Proposing African-Centered Education in STEM for African (American) STEM Learners

Despite the rich legacy of African (Americans) ^[1] in STEM, today African (Americans) are underrepresented in these fields. African (Americans) are awarded the lowest percentage of STEM degrees and make up 9% of the STEM workforce (NCSES, 2023). Educators (Bailey et al., 2023; Burbanks et al., 2020; Holly, 2021; Prime, 2019) argue that traditional pedagogical practices and STEM curricula contribute to these phenomena. While conventional STEM teaching aims to develop and strengthen interdisciplinary skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving and exploratory learning, European history and epistemology are at its core. Wilson (2014) argues that African^[2] people do not learn neutral mathematics and science, European history is ingrained in the study of these disciplines (e.g., names of concepts, laws and who ‘discovered’ them. African contributions and ways of knowing are completely disregarded. Wilson further asserts that the educational system is based on the psychology of Europeans, which does not align with the psychology and personality of Africans. Europeans and Africans possess different histories, practice different cultures and experience different social realities which produce a different collective psychology and personality between the two groups. African (American) educators have realized that the aforementioned cripples the African (American) STEM learning experience and are advocating for innovative approaches to engage the African (American) STEM student. Methods include utilizing culturally responsive strategies, incorporating African (American) achievements and African-centered elements into a STEM program.

This paper proposes utilizing African-Centered Education (ACE) in STEM for African (American) STEM students. A body of literature created by African-Centered educators (Akoto, 2018; Burbanks et al., 2020; Madhubuti & Madhubuti, 1994; Shockley & Lomotey, 2020) describe the value, importance and necessity of ACE in the development of African (American) children. These educators report an increase in interest, motivation, engagement and learning among African (American) students exposed to ACE. The underlying premise of this paper is that applying ACE in STEM may result in an increase in interest, motivation, engagement and learning among African (Americans) in STEM. The contents of this paper include a discourse on African-Centered Education, essential elements of a general ACE program and an African-Centered STEM program, and a description of an African-Centered STEM program entitled Conscious Ingenuity.

African-Centered Education in STEM

Overview of African-Centered Education

American schools utilize a European-centered approach to educate students, regardless of the students’ racial/cultural background. Kombon (1993) defines European-Centered as

utilizing the culture and philosophy of Eurasian/Caucasian/European people as a frame of reference for organizing one’s approach to reality-survival and understanding in the world. The conceptual framework or orientation to reality (values, beliefs, definitions, rituals, customs, practices, etc.) based on the history, culture, and philosophy of Eurasian people (as a race). (p.215)

African (American) students who matriculate through this process acquire a European worldview, which is why Woodson (1990) declares that “when the Negro has finished his education in our schools, then, he has been equipped to begin the life of an Americanized or Europeanized white man” (p.5). Woodson (1990) argues that African (Americans) are culturally indoctrinated, rather than taught, in American schools. Therefore African (Americans) are not being educated, they are being miseducated. African-Centered scholars (Kambon, 2003; Shockley et al., 2008; Wilson, 2014); Woodson, 1990) concluded that miseducation adversely impacts African (Americans) psychologically, culturally, and socially. These scholars and others (Shockley & Lomotey, 2020) argue that the educational experience of African (American) children should be one that is African-Centered (Afrocentric or Africentric) in all aspects of learning and teaching. The primary premise is that African (Americans) are the descendants of West and Central African people. Despite separation from Africa due to the Maafa, the cultural linkage between Africa and African (Americans) persists as attested by the Africanisms exhibited by African (Americans) (Holloway, 2005). Jennings (2002) noted “all communities of people have a classical civilization. The continental African and those of the Diaspora have Kemit” (p 128). Hence, African (Americans) are essentially Africans in America.

The exact origin of African-Centered Education (ACE) is unknown. However, the authors contend that ACE evolved out of the desire to develop a form of education that empowers the African (American) community. The authors define ACE as a rearing process that ensures the development of an African consciousness and identity, while simultaneously endowing African persons with the knowledge, skills and inspiration to address their needs, advance their interests, and ensure their biological survival and prosperity. ACE is based on the African worldview which derives from African history, culture and philosophy. Akoto (2018) states that:

Afrikan-centered education is rooted in the unique history and evolved culture of Afrikan people. It is defined in its singular commitment to the elucidation of that history, that culture and the confirmation, invigoration and perpetuation of the Afrikan collective identity that emanates from that history and culture (p.44).

He further explains that ACE is committed to correcting historical distortions, rooting African persons in African morals, philosophies and traditions, and equipping African persons with the abilities to build and maintain a nation. Shockley et al. (2020) defines ACE as “the act of placing the needs and interests of people of African descent at the center of their educational experience” (p.1). Shockley et al. (2015) contend that ACE is effective, as there is no history of violence, educational failure, or low expectations in African-Centered schools.

Essential Elements of An African-Centered Educational Program

Although African-Centered scholars have published articles, journal papers, and books about African-Centered Education (ACE), ACE has not been formalized. However, a review of literature on ACE (Akoto, 2018; Madhubuti & Madhubuti, 1994; A. Ojuok, personal communication, May 7, 2023; Shockley & Lomotey, 2020) supports the following essential elements for an African-Centered educational program:

1. Culture must reflect African philosophical concepts.

2. Curriculum must include and be centered around historical African encounters with each discipline.

3. Instructors must be individuals who operate with an African-Centered worldview, possess the ability to manifest and communicate this worldview to their students.

4. African ways of knowing are used to assess student knowledge.

5. Developers must encourage and establish a sense of communal ownership (teachers, parents, children and community) in the educational process.

6. Discipline is non-punitive and geared towards strengthening the child’s engagement in the educational process.

7. Evaluation is holistic (i.e., quantitative and qualitative).

8. Students are empowered to excel academically without limits.

The authors and Ojuok (personal communication, May 7, 2023) contend that an African-Centered STEM program should include the aforementioned elements and the following:

1. Recognize the contributions of African people, past and present, to the field of STEM.

2. Provide students with an understanding of how Africans defined and utilized science, mathematics, and engineering.

3. Foster the view that nature is a respected partner in technological advancement.

4. Encourage students to place nature and humanity at the center when making decisions regarding the purpose, production, and utilization of technology.

5. Develop and assign projects that are collaborative, relevant, and culturally affirming.

6. Promote awareness and sensitivity toward the conditions of African people throughout the diaspora and how acquired STEM skills can positively impact them.

African Achievements in STEM (Past and Present)

A major goal of African-Centered scholars is to rescue and reconstruct African history which has been lost due to the Maafa^[3] and suppressed due to systemic racism in education. Therefore an integral part of African-Centered Education (ACE) is the teaching of African history. As noted in the previous section, an African-Centered STEM program recognizes the contributions of African people, past and present, to the field of STEM. These contributions are omitted from traditional STEM curricula which imbues feelings of inferiority within African (American) STEM students (Anderson, 2013; Burbanks et al., 2020). African-Centered STEM educators teach this knowledge to inspire African (American) students to participate in the STEM field, and to provide African (American) students with an understanding of how their ancestors viewed and utilized STEM.

Tools Uncovered in South African Caves

African people have a long-standing tradition of practicing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). This is attested by numerous tools, devices, writings and structures found in Africa dating back hundreds of thousands of years. The world’s oldest stone tools, dating back to 3.3 million years, were uncovered near Lake Turkana in northwestern Kenya (Bjelland, 2015). Archeologists also discovered tools located in South African caves that were occupied hundreds of thousands of years ago, specifically the Border Cave, Pinnacle Point, and Blombos Cave. Archeologist Kyle Brown, through experimental archeology, determined that stone tools discovered at Pinnacle Point are the oldest evidence for using heat to shape stone for tool production (Brown et al., 2009). The tools discovered in the forenamed caves are the technology early humans utilized to survive in their environment. The discovery of the tools provides insight concerning the technical choices and processes followed by early humans to produce their technology, and places the oldest evidence for the production of technology in Africa.

Devices and Writings from African Antiquity

Discoveries such as the Lebombo and Ishango devices substantiate knowledge of rudimentary mathematics in ancient Africa. The Lebombo device was discovered near the Border cave. The device is dated to 35k B.C. and inscribed with 29 notches (Beaumont, 1973). Peter Beaumont noted that the device resembles calendar sticks still in use today by Bushmen clans in Namibia. Darling (2004) suggests the device may have been used as a lunar phase counter, a notion that would make African women the first mathematicians a possibility. The Ishango device was discovered on the shores of Lake Edward (which lies astride the border of Congo and Uganda). The device is dated to 20k B.C. and has 168 parallel marks positioned in groups distributed on three sides (Heinzelin, 1962). Jean de Heinzelin and other researchers posit that the parallel marks are mathematical carvings. More discoveries such as the Greater Berlin Papyrus, Moscow Mathematical Papyrus and Rhind Mathematical Papyrus demonstrate African’s knowledge of mathematical operations and dimensional measures of geometric objects. The Greater Berlin Papyrus, written between 2040 B.C. and 1763 B.C. in ancient Egypt, contains math problems involving square numbers–evidence of the knowledge of the properties of the Pythagorean triplets–and solving a system of equations (Rossi, 2007). The Moscow Mathematical Papyrus, written around 1850 B.C. in ancient Egypt, contains twenty-five problems and their solutions, mostly concerning geometry (Miller, 2010). The Rhind Mathematical Papyrus, written by a scribe named Ahmes around 1550 B.C. in ancient Egypt, contains eighty-four problems concerning tables of divisions, multiplication, handling of fractions, and geometry, including volume and area (Robins & Shute, 1998). The aforementioned papyri are textbooks written by ancient African mathematicians. The papyri and devices support that mathematics was born in Africa.

Ancient African Structures

Ancient structures in Africa corroborate the practice of engineering in Africa thousands of years ago. These structures support that Africans understood and practiced various aspects of engineering such as surveying, architecture, mathematics, physics and material science. The Step Pyramid of Saqqara, for example, is considered the world’s first skyscraper and stone building (Browder, 2007). The pyramid is situated in a large complex of temples in Saqqara, Egypt and was built during the 27th century B.C. The pyramid consists of six massive rectangular stones layered to create a tiered monument that rises to a height of 197 feet. The Great Pyramid of Giza is one of the largest, oldest and only remaining Seven Wonders of the World (Browder, 2007). The pyramid sits on the Giza plateau and was constructed during the 26th century B.C. The pyramid consists of 2.5 million stones (each weighing 2 to 70 tons) and originally rose to a height of 481 feet (Browder, 2007). The base of the pyramid is a square with each side measuring 230 meters (756 feet). According to Researcher Anthony Browder, the base of this structure is a square whose perimeter is equal to the circumference of a circle with a radius equal to the height of the pyramid. Browder further asserts that the Great Pyramid was initially perfectly aligned to the true North. However, due to a shift in the earth’s crust the alignment is now off by approximately 1/12 of a degree. Inside of the Great pyramid lies the King’s Chamber in which two shafts extend to the outer surface. There is ongoing debate among astronomers concerning the shafts’ position relative to celestial bodies. Other structures such as Ipet-Isut (Karnak Temple), Shemayit-Ipet (Temple of Luxor) and Zosert-Zosru (Temple of King Hatshepsut) also attest to the African’s awareness and application of various aspects of engineering in antiquity.

African (American) Achievements in STEM

Despite challenging periods in African history, African people continued to practice STEM regardless of their location in the world. Hundreds of African (American) innovators can be named and described; however, space will only permit the naming of a few. Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806) was a mathematician and surveyor. He built a wooden clock that kept time for more than forty years, produced an almanac, and assisted with the initial survey of Washington, D.C (Asante, 2002). Elijah McCoy (1844-1929) was a mechanical engineer who had fifty-seven patents and was most famous for inventing lubrication devices, which made trains run more efficiently (Asante, 2002). Lewis Latimer (1848 – 1928) was a draftsman, patent expert and inventor who helped develop a more efficient transmitter for the telephone that improved the quality of sound, assisted with the development and commercialization of the incandescent light bulb, and designed a longer-lasting filament that made electric lighting more practical and affordable. He also created his own inventions and held several patents (Fouché, 2003). Granville T. Woods (1856-1910) was an electrical and mechanical engineer who developed telegraphony, a process that combined telephone and telegraph allowing operators to send and receive messages more quickly than before. He had approximately sixty patents (Fouché, 2003). Percy Julian (1899 -1975) was a chemist and entrepreneur who determined how to synthesize important medicinal compounds from numerous plant sources. He assisted with the first total synthesis of physostigmine which is used to treat glaucoma, synthesized cortisone and hydrocortisone, and created a method for mass-producing progesterone (Asante, 2002).

Contemporary African (American) innovators include Katherine Johnson (1918-2020), a mathematician who provided NASA with calculations that supported several space missions. She determined the paths for NASA spacecrafts to orbit the earth and travel to the moon (Johnson, 2020). Gladys Mae West (1930- ) is a mathematician who worked on numerous projects at the U.S Naval Proving Ground. She worked on the award-winning Naval Ordnance Research Calculator (NORC) that determined the movements of Pluto in relation to Neptune, a U.S. ocean surveillance satellite called Seasat that provided data on oceanographic conditions and features, and a satellite program named GEOSAT that created computer models of Earth’s surface. Her latter work led to the creation of a model of the Earth’s shape called geoid. This model was one of the foundations of the GPS system (Matthias, 2021). Jesse Russell (1948- ) is an electrical engineer who is regarded as the “Father of 2G”. His work contributed to the evolution of the wireless communication industry. At Bell Laboratories, he led the first team to introduce digital cellular technology in the United States. His key patents include “Base Station for Mobile Radio Telecommunications Systems,” the “Mobile Data Telephone,” and the “Wireless Communication Base Station” (West, 2015).

Conscious Ingenuity Program

Conscious Ingenuity (CI) is a K- 8th grade African-Centered STEM program that utilizes Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) to build character, confidence and capabilities. CI aims to cultivate conscious STEAM-ready African (Americans). The previous denotes rearing African (Americans) who are equipped with the awareness, character and skills to solve problems in the Pan-African community. CI is a year-round program that is currently being deployed in several Baltimore City Public Schools and African-Centered private schools. The initiative is a trusted partnership between the Y in Central Maryland Association (YMCA), Morgan State University School of Engineering, and other local institutions. The YMCA provides Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS) with after school enrichment programs. CI is one of the programs they utilize. A team of Morgan State School of Engineering professors and K-12 Maryland Public School teachers designed the CI pedagogy and curriculum. Morgan State University School of Engineering undergraduate students serve as CI instructors.

The African (American) experience is at the center of CI’s pedagogy and curriculum with the intent to give African (American) STEAM learners an educational experience that is relatable, relevant and engaging. The CI pedagogy utilizes strategies that align with characteristics endemic to African (Americans) to teach STEAM concepts. Call and response is a feature of African (American) culture that can be observed in various settings, e.g. social gatherings, homes and community institutions. During call and response, the speaker makes a statement(s) to the audience and elicits a verbal or non-verbal response(s) from the audience. Each CI lesson begins with a call to recite the Conscious Ingenuity Creed, which affirms the students’ identity, abilities, and duties. This is followed by calls and responses to assess students’ prior knowledge of the topic, gauge their understanding of the material throughout the lesson, and maintain engagement. Additional CI pedagogical practices include utilizing familiar cultural vernacular to communicate with students, incorporating relatable cultural references to clarify or reinforce the content presented, and conducting discussions with students regarding how the concepts learned can be used to solve problems in their community. Because African (Americans) are communal and studies show African (American) students strive in communal learning environments (Seiler & Elmesky, 2007), the CI pedagogy employs cooperative learning through hands-on activities requiring problem solving. The use of ethnically-matched instructors is another CI pedagogical practice. Research shows that African (American) students exposed to at least one African (American) teacher heightens students’ academic success (Milner, 2006). The instructors utilize lesson slides that depict African (American) cultural imagery. African-Centered psychologists (Wilson, 2014; Kambon, 2003) discuss the power of imagery and argue the necessity of inundating African (American) children with positive imagery of African (Americans) to foster a positive self-identity and self-esteem.

The CI curriculum consists of interactive STEM and character lessons. CI STEM lessons are designed to increase students’ knowledge and skills in mathematics, science, electric circuits, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, machine learning and coding. The cybersecurity curriculum is a collaborative effort between Conscious Ingenuity and the Cybersecurity Assurance and Policy (CAP) Center of Morgan State University. The artificial intelligence and machine learning curriculum is a collaborative effort between Conscious Ingenuity and the Center for Equitable Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Systems (CEAMLS) of Morgan State University. CI character lessons are designed to build character and to create a morally grounded context for shared learning. Students learn about the African contributions to STEM and African philosophical systems such as Ma’at and the Nguzo Saba. Karenga (2012) views Ma’at as the moral ideal of ancient Egypt and defines Ma’at as:

rightness in the spiritual and moral sense in three realms: the Divine, the natural and thesocial. In its expansive meaning, Maat is an interrelated order of rightness which requires and is the result of right relations with and right behavior towards the Divine, nature and other human beings (p. 10).

He further defines the Seven Cardinal Virtues of Ma’at as Truth, Justice, Propriety, Harmony, Balance, Reciprocity and Order. The Nguzo Saba, the Seven Principles he authored, come out of the African communitarian tradition. Karenga (2008) states that they are “the matrix and the minimum set of values needed for African (Americans) to rescue and reconstruct their own image and interest and build and sustain an Afrocentric family, community and culture” (p.43). The seven core values are: Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith).

Additionally, art is used to foster a strong identity and healthy self-esteem. Students watch Meltrek, an animated series that highlights the historical achievements of African people (Meltrek, n.d.). Community musicians assist students with writing, recording, and performing inspirational songs. Students also learn how to play musical instruments connected with their culture.

Implications

The essential elements of an African-Centered STEM program has many implications for practice, research, and/or program development and evaluation, perhaps most importantly is the need to reframe the contributing factors to low presence of African (Americans) in STEM careers. Often it is suggested that African (American) youth are academically underprepared or not exposed to STEM knowledge. Implementing the first two elements of African-Centered STEM would transform the miseducation prominent in contemporary educational systems; furthermore, researchers would need to revise their inquiries to expose the mechanisms that suppress the STEM proclivities of African (Americans). Another implication of this framework would be to transform the philosophical values underlying STEM education and practice. Traditionally, U.S. STEM is governed by capitalism and egocentrism–prioritizing self (read: white humans) over others and the environment.

Implementing the third and fourth elements of African-Centered STEM shifts to a ecocentric disposition, which is a nature-centered rather than a human-centered value system. Our governmental policies permit environmental exploitation for the sake of so-called technological advancement as if the two cannot be sought collectively, and now we must deal with the ramifications of haphazard mismanagement of natural resources. Implementing the fifth and sixth elements of African-Centered STEM begin to delineate the role of culture in teaching and learning. Ideals of objectivity and meritocracy must be replaced with a valuing and appreciation of the subjectivities we possess as humans, and more specifically those of African descent. Similarly, the decisions about which STEM initiatives receive financial and material support are inherently political; thus, this framework adds legitimacy to STEM policies and practices of those that desire to use technology to mitigate and/or redress oppression of African people across the world.

In a practical sense, implementation of this framework will require political education and clarity for individuals and organizations. Many entities have been heavily invested in promoting STEM as-is while advocating for African (American) youth to assimilate to its cultural and epistemological norms. Alternatively, we are advocating for emphasizing new interests and purposes for STEM. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), along with organizations like the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), have long sustained the presence of Black people in STEM education and careers; notwithstanding, there is a dearth of scholarship on whether these institutions actually center Africanity in their STEM training. We suggest HBCUs and NSBE form strategic partnerships with African-centered schools to merge the infrastructure of these large organizations with the knowledge and cultural-centeredness of these smaller institutions. The way forward demands the vision and willingness to reconstruct STEM for African (Americans), reform is inadequate when we need revolution.

Conclusion

African people are underrepresented in the STEM field, although historical and contemporary evidence proves that African people are pioneers in STEM and have greatly contributed to the expansion of these fields. This paper supports the notion that how STEM is taught to African (American) learners contributes to their low participation in STEM. Eurocentric pedagogical practices and curricula are the standard for STEM education. They constitute institutional barriers that do not support the success of African (Americans) in STEM. This paper proposed utilizing an African-Centered Education (ACE) in STEM to support the interest and learning of African (American) STEM students. We vehemently believe this approach has the potential to increase the number of African (Americans) in STEM, consequently increasing the number and diversity of STEM professionals. Additionally, this approach could transform the miseducation prominent in contemporary educational systems and change the philosophical values underlying STEM education and practice.