Diaspora Literacy and Afro-Latin Humanity: a Critical Studyin’ case study of a world history teacher’s critical sociohistorical knowledge development

ABSTRACT

The development of critical sociohistorical knowledge is needed to assist teachers in negotiating and deconstructing the relevance of race, racism, and black history in global-themed social studies courses. Drawing from Diaspora Literacy as theory and Critical Studyin’ as method, I situate Afro-Latin humanity within educational research relevant to black history knowledge development, and its proximity to the teaching and learning of race in social studies education. This Critical Studyin’ case study examined how one world history teacher developed critical sociohistorical knowledge relevant to Afro-Latin humanity, inclusive of Afro-Latinxs and Afro-Latin Americans. Concurrently, I analyzed how the teacher positioned their knowledge for a Diaspora Literacy conceptualization of world history curriculum. Findings point to the utility of black studies frameworks in aiding social studies teachers’ knowledge development. I conclude with a call to more appropriately situate Afro-Latin humanity within curricular and educational research discourses relevant to black education.

KEYWORDS:

• Afro-Latinx
• Afro-Latin American
• Diaspora Literacy
• black history
• world history curriculum
• social studies education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. It is both dialogically and scholarly acceptable to broadly refer to Latinxs of African descent across the Diaspora as ‘Afro-Latinx’ or ‘Afro-Latin@’ (Rivera-Rideau, Jones, and Paschel 2016; Román Jiménez and Flores 2010). However, to remain consistent with anthropology and Afro-Latin American studies, I use the term ‘Afro-Latinx’ when referring specifically to or differentiating between black Latinxs in the U.S. and Afro-Latin Americans throughout Latin America. When mutually referring to both in transnational contexts, I use the term ‘Afro-Latin’ to encompass both regional identifiers.

2. To honor the work of the organizers and accurately represent the language used to describe the festival at the time, I remain consistent with their use of ‘Afro-Latin@’ in references to the festival.