The African Diaspora: Reimagining Latin American Pedagogy

• In Event: Poster Session Group 3
  In Poster Session: The African Diaspora: Reimagining Latin American Pedagogy

Proposal

The transatlantic slave trade has left a lasting imprint on Latin American culture and society. Origin stories and cultural practices were gradually erased, leaving a gap in the education system concerning the sociohistorical and sociocultural knowledge of African slaves in Latin America. Although slavery is a common topic in the schooling system, there is a lack of awareness of the impact West African peoples had on today’s culture. The rich history of Latin America is derived from the syncretism of West African, Spanish, and Indigenous cultures. This combination of practices created a unique blend of religion, gastronomy, music, art, and language. However, as colonialism and white supremacy expanded throughout Latin America, African and Indigenous identities were slowly stripped away. Communities began separating themselves based on ethnicity and race, creating a divide. One of the main divides that exists today is the segregation between those who identify as Latinx and others as Afro-Latinx or Black. Identity has become an increasingly prominent topic within these two groups, with few realizing the historical implications their heritage contains. Instead, students are receiving a diluted version of the transatlantic slave trade in Latin America which includes and is limited to: knowledge of enslavement, emancipation, and Civil Rights. The transfer of historical knowledge lost throughout generations is being reclaimed using educational tools throughout several countries with large groups that identify as Afro-Latinx. This paper will examine how the neglect of sociohistorical education in Latin American schools has perpetuated racial disparity and erased African identity, causing overall cultural violence. A deeper look into racial literacy, specifically Black literacy, identifies a lack of acceptance and humanity in social studies courses using a Euro-US centric curriculum instead of giving credit to practices traced to the Yoruba, Dahomey, and Benin kingdoms in the 1500s. I will examine the sociohistorical and sociocultural education tools used in primary, secondary, and tertiary schooling, which promote pride and acknowledgement towards African heritage. These tools can be implemented in juvenile and adult populations. Although the case studies focus on schooling, these practices can be implemented beyond the classroom, further reducing the maintenance of systemic racism and racist institutions.

Using African imagery and literature in primary, secondary, and tertiary schooling, teachers will transform the understanding of the African Diaspora through the use of immersive lesson plans focused on tracing the link between African practices and Latin American culture, creating an innovative approach to decolonizing education and reclaiming identity.

Author

• Nicole  Medina, University of Pennsylvania