Presentation of the Special Issue Regarding African Canadian Educational Excellence

• Published in: Canadian journal of education 2021-01, Vol.44 (1), p.CI-CXII
• Main Authors: Jean-Pierre, Johanne, Daniel, Beverly-Jean, Collins, Tya
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic achievement; African Canadians; African cultural groups; Black Canadians; Black students; Canadians; Children & youth; Citizen participation; Citizenship; Curricula; Diaspora; Education; Educational attainment; Educational Practices; Educational Quality; Educational Research; Employment; Human rights; Learning; National identity; Parents & parenting; Pedagogy; Policy making; Race; Racial identity; Racism; Social identity; Social mobility; Stereotypes; Success; Well being
• ISSN: 0380-2361; 1918-5979

The United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024) provides an opportunity to recognize the necessity of promoting the human rights of Black populations across the globe, to enhance their access to justice, and to further the development, and promotion of their well-being (United Nations General Assembly, 2013). Regarding Canada, the Report of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent states the need to "implement a nationwide African Canadian education strategy to address the inordinately low educational attainment, high dropout rates, suspensions and expulsions experienced by African Canadian children and youth"(United Nations 2017, p.19). The report also underscores the importance of further developing an Africentric curriculum and an accurate portrayal of Black Canadian history in textbooks and course materials, to avoid the perpetuation of negative stereotypes (United Nations 2017, p. 16). This bilingual special issue is one answer to the United Nations' recommendations, with a specific intention of informing reflections, policymaking processes, and practices that foster African Canadian learners' educational success.African Canadians are often assigned a subjective social identity that varies contextually across the country. When we refer to this population, we refer to all Black Canadians of African descent, from communities that have been in the country since the onset of the transatlantic settlement, to relatively recent immigrants from the African continent, the Caribbean, and the vast diaspora. Given that education is a fundamental human right and a key social determinant of health, citizenship, civic participation, and life chances, including employment outcomes and social mobility, this special issue expands an existing body of literature about the educational journeys of African Canadian students. It consists of scholarly theoretical and empirical articles, in English and in French, that contribute to advancing the state of knowledge regarding what promotes their overall educational achievement, success, and well-being. In order to introduce this collection, a brief overview of the literature will be presented, followed by a summary of each article, and a conclusion entailing the implications for future research inquiries, and recommendations.