This article describes the use of fractal simulations of African design in a high school computing class. Fractal patterns--repetitions of shape at multiple scales--are a common feature in many aspects of African design. In African architecture we often see circular houses grouped in circular complexes, or rectangular houses in rectangular…

African American English has a rich oral tradition, with identifiable features across all 5 systems of language--phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. This is an investigation of the extent to which pragmatic features of African American oral storytelling traditions are apparent in the written stories of African American…

This article explored the role of hair in Sylviane Diouf's "Bintou's Braids" and focused on the impact of hair as a cultural signifier on girls and the curriculum. The article examined the ability of this children's text to address female beauty standards and suggests the use of literary techniques, such as reader's theatre, to recognize…

Inspired by the mighty Masai warriors, Rev. Dr. Patrick T. O'Neill (p. 2) delivered a sermon centered around the traditional Masai greeting, "Kasserian Ingera (And how are the children)?" This study uses Kasserian Ingera as the primary question and attempts to shed light on the relationship between literacy and discipline as measured by…

An effective teacher recognizes that their students may have different learning styles, which might call for the teacher to differentiate the lesson. A large reason why hip-hop culture is so attractive is that it appeals to the auditory, visual, and the kinesthetic (movement). It is our assertion that educators must do a better job at learning…

Using a critical race lens, this narrative study employs a focus group design to explore the intersections between black males, hip hop culture and schooling experiences. To provide a sociocultural grounding, this study first reviews the research literature around hip hop culture.s sociocultural development and its impact as a culture force that…

Research supports the use of the Color-Blind Racism Attitudes Scale (CoBRAS) as a measure of color-blindness, but relatively little is known about whether it is predictive of policy attitudes. This study adds to that literature by investigating the extent to which CoBRAS predicts attitudes toward resource redistribution as a method of addressing…

This study examines and enriches understanding of the career choice process for graduate students of color. Social identity theory (SIT) is used as a framework to expand our understanding of how and why graduate students choose (or do not choose) faculty careers. Graduate students' cultural social identities influenced their career choice…

Many researchers, educators, administrators, policymakers and members of the general public doubt the prevalence of high-achieving African-American males in urban high schools capable of excelling in mathematics. As part of a larger study, the current study explored the educational experiences of four high-achieving African-American males…

Teachers who are not considered to be culturally competent may misinterpret many characteristics exhibited by African American students. They may be unaware of the African American linguistic practices and characteristics and they may also be unfamiliar with research conducted by scholars such as Zora Neale Hurston and A. Wade Boykin. This lack of…

This study explores the motivations of African American parents for choosing homeschooling for their children and the academic achievement of their Black homeschool students. Their reasons for homeschooling are similar to those of homeschool parents in general, although some use homeschooling to help their children understand Black culture and…

In this article, Django Paris and H. Samy Alim use the emergence of Paris's concept of culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP) as the foundation for a respectful and productive critique of previous formulations of asset pedagogies. Paying particular attention to asset pedagogy's failures to remain dynamic and critical in a constantly evolving global…

This exploratory investigation examined the link between self-reported racial-ethnic socialization experiences and perceived parental career support among African American undergraduate and graduate students. The results of two separate multivariate multiple regression analyses found that messages about coping with racism positively predicted…

Little attention has been given to the potential role of faith-based institutions in fostering academic achievement through socialization; the purpose of this study is to reveal that link. For many African American students, the public education system has not successfully prepared them for citizenry in today's global community. An urgent…

In recounting the history and present dynamics in the Kuumba Singers of Harvard College, Sherry Deckman presents a portrait of what it means to leave a space better than you found it through song. The story of Kuumba--Harvard's oldest black student organization and now its largest multicultural organization--is told through the experiences of…