Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation

12-2021

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph. D.

Department

Elementary, Middle & Secondary Teacher Education

Degree Program

Curriculum and Instruction, PhD

Committee Chair

Foster, Michele

Committee Co-Chair (if applicable)

Laman, Tasha Tropp

Committee Member

Laman, Tasha Tropp

Committee Member

Masolo, Dismas

Committee Member

Thomas, Shelley

Author's Keywords

Afrocentric education: black schools; black homeschools; afrocentric homeschool collective; afrocentric curriculum; independent black schools; racial protectionism

Abstract

This dissertation explores the development and benefits of familial relationships as the primary feature of Afrocentricity at Black Scholars Academy (BSA), a Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) through 12th-grade Black homeschool collective in the United States. This qualitative study draws upon Afrocentricity as a theoretical framework to analyze and interpret data collected from classroom observations, individual interviews with current and former teachers and students, and textual artifacts between July and November 2019. Familial relationships—an African time orientation, a personalized learning plan, OurStory, and Rising Meeting—are present in BSA. Familial relationships helped students develop cultural pride, agency, self-determination, independence, liberation through education, and a return to their traditional greatness. The employment of Afrocentricity as best practice in a homeschool collective is considered in this dissertation to be advisable across every educational context.

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