Introduction (Second Draft)

Most people believe that African American history begins with slavery.  In actuality, African American history began way before Africans were brought to America in chains and shackles; And contrary to the horrific poverty, famine, and disease afflicting many African nations today, the existence of great African Kingdoms, rich in cultural and educational institutions is strangely left out of primary and secondary school curriculums. In America, the many years of a discriminatory and racist educational system, has resulted in the cultural deprivation and loss of identification of African Americans to their African ancestry. One can agree that, if the only information you are provided about your people and culture is slavery, and that they were uncivilized savages with inferior intelligence, it could foster a negative self-esteem towards oneself and their African ancestry. This opinion can be argued that cultural education has an impact on ones self-esteem and as a result can affect the academic performance of African American youths in the public school system.  

 African American cultural history is important, because it provides African American students with a positive association about themselves and the culture in which they came from. Without this knowledge, they are only left with the negative, racist ideals about African American people, which were used as a dehumanizing mechanism to rid them of any pride or cultural identity. Therefore, one can draw a connection between the cultural deprivation of African American students with the increasing low academic performance rate in public schools, because of the current curriculum it promotes doesn’t take into consideration the history of the people it is meant teach.

For instance, this is especially true when one considers the huge drop-out rate of African American youths in the public school system.  According to the U. S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, “Today’s report confirms that our nation faces a dropout crisis. When 25 percent of our students – and almost 40 percent of our black and Hispanic students – fail to graduate high school on time, we know that too many of our schools are failing to offer their students a world-class education”.  This quote from the Secretary of Education clearly demonstrates that there is a problem with the current educational system that is responsible for providing all children with an education that meets their fundamental learning needs, so that they will be able to contribute to society (National Black Education Agenda).