Using Afrocentric praxis as loving pedagogies to sustain black immigrant racial identities

In this article, we chronicle two African American, male teachers’ (fourth and fifth-grade teachers at the same school) use of Afrocentric praxis to demonstrate how the identities of African Diasporic students can be honored and sustained. We begin by explaining the conceptual framework and the context of the school and classrooms. We focus our gaze on the two teachers and Yandi, a second-generation immigrant child, because complex cultural identities are often forgotten and negated in school. We reflect on the pedagogical needs of Yandi as a student whose parents are first generation immigrants to the U.S. We demonstrate how layering the content of African-Diasporic people using Afrocentric praxis can serve as methods to actualize pedagogical love and can be used to engage and invite Black students whose parents are recent immigrants. We conclude with recommended resources.