Flurry of debate surrounds teaching of Afrocentrism in urban schools

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Several U.S. cities have taken steps to weave African and African American history and culture into their public school curriculums. But the issue has ignited a backlash from those who criticize the reforms as divisive and even "separatist."

Below, we present two views from Baltimore concerning that city's efforts to introduce elements of Afrocentrism into public education.

BALTIMORE—Few issues are drawing the attention of educators and local neighborhood associations in the educational reform movement as much as the infusion of the Afrocentric perspective into the school curriculum. Perhaps more so than any other city, Baltimore has been thrust under the gun in grappling with these issues.

Baltimore school officials have merely cast a gent's eye on the importance of community and parent's input into the process. Nor have they thoroughly examined the historical significance of the Afrocentric movement, its humanism and universality.

As Dr. Molefi Kete Asante (a consultant to the Baltimore schools) points out, the idea of "mainstream America" is nothing more than a myth meant to maintain Eurocentric hegemony. Native American, African, Hispanic, and Asian children are still taught about themselves from a European perspective.

The Afrocentric perspective is not anti-European. As a theory, it is against material-structuring, sexism, racism, the People?" Is it the same "our children" as in the 62 percent of Baltimore City school children classified as poor?

Using Thomas Jefferson as an example, the report states that he borrowed heavily and wisely from the writings of many cultures when he wrote the Declaration of Independence. Okay, but how about the illiterate Iroquois Indians? They had the first form of democratic government in this country and recognized women's rights. Many of their ideas were followed in writing the Articles of Confederation-the forerunner of the U.S. Constitution.

The report finds it necessary to define "minority cultures" as African, Hispanic, and Asian. No mention is made of Native Americans.

The very use of the word "minority"

VIEWPOINT ROBERT MAASS/NEWSWEEK is burdened with an ac cumulation of negative meanings. How can "minority" be applied to four-fifths of the world's population? That's more than 4 billion people of color.

Raising self-esteem?

The self-serving argument that the Afrocentric curriculum will raise self-esteem among non-white students is an attempt to dilute the curriculum's true purpose-to present information accurately.

Data does not exist to verify that an Afrocentric perspective will improve academic achievement or self-esteem, or better prepare students for college or jobs. But data does exist that clearly shows that the present school structure is woefully inadequate for many students.

According to the 1991 Maryland School Performance report, Baltimore City schools failed in all but one of the 13 academic categories. After 12 years of schooling, 43 percent of the graduates were not prepared for either college or jobs.

The Baltimore City schools and surrounding school districts are making a conscientious effort to infuse materials into the curriculum that reflect nonEuropean history and culture. Unfortunately, all too often, these materials are still referred to as "minority."

According to a Sunpapers article on the new curriculum, Dr. Thomas H. De Laine, the Coordinator of Special Projects and Initiatives, said: "We do not have an 'African American curriculum;' we have a curriculum that is multicultural in focus, and we are emphasizing this year the African American content and culture."

African and African American material are to be completely infused into the elementary school curriculum this fall, at the middle school level by next September, and in the high schools in