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.