Influence in the Classroom.

Sunny-Marie Birney, the writer of the chapter “Voices of Our Foremothers: Celebrating the Legacy of African-American women Educators”, talks about her life journey from childhood to adulthood. She didn’t get to know her mother who was a black woman because she was adopted at such at a young age. She was adopted the age of two by white parents. Since she grew up with a while family the African-American culture was not a familiarity to her. She states she wasn’t exposed to Black culture until she entered college. Birney says she became “more culturally and spiritually connected to the African-American community.” Birney became very close to the professors during her college years and they became her movies her “mother’s away from home”. And with that she felt she could really relate to them and strived to be like them but put her own element in it.
For me personally when I came to Atlanta to attend college there were things that I would not have been exposed to being from Denver, Colorado. Colorado as a decent sized black community but the state is majority white. By coming to Atlanta more specifically to Spelman I was able to see women who are the same color as I am achieving things on a large scale. Back in Colorado, there weren’t many influential women that had jobs that I was interested in. But at my high school there were two black female teachers and they taught the African-American Literature and African-American History. I took both course and they focused on the black authors and black historians. Not many high schools offer classes that specifically focus on African-American studies, so luckily my high school offered them and the two teachers sparked the thought for me of becoming a teacher. But now that I witness so many black women here at Spelman, with other occupation other than teachers that gave me another incentive. It’s just very inspirational to see black women accomplish so much and be placed at a higher authority.
-Candice Frazier

Lessons From Down Under: Growing up in Rural Mississippi

As I was reading Lessons From Down Under written by Dr. Bessie House-Soremekun, written so fluently on the difference between Knowledge and Knowing, I began to think of my own upbringing. I grew up in rural Mississippi and most of the same white superiority was in Mississippi as well. Some of the same issues and circumstances that held down those of African descent in Alabama also held the blacks of Mississippi down as well. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized it. Just as she stated a lot about having a special connection with her grandmother, so did I. Till this day at the age of 65, my grandmother still informs me on lessons and literacy that can’t be found in a text book and cannot be taught in a classroom.
When I was eight years old, my grandmother’s home was burned completely down. It possessed every memory and artifacts passed down to her from her grandparents and so forth and so on. My grandmother lived in a small town in Mississippi just as Mrs. Bessie did. The white people there descended directly from Plantation owners as the town was very obviously segregated. My grandmother was a source of comfort to most African Americans in the community as she could cook and still can cook the best home cooked meal around. It was believed that the local white people took away everything she had worked so hard for and had continuously opened up for blacks to gain a unique type of literacy. It was like any other philosophy offered to justify the actions of rural whites. Whoever was a threat and whatever made them feel superior is what they were going to do. My grandmother taught me despite what may happen to stop you from doing the right thing and helping my fellow black people, continue to do the best you can in both knowledge and knowing. Just as Dr. Bessie’s grandmother taught her and showed her first hand.
By: Erica Paige

Welfare Woes

Many Americans depend on governmental assistance but it is often not talked about publically, that assistance is welfare. After reading Sandra Golden’s "Black and on Welfare: What You Don't Know About Single-Parent Women", I realize that welfare can be used as a stability for people who get caught in a dilemma in their lives such as Golden who tells about her situation of being a young, single mother and not having the ends to provide her and her child. She decides to get assistance from the welfare system. Welfare is a government based assistant to help those who are in need. I am not or was not aware of how welfare worked but honestly when I hear that term I think of poor black families even though that is not the case. Golden says she "felt dehumanized and humiliated." This was because she was categorized as a "typical" black woman on welfare: had a child, no husband and couldn't get a job due to laziness or lack of education. These stereotypes unfortunately are placed on many black women, young and older, who are on welfare. Welfare is not talked about but is often joked about in movies and television shows depict the people being on it as embarrassed therefore putting a negative connotation on it as to say that being on welfare is a bad thing and that it shouldn’t be. If a person has a tough circumstance that leads them to opt for welfare, it shouldn’t be looked down on. I have an older cousin who has three children and she is 24. She is not married and she doesn’t have a job and or a house of her own so she stays with different family members time to time. She needed welfare because it was hard for her to find a job. Welfare can be helpful to those in need so I think that the negativity it gets doesn’t do it justice for the help it provides for many.
-Candice Frazier

Unearthing Hidden Literacy

In the reading, Unearthing Hidden Literacy, Lyillie Gayle Smith stated, “… the journey of discovery has led me to a deeper appreciation and understanding of past experiences and present perspectives.” I can identify with this statement on a personal level. I am a product of a single parent household. While growing up in this environment I did not realize its significance until I was much older. My experience is very much similar to that of Smith’s. She explores her Black Women’s Literacy’s class as her basis of her truly understanding what it meant to pick cotton as a child. Since, I have been in college just like Smith I am now able to take a bad situation and realize all the good out of it. I can now say that it was a blessing in disguise. I am now humbled and I don’t take anything for granted. The freshman dorm that I stay in has no air. While others were complaining during the adjustment, I reminisced on the times when growing up I was without air a few times due to hardship. But, I survived and I can now say in my current home it feels good to have air in the summer and heat in the winter. I am able to identify and empathize with people much easier due to the struggle I endured growing up.
I realize that single parent-hood is not the way to go and I don’t want my children to struggle the way that I did but, I also realize it was a part of making me who I am today and I have a great appreciation for that. Just as Smith realized how much she truly learned from a negative experience, so did I. Looking back on the experience it was one of the best experiences of my life.
-Erica Paige

The "Reel" Story: "Reel Women: Black Women and Literacy in Feature Films"

Dowdy’s account of Black women’s literacy as it relates to the film industry is very eye opening. Through the use of a graduate class that focused on “Black Women and Literacy”, Dowdy honed in on the utility provided by book sense and common sense. In movies such as “Sarafina” and “The Color Purple”, Dowdy along with her students examines the ways in which Black women are depicted in movies. The identities taken on by Black actresses are that of low socioeconomic stature, and illiteracy. Furthermore, the characters that are depicted as literate do not possess enough clout to be noticed for her important role. This piece opened my eyes to the underlying messages that are sent out through these movies. Mainstream production companies often recycle the same demeaning portrayals of Black women. This fact is stated by Dowdy in the beginning of her essay. “There is no ‘material difference’ (Brown, 2002) in the lives of Black people in the United States in the last 100 years” (Pg 163). Dowdy encourages her students to analyze videos critically. As a result, her students are no longer ignorant to the subliminal images and messages being conveyed in movies that depict Black women in a particular light. I find Dowdy’s cross-case analysis to be the most jaw dropping portion of her essay. She shines light on the characters played in all nine movies she examines, “They serve White people in some capacity and are rewarded according to the sacrifices they make to earn a living under existing socioeconomic structures” (Pg 174). After reading this, and mentally examining each movie I had viewed, I was left in awe at my obliviousness to such a key factor in the way I viewed Black films. After reading Dowdy’s essay, I will now view films with a critical eye and an open mind. Today, there is an emerging image of Black women that speaks of success, intelligence and not of oppression and ignorance. Actresses such as Sanaa Lathan and Gabrielle Union have aided in creating this image of an intellectual and dominant woman. I praise them for their choice of roles to play. I find their roles to be empowering and uplifting. In movies they star in, downfalls and shortcoming are still examined; however, they are not overtaken by them. Rather, they overcome them. I am enlightened by Dowdy’s essay. I am empowered.
-Aminta Parker

While reading the article "She was Workin like Foreal" by Elaine Richardson, I found the topic to be very recurrent. Prior to reading this article, I’ve had discussion about this same topic: Do rap videos degrade Black women? This topic is brought up a lot in the black community however and it has brought much controversy. I was about 12 or 13 and in eighth grade when the song came out. I heard the song before I saw the video and I liked the song even though, back then, I didn’t know what the lyrics were about or really cared. All I knew was that it was a popular song at the time. I remember when the video came out and how kids in my eighth grade class, mostly the boys, would talk about the video was cool and how they liked it. I also remember so of my girl classmates talking about how they know how to do the dance that the women in the video were doing. About a year ago I saw the video for the first time and I thought it was very lude and distasteful. But the lyrics of the song were basically portrayed out in the video, but I don’t say that to condone the actions of the video, I just feel that most rappers rap about money, cars, and girls and all three were in video. But looking back on the time when I was 13, and listening to my peers say they enjoy s images like that at such a young age it troubles me because those images are not positive and the youth are inspired but what they see on television. Richardson does point this out in her article, basically saying how the images in the media can be the most influential things to young children. More specifically rappers and the “models” that are in the video. If a young sees that image of a black man in nice clothing and with women surrounding him, the boy is going to think if he (someday) has the same clothes or same car women will be all over him, which is not true. Also if a young girl sees an image of a woman in a video dancing and is surrounded by men and getting the attention, she’ll think that if she dresses like the video model or if she dances like the video model she’ll get the same attention which is not positive attention. If more positive images of black people were put into the media kids would what to aspire to be more than rappers and video dancers.
-Candice Frazier

While reading the chapter "Going Against the Grain", there was a lot of information making it hard to single in on one thing, but one thing that stood out to me was during slavery, the white leaders and politicians such as Thomas Jefferson, John Locke, and Adam Smith who wanted equal treatment and rights that "were based on being human , rather than on being rich or poor, royal or common even inherently good or evil."(117) However they owed very large slave plantations and when they died, specifically Jefferson's death, he did not allow is slave to be free instead his family member inherited the slaves. I find it to be very hypocritical to not believe in something yet still actively participate in it. Another president who disliked slavery was John Adam. He disliked slavery but "made no attempt...to bring about any change to the system."(119). In order to abolish slavery there had to be a white leader who had an impact on other leader to gain enough support from them, to show them the harm that slavery was doing to the African American peoples. In some parts of the south, African-Americans outnumbered their white counter parts, and I do believe that if blacks rose up to the challenge of equal rights and disregarded their master’s commands and started a revolution, slavery would not have last as long as it did. But factors of oppression and the teachings of "lesser than" was put into the minds of the slaves, therefore making them actually believe that they were incapable of getting respect in the nation and achieving greatness. Also while reading this chapter I noticed that the white leaders and politicians who didn't support slavery were glorified in text books. Thinking back to grade school, only the well know leaders in the white society didn't support slavery but there were some " average joes" who were against slavery and they protected slaves from the more aggressive and abusive slave owners, but they are hardly mentioned, but it is probably because they are unknown or purposely left out of history in order o give glory to the more famous people.
-Candice Frazier

Going Against the Grain

Going Against the Grain
By: Erica Paige

Going Against the Grain talks about the historical aspect of African-American women and their use of literacy in history. African American women are still today using the same literacies to further themselves in society. At the beginning of the piece, Maria Stewarts piece suggest African American women have understood the power of language and learning. That has carried from the 19th century to now in the 21st century. African American women are going against the grain of society and the oppressor. In the slave days African American women were used for and looked at as the only thing they could do with expertise is bare children. A lot of people still associate African American women with the issue of child bearing. As if she does not have the ability to do or be anything else of value.
African American women have also gone against the grain in relation to activism, which by the way can be considered literacy in itself. African American as a race has always been at the fore front of activism and advocacy, but especially the African American woman. Going Against the Grain talks about the beginning of activism with the obvious women: Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth but also women that came before them, Ellen Watkins Harper, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, and many more. Just as they begin it, African American women have continued to be activist through the centuries. African American women continue the fight to be literate and have a place in this world. They have worked “against the grain” in more ways than one. Today, black women are using the same spirit as their ancestors to fight for justice and equality. They continue to know the importance of literacy and activism and “Going Against the Grain.”

Adaptations of the African-American Woman

“Going Against the Grain: The Acquisition and Use of Literacy”, written by Royster, reflects upon the common adaptations made by African-American women. Although the circumstances may differ, the ability of African-American women to survive and thrive has amazed me. “African-American women have been encumbered by racist, sexist, class-bound ideologies (Royster 109)”. Rather than proving themselves as capable individuals, African-American women have had to establish themselves as human beings. Viewed as animals, they were faced with the task of proving themselves deserving of humanity. So bluntly stated, it comes as a shock to me that African-American women could ever be viewed as undeserving of life. However, the women that faced such harsh judgment did not lie down and take the title they had been so undeservingly handed. Head down, braced for impact, they treaded steadily toward goals such as literacy, activism and leadership. Although discredited countless times, African-American women took a stand and paved a road whose foundation would be unshakable. As the battle for respect raged on, African-American women met doubt with triumph. Their ability to adapt is awe-inspiring. I find inspiration in the words of this essay. Reading this has inspired me to reach higher than the standard forms of literacy. In my educational future I will seek to create a form of literacy that will further distinguish African-American women from others. The key to adaptability is the acceptance of something greater. No longer can we accept things just as they are; we must accept things for how they will be in the future. African-American women are capable of great feats, as is apparent in this reading; therefore, we must continue the great legacy our foremothers lay the foundation for so many years ago. This essay has opened my eyes greatly to the achievements made by African-American women in the past. I look optimistically toward the future.
-Aminta Parker

To Be Black, Female and Literate

In this weeks reading To Be Black, Female, and Literate: A Personal Journey in Education and Alienation, Leonie C.R. Smith reflects on her past being born in Antigua and later moving to the United States. In her story she reveals that her grandparents were illiterate however her parents were able to read and write. They encouraged her to do as well as she could in school. I related to this because my parents cherished education and they told me the importance of an education. I was exposed to education throughout my life. I am the youngest of four and I saw how my three older siblings went to college, graduated, use what they learned in college to make careers for themselves, just as Smith saw her older sisters do.
Smith states that "There was nothing in my schooling that focused on my Blackens or my African past...”(pg. 186) I also related because up until high school when I took my first African American courses, I wasn't taught about the history of Black people in America, except during February(black history month).Another quote that stood out to me in the Smith text was "School was always easy, it was life that was hard..." (pg. 186)I found this to be a very well said statement that pertained to her life because she has been through many hardships, her mother passing away and her father being so depressed about that he "became an emotionally absent parent". She also had to deal with racism during her college years. Smith states "Coming from a country where Black people are the majority, it was strange to be in a country where I was now the minority"(pg. 190). Colleges and universities that are no historically black usually have a small percentage of black students and are predominantly white, and for Smith it was uncomfortable because she was not use to being around another race. Racism in school can be very hard to face. Smith goes into detail that while in college and in earlier years in grade school, she was teased beacause she came from a different background and did not know about the American ways. Cultural differences should not be the determining facture of intellect.
-Candice Frazier

Black Language, Black Literature, Black Life (Black Women/Black Literature)

“Black English”, a term used to refer to a type of “language” that has been created over a span of years by Blacks. This “language” is distinct, unique and detectable”. For many years, Black English has been viewed as improper, due to its political incorrectness. However, Christina McVay reflects on the beauty of this language. There exists rich history behind this language that Blacks lay claim to. This language’s history exists just as the history of all languages does. From German and Russian, two languages that McVay studied while completing her undergraduate studies, to Spanish and Latin, all languages have a story to tell. Although overlooked by Blacks, Black English has a story to tell that may exceed all languages in its uniqueness and profoundness. From the perspective of Christina McVay, a white professor of Black Literature, Black English is glorified and praised as beautiful; although, not always appropriate. She proclaims this language as legitimate and challenges her Black, female students to believe the same. With this interview taken into account, we may now entertain the idea of Black English as a component of Lingual Literacy. This language expands the parameters of the mind and allows Black people to communicate in a way distinct from “consensus English (Pg. 92). Spanish is a sort of grandchild of Latin; So, Black English can be viewed as a daughter to English. Black English and English are more closely related due to the current use of English versus the near extinction of Latin. This interview does a magnificent job of opening the mind of Black females such as the students of McVay. Black English may not be appropriate in every setting; however, its ability to create a unique experience for the people speaking it proves it to be a force to be reckoned with. Black English acts as a chronological record of the struggles, adaptations and survival of Blacks. It is a strong tie connecting countless generations. Before most other types of literacy, Black English uncovers the presence of Lingual Literacy between generations of Blacks. It is most apparent; yet, so often overlooked. Perhaps now we may open our eyes to the power of our words and the power of Black Literature. The words of Black writers may now be praised as beautiful. John Lennon once said, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”. Well, Black Life is what happens to you when connect with the past (Africa- the homeland, enslavement and segregation), engage in the present (the current land, freedom and inequality), and pledge to the future (Endless boundaries, authority, and equality).

-Aminta Parker

Literacy and the Black Woman

The black woman is arguably the strongest of all humans walking the planet. In Sharon M. Darling’s piece Literacy and the Black woman she explores from slavery to today, the struggle and journey of black women in relation to education and literacy. She begins by exploring the beginning of the phenomenon of illiteracy. Black women are products of a double negative. They are not only black but also they are women. Since the beginning of slavery the oppressor, who is still very relevant in today’s society, has used that as a disadvantage towards black women. Darling points out that black woman sought education and learned the value of it from early on. But, regardless of their realization of the importance of literacy their efforts were still not sufficient enough.
As slavery ended and the emancipation proclamation was created so were tactics to keep the black woman from achieving and soaring to her greatest potential. Just when it was beginning to shine through the rain the white supremacy society put laws into place so that the black race as a whole was kept from rising to a higher social power and causing “the black woman at the mercy of the White political system. Although all types of programs were put into place to help the black woman gain literacy and allow her the opportunity to for once be known and needed for something more than child bearing it hasn’t always been sufficient. It has however contributed little by little to the black woman’s place on the social latter.
It has been an ongoing process for the black woman to gain literacy. Programs such as Headstart and school’s such as Spelman College, which specializes in the empowerment and betterment of the black woman in relation to education and literacy’s, black women still, have a long way to go. But, it is looking better every day that a black woman who has spectacularly made it to the top of their game returns to help her fellow black sister’s rise above as well.