The Well-Trained Mind podcast RE-RELEASE: Is Classical Education Necessarily Eurocentric w/ Dr. Anika Prather
Aug 13, 2025
Dr. Anika Prather, founder of The Living Water School, explores the intersections of classical education and the Black intellectual tradition. She challenges the notion of Eurocentrism, advocating for a more inclusive literary canon. Highlights include the relationship between classical education and diverse cultural narratives, and how various influences can enhance understanding of history. Prather dives into educational philosophy, pushing for empathy and recognizing the contributions of Black authors like Octavia Butler and James Baldwin.
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Episode notes
Framing The Eurocentrism Question
- Eurocentrism centers European ways of knowing as sole, central, or superior according to the podcast hosts' framing.
- The episode opens by questioning whether classical education is irreversibly Eurocentric and what to do about it.
Canon As A Tool For Diverse Voices
- Anika Prather argues many non-European writers used classical education as a tool to tell their own people's stories.
- She cites Chinua Achebe and Phyllis Wheatley as examples of using the canon to elevate other traditions.
Teach Classical Learning As Bilingualism
- Treat classical education as gaining a second literacy, not as erasing home languages or cultures.
- Teach students they become bilingual in cultural literacies without abandoning their heritage.
