Educating Black Youth Moral Principles through Black Art

244 Pages·2017·4.09 MB·English

Georgia Southern University
Digital Commons@Georgia Southern
Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies, Jack N. Averitt College of
Spring 2008
Educating Black Youth Moral Principles through Black
Art
Mariah Spann Buchanan
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd
Recommended Citation
Buchanan, Mariah Spann, "Educating Black Youth Moral Principles through Black Art"
(2008). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 465.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/465
This dissertation (open access) is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies,
Jack N. Averitt College of at Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. It has been accepted for
inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital
Commons@Georgia Southern. For more information, please contact
[email protected].
EDUCATING BLACK YOUTH MORAL PRINCIPLES THROUGH
BLACK ART

by
MARIAH S. BUCHANAN
(Under the Direction of Ming Fang He)
ABSTRACT
This study examined the connection between Black youth moral behavior and the
aesthetic value of Black art. Today’s Black youth are impressed with elements in the
media, their schools, and other social surroundings that have been a little less than
upstanding. This exploration of moral relevance of self evaluation is important in order
to empower the Black youth of today. With this self-empowerment, Black youth can
have the ability to access and exhibit behaviors of moral integrity.
This study examined interpretative narratives regarding Black art through group
discussions, one on one interaction, a questionnaire, and participant observations by
Black youth in the community in Jonesboro, Georgia. The interpretive stories were
collected from a group of five eighth grade Black youth. This selected group represented
less than 1% of the population of 30 % of under age 18 year old Black youth in a
community of 51.6% Black. Participants were encouraged to relate the visual
experience to their own childhood. In addition to this, stories from my own childhood
experiences were incorporated as an important aspect of this research. The goal is to
share my research and strategies with educators, parents, and community leaders who can
i
direct this process of increasing self awareness regarding morals among Black youth
through specific exercises in schools and community venues.
Critical race theory provides the theoretical framework for this study with an
emphasis on aesthetics. This framework contains information gathered from historical
narratives of Black works of art as well as written and verbal texts of Black students and
theorists of Black studies. I have included a number of poems which are reflective of the
Black experience. This research drew upon developments of democracy, relating to
Black culture, education of Blacks in the South, and the relationship of moral principles
among Blacks relating to art, schools, and social events in America. These theoretical
insights span from the beginning of the educational history of Blacks in the United States
until the present.
A visual narrative methodology was used to interpret the semiotics for Black
culture which creates an aesthetic pedagogy necessary for introducing change to curricula
in schools and programs in the community. Through these controlled discussions and
written responses the implications of moral understanding resulted in evidence for
understanding oneself as Black youth.

INDEX WORDS: Moral Principles, Art Education, Aesthetics, Critical Race Theory,
Black Art, Visual Narrative Inquiry, Democracy, Popular Culture.

ii
EDUCATING BLACK YOUTH MORAL PRINCIPLES THROUGH BLACK ART
by

MARIAH S. BUCHANAN
B.S. E. Arkansas State University, 1983
M. A. Central Michigan University, 2001

A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Georgia Southern University in
Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree

DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

STATESBORO, GEORGIA
2008

iii
© 2008
Mariah S. Buchanan
All Rights Reserved

iv
EDUCATING BLACK YOUTH MORAL PRINCIPLES THROUGH
BLACK ART
by
MARIAH S. BUCHANAN

Major Professor: Ming Fang He
Committee: Saundra Murray Nettles
Onyile Onyile
Ronald Bailey

Electronic Version Approved:
May 2008

v
DEDICATION
To my mother Rosie who taught me how to work hard and stay focus, because I
learned that from watching you raise 11 children on your own and never complained.
Momma, you instilled in me to dare to dream big things and to believe that I can with a
little help from the people around me. My moral principles have brought me to this point
in my life where I am urged to find ways to help others.
To my husband William who thought I was losing my mind when I began
pursuing this degree and who had to rub my shoulders when I couldn’t bear to sit at the
computer another second. The love of my life and truly my soul mate, whom I can still
say that about, after 36 years. Thanks for hanging in there when I took our last dime to
pay for school and even when I started to doubt myself. Without you knowing it, you
were there fussing but helping me move on, but then, maybe you did know.
To my daughter Johna Catrell who encouraged me all the way, even when you
knew I was pushing myself to the limit. You worried about me, fussed at me, and helped
me so much to do my very best, even though you wanted me to succeed and stop at the
same time. Thank you for your support.
To my son David, although you had your own concerns and pressures to go
through, I know you wished me well and could feel that I was getting stretched to my
limit. I know that some day after all of the leg work, you will too get to your rightful
place. There are no easy routes to achieving the good out of life, so continue to believe in
God and yourself.
Reuben, my youngest son, you have taken me on a journey that I did not travel
with the other two children. I have experienced new and exciting things relating to your
vi
life. I have met many people as a result of helping you develop into the person that you
are. I know that I have been preoccupied in my studies, but I know that you supported
me when you eased in the room and slowly asked questions or picked something up and
began to read. I know that you were trying not to interrupt when you finished and went
to your room. I tried not to forget that you are also traveling on a journey to some
wonderful and challenging experiences. The first to obtain a full scholarship to Boston
University and will be graduating from high school the same month I will. Thank you,
Reuben, for choosing me as your mother and taking the whole family to places unknown
to us.

vii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to express my appreciation to Dr. Ming Fang He for her tireless
efforts to encourage and produce quality candidates for the doctorial program. Without
your help and support it would not have been possible to achieve what I have been able to
do. Thank you for standing by me and pushing me to do what I needed to do.
I thank my committee members, Dr. Saundra Murray Nettles, Dr. Onyile Onyile,
and Dr. Ronald Bailey. Dr. Nettles, the first time I met you somehow I knew that I could
use your expertise in understanding the Black experience. Your guidance has been
impeccable in my completion of my dissertation. Dr. Onyile, what do I say about you? I
knew that the first day that I talked to you about getting in your class, that you were a
person of great standing. I have enjoyed learning from you and knowing more about the
mother land. Dr. Bailey, it has been a great pleasure knowing someone who knows so
much about Black studies. I have always wanted to learn more about my culture, so I
hope to continue the journey of learning.
Finally, I will always be grateful to the professors of Georgia Southern
University, the Fine Arts Department and the Curriculum Studies program for leading me
to a world of inquiry and wonderment.

viii
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………………..viii
LIST OF FIGURES…......……………………………………………………………….xii
CHAPTER
1 INTRODUCTION……..………………………………………………………......1
Research Purpose. ………………………………………………………..........2
Research Questions.…………………………………………………………....3
Values and Character Education Implementation Guide……………...……….5
Blacks' Advancement in White America.…………..………………………….7
Advancements of American Democracy………………………………………8
Auto/Biographical Roots of My Inquiry...... …………………………………19
Understanding Art and Aesthetics…....……………………………………...23
Potential Significance…….……………………………………………….....37
2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE……………………………………………………39
The Rise To Black Awareness………......…………………………………….39
Theoretical Framework………………………………………………………..41
Critical Race Theory …………………………………………………………41
Philosophical Views of Theorists. .…………………………………………..50
Understanding the Connection of Black Culture.…………………………….52
Educating Blacks in the South in Art…………………………………………54
The Historical Development of Black Art in the United States ……………...64
Blacks’ Moral Principles …..…………………………………………………72

ix