A focusing tragedy: Public policy and the establishment of afrocentric education in Toronto

Debra Thompson*, Jennifer Wallner

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Scopus citations

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.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)807-828
Number of pages22
JournalCanadian Journal of Political Science
Volume44
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1 2011

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Sociology and Political Science

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