Voices of Our Foremothers

In “Voices of Our Foremothers: Celebrating the Legacy of African-American Women Educators”, author Sunny-Marie Birney describes the impact that female African American professors have had on her life. She grew up in an environment devoid of her African American roots due to being adopted at the young age of two years old. Birney felt out of place until she entered the College of Wooster. Because she majored in Psychology and Black Studies, her journey into her blackhood began. She was even enlightened enough through her studies that she decided to become a teacher.

What Birney enjoyed most about her college professors was the amount of commitment they exemplified in their teaching. In addition, she appreciated that they actually cared about her as a human being, not just as a student in their classroom. Birney stated “My teachers filled a void I had searched to fill all of my life” (51). She believed that her professors treated her as if she was one of their children instead of merely a student. Also, Birney examines how certain African American women have paved the way for many generations of younger African American women to receive a quality education by creating Sabbath schools and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. It was at these institutions that African American students could receive information about their culture, community, in addition to a standard educational experience. Birney believed that a combination of all of these aspects allowed her to receive the most of her education and that it was important to continue to pass this educational experience from generation to generation.

I agree that having female African American teachers changes the atmosphere of the classroom. Generally it becomes a more caring environment that is less stressful and allows you to engage more as a student in relation to other classrooms where a African American woman is not the professor. I enjoy the experience and it does cause me to work harder and generally achieve higher grades. This experience is important for every generation to experience because it has the potential to bring out the best in every student. However, I do not believe that this experience should just be limited to African American women that are teachers. I have had several male teachers, both African American and Caucasian, that have caused me to have similar experiences in the classroom. Thus, only women do not possess this quality. Men and other races can bring out the best in students also.

Unearthing Hidden Literacy

In the story “Unearthing Hidden Literacy: Seven Lessons Learned in a Cotton Field,” author Lillie Gayle Smith reflects on her time in the cotton field when she was a young girl. She describes how embarrassed she was to talk about what she and her family did to her graduate class because she to her, “it was a job my people inherited from slavery – the bitter legacy that continues to haunt all Americans, especially those who are African American” (Smith 38). The only time she revealed her past to her classmates was when she was bragging about how far she had come from picking cotton in the fields. It wasn’t until Smith enrolled into a “Black Women’s Literacy” class that she began to finally appreciate her past and actually felt she learned something from being in the fields. Smith concludes her passage by explaining the impact of attending the class she was in and picking the cotton. What she though was an embarrassment actually turned out to be a life lesson that she subconsciously carried with her through all her years.
I really enjoyed reading this story because it gave me a chance to evaluate all of my life experiences and see them in a different light. I am never the type to take an opportunity or life changing event for granted. I am I strong believer of the quote “Everything happens for a reason.” The most interesting part of this story was when Smith talked about the white male teacher. She explained that the teacher would ask one of the male students a question and whatever their answer was it was gold. If he asked a female student a question, he would go to the male student for verification of the females answer. This goes to show that sexism is not non-existent in the world and it is more evident in some environments than others. It’s up to the victim to stand up for themselves and fight for what they know is right.

Bridging the Gap

In “Lessons From Down Under: Reflections on Meanings of Literacy and Knowledge From an African-American Female Growing Up in Rural Alabama,” Dr. Bessie House-Soremekun explains the history of literacy in regards to African-Americans and how it relates to the experiences she has had. She discusses how the Civil Rights movement made a great impact on the literacy of Blacks in America, but how Whites still found a way to keep them oppressed. Many of the predominantly Black schools during the Civil Rights movement did not have the same resources as White schools when it came to books. In addition, the history of African-Americans was largely excluded from all textbooks. Dr. House-Soremekun believes that this was a way in which Whites made sure that Blacks remained invisible and nameless. She also describes how she grew up during the time when many unwritten societal rules were largely executed. For example, Blacks were expected to address Whites as Mr. and Mrs. regardless of their age; however, the same respect was not given to Blacks. Dr. House-Soremekun states that this tactic was implemented by Whites in an effort to maintain distance between Blacks and themselves. All of these actions led to a decrease in the self-esteem of African-Americans.

Due to these experiences, Dr. House-Soremekun decided to use education as a means to seek amends for her grandmother by making sure that Whites would have to address her with respect. Dr. Bessie House-Soremekun graduated at the top of her class from Huntington College and continued to pursue a PhD at the University of Denver. Throughout her education, she experienced many compliments that were both uplifting and demeaning. Her professors would make statements that alluded to her superb scholastic abilities, but would counteract them by categorizing her into a race. Though racism and discrimination has gotten better, it still occurs today. Blacks still do not receive the respect that they deserve when in an audience mixed where Blacks and Whites are present; however, individuals like Dr. House-Soremekun help to bridge the gap between the Black and White races.

Pimps, Whores, and Welfare Brats

In the article “Pimps, Whores, and Welfare Brats,” by Star Parker, she talks about the different groups in society that have contributed to welfare. The pimps are the “government socialists who believe man is basically good, but has a few character flaws that can be corrected with a little help from Big Brother.” These people have little faith that blacks are smart enough or independent enough to make it on their own without the governments help. The whores were blacks who were backing up the pimps so they can get paid. The welfare brats were the individuals who made basically lived off the government. They have decided not to get a job and to take advantage of all the government has to offer. The article goes on to talk about the “most destructive special interest group on the American legal scene today” which is the ACLU. This group is allowing behavior that should otherwise be banned. An example is allowing children to refuse to say the pledge of allegiance in school and the selling of pornography.

The most interesting thing in this article to me is the talk about abortion. I had no idea that some states were allowing teens under the age of 18 get an abortion without their parents’ consent. I agree with the author. This defeats the whole purpose of having parents. When a female is pregnant, it is their responsibility to tell their parents even if they are afraid of how they may react. The teen is endangering her health and well being by going to get an abortion without her parents’ consent. I am 100% against abortion. I feel there are other ways to go about things if you truly do not want the child. Terminating a pregnancy because you are afraid and you feel as if you’re not ready is not an excuse to me. Being responsible from the very beginning can eliminate all of this.

Black and on Welfare: What You Don't Know About Single-Parent Women

In the article titled “Black and on Welfare: What You Don’t Know About Single-Parent Women” by Sandra Golden, she talks about the many struggles black women must face while seeking help from the government. She talked about her own experience walking into the welfare office and how she felt dehumanized, humiliated, and mentally abused because of the caseworker’s discriminatory attitude and insensitivity. According to the author, “it seemed the assumption that welfare recipients were unmotivated, unskilled, uneducated or undereducated, and responsible for bringing fatherless children into the world” (Golden 27) She goes on to explain the misconception that black women are not interested in holding a job and being able to provide for their family and prefer to stay at home. In 1999, Golden designed focus groups that brought different women together whose ages ranged from 18 to 40. Here they discussed their issues and concerns regarding the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. Most of the women that participated in these focus groups all game to a mutual agreement that their self-sufficiency coaches (SSCs) treated them like they were stupid. Each woman also expressed that they felt “…their SSC was in control of their financial situation” (Golden 30). Women who were interested in getting a job through the federally funded training programs did not get placed in a job based on their skill level. Because the government was so anxious to place these women in the working force, they were placed in fast-food restaurants, nursing homes, hotels, cleaning services, and clerical positions. These jobs typically focused on hiring women, had poor salaries, and offered little to no benefits.

I found this article interesting to read. It was odd to me that the individuals who signed up for the job of helping women would treat them the way they did. SSCs believed that the African American women who came into the welfare office were illiterate and dumb because she may not have finished high school. In my opinion, the women who went to the SSCs office were very smart. “Although the women in the study did not have high academic literacy levels, they undoubtedly had achieved other forms of literacy based on their social contexts such as workplace, community and home” (Golden 31). The women going into the SSCs office knew that if they responded in a negative way to them, they would lose their benefits. They played smart and put up with a little degrading so they could provide for their families. Being book smart is not the only way to be considered literate.

How Culture Plays a Role in Literacy

In the article entitled "Dysfunctional Literacies of Exclusion: An Exploration of the Burdens of Literacy in Tsitsi Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions" written by Mandi Chikombero, the negative aspects of literacy are explored. More specifically Chikombero describes the differences in traditional and cultural literacy in Rhodesia and how each affects women in the book Nervous Conditions written by Tsitsi Dangarembga. Traditional literacy focuses on traditional sociocultural values observed by a particular group of people. On the other hand, cultural literacy is more modern and academic oriented. In Nervous Conditions, all of the female characters struggled with either one or both of these literacies. Women that were educated were treated as if they were nothing but a housewife, as if their education meant nothing. This created immense unhappiness. Meanwhile, women that were not educated were treated the same way, but were content with those conditions. They had been taught from an early age that it was their duty to reproduce, plant food for their families, and be passive. The main character, Tambu, was not satisfied with the low expectations of women and wanted to be educated even though she grew up in the same traditional environment. However, educated women were not as easily accepted as those who were uneducated and her parents did not approve of her going to school. Tambu was neither fully traditionally nor culturally literate. She had a combination of both literacies.

This article made me question how many young women there are in countries like Rhodesia that aspire to be more than a home maker and mother. It saddens me that they do not have the opportunity to do so without being considered an outcast from their community. They do not have the access to education and jobs like American women do. I believe that many American women do not take advantage of all of the opportunities available because they do not realize how important they are. Simply having the ability to decide who and when they want to marry is a choice not given to many women around the world and American women often take it for granted. Rhodesian women have their mates chosen for them at an early age. If it is not arranged, they will be considered a whore. This is not true in America and all women should appreciate the many options we have in our country compared to other, less fortunate women around the world.

The Phases of Feminism

E. Yvette Walters, author of Women and Literacy in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, describes the different types of feminism and the focus of each feministic group. She allows the reader to see how this information can be used to create five categories in which women can assess themselves and reality. The first category is silence. A woman in silence does not speak up for herself or view herself as a learner. Walters relates this to several instances in The Color Purple, when Celie dealt with devastating situations because she did not voice her opinion. Even when other women around her gave their input, Celie continued to put up with Mr. _____ and the problems he put her through because she believed that as long as she was alive, she was ok. Another category described was related to the knowledge received by a woman. Women in this stage of knowing typically understand how important language is, but do not possess confidence in their ability to verbalize it. These women rely on the information obtained by others and use it as validation on every aspect of their lives. An example that Walters gave of this was when she explained how Celie stated that she was not dumb. Celie did not believe this because of the information that she knew about herself, but because her sister Nettie told her that she was smart.

The quest for self was another category used to describe a stage of knowing in which women are obsessed with either choosing or losing themselves. They have created boundaries for themselves and others as well as generalized negative attitudes towards specific groups of people. The author makes a reference to the point in The Color Purple when Celie begins to become very pessimistic about God and adds him to the generalization that she has already created towards men. On the other hand, women in the voice of reason stage are very careful to make informed and carefully planned decisions. They form opinions and analyze situations. The point of the book in which Celie possesses this type of knowing is when she decided that she needed God even though he appeared not to treat her favorably during her life. Last is the stage of integrating the voices. During this stage, women reclaim themselves due to the knowledge gained from their inner selves and others. Celie shows this when she states that she is satisfied being by herself. She does not need anyone to validate her or to make her happy.

Can a woman go through these stages cyclically? “In life and literature, women cycle through recursive phases of knowing” (144). I believe that going through phases of literacy is important for a woman to mature. There are times in which learning is important and certain stages allow for that more than others. However, there are times when it is vital for a woman to stand up for herself and her beliefs. The first stages of knowing probably occur during times when women are unacknowledged in certain situations whereas the last stages occur more when women have been exposed to predicaments prior to actually being in them. Either way, these stages create growth and maturity. Women should not continuously go through this cycle for the same problem, it should be a learning process.

Transformative College Literacy of Literate Black Women Peer Counselors

In 1997, Robin Wisniewski created a peer counseling program that provided literacy support for college students with disabilities, from low income backgrounds, and in the first generation in their family to attend college. Peer counselors would assist between 80 and 100 students per semester with implementing new strategies for studying, textbook reading, note taking, test anxiety, stress, career exploration, and many others. The way the peer counselors taught and their way of thinking completely transformed Wisniewski.

The story focuses on two African American females Lauryn and Vania. These two young ladies were from very different backgrounds. Lauryn grew up in a more urban setting where she went to a high school with a 99.9 percent African American population whereas Vania went to a predominately white school where the only black kids there were most likely one of her family members. When asked how they felt about being part of the peer counseling program, Lauryn said “The Peer Counseling Program is more like the culture of a family setting in high school. There’s no separation. There’s not anybody that I don’t get along with…” (Wisniewski 75). Vania replied with a description of the characteristics of the peer counselors stating that “the people who come to this program are all open-minded, people who probably generally get along with a lot of people anyway, who probably care about people or who have those types of supportive personalities.” (Wisniewski 75). Everyone who was a part of this group was aiming toward a common goal. To make people aware that literacy means much more than knowing how to read.

I really enjoyed this reading because it gave two different perspectives of two different African American females. Both grew up in different backgrounds, yet they were able to come together and share their experiences growing up to younger college students. Despite the two of them being stereotypes and generalized because of their race, they still were able to look past that and continue on to what they wished to achieve by being a part of this wonderful organization.

How We Are Portrayed In Film

Joanne Kilgour Dowdy explains how black women that are cast in lead roles typically play a character that is ultimately demeaning to them in her article Reel Women: Black Women and Literacy in Feature Films. They play roles such as addicts, caretakers, and housekeepers. These characters are always depicted as undereducated or submissive. Writers of such movies are creative enough to show these images to the world without much analysis from those without knowledge of this concept. Many people do not realize how detrimental these images are to the Black community. Some believe that the way Black women are shown in movies dictates how they are in reality. The few female African American characters in movies that are intelligent have supporting roles. Therefore, these are not the images that stand out to movie viewers.

What happens when these images are taken as an insight into Black culture? Other ethnicities begin to feel as though Blacks are inferior and incapable of being highly successful without the help of others. This is why there is such surprise when others see African Americans excelling in school and in their careers. These are the images that young, Black women have been seeing since slavery and they are still widely produced. For some, it is the only image they see of themselves. They believe that it is ok to replicate the actions of a fictional character created by a Caucasian writer to depict typical African American behavior. This will continue to be a problem until more Black female writers emerge and attempt to counterbalance this act by producing more positive images for Blacks to identify with and circulating them around the world.

Going Against the Grain

It has always been a struggle for African Americans, particularly African American females, to prove themselves in the world. We have to work twice as hard as the white people to get a good job, maintain that job, and most importantly gain the respect earned from colleagues in the work force. In the article "Going Against the Grain," there is talk about many unsuccessful attempts by black people to gain their rights as citizens. Although most people were against treating African Americans like humans, there were some who felt African Americans deserved to be free and equal. This is not to say that they did not doubt our potential. Blacks have always been known as illiterate because at one point it was against the law for a black slave to learn to read and write. So although there were many who were rooting for our freedom, they still felt we were incapable of learning to read and write.

The most interesting part of the article to me was the story about Maria W. Stewart. She was the first African American woman known to have written essays. I found her story compelling because she was an independent non-struggling African American. Prior to marrying her husband James W. Stewart, she worked as a domestic servant to support herself. She and her husband were members of a small group of elites where they engaged in lively social and political activities. When her husband passed away, he left her everything. Unfortunately, her husband’s white business colleagues wanted everything. So she took them to court. After battling them for two years, she not only found herself stripped of everything he had owned but she was also subject to racial and gender discrimination. Because of this, she decided to go public with it.

I found it brave on her part to take these two white men to court because it was during a time period when slavery was slowing down but it still existed. I’m glad she took what happened to her during the court case public because it shows the world that black women aren’t illiterate and we are capable of standing up for ourselves, our beliefs, and what we know is wrong and unjust treatment.

Unbreakable...

The ability to use language has always been important to the African American race. Author, Jacqueline Royster describes how the concept of storytelling was one of the traditions that Africans continued to utilize after they were shipped to the Americas. Storytelling was used as a way to preserve the rich African culture. Not surprisingly, this was one of the many roles that women played in the African society. Through their stories, women were to lead their listeners down the path in which they should go.

Women were continuously degraded, yet their self esteem remained intact. “They were treated in a genderless way as they were called upon to work side by side with men” (Stewart 111). Enslaved women did what was forced upon them to do. They worked like men on the plantation and were sexually abused when it was convenient to the slave owner. However, this did not discourage African women from being strong and this strength allowed them, as well as others, to live. In addition to keeping the spirits of their community high, these black women made several attempts to speak out and stand up for equality. They attempted to use the legal system as a way to win rights that had not previously been awarded to Blacks. This in itself was an exciting feat for African Americans.

It is sad that women have never been given the credit that they deserve. Black women play such a huge part in the history of the African American culture; however, little is ever said about them. They are the glue that holds the community together, but they are consistently taken for granted. From this reading alone, it is easy to realize how strong and important women are. As slaves, they were made to do the same work as men, while being subject to sexual harassment and abuse on an everyday basis, in addition to taking care of a household. This means that they had twice the responsibility of Black men and constantly had to try to avoid being raped. Regardless, women took this responsibility in stride and maintained their dignity. These women laid the foundation for African American women today.

So They Say We're Illiterate...

Since the beginning of time Blacks have had to endure the unequal treatment placed upon them by their oppressors. This has caused many issues within the Black community. One of the most prominent problems is that a large percentage of Black women are considered illiterate by the terms of society. However, there are many contributors to this statistic that are caused primarily by the structure of the curriculum, instead of by the woman herself. Even the educational systems that are in effect today neglect the needs of young Black women, thus leaving them illiterate. Sadly, this lack of regard damages the future of the children born to these women, which creates an ongoing cycle of illiteracy.

It bothers me that Black women have to work twice as hard as anyone else to be accepted in European society. In the classroom setting, the needs of a Black woman remain unmet, yet she is still expected to succeed. Adding children to this equation makes learning even more of a task. Though it is unfair, Black women must fight to overcome these challenges. She is the force that will drive the Black race to be viewed as more than a group of people that allow the government to take care of her family through services such as welfare. The day when the majority of Black women are literate, is the day that they can teach their children to become literate. The race will finally be seen as the intelligent people they are. They will have achieved the two most important aspects of society, advancement and social change.

Black Women/ Black Literature

For years, the language of African Americans has been viewed as wrong. Young children are told from the very beginning not to talk like black people because it is a sign of ignorance or being “ghetto”. So when a child who has not been taught these same beliefs encounters a child who has, the child that talks more proper is said to talk “white”. In this interview conducted by Joanna Kilgour Dowdy, Christina McVay,a white woman, talks about her experiences teaching English to a class with all African American students. She talks about how her success comes from making the students feel comfortable around her and allowing them to open up to her. Her style of teaching is very different from many other white teachers. First off, she wanted to teach at a school where the majority of students were Black. Most schools that are majority white will not really talk about African American history. If they do, it is because of black history month. She also allows her students to express themselves and gives them the opportunity to write in the language they were so often told is wrong. By allowing the students to do various assignments using ‘slang’, she is teaching them that there is nothing wrong with it and the appropriate times to use it.

I enjoyed this interview because I have never had or heard of a teacher, specifically a white teacher, that was willing to teach a group of African American students a way to embrace their culture. Most will shy away because of the way we speak or because we don’t like English. I respected the fact that she did not act like she knew everything about our culture and was open to learning new things from the students. This made the classroom instantly become one of dialogue and interactions. If the school systems had more diverse teachers like this, I do not think most black students would dislike English as much as they do.

To Be Black, Female, and Literate: A Personal Journey in Education and Alienation

Leonie C. R Smith’s Autobiography entitled To be Black, Female, and Literate tells the story of Smith’s educational journey and the trials and obstacles that she faced while acquiring an education. Her journey to become a multilingual literate Black woman began on the island of Antigua, where she worked hard to become an academically successful black woman. Impelled by her desire not to suffer under the victimization of those more literate, like her grandmother, Smith worked hard at a young age to overcome every obstacle she faced. Obstacles such as losing her mother at a young age, her birth home burning down, and her father after years of depression leading up to her mother’s death, leaving his children and remarrying again in the states.

Smith seemed to have a determination that couldn’t be killed no matter her circumstances. Principles imparted on her by her parents who laid the foundation to continue despite present circumstances. This foundation helped her reach her goals and excel at an early age. An example of such excellence was displayed after Smith explained that “The classes were divided into As and Bs in primary school, from infant 1 (kindergarten) to Junior 5 (6th or 7th grade). The A classes were for the students who were considered to be academically gifted, and the B classes were for those students who did not fare as well academically. I remember always being in the A classes, and I always came in first, second, or third place within the class.” (Smith, 187).

So why exactly is this quote so important to this literary essay? This is because despite Smith's early success in life and determination to let nothing distract her, she became a successful, literate, black woman. It was not until her matriculation through secondary school and college that for the first time in her life faced the brunt of discrimination and the ridicule in which it bought. Smith was unprepared for the struggles in which she now faced and unfortunately because of this, her grades suffered. For the first time in Smith’s life she not only failed her courses, but she also learned an important life lesson. Smith had learned that no matter the time and energy she dedicated to excelling at school, her race couldn’t be avoided she was an African American and now had to prove herself as a black, literate female.

In addition, Smith’s constant desire to compare herself to “Tee," the main character of Merle Hodge’s (1970) Crick Crack Money narrative shows Smith’s desire to pacify herself and show that although things were difficult they could have been worse. Smith's pursuit to be literate could have been similar to "Tee's" and the racial discrimination she faced. Sadly, Smith is caught off guard due to her present circumstances and the “experiences of involvement or alienation can directly or indirectly affect the performance and success not only of students, but faculty as well (Smith 1991).”

In conclusion, Smith reveals that her matriculation through secondary school and college helped her to not only become a multilingual, literate Black woman, but through these trials and struggles she became a strong, intelligent, black women who was not only aware of herself but also the world around her.

Being a Black Literate Female

For years women have been seen as incapable. They were never given the amount of credit men were given and often times were degraded. African American women had it worse. At one point in time, African Americans weren’t even allowed to learn how to read. This is where the stereotype that all ‘black’ people are illiterate comes from. What does it mean to be a literate being? The dictionary defines literate as someone who is able to read and write. Contrary to past beliefs about black females, there are many literate African American women in the world who have such high paying jobs as writers, actresses, doctors, lawyers. In the article “To Protect and to Serve” by Elaine Richardson, she discusses the many images of black females over the years and how it is a lifelong journey trying to prove to society that we are not all the same. “Young black females often struggle to invent themselves against the distorted images of “money hungry heartless b*tch,” “Jezebel,” and good “ole Mammy” among others, many of which was created during slavery.” (Richardson 676). What I thought was the most interesting part in this essay was the part when she talked about the black girl image vsersus the white girl image. I found it stimulating that when I typed young black girl in the Google search engine and found that all of the results were pornographic sites. This goes to show that no matter how many black women succeed in life, there is always going to be that ‘ghetto girl’ stereotype.

The Art of Storytelling

Storytelling is an ancient, but unique concept that has laid the foundation for African-American culture.  It is more than just an easy way to put children to sleep at night.  Storytelling is used to pass down memories and customs, inspire others, encourage laughter, or as a tool for healing.  Also, storytelling is a uniting force that can bring people together culturally or spiritually.  

The religious aspect of storytelling was perhaps the most interesting portion of this article to me.  I never thought of the impact that the stories of the bible have on African-Americans.  The article describes how Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would utilize storytelling in his sermons.  These stories always start with an everyday problem and end by giving the audience the best way to go about that situation.  It gives individuals good advice to carry them through the week.  Dr. King used the story of the Good Samaritan from the bible and made it so that everyone could relate to it.  This reminded me of the minister at my church.  He always adds a humorous story to his sermon.  It was not until I read this section of this article that I realized that this is a common approach among African-American preachers.  Why is that?  

This is probably true because “Many older African-Americans identified with the suffering of Christ, the stories of Moses and the Israelites, and other biblical characters” (Franklin & Dowdy 127).  That was the one aspect of life that was easily relatable for most Blacks.  Also, religion has always played a big part in the lifestyle of African-Americans, so combining an everyday problem with a biblical solution is very logical.  These beliefs and traditions are still alive today, thus these practices are still implemented by Black preachers.