Teaching Africa in Canada: Afrocentric and Decolonial Pedagogy in Polarized Times – Authored by Dr. Selina Mudavanhu

Article Overview

The article, ‘Teaching Africa in Canada: Afrocentric and Decolonial Pedagogy in Polarized Times,’ examines how persistent, colonial-rooted stereotypes about Africa continue to shape some media narratives in the Global North, and reflects on the design and teaching of a graduate course at a Canadian university in response to this context. Grounded in Afrocentric and decolonial frameworks, where Afrocentricity centres African agency and decolonial theory critiques ongoing colonial influences in media and education, the course encourages students to challenge Eurocentric perspectives and engage with marginalized knowledge systems. This approach demonstrates how media education can disrupt dominant narratives, foster inclusive and justice-oriented learning, and equip students with the critical media literacy needed to engage ethically with questions of power, representation, and global inequality in polarized times.

Mudavanhu, S. L. (2026). Teaching Africa in Canada: Afrocentric and decolonial pedagogy in polarized times. Canadian Journal of Communication, 51(1), 126–139.