Open Access“Ain’t I Got a Right to the Tree of Life?”: Examining Special Education through the Application of Afro-Humanity
Author(s) -
Joy Banks,
Kmt G. Shockley,
Courtney Wilkerson
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
philosophical inquiry in education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2369-8659
DOI - 10.7202/1082921ar
Subject(s) - humanity , sociology , ideology , reading (process) , epistemology , psychology , social psychology , politics , philosophy , law , political science
In this manuscript we chart the intersection of dis/ability and Afro-humanity. We propose that Afro-humanity is a contextual paradigm within African-centred ideology that can be applied to explore the ways in which disability may be perceived differently when applying a specific, cultural philosophical lens. We also explore the process of decolonization, whereby African American parents, with a child identified with an intellectual disability, reorient themselves to a way of thinking that is more emancipatory. The parents act in a way that challenge concepts about human cognitive variance and notions of dis/ability in school settings. Drawing on such a model as Afro-humanity, we argue for a more equitable approach to community and educational engagement for Black students labelled with dis/abilities.