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"African Canadians are continually striving for equity and fair representation in the educational realm. Moreover, African Canadians are continually striving for learning opportunities that acknowledge and recognize their intellectual and academic history and culture and in turn places this rich condition at the centre of the learning experience." |
Delvina E. Bernard, Executive Director, CACE |
The need to build institutions that contribute to the African Nova Scotian's social, cultural, economic, political, educational and spiritual development is shared by various organizations, institutions, community groups, and individuals. This desire was evident with the formation of the Provincial Advisory Committee established in 1989 later named Black Learners Advisory Committee (BLAC) in 1990, and the subsequent release in 1994, of the BLAC Report on Education - a comprehensive three-year study into the status of African learners in Nova Scotia.
The Black Learners Advisory Committee (BLAC) recognized the urgent need to develop curriculum materials that would acaknowledge the history and culture of African Nova Scotians and then integrate those materials into the Nova Scotia school curriculum. BLAC also recognized the importance of researching Africentric education and studying exemplary models and their delivery methods in regards to educating African Canadian learners. In other words, BLAC acknowledged the significance of an African Canadian directed system of research and practice in education, resulting in the notion of establishing an Africentric Learning Institute (ALI).
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