Extends the discussion of what some scholars believe is a controversial and impractical philosophy, that of Afrocentrism, in the context of the post-civil rights era. The article draws on the works of three scholars of Afrocentricity as a philosophical movement: (1) Gerald Early; (2) Stanley Crouch; and (3) Molefi Asante. (SLD)

Examines the methods James uses to establish the misleading thesis that African peoples made the original discoveries that led to the development of what has been thought of as Western thought. Hypothesis is treated as virtual fact, and history is misrepresented. "Stolen Legacy" is not a serious work of scholarship. (SLD)

The Afrocentric theories of Molefi Kete Asante are examined as they relate to drama. It is argued that the fundamental principle in understanding African-American drama rests on viewing it as a means of total creation deriving power from the interaction of the self, the community, and the cosmos. (SLD)

Reviews the history of African-American studies and explores its future. Three groups of scholarly practitioners in African-American studies are discussed as (1) traditionalists; (2) authentists and/or Afrocentrists; and (3) African-American feminists. Contributions of each group are examined, and the role of each in the future is considered. (SLD)

Describes a nontraditional technique for identifying gifted African American children. Defining giftedness from an African culture-centered perspective is discussed. The Gifted Children Locator for Parents and a version for teachers are presented as behavioral-observational interview rating scales. Studies with 64 and 284 children support validity…

"Ebonics II" is the position that there is no significant gap between black and standard English but that teaching standard English as a foreign language would alleviate the stigma attached to black English. Acknowledging black English and promoting Afrocentric curricula while teaching standard English would overcome the resistance many children…

The essays in this collection place the current Afrocentric movement in its historical context and offer alternative suggestions about how to teach African American students about their history. The first section deals with the roots of Afrocentrism, analyzes the content of Afrocentric books and curricula, and discusses the impact of Afrocentrism…

A model for a proposed African-American studies discipline is based on the assumptions that African-American experiences are worth studying, historical experiences of peoples of African descent can inform others about human issues, and distinctive historic and cultural African-American experiences exist. Five steps in a African-American studies…

A study focused attention on the academic personas acquired by two AAVE-oriented (African American Vernacular English) beginning writers as reflected by their speech in informal settings and the style they employed in academic tasks. The study explores the degree to which literacy experiences (home and school) affect students' lives. It was guided…

Discusses the maintenance and future of African-American studies within the context of contemporary intellectual ideas. The institutionalization of African-American studies and the creation of the first doctoral program in African-American studies at Temple University in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) marked the flowering of the discipline. (SLD)

The Afrocentric curriculum in many schools tends to oversimplify history in general and African history in particular. Although Afrocentrists want a curriculum that informs and strengthens African-American students, they forget the real need to teach that Western Civilization is a truly multicultural body of knowledge, ideas, and values. (SLD)

The following three African-American philosophical orientations to education have achieved prominence over the years: (1) the accommodationist philosophy of Booker T. Washington; (2) the radical, liberationist approach of W. E. B. DuBois; and (3) the integrationist/desegregationist, reformist philosophy of Charles H. Houston. Each philosophical…

Examines the history, philosophy, methods, and operations of the Mary McLeod Bethune Institute, an Afrocentric supplementary Saturday elementary school in Los Angeles (California). Qualitative data show the role this enrichment plays in developing socially active and capable African American youth through the study of African American culture and…

Defines African-centered education, and reviews the history and philosophy of independent African-American institutions, discussing the academic, social, and cultural development aspects emphasized in these schools. Includes recommendations for educators working with African-American children and African-centered curricula. (SLD)