A new book co-edited by Michigan State University College of Education Associate Professor Vaughn W. M. Watson offers an in-depth look at the vibrant educational and civic lives of African immigrant youth in K–12 schools across the United States, Canada and globally.
Scheduled for release in June 2024 by Teachers College Press, “Educating African Immigrant Youth: Schooling and Civic Engagement in K–12 Schools” is the product of Watson and colleagues’ scholarly work exploring participatory, communal civic engagement.
Divided into three parts, the book could transform how individuals think about the interplay of schooling and their participation in the political and social processes that shape their community and society. It incorporates deep and diverse viewpoints rooted in African cultural traditions, heritage practices, and ways of thinking. In doing so, Watson and co-editors – scholars Michelle Knight-Manuel (University of Denver) and Patriann Smith (University of South Florida) – examine classroom perspectives, participatory and communal approaches to learning and practices in literacies, languages, and community engagement.
African perspectives in the context of civic engagement and literacy include:
- Participatory communal citizenship: Expands the concept of civic engagement beyond traditional activities like voting to include lifelong learning and reflect communal learning and wisdom inherent in African cultural traditions and heritage practices.
- Broad notions of civic engagement: Includes African epistemologies that emphasize community-wide learning, rather than individual achievement, highlighting the importance of collective action and wisdom passed down through generations.
- Learning as lifelong and communal: Suggests that learning and community participation are continuous processes that involve the whole community, drawing on African practices of shared knowledge and communal responsibility.
- Eldering and African epistemologies: Points to the value placed on elders and their wisdom in African societies, suggesting that understanding and engaging with this wisdom can broaden perspectives on what it means to be civically engaged.
“The book is very purposeful in helping us think about the schooling experiences of African immigrant youth – not solely from Western perspectives using Eurocentric frameworks,” said Watson.
Utilizing over a decade of research, the book incorporates perspectives across 13 chapters from 22 contributors representing a broad spectrum of academic disciplines – including social studies, mathematics, higher education and even those outside of education. Curriculum, Instruction and Teacher Education Ph.D. program students Sandra Boating and Joel Berends also contributed to the book.
Chapter 12 – co-written by Watson and Berends – proposes a curriculum design that honors and extends students’ complex identities, cultural backgrounds and contributions to their communities. Their framework aims to affirm the richness of African immigrant experiences in educational settings.
Watson hopes that educators, policymakers, professional development workshops, curriculum developers, and others will read and engage with the book.
Informed by experience
Watson’s journey to this book began during his time as a teacher in a performing and visual arts high school in New York City, where his curiosity about the creative and artistic literacy practices of Black youth he worked with was piqued.
This interest, combined with his professional background as a music journalist for seven years, laid the foundation for his scholarly work.