The AfroLatin@ Forum welcomes submission of abstracts for our upcoming conference Afro-Latin@s Now! Race Counts scheduled for October 23-25, 2014. We are looking for papers for the following panel: "Where Are the AfroLatin@s in the Classroom?". This panel will create an engaging dialogue centered on strategies to help identify, manage, and contribute to the number of Afro-Latin@s in classrooms across the United States. For more information on the panel, read below.

Individual abstracts should be 250 words or less and must relate to the issue of Education as stated in the panel description below. Abstracts should be submitted by Monday, April 14, 2014. Please complete the form below to submit your paper or presentation proposal. If you have any questions please email pablo@afrolatinoforum.org

"Where Are the AfroLatin@s in the Classroom?"

DESCRIPTION: This panel will discuss strategies to help identify, manage, and contribute to the number of Afro-Latin@s in classrooms across the United States. A central concern is identifying ways to understand and counteract racial and class disparities in public and private school systems. Participants of this panel should address topics having to do with Afro-Latin@s’ access and lack thereof to a well-rounded, comprehensive education leading up to college – one that includes Afro-Latin@ history and culture in the curriculum. How can educators make their curricula more diverse for the benefit of Afro-Latin@s and other students of African descent? What does cultural pluralism look like on a broader, national scale, and how can Afro-Latin@ students and educators be part of that expansive effort? How can we reimagine and recreate extra-curricula and after-school programs to further assist Afro-Latin@ students on their educational journeys, maximizing their opportunities for employment and leading successful, fulfilled lives?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

• Do Afro-Latin@s have sufficient access to a quality and comprehensive education? 

• How does limited access to a quality and comprehensive education affect Afro-Latin@ youth, adults, and families?

• How can we ensure that Afro-Latin@s are represented in their school’s curricula, and how can we fight for more diverse and inclusive curricula on a broader, national scale?

• How can Afro-Latin@ history and culture be included in primary and secondary school curricula across the Caribbean and Latin America?

• Are schools in New York City and other urban centers where Afro-Latin@s live racially segregated? How do we know?

• How can we identify and track Afro-Latin@s in public and private school systems? How can we make those numbers grow? 

• What are the acceptance rates for Afro-Latin@ students in private and elite schools? What are their experiences like once there?

• How do charter schools figure in the educational opportunities of Afro-Latin@s? Are Afro-Latin@ students being targeted by these schools and are they benefiting from their experience?