Liberatory praxis in preservice teacher education: claiming Afrocentricity as foundational in critical language and literacy teaching

Abstract

Four teacher educators describe their work to establish Afrocentric foundations through integrating literacy and linguistic pluralism courses. We build on realities that teachers and children “do not learn, systematically and deeply, about Black genius and worth” (Baines, Tisdale, & Long, 2018, p. 20) in schools or universities nor do they learn a critical consciousness, impacting their abilities to dismantle Eurocratic systems. We share challenges and outcomes (including university and PreK-3 teaching examples) in building liberatory praxis focused on the African cradle of civilization, anti-colonialism, African/African American erasure in schooling today, African and Diaspora languages, and the multilingualism of AAL speakers.

Keywords:

• African American Language
• teacher education
• Afrocentric foundations

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

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kamania Wynter-Hoyte

Kamania Wynter-Hoyte is an assistant professor at the University of South Carolina. Her research interests are culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogy and African Diaspora literacy. She has published in International Critical Childhood Policy Studies Journal, Race Ethnicity and Education, and Journal of Literacy Research.

Susi Long

Susi Long is a Professor at the University of South Carolina. Her teaching and research focus on culturally relevant, anti-racist, and humanizing practices in teacher education and elementary school classrooms. Her recent book with Janice Baines and Carmen Tisdale focuses on critiquing, countering, and replacing white-dominant practices and is titled, “We've been doing it your way long enoug”: Choosing the culturally relevant classroom.

Jennipher Frazier

Jennipher Frazier is a doctoral candidate at the University of South Carolina in Language and Literacy. She has held various positions in education such as, an early childhood teacher, a special education teacher, and is currently a literacy coach.

Jarvais Jackson

Jarvais J. Jackson is the Director of the Center for the Education and Equity for African American Students (CEEAAS). He is a Ph.D. student in the Teaching and Learning Program at the University of South Carolina. His research interests include Black youth, Student voice, African Diaspora literacy, and race and equity in educational spaces.