Philosophy's Roles in Afrocentric Education

Abstract

Should philosophy be introduced as a formal subject to kindergarten through 12th grade students in Afrocentric schools? U.S. public education's aversion to philosophy is so pervasive that Afrocentric educators should consider whether they have assimilated this bias. This essay considers ancient Greek philosophy's possible roles in its construction. While challenging Plato and Aristotle's arguments against philosophizing before age 30, the essay explains philosophy's absence in public schools through structural similarities between ancient Greece and the contemporary United States. The essay's objectives are to stimulate Afrocentric educators to formulate an explicit Afrocentric philosophy, to compare ancient African philosophies in Egypt and Nubia to contemporary African philosophies, and to reflect on the philosophies of Africana history they are imparting to their students. The essay's conclusion examines Africa's creativity in the context of new explanations of African development.