Columbus Africentric Early College: Building the Black identity through art and culture | Intellect Skip to content
1981
Landscapes of Learning: Art and Culture across Cities
  • ISSN: 2045-5879
  • E-ISSN: 2045-5887

Abstract

This article examines the Columbus Africentric Early College public school from multiple perspectives, including that of the founder, the architect and a graduate of the school, to better understand the school’s cultural impact. A thematic analysis of those viewpoints, coupled with the philosophical framework outlined in the Kaiwada theory, will provide a theoretical and practical context of effective teaching–learning environments. Furthermore, this article will analyse Columbus Africentric Early College as a physical and virtual space where formal and informal learning occurs through responsive education. Responsive education is a term used to describe the type of education that is sensitive, aware and critical of the lived experiences and societal influences that affect students and their respective communities. Columbus Africentric Early College, founded by Charles Tennant, opened its doors in 1996 in downtown Columbus, Ohio, and recently relocated to a 55-acre, $45-million ‘urban campus’ created by Nigerian architect Kay Onwuke. Columbus Africentric Early College is guided by the African spiritual principles and value systems of and , which are reinforced through the school’s teaching, art and architecture that is designed for the transmission of culture. Columbus Africentric Early College is the nation’s only public Africentric school and provides a proven curricular model that implements culturally relevant and responsive pedagogy manifested through a non-western and non-Eurocentric perspective.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/vi_00026_1
2021-06-01
2024-04-26
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Banner, Terron. ( 2019;), ‘ A case study of the Miami Beach and Miami-Dade county education compact: Responsive education and reform in a diverse 21st century. ’, Ph.D. dissertation, Columbus, OH:: The Ohio State University;.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Chiorazzi, Anthony. ( 2015;), ‘ The spirituality of Africa. ’, Harvard Gazette, 6 October, https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2015/10/the-spirituality-of-africa/. Accessed 1 October 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Gilbert, Dorie J.,, Harvey, Aminifu R., and Belgrave, Faye Z.. ( 2009;), ‘ Advancing the Africentric paradigm shift discourse: Building toward evidence-based Africentric interventions in social work practice with African Americans. ’, Social Work, 54:3, pp. 24352.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Kalonji, Tukufu. ( 2012;), ‘ Afro-American sacred rituals: A critical analysis of life cycle ceremonies in the image, interest, & wellbeing of the Black community. ’, master’s thesis, Springfield, IL:: Springfield College School of Human Services;.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Kalonji, Tukufu. ( 2013;), ‘ Human services theory: Framework and social change. ’, unpublished manuscript , Minneapolis, MN:: Walden University;.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Kalonji, Tukufu. ( 2014;), ‘ The Nguzo Saba & Maat, a path for self-reconstruction and recoveredness: Exploring a Kawaida paradigm for healing addiction in the Black community. ’, Journal of Pan African Studies, 7:4, https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1P3-3500275461/the-nguzo-saba-maat-a-path-for-self-reconstruction. Accessed 8 October 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Karenga, Maulana. ( 1980), Kawaida Theory: An Introductory Outline, Inglewood, CA:: Kawaida Publications;.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Karenga, Maulana. ( 1996a), Reconstructing Kemetic Culture, Los Angeles, CA:: University of Sankore Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Karenga, Maulana. ( 1996b;), ‘ The Nguzo Saba (the seven principles): Their meaning and message. ’, in M. K. Asante, and A. S. Abarry. (eds), African Intellectual Heritage: A Book of Sources, Philadelphia, PA:: Temple University Press;, pp. 54354.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Karenga, Maulana. ( 2002), Introduction to Black Studies, , 3rd ed.., Los Angeles, CA:: University of Sankore Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. King, LaGarrett J.. ( 2017;), ‘ The status of Black history in U.S. schools and society. ’, Social Education, 81:1, pp. 1418.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Oakes, Jeannie. ( 2005), Keeping Track: How Schools Structure Inequality, New Haven, CT:: Yale University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Mourning, Glen. ( 2020;), ‘ Teaching Black history beyond slavery and Black history month. ’, Public Broadcasting Service, 22 February, https://www.pbs.org/education/blog/teaching-black-history-beyond-slavery-and-black-history-month. Accessed 1 October 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Papageorge, Nicholas,, Gershenson, Seth, and Kang, Kyung Min. ( 2020;), ‘ Teacher expectations matter. ’, Review of Economics and Statistics, 102:2, pp. 23451.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Pellerin, Marquita. ( 2012;), ‘ Benefits of Afrocentricity in exploring social phenomena: Understanding Afrocentricity as a social science methodology. ’, Journal of Pan African Studies, 5:4, http://www.jpanafrican.org/docs/vol5no4/54-Benefits.pdf. Accessed 11 November 2019.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Pilgrim, David. ( 2012;), ‘ What was Jim Crow. ’, Ferris State University, September, http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/what.htm. Accessed 3 October 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Reeves, Rebecca. ( 2020;), e-mail to author. , 15 October.
  18. Sacks, Peter. ( 2007), Tearing Down the Gates: Confronting the Class Divide in American Education, Berkeley, CA:: University of California Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Tennant, Charles. ( 2020;), in-person interview with author. , 5 August.
  20. Uwadiae, Deba. ( 2019;), ‘ Columbus Africentric school: A reality out of uncommon system – Kay Onwukwe. ’, New Americans Magazine, 3 April, https://thenewamericansmag.com/2019/04/03/columbus-africentric-school-a-reality-out-of-uncommon-system-kay-onwukwe/. Accessed 1 October 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Walker, Charles E.. ( 1991), Deromanticizing Black History: Critical Essays and Reappraisals, Knoxville, TN:: University of Tennessee Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. West, Ernest III. ( 2020), e-mail to author , 1 December.
  23. Zulu, Edwin. ( 2013;), ‘ Reverence or ancestors in Africa: Interpretation of the 5th Commandment from an African perspective. ’, Scriptura, 10.7833/81-0-749. Accessed 21 November 2020.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Banner, Terron. ( 2021;), ‘ Columbus Africentric Early College: Building the Black identity through art and culture. ’, Visual Inquiry: Learning & Teaching Art, 10:1, pp. 6588, doi: https://doi.org/10.1386/vi_00026_1
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1386/vi_00026_1
Loading
/content/journals/10.1386/vi_00026_1
Loading

Data & Media loading...

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error