Voices of our Foremothers

This story is a personal dedication from the author Sunny-Marie Birney that tells her story of how Black women, particularly in education, have led millions of people towards a better future. In this excerpt, Birney explains how she grew up without her birth mother and was instead raised by two Euro-Americans. Being an African American woman she always felt a void because of her situation. Birney goes on to tell her audience that although she did not have the strong black mother she was given this figure in the form of teachers and professors. She gives various examples of how women of the diaspora take their job seriously and have a passion for giving students the love and care that they need to succeed. She mentions one woman, Mary McLeod Bethune, who is an outstanding figure in African American education and has a track record of things such as creating a school for African American girls as well as eventually going on to open up a prestigious historically black college, Bethune Cookman.

Women like these have made a way for a successful future in the black community. She also goes on to say that she is homeschooling her daughter so that her daughter can not only learn numbers and letters, but will be immersed in the culture as well through her studies. She believes that by doing this she will be giving her the same education that she received from her black teachers. Birney’s story and interaction sounds a lot like my own experiences. As a student from Spelman College, I too have encountered some amazing professors that care about your well being more that anything else. These teachers are a reason for mine as well as my fellow sisters success in various areas. I believe that these educators are a huge part of how we have become as far as we are today.

Formal and Informal Lessons

The African American community used oral and written forms of communication to spread the word on how they would interact with the white population during the Civil Rights Movement. The power from the black community came from their unity and the church was a main location for them to gather together for strength. In Lessons From Down Under, it points out how religious leaders and the church played a prominent role in helping African Americans engage with the white community. In this article in goes over formal and informal literacy, which is something that has been over in another article earlier this semester. Formal literature being the education obtained in a school and informal/traditional is from storytelling. Because of the "separate but equal" policy, black students were given a lower quality of education than white students. After the overturn of the policy it is a long process, that continues today, to develop black majority schools for a better education. Having both traditional and formal literacy is important to have rooted in each individual. Through traditional literacy, a student can learn history through experiences and this is a way to learn from others mistakes and grow from the past. Storytelling from relatives play in a role in connecting to an individual's diaspora and their roots by knowing where they came from and their family history. Many lessons in the class room are enriched with facts and information that cannot be received at home. The combination of both types of education makes a person's education more well-rounded. A lesson that history has shown repetively is that is take s apolitical struggle to break from the injustices and inequalities of the government. The knowledge construction of the student affects the way they interact and handle the battles in the fight for their rights.

Unearthing Hidden Literacy:Seven lessons I learned in a cotton field

When thinking about the historical times of slavery, I think about the unpleasant events that happen. Working in a cotton field and being beaten are just a few events that happen during that time, but who would have thought that this haunted memory would be an appreciated lesson? In the reading “Unearthing Hidden Literacy: Seven lessons I learned in a cotton field” by Lillie Gayle Smith, she never thought she would be proud to do the work that her ancestors use to do. When she was growing up, her mom sent her brother and her to work with their cousins in her aunt’s cotton field. Being upset that she had to do this job every summer, Smith did not appreciate the experience. It wasn’t until she took a “Black Women’s Literacy” class, that she was grateful for the opportunity.

Studying what slavery did to black women, the teacher made Smith realize that she should embrace the opportunity of working in a cotton field. A few things that Smith learned from working in a cotton field is that black women were exploited as slaves, they developed greater independence and self-reliance than other races. She also learned that black girls retain a high degree of self-esteem in high school unlike their white and Hispanic peers because they lose their self-esteem throughout the school years. And another thing she learned was how to value a dollar. Being paid for her work made her appreciate what the job had to offer.
I can kind of indentify with Smith on how slavery benefit me today. Growing up, I didn’t appreciate slavery and still don’t to this day, however, the knowledge of the past has made me stronger as a person. Although I did not work in the cotton fields growing up, I did get made fun of for being black. And although it was hurtful, just like Smith learned, black women have an heir about them that makes them independent. The torment and harassment we go through does not shut us down, but makes us stronger, and I definitely see that in me when looking back on my life. When I was in high school, other races would immediately lose confidence, drop their heads in shame, or try to change their selves just so that other people would like them, but as for me I stayed the same. I didn’t let anyone’s negative comments get to me, even when they hurt. Reading what Smith learned while working in a cotton field, taught me to keep my head up and appreciate the pain my ancestors went through.

Forms of Literacy and Traditional Influences

When reading Dysfunctional Literacies of Exclusion, it had broken down the different types of literacy a person can obtain. One of the most old and ways of teaching is traditional literacy, this being through storytelling, myths and folks. This included historical accounts relatives pass down generations as a type of record keeping and teaching. Chikombero uses an example out of the narrative, Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga. In this reading the character Tambu experiences hardships and the sacrifices that need to be made in order to obtain a higher education. Tamboo sees being a woman as a burden because there are more tribulations because it is biological that we have the responsibility of carrying children. She resides in Africa and in an area where women are looked to specifically for bearing children and that alone. Cultures and traditions influence the extent of education a woman receives. Another type of education that was covered in the article is colonial/modern literacy. This is similar to traditional literacy in the sense that they both are based on traditions. Colonialism brought the missions to build schools with a Christian foundation which influences and individual because they are taught what favors the government and the religion. Gender has played a large role in many women’s lives because they are oppressed in some countries and limited to just being the mother of the house. This causes a large percentage of women being illiterate because in some countries they are not even provided the same education as a man. In the reading Nervous Conditions, Tamboo’s mother had such a limited education that she can’t even form an opinion on things that we discuss on the regular bases in class and out. Chikombero states that the level of importance of literacy cannot be over exaggerated because the level of education influences how we go about life and handle certain situations. A limited education and gender bearings continue to affect the level of education a woman receives today.

Single, Black, and a Mother: From her perspective.

“Welfare is a means to an improved quality of life, not the means to living a barely fulfilling existence.” Sandra Golden wrote an intriguing article about her journey as a single, black parent navigating the government’s system of welfare and the studies she conducted concerning other women in similar situations.  Golden states that when a woman, especially a black woman, goes to apply for government assistance they are given a horrible description of the characteristics they hold. In the eyes of “the man” they are uneducated, unmotivated, and unskilled. Unfortunately, this is the way they are treated when arriving to their offices instead of taking in consideration that these women have to had common sense or social literacy in order for the survival of themselves and their children to become apparent. Golden conducted a study on 12 women that received government assistance and found information about their educational experiences, work experience, and volunteer experience. She found that although many women had a deficient number of work and educational experience they were social beings of the community and had completed volunteer experience. These women are placed in jobs that do not promote growth and Golden debates that this is wrong because you are keeping women on the system.I had a serious connection to Golden’s excerpt, Black and on Welfare: What You Don’t Know About Single-Parent Women, because being a black woman myself I am surrounded by people who are either going through or went through this situation with the government. 



Precious, a young black
woman suspected to live her life
on welfare.

 In my opinion, the government cannot be judgmental in regards to these women because they do not know they whole story and therefore do not have the right to judge. Society has this bad perception as if black women who are single parents are jut good for nothing people. The reality of the situation is many have not asked to be in this position, but are forced to live and deal with it everyday.

Women & Literacy, The Color Purple.

In the excerpt, Women and Literacy in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, E. Yvette Walters goes into depth about a character that displayed many struggles that black women of that era went through and are still struggling past today. Black women as you know have been silenced since the beginning of time by their husbands or males around them as well as in white society. Being oppressed by two groups of people put a standstill on our literacy. They did not want us to be literate because we could rise above them. Therefore black women had to find other ways to liberate themselves from these people. Black women kept their stories alive through the art of storytelling. We had developed an expertise in this area and they were eventually allowed to publish stories. These stories have a central theme that was based on the development of the black woman. “In telling these stories, barriers, shackles, and obstacles typify an ever present element in the Black woman’s struggle for acceptances, power, respect, love, and self.”(137) Walters explains in detail the different types of feminism. Liberal feminism, the rights of individual woman who are trying to transform what it means to be a man or woman. Radical feminism, they say that the differences in our anatomy provide for a woman’s oppression. Pro-structural feminism, language patterns produce notions of gender. Social feminism, believe race, gender, and social status are all results of a patriarchal, capitalist society. She ends with black feminism, which is defining the African American woman’s struggle with race, social class, and gender. The Color Purple’s, Celie uses ways to rise to above her oppression and become the strong black woman we associate ourselves with today. Although, Celie was a silent woman at firsts she knew she had to speak up, not just for herself, but also for the rest of the women.

The Limited Leading Role for Black Women

Black women have been viewed to hold the same role in life in society. This is displayed through television and mass media. In Reel Black Women: Black Women and Literacy in Feature Films shares with the audience that the number one role for the black actresses is as the “mammy.” A mammy is displayed as a black women with a dark complexion who is the caretaker of normally a white family. It has been discussed in my other classes the way women have been portrayed in the same light throughout the decades but we have been psychologically adapted to being familiar and content with this role. The “mammy” role has also been shown in a bad light because it is displayed that caring for and helping others is a weakness. Another role that black women play commonly is the “jezebels” which is viewed as a more beautiful black woman with a lighter skin complexion. When producing films and sitcoms, writers take into consideration the literacy level of the characters. What was mentioned in the reading is how black women have taken on a large ratio of roles where the educational is minimal or not mentioned because the role of the woman in the film is as the housewife. Numerous successful movies that had a black woman with a leading role are mentioned to support this. In the movie, The Color Purple, the “mammy's” and “jezebel's” role is present in the literature and film. Whoopi played the uneducated “mammy” who was the housekeeper that learned how to read from her more beautiful and lighter skinned sister. I was most shocked to think that it is possible that the shows and movie that I enjoy are the same ones that oppress the black woman from being more that what is shown on films. I have never analyzed any of the films until now. I have realized that white actresses play the majority of the roles that involve a broader education and a job that is outside of the house. I would like to see more of a dramatic change in the way black women are viewed as. This is not only limited to the televesion screen but also art and through mass media products.  So many people have psychologically adapted to this role black women play in films, and it is time for the role to change. 

Taking the other path

        I am an African American the one who society looks down upon. I am a woman another classification that society looks down upon. I am an African American woman and I shall let my greatness shine bright among this world with negative views towards me. For hundred of years the black woman has been little to nothing in the eyes of others and it is time the belittling comes to an end. I refuse to believe all of the great African American women that came before me were worthless. These women were great leaders, teachers, and caregivers and their significance should not be an understatement. In the excerpt, Going Against the Grain, it is shown how black women have been battling for hundreds of years to get of rid societies stereotypes of them.  It displays the character of a strong black woman precisely and magnifies our go-getter attitude. One character in this book stood out to me and exhibits these traits, Charlotte Forten. 

She came from a different background than those people of Port Royal, but she looked past it and was able to give them the knowledge they needed.  She showed the black women nurturing instinct by taking those people under her wing. Another piece of this story that stood out to me was the literary part of the story. Of course, being a student at Spelman College, literacy has been a gateway to my success. I believe that efficiency in those areas is how blacks progressed through slavery. My opinion is supported throughout this piece. If the African American did not have the drive to improve themselves through this particular method, we would   not be in the positions of power we are in today. Knowledge is power and if the black man, let alone the black woman has this power in their hands we are simply unstoppable.

Transformative College Literacy of Literature Black Women Peer Counselors

There are certain things in life that inspire people to do better.  Whether it is helping old people or cleaning up the community, it is always good to help others.  In “Transformative College Literacy of Literature Black Women Peer Counselors,” it talks about people giving back to the college community.  One person, in 1997, provided literacy support for college students.  They wanted to focus on college students who had low-income backgrounds, or was the first to go to college out of their family.  After hiring four other people to help with the program, the students were helped with their academic work as well as personal issues.  This type of program is a good way to give back to the community.

 The story shows different types of people giving back to the college community.  Although they all have one thing in common, I still feel like they are doing a good job.  When there are people who give back to the community in order to benefit it, they keep society together.  Especially with college students being known for their wild behavior, having a peer counselor to keep college students on track.  This program not only helps benefit the community, but also the future.

Going against the Grain: Power of the Black Women

Since the dawn of time, women have always been looked down upon.  During the time of slavery, women were not allowed to do anything or have anything.  African American women had it worse during these times because they were black and women,  a double negative to society.  They were beaten, degraded, and sexually harassed.  Although they went through these struggles, they still made it on top.  In a passage written by Maria W. Stewart in 1831, she suggests that “African American women have understood with great clarity two things: the power of language and learning and the inherent hostility of the context within which people of African decent must live in the United States.”  In simpler terms, she says African American women play major leadership roles no matter how society looks at them.

            In “Going against the Grain” it tells how African American women were mothers, teachers, social activists, storytellers, etc.  They made the culture and kept the African traditions running.  This is inspirational information because it shows how strong African American women are.  We have been through many struggles.  People tried to break and bring us down, but we always manage to overcome them.  As a young black woman, it inspires me to never give up, no matter what the situation is.  If my ancestors made it through the fight, then I can do the same.

The Role of Black Women in America

  The United States was intended to be the newly founded land with the foundation of individual rights and humane rights. The country’s very own leaders were hypocritical when setting a double standard for European descendants and African descendants. African Americans were fighting for the equal rights of those of European descent. Black women struggles and efforts to become literate was a strong focus in the reading, Going Against the Grain. “Each movement towards literacy was signal that these women were going very much against the grain of prevailing cultural beliefs, practices, and expectations.” Slaveholders were aware that if slaves became literate they would gain power. Laws were made to prevent African Americans from gaining an education, so they fought for their rights to obtain one. “African Americans understood the implications of literacy and learning in political, economic, and social progress.” They were aware of the rights that they deserved and fought to be literate. Education can make a difference not only to the individual, but the whole community. The North and South was became divided due to the different views on the rights of Negroes.  While the North was majority against slavery, the South was for it. Even in the present it is evident that many southerners are stuck in the ways of their ancestors. Although late, there has been major progress in the educational system. When African Americans began to receive an education, it was biased. The teachings were different from a white student. The lessons were made for specific trades the whites wanted African Americans.  Currently the history of Africans and African Americans could broaden more and in society the position could be higher. This article opens a persons mind to see how society is constructed today. With more efforts of the population, it is time to suppress oppression. 

"Literacy & the Black Woman"

Black women have been in a fight lasting decades for their rights to an education; currently it is a fight for an equal education. Darling's "Literacy of a Black Women" explains the struggles a black woman must endure and how if affects the life they must lead. I am constantly told today that society looks to my generation to help uplift everyone. Reading this article I have learned that black women are constantly expected to make sacrifices and to bring up the race. After all the fighting that the black woman has endured, there has been no rest. Professors have brought up in my lectures that oppression continues to run deep in the present. I have noticed in my high school and elementary classes the lacking of black history and the race's role in life. It is understandable why so many black children find it hard to relate to the teachings in their classroom. It looks to me as though the only time the education board feels the need to mention black history is during the month of February, at one point there wasn't even a month dedicated to the black culture. Even though there has been much growth in the education system, there is still a ways to go. I find myself fortunate to be at a black historic school because I know for a fact I would never know the role black women play in society. I plan to live my life giving back to the community and be a great success with my personal, educational, and career goals. I plan to do this not because it is expected of me, but because it is the life I want to live. I believe it is the duty of every citizen to uplift the community they are a part of, but the world is far from perfect. In order to create equal opportunity there is work, support from all racial backgrounds is necessary. So if black women need to continue their singing, storytelling, and drama in order to uplift ourselves, let it be done.

Black Women/ Black Literature

 

How has Black Literature inspired different cultures?  The interview “Black women/ Black Literature” between Christina McVay and Joanne Kilgour Dowdy, shows the power of Black Literature.  Christina McVay is a white woman from Portage County.  She studied at Kent state University in her undergraduate years, and majored in German and Russian.  She was very fond of language.  As a young girl, she grew up in a strict white community, where she had no insight on other cultures.  When she started teaching literature, she wondered why there were no black students in her class.  She ran into a black professor who worked at the same college as her, and received information on how to teach a Pan-African class.

Her teaching style made the black students comfortable with her.  She taught them that Black Literature/ Language is not improper English, but a “legitimate language.”  Not only did she teach her students to speak in the language they were comfortable in, but they also taught her something about their culture.  They learn from eachother, which is one reason why she likes her job.

            During the interview, Ms. McVay talks about her special gift with her students.  She says that she doesn’t know how she does it, but her students are really comfortable with her.  I identify with Ms. McVay because I to have the gift of making my students comfortable as well.  I don’t know what it is either, but students seem to be themselves around me, and I do the same.  It helps the class to be more active and fun.  And also being in African Diaspora and the World, which is a class about African American women in the world, is similar to Ms. McVay’s Pan-American course.  The course helps empower black women as well study the struggles that our ancestors went through.  The course allows us to talk in our “language,” although we cannot express ourselves in our paper like the way we talk, like Ms. McVay.  Black Literature is like regular English; however, it has more soul.

               

Welfare

“God is my source”, is the main quote from the excerpt “Welfare”.   The section I read from “Welfare” was the “Welfare Brat”.  The story covered the life of the main character Larstella, who was born in Moses Lake, Washington, November 25, 1956.  She came from a family who struggled to make money, but refused to take the government’s handouts.  She was the middle child of five children. She had four siblings, two sisters and two brothers.

When Larstella moved to California, she started to go wild.  She would do drugs and have casual sex with different guys around Los Angeles.  Larstella first turned to Welfare in 1977 when she was 21 years old and first became pregnant.  She did not want to sign up for welfare at first, so she bought a Medi-Cal Sticker from a friend for $200 to get an abortion.  After she got the abortion, she went back to her old ways.  It was not until the 5^th time she became pregnant, that she decided to keep the baby.  Doing drugs, working and stealing money from the government, which stressed her out, made her child come a month before it was due.  Although her baby was premature, it was still healthy, but Larstella knew she needed to change her ways. She went to school, church, work, and eventually got off of welfare to better the life of her daughter.

Larstella’s testimony really spoke to me. I realized how blessed I was to be the first person in my family to go to an Ivy League college, and the first female in my generation to go to college.  In the first semester I played around and enjoyed the freedom of college.  It was not until I read this excerpt that I realized how important it was for me to be here.  I do not want to be like all the other females in my generation, having children and trying to get by each day.  I now know what my purpose is here at Spelman College.  God is my source, to succeed.

Oral traditions in a black woman's world.

“Every story that we tell or hear has a purpose and helps us keep our lives knitted together,”(Franklin and Dowdy, page 122) this statement is incredibly true especially in the black community. As a black woman I grew up around storytelling at its finest. My grandparents would tell me stories about the Jim Crow & lynching era, Civil Rights movement, and the Counter Culture movement. I appreciate this oral tradition because it helped me to become a part of a walking history book and shape the future of my education. “Storytelling” an excerpt in Joanne Dowdy’s, Readers of the Quilt, shows the importance of oral tradition and helps us understand the miniscule details of the art. In education, we become very successful because of our background and the stories that have been told. Stories that are not only knowledgeable in history, but allowing us to become greater literate beings. The stories that we are told allow our imagination to run rampid and the creativity in our writing to become more apparent. Storytelling connects us to the generations before us specifically as women. Before we were able to tell our own stories, the black man told our story for us. “Who can better reconstruct the life story of an African American woman than another African American woman,”  is a perfect quote that explains the worth our voice as storytellers (Franklin and Dowdy, page 130).  

Oral tradition of blacks also plays a significant part in medicine. Banks-Wallace conducted research in which storytelling could help them figure out why black women have certain “health-related behaviors”. I believe in this because when one is telling a story about her ancestors it could be easily shown why they make certain health choices.  Storytelling keeps African American people together as one. It also helps the community stay vibrant and thriving.

To defend & provide, as a Black Woman.

“To Protect and Serve” was a tremendous piece of literature written by Elaine Richardson.  It was a great way to start the semester and connect the readings with the title of the class, “Black Women’s Literacy’s”.  The story line magnified the African American woman in all aspects of life. Richardson opens up the story with the representation of black women from America’s point of view. Slavery named us “Mammy” because we could take care of a white family perfectly, but were not able to care for our own.  Now, the world views us as either the infamous “video vixen” or “Sambo” often referred to as “Uncle Tom” in reference to the book Uncle Tom’s Cabin.  She continues to talk about the mother tongue, our language or way of communicating in our neighborhoods, as well as our place in education from an early age as caregivers and leaders.  My personal reaction to this piece was that it illustrated the situations black women had to endure in earlier years in relation to the reason behind the actions we take today.

 The part of the story that really hit hard as a black woman at Spelman College was the image that is portrayed of us. “The search “Black Woman” yielded the Web page “Pink Chocolate,” which featured “lovely dark ladies,” complete with pop-ups of graphic sex acts and links to more hard-core sex sites.”(Richardson, page 677) In 2011, it is unfortunate that we are still looked upon as though we are all illiterate, uneducated sex objects. It definitely made me realize that it is necessary to get our education and eliminate that demeaning perception. Richardson also helped me to better understand my independent nature in the classroom through this quote, “Further, many Black students do not like to go to teachers for help as they think it will be perceived as deficiency on their part” (Richardson, page 695). All around Richardson allowed for an eye-opening experience when reading her outlook on the Black woman.

Tribulations of Education

In "To Be Black, Female, & Literate: A Personal Journal in Education & Alienation," Leonie C. R. Smith discusses the issues that she was faced with in her life . Struggles coming from the ignorance of others trying to hold her back from the one thing consistently remains the one thing she is sure about, and that is her education. She faces racism and isolation throughout her education, but points out the importance of getting her degree in order to make something of her life. It has opened myself to realize that I should never let the importance of my education get out of sight. Education is the stepping stone into a career and gives you the foundations and skills to be successful in whichever field, although it may come with the varying costs. Everyone is not given the opportunity to get an education. It is harder in the present to get a job without the proper educational history. Smith shares in her article how the negative attitudes and views of others shouldn't hold back the person from doing what they need to become great and successful. She goes over how her life on campus included facing racism and not recieving the treatment she deserved. In every life situation a person will find themseleves dealing with those who will judge based on appearance. Being a minority plays a larger role in society that people choose to recognized. Her journal entry was something I could connect to the teachings in my African Diaspora and World class last semester. It deals with the concepts of identity and how knowing your historical background plays such a large role in that. Not all are as focused and determined as they should be when it comes to being true to themselves and being above the ignorance of others. Smith has given me more fire within myself on keeping true to who I am and to take advantage of my education in spite of the battles I must endure.