Hundreds of millions of people of African descent who live in
different societies across the world trace their history back to Africa.
Nonetheless, there is still a profound silence in the curricula and the
manuals of primary and secondary schools about the crucial historical
events that shaped modern societies, especially the slavery of millions
of Africans. However, new educational techniques and greater
accessibility to teaching materials, in large part prompted by UNESCO
initiatives, have helped to break the "chain of silence" and to prompt
curricular reform that allows students access to knowledge about this
past. The common goal of the initiatives that have been undertaken in
different regions of the world is to contribute to a better
understanding of the slavery of millions of people and the social
consequences of racism. The implications affect the interactions among
peoples in the present global world. Breaking the silence requires more
than
confronting the history of slavery; it requires teaching African
history.
The purpose of the Workshop is to provide a forum where experts can
share experiences in developing pedagogic materials and innovative
strategies to teach about the slave trade and slavery and the heritage
of Africa in the diaspora of the Americas. Visit http://tubman.apps01.yorku.ca/
As part of the workshop, Dr. Kevin Franklin, Executive Director of
the Institute for Computing in Humanities, Arts, and Social Science
(I-CHASS), will be moderating a virtual discussion that will be streamed
live on the internet. Other panelists include Monica Lima from the
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Karolyn Smardz Frost
from York University in Canada, Rina Cáceres from the University of
Costa Rica and Jhon Picard Byron from the Universite d’ Etat in Haiti.
The presenters will accept questions from both the online audience. The
virtual discussion will be streamed live from 5:30pm EST at the
following URL:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/
November 5 to 7, 2010Defining New Approaches for Teaching the Transatlantic Slave Trade and SlaveryThe Harriet Tubman Institute
York University: Toronto, Canada.
