The Education of an Motherless Child

     Sunny- Marie Birney  was adopted as an infant by a Caucasian couple. Though she was thoroughly cared and provided for Birney felt a sense of longing for the African American identity that her adopted parents could not give her. Through personal relationships with strong Black women who took on the responsibility to enrich not only her mind but persona as an African American woman, Birney was able to find her place in the world.

     Birney emphasizes the importance of two literacies:educational liberation and identification. The author discusses the necessity of knowing that knowledge is the key to freedom. Birney also makes it clear, no matter how much information you review or the grades you receive, none of the educational teachings make a difference unless you realize your place in the world. When you understand your identity you are able to relate and create personal connections to abstract concepts. With out knowing how you perceive yourself, it's difficult to give your opinion the world. Birney was not provided with an African American setting to discover  her history and roots but yet created one from influential role models through out her life. The author created her own identity in the world to give her critique of the world.

Unearthing Hidden Literacy (Lillie Gayle Smith)

Unearthing Hidden Literacy by Lillie Gaye Smith was about Smith realizing that her past is what helped her become the literate woman she is today. Coming from a retched past of picking cotton, she rarely wanted to talk about it. Smith thought of her picking cotton as embarrassing especially since it was closely associated with slavery so she decided to keep that part of her past a secret. She only used her past of picking cotton as for a story of how she grew tremendously, however, once she enrolled in a "Black Woman's Literacy" class she began to notice how her past of picking cotton helped her literacy build and grow into something powerful.Smith concluded her passage with saying that all the experiences that you have will serve as a stepping block to your life as well as your literacy.


I totally agree with Smith in many ways. I do understand how it feels to run from you past and not want to relive it again but the circumstances that was presented to you will always benefit you in the future. Just as telling a story, we all learn from past experiences, whether it is ours or someone else's, these past experiences teaches us in extraordinary ways. It enhances us as we grow into a new form and a new life and it plants roots in us so that we never forget where we came from. As black women, we all have some experience, bad or good, that we know of. These things builds up our literacy because we are able to recall them and manipulate them in many ways. I know my past helped my literacy blossom beautifully and with out my dilemmas, I am not sure of where I might be physically and with literacy. I know that the past is the past and does not want to be revisited again but as the great Maya Angelou says, "History, despite it's wrenching pain, cannot be unlived...But if faced with COURAGE, need not be LIVED again!"

Lessons From Down Under: Reflections on Meanings of Literacy and Knowledge From an African-American Female Growing Up in Rural Alabama By Bessie House-Soremekun

     Lessons From Down Under written by Bessie House-Soremekun is a first hand account of the growing up in the South in the midst of civil right turmoil. House-Soremekun's reflections on the limitations that slaves were given through out the course of slavery which lead to storytelling, protesting and other unconventional forms of literacies being utilized in order to obtain education and humanity. Lack of formal education for African Americans during slavery lead to  historical happenings, customs and common knowledge being transmitted through oral renditions instead of written text. Not only did these literacies keep culture alive within the Black community, the information that was  given could never be taken away or limited by the restrictions of White society.

     The entire focus of our class has been centered on the various forms of African American literacies. House-Soremekun introduces a literacy that I never took into consideration until reading her reflection. Boycotting and protesting are fashions of displaying the understanding of the law and the rights one is indebted because of their citizenship. For example the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955-56 marked African-American's understanding of their economical power and ability to influence society through protest. Saying no, reflects the immense intelligence of the Black community and it's leader in knowing how to change injustice in a black and white world. Protesting and boycotting are clear forms of literacy that African Americans used as mode of transportation for equality despite the social barriers of existing in a White constructed world.

My Life As A Welfare Brat (Star Parker)

Star Parker’s My Life as a Welfare Brat, is the author's rendition of welfare. Once being on welfare herself, she had perfected the art of welfare plagiarism and comprehends how it affects Black women.  She understands how being apart the system can  “turn you out” and how the system thrives on keeping Black women at the bottom. Parker’s experience with the system was no different than the next woman’s. She used and abused the system herself to make fast money in order for her to “live” but she soon found out that living on a system that cares nothing about you is horrific and degrading. Parker pulled herself out of the welfare system and became an advocate for women who have become accustom with being on welfare. She concludes with warning women, that relying on welfare is no help at all. In order to help yourself, you must move on and out of the welfare system.

I agree with Parker's judgment. Welfare is only for temporary usage. It is just to assist you in your hardships so that you won’t fail completely. Black women shouldn’t use welfare as a crutch, only as a “pusher”. I use the term “pusher” because being on welfare, something that’s already demeaning, should “push” you to do better. Black women that rely on welfare will never rise to the top. They will only stay where society automatically places them, at the bottom.

“Black and on Welfare: What You Don’t Know About Single-Parent Women” by Sandra Golden

            

Welfare Stereotype

            “Black and on Welfare: What You Don’t Know About Single-Parent Women” by Sandra Golden exposes the truths behind the treatment of women on welfare. As a former welfare recipient herself Golden separates the truth from the myth in her research essay. After being confronted with a series of undesirable circumstances, Golden is forced to visit the County Department of Human Services. She continues to describe her experiences of being dehumanized and humiliated. The author’s history with the welfare system drove her to compile focus groups of women who have been processed through the system.

            Each woman who applied for assistance was deemed as irresponsible, unintelligent, lazy and shiftless and then given a standardized number to wait for a standardized solution. The social workers and system never consider the outlying factors. Though recipients may not be efficient literate in the traditional sense, they have adapted to their surroundings and become advanced in that field of literacy. Golden advocates for the numbered mothers, that all illiteracies should be recognized and each client should be given personal and unique assessments. In order to promote growth each case needs to be tailored to each client. It the welfare system treated each person based upon their history and skills rather than a number the client would feel empowered to break the system than embrace it. 

Dysfunctional Literacies of Exclusion (Mandi Chikombero)

In Dysfunctional Literacies of Exclusion,  Mandi Chikombero analyzes the novel "Nervous Conditions" by Tsitsi Dangarembga. This books talks about the hardships that black women endured throughout  slavery. The hardships included; harsh working conditions, baring multiple children by multiple men, and other demeaning situations. "Nervous Conditions" also talks about literacy and how each character was affected by it. Chikombero discusses  different literacies and concludes by stating that being black, female and literate comes with consequences. Whether the price is good or bad, take the risk.

Mandi Chikombero couldn't have said it better. The challenges that my ancestors went through to create their spot in this world makes me want to take the risk of literacy acquisition in every possible way. This reading inspired me to realize that my everyday actions should honor my ancestors. I now know that without them and their sacrifice, I would not be able to attend Spelman College or anywhere else. It was encouragement and strength that brought my ancestors through all of the tough times. I will always have them in  mind when I accomplish something, I receive an award, or when I move from one aspect of my life to another. I honor previous generations before me in all that I do and all that I have become. I would not be able to call myself BLACK, FEMALE and most importantly, LITERATE.

Going Against The Grain

     Going Against the Grain is a brief history of Black American literacy, beginning with slavery and gradually working towards the present. The author began the essay with a quote from Maria W. Stewart the first African American woman essayist. The quotes calls the "... daughters of Africa, awake! Awake! Arise! No longer sleep nor slumber,but distinguish yourselves." Stewart challenges Black women to create their futures and to never rely on the achievements of the past. 

    Stewart's call to action relates to Spelman's motto and my motivational theme. Spelman continuously pushes it's students to "Be the change we wish to see in the world." So we can cease working because Spelmanites before us have succeeded and  we must make our own success. This quote  makes me think of the Spike Lee film School Daze. Lee confronts the many issues and lifestyles of attending an Historically Black College or University. The film concludes with Laurence Fishburne proclaiming through out the campus for every to "wake up". After reading Stewart's piece I believe Spike Lee was alluding to Stewart's demands for African American women and men to take what is given and create new paths for future generations. Ultimately Maria W. Stewart and Spike Lee want the present and future generations of the African American people to never forget their history and never take for granted the future.