Afrocentric Philosophical Base Objectives:
1. Increase knowledge and understanding of the
African philosophy as a foundation for the rites of passage.
2. Increase understanding of the uses of Afrocentric theory and philosophy.
3. Increase understanding of the principles and concepts of Afrocentric thought.
African Philosophy and Afrocentrics
A scientific paradigm is a set of shared beliefs, terms and conceptual categories for analyzing the phenomena of interest to a science; a dominant paradigm implicitly guides the scientific research and theory of a particular period .... Rather than being caused by new discoveries, paradigm shifts occur because cumulative
dissatisfaction with an old paradigm makes new ideas seem especially attractive, even if their validity is not initially wellsupported. (From a discussion of Thomas Kuhn's ideas by Achenbach, 1975, pA)
The Afrocentric paradigm has its roots in African philosophy. It has grown out of movement that views African American behavior, not as a deviant form of the standard European American behavior, but as a culturally dynamic and viable form in its own right. Many of the old and current theories of African American behavior would "blame the victim" or suggest that the behavior should come into line with the larger society's Eurocentric standards. Many African and African American philosophers and scholars have contributed to the development of the Afrocentric paradigm or orientation.
We are witnessing a hunger for knowledge about this approach and for culturally sensitive materials. program development and evaluations. This holds the key to reaching African American adolescents and developing programs that are not only culturally relevant but enriching. The Afrocentric paradigm must, first be understood from its philosophical foundation. for it is nearly impossible to develop Afrocentric programs, materials, etc. without an understanding of the concepts that make up the paradigm. This first section of rites program development, then, offers some of the foremost and theoretical scholars on this area of study. While this section is largely theoretical, careful attention will yield fruitful results in later development of concepts and application of this foundation.
Oliver (1989) explains major Eurocentric theories in three categories: genetic inferiority, culture of poverty, or racial oppression. The genetic theory proposes that people of color are innately inferior to Caucasians and that these genetic traits cause higher rates of problematic behavior, i.e. academic failure, joblessness, female-headed households, teenage pregnancy, poverty, substance addictions, and criminal behavior. The problem with this theory, Oliver points out, is that it does not explain the higher incidence of these behaviors in American Caucasians as compared to European Caucasians.
Other Eurocentric explanations, "culture of poverty" and "racial oppression," fared no better under Oliver's scrutiny. The advocates of these positions suggest that poverty combined with social disorganization (family, church and school) and racism (historical patterns of disenfranchisement, lack of equal access to educational and employment opportunities) have caused these problematic behaviors in African Americans suggesting that lower class African Americans have a separate set of values that condone or lead to this problematic behavior. These position do not explain why only a small percentage of African Americans exposed to poverty, racism, and disorganization fall into these behaviors. There are large groups who do not exhibit problematic behaviors.
Finally, Oliver (1989) suggests that African Americans have, due to the structural pressures of racial oopression and dysfunctional cultural adaptations. caused the adoption of behaviors which are problematic. A major dysfunctional cultural adaptation is the failure to develop an Afrocentric cultural ideology. Furthermore, all Americans of color are constantly exposed in schools, churches, and the media to the Eurocentric ideology which projects Euroamericans as superior in intelligence, beauty, and abilities. Included in the problematic behaviors are those specific to the African American male which is further discussed in chapter six.
America's cultural ideology has been deliberately designed to glorify whiteness and denigrate blackness. Consequently, this process has led to the cultural annihilation of Black Americans. Unlike other American racial and ethnic groups, Blacks have failed to develop a distinct cultural tradition that contributed to the psychological, spiritual, cultural, and economic devleopment of most Blacks. The Americanization of Africans in America has resulted in Blacks being locked into the role of America's permanent outsiders. The failure of Blacks to develop an Afrocentric cultural ideology is a major source of psychological, social, political, and economic dysfunction among Black Americans. (Oliver, 1989, p. 19)
The old paradigms have been rejected by the new and vibrant Afrocentric paradigm which is rooted in African philosophy. To best understand the African philosophical underpinnings one would be required to review s'uch theorists as Sowande (1973). Mbiti (1970), Sofola (1973), Asante (1980a; 1980b), Osei (1970), and Nobles (1980).
These concepts are typically the foundation of what would be labelled the African world view, Afrocentric or Africentric thought. It requires a clear understanding of culture and world view as well as the concepts and principles that are considered at the foundation or core of this field ot theory and application. Therefore, this discussion will review the definitions and scholarship on culture and world view, Afrocentrics and Afrocentric components and principles. It requires "educated" and lay people alike to put aside some of the typical notions of "truth" and scholarship and to open their mind to concepts that are typically not part of American society's educational system. Wise African words tell us, "One must come out of one's house to begin learning."
Along these lines, Asante (1980b, 1988) discussed differences in Eurocentric and Afrocentric intellectual endeavors. He stated:
Consequently. the greatest European scholars were classifiers. while African scholars have been holistic .... Europeans sought to devise 'universal laws of nature' in order to make the rest of the world intelligible to Europeans in European terms. It is out of this development that we get the emergence of the peculiarly Western concept of culture. A science. or universal science of:humanity became an instrument to impose Western cultural ideology, rather than understanding of cultural experiences, on the diverse peoples of the world. (Asante 1980b, p. 48)
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