African American Communities: Implications for Culturally Relevant Teaching

We suggest that there is a powerful and affirming socialization taking place in African American communities that could be instructive to schools. This article illustrates how educators can build on the strengths found in the black community to effectively teach African American students. Relating the ethos of the barbershop to tenets of culturally relevant pedagogy, aspects of the barbershop that empower black males are made explicit. Absent in many teacher education programs is the emphasis on developing an inside understanding of students' communities and recognizing and illuminating existing best practices that differ from mainstream conceptions.