Supporting Black Students' Mathematical Identity

There is a substantial amount of literature focusing on the importance of culturally relevant teaching that emphasizes connecting the school's curriculum with the culture of students. This approach can be accomplished through the concept of ethnomathematics. Ethnomathematics studies how cultural groups practice and use math in daily activities (e.g., playing, counting, measuring, and building). The first strand of ethnomathematics as discussed by Vithal and Skovsmose (1997) challenges the traditional history of mathematics, which is criticized for ignoring, devaluing, and omitting the contributions of non-European cultures, including sub-Saharan Africans. In this article, Taajah Felder Witherspoon provides an instructional plan on African contributions designed to engage and empower African American students in mathematics.