Drawing from the Black Intellectual Tradition in Our Classical Curricula

On Friday, June 26, Nyansa Classical Community’s Executive Director, Dr. Angel Adams Parham, spoke about drawing from the black intellectual tradition in our classical curricula. You can read the abstract of her paper or watch the video of the full workshop.

“Many urban classical schools serve a culturally and racially diverse student body. As students study great writing and great ideas, it is important for them to see that people from many different backgrounds have deeply appreciated and carefully studied these writers in ways that have often been transformative. It is especially important for African American students to know that writings from the Western tradition that are often perceived as belonging only or mainly to those of European descent have been embraced by black intellectuals of the past who went on to create their own classic writings. In this workshop we learn more about key writers of the black intellectual tradition and how their writings engage with the great conversation. We conclude with practical suggestions for enriching classical school curricula at both lower and upper school levels with contributions from black writers.”