School districts are failing to educate all of America's children. Dropout statistics reveal that almost 7,000 students leave our nation's schools everyday. At this rate 1.2 million students will not graduate on time with their prospective classes. The majority of American male students of African descent are dropping out instead of completing high school. When compared to that of their white peers, the dropout rate of American male students of African descent is significantly higher and the graduation rate much lower. This research examines high school dropouts from the perspectives of school-based leaders in a high school located in a city in a large southern school district. Structured interviews, transcribed with member-checks, were conducted with eight school-based leaders. The data in this qualitative study were used to examine their perspectives of American male students of African descent dropping out of their high school. The researcher maintained a reflective research journal to enhance the data analysis. The study found that the perspectives of the eight school-based leaders were influenced by their past histories with these students; their personal and acquired knowledge of these students, their families, and their communities. They were largely uniformed of the dropout rate and their previous history with these students had an impact on their present level of support to these students.

The purpose of this research was to investigate ways classical composers of African descent have been included in the mainstream academic canon. I examined the insights of four scholars who have been committed to including classical composers of African descent throughout their music careers. The initial research questions of this study were: 1) How do participants describe their frameworks for making the commitment to include classical composers of African descent throughout their careers? 2) What have been the challenges and benefits associated with their commitment? 3) What might contemporary scholars view as strategies for integrating classical composers of African descent into the mainstream academic canon? Four musicians, who have contributed to the scholarship related to classical works by composers of African descent in very different ways, participated in this qualitative collective case study: Dr. Ysaye Maria Barnwell, a composer and performer; Dr. Dominique-Rene de Lerma, musicologist; Dr. Anthony Thomas Leach, educator, conductor, and organist; and Mr. Hannibal Lokumbe, composer, trumpeter, and visionary. Through two in-depth interviews with each of the four scholars, a related question emerged: How have the participants contributed to the inclusion of classical composers of African descent throughout professional careers and personal lives? I transcribed the interviews, returned them to the participants for member checks, and prepared final, revised transcripts based on their feedback for analysis. I examined the interview data to obtain a collective representation related to the research questions. I analyzed the data for emerging codes, categories, and themes until details considered substantive to the research emerged. Themes that emerged focused on the need to identify the importance of seeing the contributions for classical composers of African descent from an Afrocentric as well as a Eurocentric perspective; the impact of the Civil Rights Movement on how each participant engaged the music throughout their lives; the importance of informal and formal education and the roles family, community, and school played in their relationship with the music they shared; and, the significance of creating access to their works through publications and professional associations. / Music Education

Research on employment in Canadian AIDS service and allied organizations (AASOs) should recognize the unique experiences of immigrant women workers of African descent given their transnational HIV histories, working roles, relationship and responsibilities, interconnected identities and senses of belonging, and intersecting systems of oppressions they navigate within their working lives. Guided by decolonizing, anti-colonial, and transnational feminist thoughts, the Because She Cares study aims to understand the experiences of African women living with HIV who are employed in the HIV sector in the province of Ontario, Canada. Using performance narrative methodologies, this inquiry explored HIV-related work as agential, cultural and social practices of caring work; and deciphered the local and transnational interconnections to African women’s sensemaking of their work as HIV caring work. Ten African women with employment histories in Canadian AASOs participated as the Narrators. Using performance narrative methods based on oral traditions, I gathered, interpret and shared their stories of HIV caring work. In collaboration with the Narrators, I poetically “retold” interview narratives to embody the emotive resonance of the original telling and evoke the theoretical and political relevance of the sharing. Study findings illuminate the multiple self, communal and social modes of caring that emerged in women’s HIV-related work, the shifting responsibilization of African women living with HIV as carers, the intersecting systems of oppression African woman navigate in Canadian work spaces and strategies of care-full work that translocates “back home”. This study documents work experiences of African women whose HIV-related engagement is notable yet, typically overlooked in Canadian research on HIV-related employment and civic engagement. Decolonizing, anti-colonial, and transnational feminist thinking allowed me to use culturally responsive methodologies that highlight how HIV caring work becomes processes of identity and belonging, and its corresponding rights and responsibilities, within and across local and transnational contexts. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Guided by decolonizing, anti-colonial, and transnational feminist thoughts, the Because She Cares study aims to understand the experiences of African women living with HIV who are employed in the HIV sector in Ontario, Canada. Study aims include better understanding HIV-related work as agential, cultural and social practices of caring work and deciphering its local and transnational interconnections. Ten African women with employment histories in Canadian AIDS service and allied organizations (AASOs) participated as the Narrators. Using performance narrative methods based on oral traditions, I gathered, interpret and shared their stories of HIV caring work and “retold” narratives as poems. Study findings illuminate the multiple self, communal and social modes of caring that emerged in women’s HIV-related work, the shifting responsibilization of African women living with HIV as carers, the intersecting systems of oppression African woman navigate in Canadian work spaces and strategies of care-full work that translocates “back home”.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-08T16:59:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 willian.pdf: 648773 bytes, checksum: efff28b899069f2d5a167c848577db4f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-02-25 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This dissertation aims to analyze the creation of education proposals made by African descendants in São Paulo from 1918 to 1931, when the black press criticized more strongly the use of charitable societies, which allowed the appearance of the Civic Center Palmares that, unlike the other associations criticized in newspapers, organized dances not only be concerned with the civic education of African descent and closed in 1931. In this sense, the analysis allowed the recognition of the meaning of education to these people, the life project that she was related. Through newspaper articles, memoirs used as sources, it was felt that there was a public sphere of scholars of African descent who was trying to make the descent on condition of citizens on an equal footing with other sectors of the city's community, for it attempted to create "another relationship "in which education was an important point to inculcate their values and aspirations, which makes the proposed education strategy of the public sphere / Esta dissertação tem o objetivo de analisar a criação as propostas de educação feitas por afrodescendentes na cidade de São Paulo no período de 1918 à 1931, quando a imprensa negra criticou com mais veemência os usos das sociedades beneficentes, que possibilitou o surgimento do Centro Cívico Palmares que, ao contrário das outras associações criticadas nos jornais, não organizava bailes só se preocuparia com a instrução cívica dos afrodescendentes e encerrou suas atividades em 1931. Nesse sentido, a análise possibilitou o reconhecimento do sentido da educação a essas pessoas, a que projeto de vida ela estava relacionada. Através de jornais, estatutos, memórias usadas como fontes, entendeu-se que havia uma esfera pública de letrados afrodescendentes que tentava colocar os afrodescendentes em condição de cidadãos em pé de igualdade com os demais setores da sociedade paulistana, para isto tentou criar uma outra convivência em que a educação seria um ponto importante para inculcar seus valores e anseios, o que faz das propostas de educação uma estratégia dessa esfera pública

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-08T17:00:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Janaina.pdf: 14684647 bytes, checksum: cc0a2fedc0e7363a715fe273b0c61c3c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-02-25 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This dissertation intends to investigate aspects of the lives of African descent in post-abolition in the city of São José in Santa Catarina. Through their memories fragments about themes concerning family, work, living spaces and dances we perceive their strategies of resistance and their networks of sociability. The plots experienced by individuals involved in this research are intertwined to the historical character of Pedro Leite, who stood out in politics, religion and culture in São José, especially in the Brotherhood of Our Lady of the Rosary and Saint Benedict and Cacumbi sdance, in the early twentieth century. This research is important in order to give visibility to the African-Brazilian city of São Jose, beyond the period of slavery with the purpose of to overcome a pessimistic outlook, noting that the subjects freed or freeborn swindledthe difficulties of post-abolition and did its history in the city in living with other people / A presente dissertação tem como cenário a cidade de São José em Santa Catarina, e pretende investigar aspectos do cotidiano dos afrodescendentes no pós-abolição, percebendo suas estratégias de resistência, suas redes de sociabilidades através de fragmentos de suas memórias, sendo apresentadas em temáticas que falam sobre a família, o trabalho, os espaços de moradia e os bailes. As tramas vivenciadas pelos sujeitos envolvidos nesta pesquisa, estão entrelaçadas ao personagem histórico do Pedro Leite, que se destacou na política, religião e na cultura em São José, em especial na Irmandade de Nossa Senhora do Rosário e São Benedito e na dança do Cacumbi, no início do século XX. A pesquisa se justifica, no sentido de dar visibilidade aos afro-brasileiros do município São José, para além do período da escravidão, visando superar uma perspectiva pessimista, percebendo que os sujeitos libertos ou nascidos livres conseguiram burlar as dificuldades do pós-abolição e fizeram sua história no município na convivência com outros povos

OLIVEIRA, Leyla Beatriz de Sá. Cultura afroceaense: um estudo sobre africanidades, educação e currículo numa escola pública de Fortaleza. 2011. 101f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Educação) – Universidade Federal do Ceará. Faculdade de Educação, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação Brasileira, Fortaleza-CE, 2011. / Submitted by Raul Oliveira (raulcmo@hotmail.com) on 2012-07-05T13:52:45Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2011_Dis_LBSOliveira.pdf: 4883944 bytes, checksum: db07f693c1feec02c89e4d3f36dc4ef5 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Maria Josineide Góis(josineide@ufc.br) on 2012-07-20T14:42:01Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2011_Dis_LBSOliveira.pdf: 4883944 bytes, checksum: db07f693c1feec02c89e4d3f36dc4ef5 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2012-07-20T14:42:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2011_Dis_LBSOliveira.pdf: 4883944 bytes, checksum: db07f693c1feec02c89e4d3f36dc4ef5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / This work consists of a participatory research in a public school in Fortaleza. It has empirical character and its main objective is to contribute to the implementation of Federal Law 10.639/03 by conducting interactive activities with students in the afternoon classes with the groups of children from infant education to 5th period. The purpose of this research was to create mechanisms for recovery the Black Culture in this school. Concern to the stigma that state of Ceara "has not black people here”, many students deny their ethnic origins, which makes it more difficult the actions directed to the recovery of history and Afro-Brazilian and African culture in our state. Another factor cited as relevant that interfere negatively in the ethno-racial relations in the school, leveraging prejudices, is the almost total invisibility of black characters in the media and literature, and when they exist, deal with irrelevant or malignant roles. The activities at school were anti racist. To this end, they sought to fit especially in the areas of literature, history and art education, which are considered priorities in the school context by Federal Law 10.639/03. As the final analysis, it was possible to see how students reacted positively to the introduction of content about African people and their descent. Furthermore, it was noticed significant changes in the school as an attempt to ensure the continuity of recovery of Black culture. / Este trabalho consiste em uma pesquisa participante realizada em uma escola pública municipal de Fortaleza. Possui caráter empírico e tem como principal objetivo contribuir para a aplicação da Lei Federal n. 10.639/03 através da realização de atividades interativas com os alunos do período da tarde das turmas de infantil ao 5º ano. A proposta das oficinas foi criar mecanismos de valorização da cultura negra nessa escola. Estando o estado do Ceará sob o estigma de que “aqui não há negros”, muitos alunos e professores negam seu pertencimento étnico, o que dificulta as ações direcionadas à valorização da História e Cultura Africana e Afro-brasileira em nosso estado. Outro fator citado relevante que interfere de forma negativa nas relações étnico-raciais dentro da escola, alavancando preconceitos, é a quase que total invisibilidade de personagens negros na mídia e na literatura, ou quando existem, ocupam papéis irrelevantes ou malignos. As atividades realizadas na escola tiveram caráter antirracista e evidenciaram o negro como figura de destaque. Para tanto, elas procuraram se enquadrar especialmente nas áreas de Literatura, História e Educação Artística, sendo estas consideradas prioritárias no contexto escolar pela Lei Federal n. 10.639/03. Como análise final, foi possível verificar como os alunos reagiram de forma positiva com a introdução de conteúdos sobre as populações africanas e afrodescendentes. Ademais, ocorreram mudanças significativas na escola como tentativa de garantir a continuidade de atividades de valorização da cultura negra.

This study examines the educational persistence of women of African descent (WOAD) in pursuit of a doctorate degree at universities in the southeastern United States. WOAD are women of African ancestry born outside the African continent. These women are heirs to an inner dogged determination and spirit to survive despite all odds (Pulliam, 2003, p. 337).This study used Ellis’s (1997) Three Stages for Graduate Student Development as the conceptual framework to examine the persistent strategies used by these women to persist to the completion of their studies.

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