Examines aspects of an African-centered pedagogy that should let children understand their identities as people of African heritage. Data are from an ethnographic study of "liberatory" pedagogy that was used by four black women teachers. Three vignettes illustrate liberatory practice as it explicitly addresses issues that are often…

Describes the Kiswahili language and the increasing interest taken in studying Kiswahili by African-American students. Overall, college students' interest in foreign languages is declining, but awareness of and curiosity about African languages, particularly Kiswahili, represent student interest in African culture and heritage. (SLD)

Describes resources that museums make available to classrooms nationwide, particularly multicultural exhibits and educational programs. Describes specific offerings at 14 museums that include inservice teacher training, educational tours, and curriculum materials in Chicano culture, African diversity, Western stereotypes, art, the Holocaust,…

A 1980 analysis of educational films on Africa in the collection of a major U.S. urban public school district and a 1991 follow-up reveal that the district's visual resources about Africa were, with few exceptions, inaccurate and misleading, exhibiting the worst stereotypes. Reviews some practical approaches to cross-cultural education. (SLD)

Recommends using Chinua Achebe's novel of the 19th-century conflict between African tribal culture and English colonists in a world history class. Achebe's rich narrative, written in a graceful prose, is easily accessible to high school students. The novel replaces simplistic and abstract concepts with those more complex and concrete. (MJP)

Investigates social studies curriculum reform in Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe. Reports on each country contain a brief overview of the historical situation and current syllabus, and a discussion of the ongoing "Africanization" process. Concludes with a definition of "Africanization," its purpose, and…

Higher education has often been targeted for criticism with regard to its lack of relevance when seeking to address the harsh realities of poor health, poverty and conflict in African countries. African universities have been seen as producing Western-influenced graduates who become an elite out of touch with their own indigenous worldview. In…

This article reports on a study that examined the effectiveness of introducing African music and culture to Australian non-specialist primary teacher education students at Deakin University in Melbourne (Australia). The study demonstrates that African music enhanced the generic musical experiences, learning, motivation, interest, confidence and…

This article examines the historical and contemporary context of black culture centers (BCCs) and offers findings from a recent study (conducted by this author) on the role of the centers in the lives of black students attending predominantly white institutions (PWIs). The author's research revealed that these centers make a powerful difference in…

Elderly African Americans residing in rural areas have practiced and continue to practice indigenous healing practices for various reasons. In addition to the belief in the value of such practices, many of these individuals practice indigenous healing because it is cost effective. In this article information is presented on the history of research…

Researchers investigated if early childhood teachers could become reflective practitioners when they studied culturally specific constructs within a digital collegial environment. Three female African American early childhood teachers within three different settings (a faith-based primary school, a home school, and a government-funded pre-school…

Building on scholarship in African American rhetorics and African American language, an analysis of Walter Dean Myers's (2000) "The Blues of Flats Brown" is presented as a methodology for (re)imagining educational issues and research related to voice, agency, reading, and literacy in the face of racial oppression and subjugation. In the…

A teacher developed multidisciplinary unit for teaching elementary and secondary students about Tanzania (Africa) is described. The unit can involve students and teachers from geography, economics, history, language arts, mathematics, literature, and art courses. (RM)

Delineates the cultural norms evident in the performance and practice of Ghanaian children's play songs. Describes the similarities and differences between these and those of adult Ghanaian music culture. Discusses the social significance of the songs and includes several tables showing musical notation. (MJP)

Compares and contrasts Namibian and U.S. policies concerning the promotion of English as an official language. Praises Namibia's thoughtful, gradual, and nonpunitive approach. Characterizes the U.S. policy as fragmented, contradictory, and driven by political considerations. (MJP)