Abstract
Tolliver Atta discusses how her praxis as an African-centered educator and facilitator of learning has been influenced by the authentic lived experiences of African women, “Queens,” in her life. She shares stories of her mother, grandmothers and great-grandmother, whom she refers to as Mommas to the 4th power, to illustrate how their examples of complementarity, creativity, character, celebration and cultural groundedness have manifested in her professional life in her efforts to support transformative learning in the lives of her students. Tolliver Atta also explores the healing and transformative impact that an African-centered pedagogy has had on learners with whom she has worked in the USA, in Ghana and in Kenya.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Ashford, N., & Simpson, V. (1978). I’m every woman (Recorded by Chaka Khan). On Chaka (album). New York, NY: Warner Brothers.
Bernard, W. T., Issari, S., Moriah, J., Njiwaji, M., Obgan, P., & Tolliver, A. (2012). Othermothering in the academy: Using maternal advocacy for institutional change. Journal of the Motherhood Initiative for Research and Community Involvement, 3(2), 103–120.
Cross, W. E., Jr., & Frost, D. M. (2016). Black identities, internalized racism, and self-esteem. In J.M.Sullivan & W.E. Cross (Eds.), Meaning-Making, Internalized Racism, and African American Identity. Albany, NY: SUNY, p. 229–243.
Diallo, Y. (1998). Dombaa Folee. Minianka medicine music from Mali. CD-ROM.
Karenga, T., & Tembo, C. (2012). Kawaida womanism: African ways of being woman in the world. Western Journal of Black Studies, 36(1), 33.
Lanker, B. (1989). I dream a world: Portraits of black women who changed America. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang.
Mazama, M. A. (2002). Afrocentricity and African spirituality. Journal of Black Studies, 33(2), 218–234.
Nobles, W. W. (2015). From black psychology to Sakhu Djaer: Implications for the further development of a pan African black psychology. Journal of Black Psychology, 41(5), 399–414.
Rappaport, H. (2001). Encyclopedia of women social reformers (Vol. 1). Oxford, UK: ABC-CLIO, Ltd.
T’shaka, O. (1995). Return to the African mother principle of male and female equality. Oakland, CA: Pan African Publishers and Distributors.
TEDxDePaulUniversity. (2016, April 29). SANKOFA: Going back to fetch your inner voice (Derise Tolliver Atta). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbiUDXnx9UY&index=10&list=PLsRNoUx8w3rNq-DEDldUDetXaIds6zmAw
Tolliver, D. (2010). Using an African-centered paradigm for understanding race and racism in adult education. In V. Sheared, J. Johnson-Bailey, A. J. Colin, E. Peterson, & S. Brookfield (Eds.), The handbook of race and adult education (pp. 317–328).
Tolliver, D., Holton, D., Grooms, K., Anzoyo, A., & Nyambura, S. (2014). Transformation and spaces in an international educational partnership for adult learners in Kenya. Proceedings for the 16th International Transformative Learning Conference, Columbia University, New York City, NY.
Tolliver, D., & Tisdell, E. J. (2002). Bridging across disciplines: Understanding the connections between cultural identity, spirituality and sociopolitical development in teaching for transformation. Adult Education Research Conference. http://newprairiepress.org/aerc/2002/paper/68
Tolliver, D. E. (2000). Study abroad in Africa: Learning about race, racism, and the racial legacy of America. African Issues, 28(1–2), 112–116.
Tolliver, G. L. (1993). Unpublished personal journal.
Van Wyk, M. (2014). Towards an Afrocentric-indigenous pedagogy. In C. Okeke, M. Van Wyk, & N. Phasha (Eds.), Schooling, society and inclusive education: An Afrocentric perspective (pp. 39–61). Cape Town, South Africa: Oxford University Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Atta, D.T. (2018). Calling on the Divine and Sacred Energy of Queens: Bringing Afrikan Indigenous Wisdom and Spirituality to the Academy. In: Perlow, O., Wheeler, D., Bethea, S., Scott, B. (eds) Black Women's Liberatory Pedagogies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65789-9_13
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65789-9_13
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-65788-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-65789-9
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)