Conceptualizes multicultural education as an interdisciplinary field focusing on racial, ethnic, and cultural groups, and on both genders. The development of African-American scholarship is traced as a vital root of the multicultural education movement. The intergroup education movement of the 1940s and 1950s is also discussed. (SLD)

Defines the theory of the Afrocentric conception, and comments on Afrocentric research methodology. The Afrocentric conception is likely to succeed if it constructs a particularist theory in contrast to cross-cultural relativism and because it relies on the methodology of the absolute rather than the comparative. (SLD)

Examines questions arising from concern for Africentric and multicultural education, including the nature of diversity and the relationships among cultural hegemony, cultural diversity, and cultural pluralism. Changing conceptions of intelligence, knowledge, and education are considered in relation to the treatment of cultural and ethnic…

Calls for education that acknowledges the multiple perspectives of our multicultural society to build a community that is attentive to differences and open to the idea of cultural plurality. African Americans and other minority groups must be allowed to tell their own stories. (SLD)

Analyzes the perceptions and expectations of 35 African-American parents regarding African-American independent schooling, using the framework of M. K. Asante (1980). Interviews with these parents suggest that Afrocentrism is a process of individual transformation. More African-American parents are looking at schooling in broader social contexts.…

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…

Discusses background issues and defines relevant terminology related to Africentrism. Curriculum issues surrounding innovative approaches to infusing African and African-American content into the public school system are discussed. The diverse multicultural society in the United States must represent the histories and contributions of minority…

Profiles the New Concept Development Center (NCDC) in Chicago (Illinois), an independent African-American institution established in 1972 that is a model for other private and public schools. The NCDC's history is traced. The NCDC educates and socializes African-American children to assume future roles as leaders in their communities. (SLD)

Examines the success of Jewish Day schools (in terms of curriculum, parent involvement, and societal implications) in the United States and Afrocentric educational programs (in terms of arguments for, focus on male students, transition to adulthood, and community involvement) in developing positive self-concepts and academic success among…

Compared the effectiveness for inner-city African-American youth (n=64) of two social-skills training curricula focusing on problem solving, anger management, and conflict resolution. Both the Afrocentric curriculum and the one that was merely culturally relevant yielded similar decreases in anger and increases in assertiveness and self-control.…

Explores the relationships among family, community, and classroom teaching as they inform the perspectives of African-Canadian women teachers on teaching African-Canadian children. Interviews and observations of five teachers demonstrate how they fight for social justice and the academic achievement of their students. (SLD)

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)

Compares 20 African-American rites of passage programs for adolescents, and considers the place of such rites for African Americans and their communities in current and future society. The adolescent rite of passage is a supervised developmental and educational process to assist young people in becoming adults. (SLD)