Pimps Whores and Welfarebrats

Society has always spoken negatively about African Americans. The article Pimps Whores and Welfarebrats gives a very different point of view. Society did not come up with these ideas on their own. The actions of African American leaders and its people had everything to do with negative thoughts and assumptions. This article points out so many issues that are ignored by the African American people. After the civil rights movement the lives of African Americans were suppose to get better. We were suppose to become equals with our white-counter parts. Our African American leaders played a big part in this transition. Instead of everyone of us making an effort to make a difference in our lives and our community. Some of us took the easy route and went for assistance from the Pimps (Government). African Americans (Whores) have become so dependent on assistance from the government. Through this assistance African Americans have been portrayed lazy and uncaring. In some ways it is true. Many have become so dependent and feel it is unnecessary to go out and find work or fend for themselves. Everything that the government gives us we take with asking questions about the affect it will have on the future generations to come.

The author of this article also pointed out another fact. Whenever African American leaders find themselves the blame it on "racism." Why does it always have to come down to that. Even though we may face racism at one point in our life as African Americans that does not mean it is always a factor in everything we do. Many African American leaders have exploited the community of Africans Americans and though they are in the wrong when they get caught for their wrong doings the blame on racism and how our white counter parts are trying to make them out to be the bad guys. When in all honest the are deemed the bad guys because the actions were really wrong. Also these leaders have supported many things that are immoral and not very good for the African American community. Like some leaders support abortion but it is wiping out an entire generation of African Americans. The abortion rate for African Americans have gone up because its approved in so many places and in many cases it is paid for by the government. Many African American leaders represent the government. Being and African American is not easy and I can say we do not make it easy on ourselves.

This article spoke to me in so many ways. In all honest the author spoke about so many things that I think about everyday. I may be Ghanaian but in American I am an African American and it pains me to see the way society views me because of the acts of other African Americans. Just because one is black that does not mean we can not be successful as a whole. The smallest acts can have the biggest impacts. There is no reason for so many African Americans to be so dependent on the government. We also need to stop blaming everything we do on racism. We should that the consequences for our actions and make a change in our lives. One act can change societies views on our life and our dependence on the government.

Literacy and Dysfunction

 Throughout the years women have worked hard to put behind them the steroetypical steroetypes that come with being a women and roles such as child bearing and male sex toys. In fact, almost every culture as well as race has unfortunately depicted females in this same light, emotional, weak, and uneducated. Mandi Chikombero's Dysfuctional Literacies of Exclusion: An Exploration of the Burdens of Literacy in Tsitsi Dangarembga’s Nervous Condition, however analyzes a book called "Nervous Conditions" by Tsitsi Dangarembga and gives example of the two different types of literacies in which people may be categorized in. The first being traditional literacy and the second being colonial literacy. Within this novel Mandi Chikombero tries to convey the message that "different literacies have various implications for understanding Black women's struggle for acceptance and inclusion in male-dominated societies". In addition, by analysizing” Nervous Conditions” Chikombero is able to exemplify the many issues that African-American woman faced during this post slavery time period and expose the obscacles presented to them due to their race and the gender inqualities they faced within their own homes.

An example of these central issues is presented when Chikombero refers to Tambu, the main character of Nervous Conditions, and her belief that a colonial education will help her escape from the deprivation and depression that lies within the colonial accepted treatment of women within her community.  Unfortunately she is quickly disappointed when she sees women of higher educational levels such as her aunt, who went to missionary school in England, return back home and achievements be overshadowed by her husband.  Furthermore, Nervous Conditions, like similar African stories, education is seen as alienating, uprooting circumstance that is geared only to the displacement of the colonized from familiar settings.

          After reading this novel I was truly aspired to work in every possible  way to continue my own acquisition towards literarcy, and in the process hopefully continue where my ancestors left off. I know now that without them and their sacrifice, I probably could not claim a spot at Spelman College or anywhere else. Yet fortunately enough it is through their courage and strength that they were able to make it through those tough times and thankfully pave the way for my future. Thus, with these in mind I must make sure not to let stereotypical stereotypes dictate my future or aspirations of future goals but continue on the road to success.

Black and on Welfare

African Americans no matter their educational level are constantly the brunt of cruel stereotypes, social misconception and unfortunately often at times deemed unworthy. In Sandra Golden's article "Black and Welfare: What You Don't Know About Single-Parent Women she explains the disrespect and humiliation that African American women on welfare face every day.” "Once one goes to the government for assistance you are looked upon as unmotivated, unskilled, uneducated or undereducated, and responsible for bring fatherless children into the world," I quote Golden. Golden conducted a research and she found that many of the African American women that were on welfare were constantly humiliated and referred to as "case numbers" instead of by their names. These women could not defend themselves because if they did, they would lose the governments support. If a woman is a single mother, they are looked upon with disdain. In part, it seems like it is the mission of the American Welfare system to evolve a single parent household to a two parent household by helping out these women. In the end though all they do is degrade them.

To reform these women and make them better members of society is the American Welfare’s goal. However, what they do not realize is some of these women are well educated and are just going through some hard times. They are put in classes that teach them about different jobs, but even if these women are qualified in certain fields it is not accounted for. To them (welfare system) it does not matter what qualifications you have, because these training programs are designed so that you are recommended to an employer or agency even if you are not interested. Some of these jobs consist of housekeeping, waitressing, nursing aide etc. These women all have different passions but they are not given the opportunity to show them within these forced professions.

Everyone hits a hard patch once in their life, and end up needing assistance from someone else. So I do not understand why they discriminate against those asking for assistances. Especially since the welfare system was created for that purpose alone. I feel that if these caseworkers are not dedicated to helping these women in need then they do not need to work in that particular profession. These women need attention and care not humiliation and degradation. It is wrong and inhuman.  Life is a struggle and no one can make it without the help of another sadly I can see that many people do not see it that way.

The Color Purple.

Alice Walker's The Color Purple tells the inspiring story of an oppressed, abused, isolated women who learns to fight back, speak for herself, defend other women, “ git man off her eye (204),” and make her  way  in a racist, patriarchal world. The beginning of this reading entitled Women and Literacy in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, starts off by explaining how women of the Diaspora have been using the oral culture for generations. "Before Black women were allowed to publish, they kept their stories alive through the act of storytelling" (137), black women writers recorded their histories through their stories. Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison, Gloria Naylor, and Alice Walker are writers that the reading goes on to explain and mirror the realities of being both Black and female.

The reading also goes on to elucidate the five basic types of feminism: liberal feminism, radical feminism, pro-structural feminism, social feminism, and black feminism. Liberal feminists focus on the rights of individual women and work to transform traditional beliefs about femininity and masculinity and emphasize women's rights to create their own identity. Radical feminists argue that the roots of women's oppression lie in the biological differences between men and women. Pro-structural feminists examine the ways language patterns produce notions of gender. Social feminists believe that race, social class, and gender oppression are interrelated consequences of a patriarchal, capitalist system. And finally black feminism, or womanism, which defines African-American women's struggles as issues of race, social class, and gender and work to give voice to the experiences of Black women (138).

In The Color Purple, Celie, the protagonist of The Color Purple, belongs in the category of the silent woman. Silence is a position in which women experience themselves as voiceless and mindless (138). It represents a denial of self and a strong dependence on external authority. Women of silent knowledge do not view themselves as learners. Like Celie who progresses through the stage of being silent, begins to rely on what people say and think. She looks for others to validate her self-worth and by doing so she begins to quiet her own voice and instead lives by what people say. However, towards the final stages of this story as Celie begins to understand that in order to recreate herself she had to ultimately learn how to survive alone. “If she come, I be happy, If she don’t, I be content. And then I figure this is the lesson I was supposed to learn” (p.284). Furthermore, through Celie, Alice Walker asserts that knowing one’s place within the larger schema enables women to maximize their power, uncover their hidden talents, and discover the God inside.

Hence, The Color Purple was an extremely influential story since it shows me and other readers the first hand effects of an abusive relationship and how exceptionally important it is to have your own voice of reasoning and be able to make choices of your own. After reading this essay I had one important question. The first question is, what category would I fall under? And after much thought I would have to say black feminism, since I think it is important for every black women to have a voice and a voice that can be heard. Whether that voice be made public in politics or even the local community that voice matters and should be heard.

Transformative College Literacy of Literate Black Women Peer Coundelors

In 1997, Robin Wisniewski was designated the task of designing and successful launching a peer counseling program for students with disabilities, low-income backgrounds and first generation students at her University. “The programs philosophy would embrace a counseling perspective rather than draw from that of traditional college literacy programs based on administrative tasks, mechanistic teaching and basic skills development.” (Readers of the Quilt, 70)  Wisniewski assumed that the counselors would use traditional methods, like note taking techniques, study habits and other basic skills to develop their academic proficiency. Hence, both peer counselors and Wisniewski came to the conclusion that they individually had a responsibility to contribute to literacy learning of the university and the students within it.

  

Therefore the question of great importance “If you’re ignorant of everything that is going on and you have no idea and you’re just walking around, then how can you say we need change, or we need this and that?” (Wisniewski 69). After taking this question under consideration, I too completely agree with Wisniewski, and believe that it is foolish to aimlessly live life not knowing what’s going on or whether or not you even understand. Especially, since knowledge is power and without that we simply become enslaved to our scheme of doing things, whether that being right or wrong. But by building and promoting individuality it serves as a defense against racism and stereotypes in the world or even our local surroundings.

In conclusion, I truly enjoyed reading this chapter since it reinforced the concepts of peer counseling that many peer counselors have unfortunately lost sight of today. Examples such as Lauryn and Vania, two young African American women in the program, show exactly how important  it is to establish a relationship between both the mentor and the mentee, and what role that plays on their academics. Lauryn and Vania genuinely cared for their students, so tutoring exceeded more than just merely teaching biology or English but also allowed them to launch a friendship and a safe environment which permitted students to succeed. In addition, fortunately enough I have personally seen the affects of such concepts in my academics and can say this not only works but allows for a more optimistic, striving, and independent student.

Reel Women: Black Women and Literacy in Feature Films

Joanne Kilgour Dowdy really goes in-depth when speaking about the portrayal of African American women in films. In most instances we are shown as illiterate, loose, and uneducated. What she tries to do is get her students to look at the films from an analytical lens instead of the average person watching a film for entertainment. Dowdy chose nine films to analysis, the films consisted of African American women as the lead roles. In each film, black women are given very stereotypical roles. In the "Passion Fish" Alfred Woodard's character was designed to fill the role of "mammy," who leaves her own child to take care of her white crippled mistress. In the other films the women were portrayed as homemaker who is illiterate and a bystander in the household decisions, the rags to riches story, a junkie who can't take care of her children, being put in a position of power and being ignorant, and also being constantly abused and misused by man. The stereotypes put upon black women are shown to our society everyday through film and book. Both are forms of literacy that we are meant to not understand.

Reading this article makes me look at all the films from a different angle. I've watched all nine movies and it never occurred to me the way that black women were being portrayed. I watched for entertainment only. To think that through these movies society's ideas of the ideal black women is enhanced is saddening. Not every black women aspires to be a singer/actress/model or cocaine addicted. Not every black women wants to be abused and misused. Everyone of us is different. Circumstances do not allow everyone to aspire to do great things. Though when given the opportunity many black women succeed and become very literate. These stereotypes in my opinion should not be portrayed any longer. There is more to black women than the beauty that is bestowed upon us.

I will aspire to make a change to these stereotypes. I also know that my fellow Spelman sisters will do the same thing especialy since wisdom last forever but beauty fades. Also most black women that I know want  family to take care. Many of us want to work in professional fields and make a difference in others lives other than their own. We do not esteem to be selfish. These stereotypes being portrayed have to go.

Determination is the Key

            African Americans, particularly African American females, have always struggled to prove themselves in the world. Black Women have always had to work twice as hard as their white counterparts to get a good job, maintain that job, and most importantly gain the respect from colleagues in the work force. And are continuously degraded, yet their self esteem remained intact.The articles explained how women were treated. I quote, “They were treated in a genderless way as they were called upon to work side by side with men” (Royster 111). This optimism helps them to remain strong despite the odds and provided the strength for those around. But it is through their uplifting spirits that those around them have hope for a brighter more literate day.

Author, Jacqueline Royster, focused on these central themes and issues and wrote a pivotal essay entitled Going Against the Grain. The essay spoke of a time where black women played a silent but pivotal role in history by practicing the social and political freedoms that their white counterparts practiced so freely. But most importantly it focused on African Americans countless attempts to have a true place in this world and prove themselves worthy enough to be literate.

I personally found this essay to be extremely interesting and a worthwhile read, especially, because I was able to see the extreme obstacles in which African American woman had to face in order to acquire literacy. I was most inspired though by Maria Stewart, who accepted her call to fight for all rights according to women no matter how big, small or far-fetched it was. With her words, I now know what I have to do to maintain my position in this world. No matter how many obstacles I might face, because I live with the inspirational thought of my for mothers who fought for the right to enjoy the freedom I so dearly love. GO AGAINST THE GRAIN is exactly must I must do to thank them.

Finding Ways

It is amazing to see how so many people fought so hard just to get the right to speak out against injustice. Reading "Going Against the Grain" opened my eyes the struggles of people of African descent in America. When you look at the novel and you read about how the law itself suppressed blacks from learning to read and write. It was the kind of world they lived in at the time. At the same time though you had white man and women who went out of their way to teach black men and women to read and write. Even though in their eyes it was a way for them to become civilized as they claimed, it was still a great cause. Women in my eyes accomplished the most. In the eyes of society black women were nothing. They weren't even recognized as being human beings. So when I read about how the likes of Lucy Terry and Maria W. Stewart went against societies misconceptions and through literacy spoke out against injustice it made me rejoice. Who would think through literacy so much can be accomplished?

What also really fascinated me was the unique ways people taught slaves when it became illegal to teach blacks to read or write. Using a sewing class as a cover up for educating women and even staying up until 2 a.m to teach young children because you want to make a difference is amazing. These were the things that people particularly women did to improve the literacy of African American. Even if not given the opportunity to be taught, they listened to the whites reading and writing and learn from them. Without the white even realizing what was going on.

Reading "Going Against the Grain" made me realize the we have it easy in our society as of now. We have so many opportunities given to us as black women and if we take a stand and fight for it we can achieve. In the times of Lucy Terry and Maris W. Stewart they faced so much opposition but they still managed to get their stories told. So I wonder what is stopping women of my generation from doing the same. As of now the motto is no one can stop you from succeeding but you. The struggles of the heroines before us was just to see the generations after to succeed.

To Protect and Serve:African American Female Literacies

It is safe to say that most African American's as children are raised with some form of the "mother tongue." They way the speak the English language is quite different from proper English. In Elaine Richardson's To Protect and Serve:African American Female Literacies she explained how the "mother tongue" has been a part of black culture for so long. So why is it that society is regards it as the wrong type of English? Because the "mother tongue has such a big influence on our lives that African American female in literature are not even acknowledged as a big part of literature. They are regarded as uncaring, heartless sex objects. After so many years that has been the stereotype so it seems that no matter how hard they try they still face adversity. She also pointed out they with African Americans females are at advantage because the can regard literature through the way the world see's it and also through our life style. So we have a double consciousness as to communicate in the way we were taught while growing up and also what is accepted in society.

The "mother tongue" is a benefit to black people, so many things can be taught through the mother tongue. Like Elaine pointed it out it is what shapes us as black women. We articulate ideas through the "mother tongue."  So many of us have been stereotyped that it has silenced African American girls but through the "mother tongue" we are able to express ourselves. With the use of the "mother tongue" we can learn a lot about literature.

Even though I found the article to be somewhat confusing I think the author put her point across. Her argument was very forward and she had pros and cons for everything that was said. I believe that everything she said was very true and straight forward. Not many people are willing to point out societies mistakes.

Black Women/Black Literature

In the interview between Joanna Kilgour Dowdy and Christina McVay, Kilgour Dowdy had questions to ask Ms. McVay and she was very ready to answer them without holding anything back. The day that Ms. Christina McVay went to visit her brother at his work place she did not expect to end up with a career change. I quote Ms. McVay when she said "I just stumbled into this department! That's been the story of life, you know? John Lennon said in one of his songs, Beautiful Boy, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."(pg.88) As a professor at Ohio State University, some of the classes she teaches are Oral and Written Discourse, The Legacy of Slavery in Literature and Pan-African Women's Literature. Teaching her students to love English and also to understand that the way that blacks also speak is acceptable and is part of their heritage and they should be very proud. Black literacy especially female's opened her mind and broaden her perspectives in life. Writers such as Toni Morrison, and Hurston helped her gain substance and teach her students the English language and their language make them unique in every perspective if put together Also in teaching her students she realizes she learns as much from her students as they learn from her. Being a white person and teaching Pan-African has taught her a lot. Her students have expanded her knowledge on blackness. 

To Ms. McVay "literature is not just an academic thing. It really is not. It's a life thing. The Black literature that I have read and most particularly the Black women writers, like Morrison, Hurston and both Margaret and Alice Walker, have made me a different person from who I was 20 years ago." Managing to realize that her love Pan-African literature has played a big factor on how she views life. Black literature is what she loves to teach even though she is a white women.

Reading this article was really interesting and enjoyable because the way she spoke was so similar to my twelve grade teacher I couldn't help comparing them. Just like Ms. McVay my teacher went by her own rules and taught in her own way. My teacher had a love for Black literature and it never occurred to me that another person of her background would feel the same way. I always enjoyed being in her class and she never made it seem as if the way we her students spoke English was no different from hers. She made the atmosphere as comfortable as Ms. McVay those with her students. I know that learning black literature especially female black literature should be a big part of life.

Literacy and the Black Women

Historically black women have struggled to achieve the skills identified with literary and have unfortunately remained a member of the underclass. Sharon M. Darling essay entitled "Literacy and the Black Women" which gives statistical and background evidence of black women and literacy rates.  Noting the “vicious cycle of illiteracy” as being around as early as the period of slavery, Darling spoke of a well known gap between black women and literacy. According to Darling, illiterate women outnumber illiterate men on account of reproduction issues, social positioning, and inadequate formal schooling (Lim, 1966; Safman, 1986)” (pg. 19); In addition, Darlings noted that “Lim (1996) reported that 25% of the world’s population is illiterate. Darling informed is that, women compromise 60% of this group, and Black women compromise 44% of all illiterate women (Safman, 1986). Therefore, illiteracy is a woman’s issue” (pg. 19

The myth that “through literacy, all can be overcome” (lim, 1996, p.1) has unfortunately left many black women in the pursuit of literacy unsuccessful. In fact, despite the educational system’s efforts to help the average black women reach their desired educational goals, they have failed to meet the individual needs of each black student. Sadly, this lack of regard damages the future of the children born to these women, which creates an ongoing cycle of illiteracy.

This particular essay hit close to home to me because my mother unfortunately did not attend college, unlike my father and she has since then always had a difficult time holding a job or finding a job where she met all the qualifications. In addition, based on my experiences as a college student, I was able to understand Darlings’ ideas and opinions on literacy and the Black woman. And personally believe that it is very important for the Black woman to attain literacy in order to avoid the disadvantages that come without literacy. It’s never, simply, nor easy but the power that is established with knowledge is the foundation for a beautiful future. Thus, black women of every age should be encouraged and uplifted to always no matter the obstacles or tribulations continue to pursue their educational pursuits or career goals.

Storytelling and Literacy by Wanda J. Franklin and Joanne Kilgour Dowdy.

Storytelling by definition means the art of conveying events in words, images, and sounds often by improvising or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation or ways in order to instill moral values. Crucial elements of stories and storytelling include plot, characters, and narrative point of view. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storytelling)

The purpose of a story is to describe how people make sense of the events of their lives, experiences, and actions. The constructs involved in the division of stories are culture, social interaction, race, and class. Every story that we tell or hear has a purpose and helps keep our lives knitted together. "Stories show how humans actors do things in the world, how their actions shape events and instigate in other actors, thus changing the world and often the actors themselves in some way. Stories also reveal the way events and other actors act upon others, shaping possibilities and the way we view ourselves and our world." (Franklin and Dowdy, 123)

In Storytelling, the authors begin the essay with a section entitled The Timeless Nature of Stories. In this section a story called Tongue Brought Me Here is told, first from the perspective of Franklin’s father and then from her childhood pastor’s perspective. Tongue Brought Me Here allows the reader to see one reason why storytelling is used. But most importantly it gives comparison to different perspectives of the same story and what moral value is held in not talking to excessively. “The theme was a cautionary tale about the consequences of talking too much” (Franklin and Dowdy pg. 120). This story made me wonder if any of the stories that we have been told have subconsciously affected us in some way similar to the way that the “mother tongue” (Elaine Richardson pg.677) shapes a child’s perspective. If so, in what ways?

 In conclusion, we can see that whether it serves as means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation storytelling is an art form that is important to every culture and race. But especially for the African American culture to which it helps reflects the varied experiences of our culture and race.

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 in which 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 faced her way. 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. A foundation, that 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 A's and B's in primary school, from infant 1 (kindergarten) to Junior 5 (6th or 7^th 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? One reason might be because despite Smith's early success in life and determination to let nothing distract her from becoming a successful literate black women. 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 brought. 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 young and was now seen as a threat by most of her peers and colleagues.

            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 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.