An African centered curriculum has two parts. It is both a process that centers around the cultural heritage of African Americans, and the infusion of content that will stimulate and/or reinforce the growth and development of African and African-American mental and ethical traits. The scholars who are the main proponents of an African centered…

Traces the historical origins of the controversy surrounding Afrocentric education versus education based on the traditional canon of the Western world to W. H. Ferris' work and his 1913 study "The African abroad or His Evolution in Western Civilization, Tracing His Development under Caucasian Milieu," which has relevance today. (SLD)

Three essays are presented that discuss, in general terms, information that was collected in 1987-88 concerning the current status of black studies in the United States. The researchers were invited to survey selected black studies departments, programs, institutes, and centers judged to be representative of the structural diversity and…

Designed to aid K-12 teachers in preparing a unit on the West, this paper summarizes the role of black cowboys in the Arizona territory and provides strategies and resources on teaching the subject. Section 1, an introduction, contains a list of unit objectives and discussion of instructional methods and techniques. Sections 2 through 8 contain…

The intent of this paper is to synthesize portions of the African American dialect literature that have relevance for designing, implementing, and evaluating school-based language programs for African American dialect speakers, and also to suggest guidelines for developing such programs. Because the issues reflect divergency and controversy, it is…

Reviews the debate concerning the impact of Afrocentric education and multicultural education on U.S. history instruction and course content. Responds to criticisms of Afrocentric education by historians Diane Ravitch and Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. Contends that multicultural education can help recognize divisions in U.S. society and show a…

This paper presents an outline of the purpose and methodology of a proposed study to investigate the teaching of black literature in selected secondary schools in Virginia. Black literature will be defined as fiction, drama, poetry, and nonfiction written by black American writers. The use of black literature in the curriculum of the selected…

The historical lack of representation of Black children in gifted education calls for development of alternative identification techniques such as observation; community involvement assessment; and peer, parent, and teacher nominations. Important aspects of a total plan for Black gifted children include identification, curriculum, the…

Six curriculum orientations predominate in African-American educational experience: functionalism, accommodation, liberalism, Black Nationalism, Afrocentrism, and social reconstruction. Tied to the history of slavery and oppression, these orientations will continue to develop separate from the mainstream. (SK)

This paper is an interpretive review of selected sources in black studies, historical and literary scholarship, and research in the social sciences and multicultural education. One purpose of the review is to clarify the nature and production of culture-centered knowledge in African American intellectual thought, educational research, and…

Marva Collins' teaching style includes positive reinforcement, high teacher expectation, high motivation, and love. Cultural congruence, or the relationship between curriculum and the pupil's cultural experiences outside the school, is also a significant factor. Although she uses a traditional curriculum, Ms. Collins' success lies in the…

States White, Eurocentric, normative orientation research on people of color has presented a deficit model of the Afro-American. Advocates new research theories and fewer static research methods. Considers an Afrocentric perspective to research, offering a framework for social research for Blacks rather than about them. (NL)

For a long time, researchers have reported on the low academic performances of Black Americans in comparison to other minorities and non-minorities. During this time, there have been debates over the causes of the differences in education achievement between the various sub groups (i.e. ethnic subgroups) of students studied. The purpose of this…

Examines the growing body of demonstrations of performance of Black Studies programs and criticizes unattended measurement and conceptual confusions. Proposes quantitative and qualitative models for evaluation of programs. (Author/KH)

This article traces the development of the Black Studies movement from the 1960s to the present, discussing the inception and impact of Black Studies programs on their predominately White universities and the changes that have occurred as these programs have become institutionalized. (SJL)