Afrocentricity and the Academy: Essays on Theory and Practice

Afrocentricity is a philosophical and theoretical perspective that emphasizes the study of Africans as subjects, not as objects, and is opposed to perspectives that attempt to marginalize African thought and experience. Afrocentricity became popular in the l980s as scores of African American and African scholars adopted an Afrocentric orientation to information. The editor of this collection argues that as scholars embark upon the 21st century, they can no longer be myopic in their perceptions and analyses of race. The seventeen essays examine a wide range of variations on the Afrocentric paradigm in the areas of history, literature, political science, philosophy, economics, women's studies, cultural studies, ethnic studies and social policy. The essays, written by professors, librarians, students and others in higher education who have embraced the Afrocentric perspective, are divided into four sections: "Pedagogy and Implementation," "Theoretical Assessment," "Critical Analysis," and "Pan Africanist Thought."

Table of Contents:
Table of Contents Preface      Part 1: Pedagogy and Implementation African American Achievement: Using Critical Pedagogy to Critique a Plan Intending to Address Educational Disparities Carol Lloyd      The Black Studies Paradigm: The Making of Scholar Activists Terry Kershaw      The Afrocentric Idea in Education Mole. Kete Asante      Afrocentricity and the Arrangement of Knowledge Kathleen E. Bethel      Part 2: Theoretical Assessment W.E.B. Du Bois and/as Africana Critical Theory: Pan-Africanism, Critical Marxism, and Male Feminism Reiland Rabaka      A Theoretical Analysis of Persuasive Tactics Used by Frederick Douglass in “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro” Jason J. Thompson and Reynaldo Anderson      The Philosophy of the Black Power Movement Using Ntu as a Theoretical Construct Paul Easterling      African American Intellectual History: Philosophy and Ethos Malachi Crawford      Part 3: Critical Analysis Afrocentricity and African Psychology Kevin Cokely      The Black Male Narrative: An Afrocentric Assessment James L. Conyers, Jr.      What Is Afrocentric? Applying Afrocentric Analysis to a Non-Fiction Text Sandy Van Dyk      Part 4: Pan-Africanist Thought The Return: Slave Castles and the African Diaspora Tanya Y. Price      The Shebanization of Knowledge Miriam Ma’at-Ka-Re Monges      Why Write “Black”? Reclaiming African Culture Resource Knowledges in Diasporic Contexts George J. Sefa Dei      “There Was No Better Place to Go”? Quintard Taylor, Afrikancentricity, and the Historiography of the Afrikan Experience in the American West Ahati N.N. Toure      Mulattos, Freejacks, Cape Verdeans, Black Seminoles, and Others: Afrocentrisim and Mixed-Race Persons Rhett Jones      The Interaction Sphere of Nubia and Egypt: From the Old Kingdom to the Meroitic Period Larry Ross      About the Contributors      Index     

About the Author :
The late James L. Conyers, Jr., winner of the Cheikh Anta Diop Ankh Award for Distinguished Research in the Discipline of African American Studies, was the director of the African American Studies Program and university professor of African American Studies at the University of Houston.

Review :
“Interesting...important collection of essays...fascinating...recommended”—Choice.