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Curricular Violence and the Education of Black Children: Working Toward Positive Peace Through Pro-Black Practices

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Abstract

This article responds to the endemic, intergenerational, and pervasive racism endured by Black children in the USA and the need to reimagine classrooms as cultures of peace where Black histories, literatures, accomplishment, oppression, resistance, resilience, and joy are taught as central to the curriculum. To do so, the article shares a five-year study of practices developed by 12 teachers working with university educators to construct Pro-Black pedagogy for children from ages five-to-nine. The article opens with descriptions of renewed efforts in the USA to ban books and deny the teaching of whole histories and how that constitutes curricular violence in the lives of Black students. The study is anchored in Black Critical Theory as it encompasses understandings of anti-and Pro-Blackness in the education of young children. With decolonizing methodologies guiding data collection, analysis, and representation, findings are shared in the form of (a) practices used by the teachers to help students grow in their understanding of Black brilliance, resistance, and resilience; (b) tensions encountered; and (c) positive outcomes. The article closes with implications to guide the examination of curriculum and school structures as an essential element in Pro-Black curricular transformation.

Muhtasari (Swahili)

Makala haya yanajibu ubaguzi wa rangi ulioenea, kati ya vizazi na ulioenea ambao watoto wenye asili ya kiafrika nchini Marekani wanavumilia na hitaji la kufikiria upya madarasa kama tamaduni za amani ambapo historia za watu wenye asili ya kiafrika, fasihi, mafanikio, ukandamizaji, upinzani, ustahimilivu na furaha hufunzwa kama msingi. kwa mtaala. Ili kufanya hivyo, makala inashiriki utafiti wa miaka mitano wa mazoea yaliyotengenezwa na walimu 12 wanaofanya kazi na waelimishaji wa vyuo vikuu kuunda ufundishaji wa unga mkono watoto wenye asili ya kiafrika kutoka umri wa miaka mitano hadi tisa. Makala yanaanza kwa maelezo ya juhudi mpya nchini Marekani za kupiga marufuku vitabu na kukana mafundisho ya historia nzima na jinsi hiyo inavyojumuisha vurugu za mitaala nchini. maisha ya wanafunzi wenye asili ya kiafrika. Utafiti huu umejikita katika Nadharia ya Uhakiki Weusi (Black Critical Theory) kwa vile inajumlisha uelewa wa kupinga- na Kuunga mkono watu wenye asili ya kiafriki katika elimu ya watoto wadogo. Pamoja na mbinu za kuondoa ukoloni zinazoongoza ukusanyaji, uchanganuzi na uwakilishi wa data, matokeo yanashirikiwa katika mfumo wa (a) mazoea yanayotumiwa na walimu kuwasaidia wanafunzi kukua katika uelewa wao wa ufahamu wa watu wenye asili ya kiafrika, ukinzani na uthabiti; (b) mvutano uliojitokeza; na (c) matokeo chanya. Kifungu hiki kinafunga kwa madokezo ya kuongoza mtihani wa mtaala na miundo ya shule kama kipengele muhimu katika mabadiliko ya mitaala inayounga mkono watu wenye asili ya kiafrika.

Áljẹbrà (Yoruba)

Iwe yii ṣe idahun si ebute, irandiran, ati ẹlẹyamẹya ayeraye ti awọn ọmọ eniyan dudu farada ni ilu Amẹrika ati iwulo lati tun awọn yara ikawe pada bi awọn aṣa ti alaafia nibiti awọn itan-akọọlẹ nipa isoro, aṣeyọri, inunibini, ifarada, ifarama, ati ayọ ni a kọ bi aringbungbun. si iwe eko. Lati ṣe bẹ, nkan naa ṣe alabapin ikẹkọ ọdun marun ti awọn iṣe ti o dagbasoke nipasẹ awọn olukọ mejila ti n ṣiṣẹ pẹlu awọn olukọni ile-ẹkọ giga lati kọ ẹkọ ikẹkọ Pro-Black fun awọn ọmọde lati ọjọ-ori marun-si-mẹsan. Nkan naa ṣii pẹlu awọn apejuwe ti awọn igbiyanju isọdọtun ni ilu AMẸRIKA lati fi ofin de awọn iwe ati kọ ẹkọ ti gbogbo itan-akọọlẹ ati bii iyẹn ṣe jẹ iwa-ipa iwe-ẹkọ ni pa aye ti awon omo ile iwe dudu. Iwadi wa nipa ojurere awon omo dudu ni ile nipa imaran dudu (Black Critical Theory) bi o ti ni awọn oye ti egboogi- ati oye dudu ninu ẹkọ awọn ọmọde. Pẹlu awọn ilana iṣipaya ti n ṣe itọsọna gbigba data, itupalẹ, ati aṣoju, awọn awari ni a pin ni irisi (a) awọn iṣe ti awọn olukọ lo lati ṣe iranlọwọ fun awọn ọmọ ile-iwe lati dagba ni oye wọn ti oye dudu, ifarada, ati ifarama; (b) aifokanbale pade; ati (c) awọn abajade rere. Nkan naa tilekun pẹlu awọn itọsi lati ṣe itọsọna idanwo ti iwe-ẹkọ ati awọn ẹya ile-iwe bi nkan pataki ni iyipada iwe-ẹkọ nipa nkan awon eniyan dudu.

Resumen (Spanish)

Este artículo responde al racismo endémico, intergeneracional y generalizado que padecen los niños negros en los Estados Unidos y a la necesidad de reimaginar las aulas como culturas de paz donde las historias, las literaturas, los logros, la opresión, la resistencia, la resiliencia y la alegría de los negros se enseñen como elementos centrales al currículum. Para ello, el artículo comparte un estudio de cinco años de prácticas desarrolladas por 12 maestros que trabajaron con educadores universitarios para construir una pedagogía Pro-Negritud para niños de cinco a nueve años. El artículo comienza con descripciones de los renovados esfuerzos en Estados Unidos para prohibir libros y negar la enseñanza de historias completas y cómo eso constituye una violencia curricular en la vida de los estudiantes negros. El estudio se basa en la Teoría Crítica Negra (Black Critical Theory), ya que abarca comprensiones de anti y Pro-Negritud en la educación de los niños pequeños. A partir de metodologías descolonizadoras que guían la recopilación, el análisis y la representación de datos, los hallazgos se comparten en forma de (a) prácticas utilizadas por los maestros para ayudar a los estudiantes a crecer en su comprensión de la brillantez, la resistencia y la resiliencia negras; b) las tensiones encontradas; y (c) los resultados positivos. El artículo cierra con implicaciones para guiar el estudio del currículo y las estructuras escolares como un element esencial en la transformación curricular Pro-Negritud.

Abstraite (French)

Cet article répond au racisme endémique, intergénérationnel et omniprésent enduré par les enfants Noirs aux États-Unis et à la nécessité de réimaginer les salles de classe en tant que cultures de paix où l'histoire, la littérature, l'accomplissement, l'oppression, la résistance, la résilience et la joie des Noirs sont enseignées comme un élément central. au programme d’études. Pour ce faire, l’article partage une étude de cinq ans sur les pratiques développées par 12 enseignants travaillant avec des enseignants universitaires pour construire une pédagogie Pro-Noire (Pro-Black Pedagogy) pour les enfants de cinq à neuf ans. L'article s'ouvre sur une description des efforts renouvelés aux États-Unis pour interdire les livres et nier l'enseignement d'histoires entières et comment cela constitue une violence scolaire dans les programmes scolaires sur la vie des étudiants noirs. L'étude est ancrée dans la théorie critique noire (Black Critical Theory) car elle englobe la compréhension de l'anti- et de la Pro-Noirceur (Pro-Blackness) dans l'éducation des jeunes enfants. Grâce à des méthodologies décolonisantes guidant la collecte, l'analyse et la représentation des données, les résultats sont partagés sous la forme (a) de pratiques utilisées par les enseignants pour aider les élèves à développer leur compréhension de l'éclat, de la résistance et de la résilience des Noirs ; (b) les tensions rencontrées; et (c) des résultats positifs. L’article se termine par des implications pour guider l’examen du programme et des structures scolaires en tant qu’élément essentiel de la transformation curriculaire Pro-Noire (Pro-Black).

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Correspondence to Eliza Braden.

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Note to Readers: Following our English language abstract, we foreground Swahili and Yoruba translations followed by the journal's request for French and Spanish versions. We privilege Swahili and Yoruba as two of the most widely spoken Indigenous languages on the African continent for two reasons: (a) When disseminating our research across international communities, it is important that we begin to address white and European dominance in early childhood research and curricula globally, and (b) Our article focuses on the need for Pro-Black work including the missing histories of African brilliance and languages, thus it would be remiss not to foreground these widely-spoken Indigenous languages from the continent.

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Braden, E., Long, S., Wynter-Hoyte, K. et al. Curricular Violence and the Education of Black Children: Working Toward Positive Peace Through Pro-Black Practices. IJEC 55, 347–367 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-023-00379-6

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