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.