David Wisniewski's 1992 picture book version of the African epic of "Sundiata, Lion King of Mali" and the actual historical account of the 13th century Lion King, Sundiata, are both badly served by Disney's "The Lion King." Disney has been praised for using African animals as story characters; for using the African landscape as…

Discusses use of the term "African-American" in the context of relationships among country of origin, identification with that country, and the American experience. Finds no association between name identification and current Black social movements. Suggests that the issue should not overshadow continued effort to gain economic stability…

States that a way to promote the development of African-American youth into adults is to develop positive rites of passages that are based on African heritage. Describes the origin, meaning, and significance of Africentric rites of passage, and argues that these will provide youth with a strong connection to their past and guide them confidently…

Maintains that United States foreign policy toward South Africa has been "found wanting" since 1948. Focuses on the failure of President Reagan's policy of "constructive engagement," and details what must be done to bring about an end to apartheid. (JDH)

Reviews the historical and cultural roots of the South African system of apartheid. Covers early Dutch settlement, the Anglo-Boer War, the Native Land Act of 1913, and the rise of the National Party. Concludes with a discussion of the different perspectives held by black and white South Africans on the "progress" made in recent years.…

Outlines the concurrent development of Black music and Black dance in the United States, and describes the interaction of the two genres throughout their mutually dependent evolutions. Traces the histories of the dances of African American culture, known collectively as "jazz dance," in relation to ragtime, jazz, and the blues. (AF)

This paper examines the history of African American children's literature, the present-day status of it, and ventures predictions about its future. The paper also considers the historic and social factors of the debate about whether an author who is not African American can write a book that will/should be accepted in this category of children's…

Describes the political development of post-colonial Africa. Continuing tension has existed between single party and multi-party solutions to political organization and between mass movements and elitism. While Africans have been responive to socialist rhetoric, the primacy of ethnicity and the weak class structure have militated against genuine…

In West Africa, international studies were overstressed under colonial rule, while native African traditions and languages were neglected. Educational reforms are underway to remedy that situation. In the United States, national studies have been overemphasized and global education underemphasized. (PP)

The Sea Islands off the coast of South Carolina, Georgia, and Northern Florida retain almost every element of African culture, including language, oral tradition, folklore, and aesthetics. Examines the African influence in the lifestyle of the Gullah people of the Sea Islands, especially in terms of their concept of time. (AF)

Describes dancer Katherine Dunham's philosophical system and her application of the "Dunham technique" in the Children's Workshop of the Katherine Dunham Museum in East St. Louis (Illinois). Contends that Dunham incorporates rites of passage to transform the lives of participants through intense involvement in art as a way of life. (AF)

Examines the degree to which the effects of apartheid on specific aspects of childhood can be better understood through a historical perspective on Black South African childhood. Historical viewpoints may shed new light on the image of Black children and on the current status of developmental psychology as it is practiced and researched in South…

Forty-nine dates and events of significance in the history of South Africa are presented with a brief summary of each event. The chronology begins with the late Stone Age and extends through the political developments of 1990 that signal the decline of racial segregation in South Africa. (SLD)

Discusses Black Americans' concern about what to call themselves and examines attempts to develop an Afrocentric point of view. Questions an automatic identification between African-Americans and Africa, citing political, historical, and socioeconomic factors that qualify assumptions of cultural continuity, and calls for continued assessment and…

The construction of hypotheses concerning blacks in America requires an understanding of two enduring influences on collective black experience: (1) whites' treatment of blacks as slaves and (2) West African culture that helped to shape black adaptation to the conditions engendered by slavery. White racist attitudes and the psychological distance…