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A Focusing Tragedy: Public Policy and the Establishment of Afrocentric Education in Toronto

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 March 2012

Debra Thompson  and
Jennifer Wallner
Debra Thompson*
Affiliation:
Ohio University
Jennifer Wallner*
Affiliation:
University of Ottawa
*
Debra Thompson, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Ohio University, 213 Bentley Annex, Athens OH 45701, Email: debra.thompson.1@ohio.edu
Jennifer Wallner, Assistant Professor, School of Political Studies, University of Ottawa, 65 Laurier Ave. E., Ottawa ON K1N 6N5, Email: jennifer.wallner@uottawa.ca
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Abstract

Abstract. In January 2008, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) voted to establish Afrocentric education. Earlier proposals dating back to the early 1990s, however, garnered little response from the board. Why was the TDSB suddenly more amenable to the idea? We argue that the death of Jordan Manners acted as a focusing event that triggered concern regarding school safety and the challenges facing Black youth in Toronto, altering the policy climate and opening a window of opportunity for change. This analysis furthers conceptualizations of the connections between focusing events, policy entrepreneurs, the viability of alternative proposals, and the catalysts that facilitate policy change.

Résumé. En janvier 2008, le Conseil Scolaire du District de Toronto (CSDT) a voté en faveur de l'établissement d'un programme d'éducation afro-centrée. Des propositions précédentes remontant au début des années 1990 avaient suscité peu d'intérêt de la part du Conseil. Pourquoi le CSDT s'est-il soudainement montré réceptif à cette idée? Nous considérons que le décès de Jordan Manners a servi d'épisode marquant qui a suscité de fortes préoccupations quant à la sécurité à l'école et aux défis auxquels font face les jeunes noirs à Toronto. Cet évènement marquant a contribué à modifier le climat politique et à ouvrir une fenêtre d'opportunité propice au changement. Cette analyse conceptualise de plus les liens entre épisodes marquants, entrepreneurs politiques, la viabilité de différentes propositions et les catalyseurs qui facilitent le changement politique.

Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique , Volume 44 , Issue 4 , December 2011 , pp. 807 - 828
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Political Science Association 2011

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