Towards a Framework of African-­Centred Child and Youth Care Praxis

Child and youth care (CYC) is a field that has ostensibly grown from the collective wisdom of adults and young people from diverse cultures of the world. In actuality, however, much of our field’s wisdom— its ­ theories, values, literature, and leading voices— is ­ based largely upon European and North American traditions that prescribe a relatively narrow and White conceptualization of CYC as a field of practice. In spite of claims of diversity, multiculturalism, or cultural competency, the mainstream orthodoxy of our field continues to police the boundaries of “authentic” CYC theory and practice, which subtly and invisibly reinforce colonial, White, Euro-­ American ways of knowing, doing, and being, and idealize colour-­ blind liberal ideologies and depoliticized, professionalized relational practice. Disappointingly, efforts to disturb the White elephant in our classrooms, conferences, workplaces, and other shared spaces are often met with deflection, denial, despair, and anger— ­especially when the issues pertain to anti-­ Black racism.