight dysfunction, criminality, or absence, rarely presenting positive, nuanced images of African family life (Smith, 2019; Yosso, 2005). For African children navigating both media and educational environments, the lack of accurate, positive representation functions as symbolic violence, negatively shaping their self-image and how others perceive them (hooks, 1992; Ward, 2004; Williams, 2019).
Purpose: This paper explores the marginalization of African families in mainstream media and its influence on the identity construction of African children in Canadian elementary schools. It interrogates: How do African children in Canadian elementary schools navigate their identity construction amid media marginalization and family representation?
Theory: I draw on Critical Race Theory (CRT) to examine how the media shapes racialized perceptions of family, belonging, and self-worth. The framework offers a perspective to understand how African children’s identities are affected by both overt and subtle forms of racialization, and how they navigate, challenge, and reshape their identities within systems that often marginalize their cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
Methodology: Employing a qualitative approach (Creswell & Guetterman, 2019; Merriam & Tisdell, 2016), the paper involves 6- to 11-year-old African children as co-constructors of knowledge (Cuevas-Parra, 2020; Purdy & Spears, 2020; Schweiger, 2024) by sharing their experiences. The study adopts semi-structured interviews, participatory visual tools (such as art through painting and drawing), and analysis of mainstream media representations of African families. This method allows for an exploration of how systemic media marginalization intersects with family narratives to influence identity construction in educational settings.
Findings: This paper presents preliminary findings. It argues that genuine inclusion in Canadian education cannot be achieved without addressing the racialized narratives shaping African children’s identities—both in the classroom and through the media they consume. The findings reveal that African children emphasize the lack of culturally relevant curricula that celebrate the diverse cultures within educational environments. They also point out systemic inequities that uphold streaming practices and culturally disconnected curricula, which reinforce negative stereotypes in their learning experiences. Additionally, the children confirmed exposure to narrow portrayals in television, commercials, news media, and online spaces—depictions that associate Blackness with criminality, poverty, and uncivilization. In line with the conference theme, “Re-examining Education and Peace in a Divided World,” this paper advocates for rethinking education in Canada: one that recognises media as a parallel space for learning, places African families at the heart of discussions on peace and justice, and supports African children in developing positive, empowered identities in a divided world. The paper calls for changes in the media and schools to serve not as sites of oppression, but rather as sites of liberation with respect to race and racism.

Author

• Kamogelo Amanda Matebekwane, University of Regina