Conclusions & Implications

In current efforts to close the achievement gap, the effects of purposeful curriculum redevelopment cannot be ignored. Although the assumption of the prevailing doctrine is that the current curriculum is somehow un-raced because it is stoked in the history of the United States, U.S. history curriculum has been overwhelmingly Eurocentric and psychologically oppressive to minorities in the United States (Abdi, 2006; Asante, 2003; Barret & Koenker, 2008; Loewen, 2007).

The contention in the present study is that all U.S. history curricula is race-based but can become more comprehensive through inclusion of the stories of the races previously ignored or marginalized, in this case, Blacks. However, modification of the curriculum is not solely a Black need for validation. Creating a language of cultural competence focused on the deficit of information results in the continued dominant culture of White superiority if recognition of joint success is disregarded. Research has also shown the value of including ethnic-centered curriculum to empathize with cultures and races without societal privilege (Shockley, 2009). Thus, in rethinking history, we must rewrite history, not telling students lies but including true perspectives and holistic standpoints for more accurate views of past events.

We must also teach critical thinking. Students must learn to question if the available perspectives are truly the only perspectives available or if other options remain hidden. Prior research has indicated a positive correlation between student achievement, self-efficacy, and the implementation of critical thinking within a rigorous curriculum (Abrami et al., 2008). An Africentric U.S. history curriculum inherently includes critical thinking skills because of the utilization of the revised learning taxonomy (Marzano & Kendall, 2007) as the basis for the hierarchy of learning and questioning. The results of the present study show critical thinking is a contributing factor in increasing achievement for all students

Implications

Although students of color are achieving at higher levels than previously attained, they have continued to be outperformed in all areas of academics by their White and Asian counterparts (David et al., 2006). As Lincoln (1858) once affirmed that America could not survive with a population half slave and half free, the United States educational system cannot improve without honest dialogue concerning the causes of the achievement gap and reasonable solutions to minimize the gap. Students must be taught to think critically about the information they are given and even more critically about the information that may be withheld. If the objective of education is to produce citizens who will contribute positively to the nation and the world, the American history curriculum must be reevaluated and recreated. An Africentric U.S. history curriculum is a total history through which all students may engage and grow.