Afrocentrism is the cultural movement in which African Americans embrace African culture. It has inspired strong opinions and academic debates throughout its history. Afro-centrists misinterpret both African culture and their personal history. They reject the negative aspects of their history and the Afrocentric movement as a collective has a selfish attitude, especially in relation to other cultures. In Everyday Use, Alice Walker uses Dee to represent key aspects of the Afrocentric movement. These include its selfish and one-sided nature, its misplaced historical significance, and its misconceptions about African culture. Dee's thoughts and actions will be compared to these aspects of Afrocentrism in order to show how Dee represents them. An Afrocentrist believes that their culture and heritage are more important than those of a person of a different identity. Furthermore, they believe that their culture and heritage are the only ones that concern them. In her article Mistakes of Afrocentrists, Anne Wortham examines Afrocentrism and its tendencies to prioritize their heritage over that of other cultures. They do not view their culture as part of a larger whole and believe that their history and contributions to society should be highlighted. “Afrocentrists claim that the way to improve the academic performance of black children is to improve their self-image by requiring teachers to include or emphasize the contribution of blacks in the curriculum” (Wortham, 41) . Emphasizing the accomplishments of one group suggests that it is superior or different from another. Wortham goes on to explain that such an educational policy could actually lead to lower levels of self-esteem among white and black children...... middle of paper ......s than Afrocentrists are purely detrimental to Africans- The American Zeitgeist. Walker makes Dee such a negative character to reflect his opinion on the merits of Afrocentrism. She uses Everyday Use as a vehicle to promote the idea that any form of centrism is bad. Additionally, rather than focusing on our own cultural backgrounds, we should all embrace the diversity of our collective society. Works Cited Reed, W. Edward, Erma J. Lawson, and Tyson Gibbs. “Afrocentrism in the 21st century. » Western Journal of Black Studies 21.3 (1997): 173-79. Academic research completed. Internet. May 2, 2011. Walker, Alice. “Daily use.” The Norton Book of American Short Stories. Peter S. Prescott, ed. New York: Norton, 1988. 714-21. Print. Wortham, Anne. “Errors of the Afrocentrists.” Academic Issues 5.4 (1992): 36-47. Academic research completed. Internet. May 2 2011.