The Mind Beneath the School

repeat episode:what is An African Centered Education: guest Molefi Kete Asante

We will have none other than Dr. Molefi Asante himself discussing Afrocentricity and the work he is doing with the entire Pittsburgh school district. Dr. Asante will help us understand how Afrikan centered schools differ from other public schools and why so many Afrikan scholars are finding success with this culturally based teaching. Dr Molefi Asante, the Father of Afrocentricity states, in his paper Afrocentricity, " ....Afrocentricity becomes a revolutionary idea because it studies ideas, concepts, events, personalities, and political and economic processes from a standpoint of black people as subjects and not as objects, basing all knowledge on the authentic interrogation of location."  He continued, "One of the key assumptions of the Afrocentrist is that all relationships are based on centers and margins and the distances from either the center or the margin. When black people view themselves as centered and central in their own history then they see themselves as agents, actors, and participants rather than as marginals on the periphery of political or economic experience." On this episode of "The Mind Beneath the School," we will look at this ideology and why this is the only valid way of teaching Afrikan children born in America and the Afrikan diasporic.  I know you don't want to miss this.

repeat episode: What Are the Benefits of an African Centered Education

What would be the benefits of changing and/or infusing an African Centered Education into the public schools of Philadelphia and abandoning the eurocentric pedagogy?  Over 50% of the student population in Philadelphia are Afrikan scholars born in America and according to the most recent stastics found in the The Notebook, (a newspaper publication that deals with the Philadelphia public schools), "Pennsylvania is one of 20 states in which the African American graduation rate is below 66 percent, and one of 16 states in which the Latino graduation rate is below 66 percent (both are 65 percent). The gap between White and Black graduation rates and White and Latino graduation rates is, in both cases, 23 percentage points. The White graduation rate in Pennsylvania now stands at 88 percent." In the opinion of Afrikan an African Centered core curriculum is not only necessary, it is long over due.   My special guest this evening is Dr. Jalaal Hayes, a born and raised scholar of North Philadelphia who graduated high school at 15 and college at 18, (Lincoln University), and became the youngest man to earn a Ph.D from Delaware State Universuty at the age of 22. This amazing brother's doctorate is in chemistry, and instead of going for six figures he is a teacher in one of South Philadelphia's public neighborhood charter high schools. He currently has his own tutoring company. I hope you will join us as Dr. Jalaal Hayes weighs in on the state of the Philadelphia public school system from a first person Afrikan perspective.

Afrikan Centered Curriculum: English

A K-12 curriculum is a very tedious road map type document which lays out what each content area will teach for that particular school year, including reading materials that will be provided. What would that look like in the Afrikan centered perspective. This episode will look at a hypothetical English curriculum. Along with the usual agenda, looking Black at what Philadephia City Council was up to this past week in terms of education and what went on at the PCOL, (Philadelphia Community of Leaders) Education Committee meeting held on the 24th. And any other place I happen to be during the week.

Afrikan Homeschooling: Can You Do This Better?

Some of the greatest Afrikan American leaders of yesterday were self taught, from Frederick Douglass to Malcolm X.  Eventhough these great men and women didn't follow a "homeschool" curriculum, the theory is the same. Doing what the ascribed school system cannot or will not do.  More and more Afrikan centered parents/guardians are chooing to do for their children what they feel the school system will not. Will will discuss this at length giving resources and numbers parents can call to get information about this growing alternative. Also, we will be looking at Chapter 4 of "The Mis Education of the Negro" by Ancestor Dr. Carter Woodson entitled "Education Under Outside Control".  Finally, the usual Mind Beneath the School, "What's Happening around City Council and what's happening around Philly town. A look at the Philadelphia Community of Leaders and the Dance Theatre of Harlem is coming to town. Join me, Tuesday February 23rd at 11pm.

What Does Afrikan Learning Look Like From the Center?

We will be continuing to look at the benefits of an Afrikan centered education. But before I continue I want to share a story from Dr. Molefi Asante. He told this story before introducing his guest speaker,(who I will tell you about later) at a symposium held at the Molefi Kete Asante, (MKA) Institute. Upon meeting the great ancetor Cheikh Anta Diop in Afrika he felt overwhelmed and humbled when seeing him in his office and said that he saw himself doing Ancestor Diop's work defending Africa. Ancestor Diop shook his hand and said, "Afrika needs no defense. She needs advancement". I am therefore going to be careful not to defend Afrika but advance all causes Afrikan and of Afrika, one of which is the Afrikan centered education. The first advancement will be "what does learning look like from the center?" When placing the Afrikan race at the center of learning, what changes? What, if anything, remains the same? I will also be sharing with you the knowledge I gain at my first PCOL, (Philadelphia Community of Leaders) Education meeting being held at Philadelphia Public School Headquarters downtown. And finally, a review of what Bro. Rahim Islam, (along with Kenny Gamble is founder and CEO of Universal Companies) had to say this past Saturday when he gave a symposium on the "The State of Black Philadelphia: The Future of Our Communities". It is inspirational and rejuvenating when your boss motivates and encourages you. Got a great show lined up. Join me. Hotep.