African-centered education (ACE): Strategies to advance culturally responsive pedagogy and equitable learning opportunities for young Black children

ABSTRACT

For too long, Black children’s educational needs have not been prioritized with attention to their culture, language, historical and contemporary racialized experiences, and building their positive racial identity. It is critical that early childhood education settings for young children be transformed to be a place of learning and healing by centering Black children’s cultural identity through African-centered education (ACE). Through ACE practices, Black children can find meaningful connections with their ancestral heritage to expand on their knowledge. In this article, we discuss the need and the history of ACE, its link to Black children’s well-being and outcomes, the status of these types of programming, and educational leaders’ understanding of what ACE entails. Finally, we end with ways to integrate ACE in early childhood through the R.I.C.H.E.R. framework. It is critical that the full humanity and cultural roots of Black children are centered on delivering on the promise of equal educational opportunity.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Start Early and the Educare Learning Network, especially the Educare School leaders, staff, families, and children from Atlanta, Chicago, Flint, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Omaha, Tulsa, and Washington DC, for their time and efforts in the learning collaborative. We thank Dr. Kmt Shockley for facilitating the African-centered Early Learning Collaborative. We also thank Brother T’Shango Mbilishaka, Mama Fela of the Little Sun People, and Dr. Kristal Moore Clemons, Shaquite Pegues, and Ciara Mackey Hall of the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools for engaging with us. Finally, we thank the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for providing funding to support this project. The content in this paper is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official view of collaborators, experts, and the funder.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional resources

1. Lomotey, K. (1992). Independent Black institutions: African-centered education models. The Journal of Negro Education, 61, 455–462. doi: 10.2307/2295363

This article provides information regarding Independent Black Institutions. The author first starts with a definition of African-centered education, followed by an overview of the history and philosophy of Independent Black Institutions (IBIs) and a discussion of the academic, social, and cultural development aspects stressed within these schools. The article concludes with recommendations for educators working with African American children and African-centered curricula.

2. Brown Mamas (n.d.). 10 African-centered Curriculum for Black Homeschoolers. https://brownmamas.com/resource/african-centered-curriculum/

As stated on their website, Brown Mamas is a “global, multi-generational community of Black mothers that creates safe spaces that put Black moms first, amplifies the voices and lived experiences of Black moms and creates innovative programs that solve social and economic problems and empowers Black mothers to lead in the communities they care for.” Started in Pittsburgh, Brown Mamas has identified 10 African-centered curricula to support homeschooling efforts of Black parents. The curricula identified range from daily instructional guides to flash cards and other materials.

3. Tabora, A. J. (2016). I walk a bit bigger now: Lessons from students in an African-centered after school program. The Journal of Negro Education, 85, 143–155. doi: 10.7709/jnegroeducation.85.2.0143

This article describes the Kamili Approach, an African-centered and holistic educational framework, that emerged from a year-long study with urban youth of African descent. Particular focus is paid to the ancestral self and what occurs for a group of students when educators explicitly include Africans as subjects in the development of humanity and history. This paper shows how students felt when they became more aware of how their ancestral legacy was not included in their school curriculum.

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.