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.