I became aware of a new phrase over the weekend: "afrocentric school".
From something I read:
Black students are currently exposed to many negative
interpretations of what it means to be Black. Afrocentric
education is important for building Black students’ self-esteem
through awareness of African culture and
contributions, and to develop their sense of responsibility
to a larger community. It goes beyond stereotypical
media portrayals of Black culture as only Hip-Hop or
basketball.
And I had no idea this was such an issue for NYC:
Though New York City has tried to desegregate its schools in fits and starts since the 1954 Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, the school system is now one of the most segregated in the nation. But rather than pushing for integration, some black parents in Bedford-Stuyvesant are choosing an alternative: schools explicitly designed for black children.
Afrocentric schools have been championed by black educators who had traumatic experiences with integration as far back as the 1960s and by young black families who say they recently experienced coded racism and marginalization in integrated schools. Both groups have been disappointed by decades of efforts to address inequities in America’s largest school system.
Read the full article from the New York Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/08/nyregion/afrocentric-schools-segregation-brooklyn.html
While there is no excuse of any type for segregation to still be taking place in the schools of 2019 America, does it help matters to have schools which place a higher emphasis/importance on certain type of history?
Hmmmmm. I'll have to think on that one.
Grace & Peace & Love to you all -
Matt