Jael's post: Asking Questions

Dr. Alvin Thorton spoke on many different topics but he would continually come back to what seemed to be the heart of his lecture; it is our responsibiltiy as Howard University students to question our nation. This goes back to an earlier lecture on how all of our acquired knowledge should be made relevant to solving the problems in the human condition.

Dr. Thorton compared us students to the "talented tenth". The talented tenth is the idea formed by W.E.B DuBOis that in every group of people there is a minority that has been called to lead. DuBois spoke of the talented tenth to assert how the talented tenth in the black race was just as capable as the talented tenth in any other race and to propose how the talented tenth should be trained for their leadership positions. However, it must be remembered that the talented tenth is only a tenth, and their talents and resulting positions of authority are not any more important than the talents and positions of others but they serve as a different function. Also, I think that it is even a smaller minority that is called to address more than one problem in the world and the majorit of the talented tenth may have only a calling toward one specific area.

Growing up I might have been recognozed as a member of the talented tenth. My test scores would often cause me to be isolated in "gifted" classes and I later graduated salutatorian of my high school. But I dissappointed many when I chose my field of study; music (music therapy). Some people, especially my counselor, thought that I was wasting my talents by not committing

my energies to becoming a doctor or lawyer (stereotypical positions of the intelligent). But I was called to ask a different question that is asked by few. The question is whether the practice of music being used as organized therapy can be used in the mainstream. It is a good question because we now live in an age where people are constantly being diagnosed with more diseases than ever before and the drigs being used to treat these illnesses are becoming more potent. I believe that the American population could very well be overmedicated and alternative therapies should be the big talk.

My music therapy teacher is a good thinker. Her teaching style involves her asking us questions that can not necessarily be answered by the book. She has inspired me to put myself in the position of a potential patient and imagine what they might be feeling during an excercise.

Convocation

On Friday I attended an event called Convocation. I really did not know what to expect prior to attending. Once I got seated inside the auditorium, I was immediately reminded of my high school graduation. There were important people in color robes and also an orchestra. I was excited about the song the orchestra preformed because they played a song I recognized. Once the colors were presented and the performance was over, or schools president spoke. He introduced the guest speaker. The convocation orator was Michael L. Lomax, Ph.D. Dr. Lomax . He serves as the CEO and President of the United Negro College Fund. His main message to everyone was that we all must give back to the university’s that helped us. He said that only eleven percent of graduates give back to the hbcu they graduated from. He also said that as students, we are customers of the university. As customers we also have the right to take our business elsewhere. After his speech I felt motivated to continue on my college journey.

Convocation & Black Community

In freshman seminar the speaker went a totally different direction than i expected . In all the years i have been alive my parents and elders have told me about the dark days of segregation and how it impacted our people. I have been told how key people pioneered and made a way for our people. However , in all that talk of how we worked to get out of the situation no one ever told me about the benefits that segregation had.  He explained how it bought a sense of community to black people and how we looked out for one another. How we were each others teachers and motivators , how we stood by each other. However once segregation had ended , we lost that sense of togetherness that we once had.
In convocation the speaker spoke about the importance of black people and college being in one sentence. He made a few points that really made me ponder. He spoke about how our black men in particular need to be in college. Many people associate black men , with a a negative connotation . However our generation can be the ones to change that . If more black men and women alike would motivate themselves based on role models they see everyday , they too could be attending the greatest hbcu. The way we can make a diffrence is to be those teachers , pharmacists , biologists , and preachers that they see on a everyday basis. Soon the mindset will change and they will want to be like their role models and pursue higher learning wether it be this instiution or another. The future of african americans can very well be in our hands , and the question being posed is will we accept the responsibility,

Practices of Freedom and Justice

This week’s Freshman Seminar topic was practices of freedom and justice. His lectured told the class of tradition of learning for service to the black. The pursuit of freedom and justice has been a rallying cries of the educated in this oldest of traditions. Three main points that captured my attention in this lecture were the use of education for liberation, the topic of being an irrelevant intellectual, and Howard’s history of student activism.

Throughout history, blacks fought for the right to receive an education. . During the lecture I learned that W.E.B Dubois educated himself while enslaved. He later became an advisor to the president. Because he was educated, he was able to rise above the limits black men in society had during his time. The resonated to me because it made me think of my college experience. Having a college education will liberate me socially and allow for myself to benefit from more opportunities. This is why college is so important. His lecture reiterated the importance of being education.

Another point in the lecture that stuck out to me was the section about being an irrelevant intellectual. According to Dr. Wright, an irrelevant intellectual is an educated person that does nothing to help their community. This stuck out to me because it made me think about the true purpose of college. Coming into college, my main reason for pursuing higher education was to benefit myself solely. Dr. Wright made me realize that this was selfish. I should not only use my education to benefit myself, but my community as well.

The last part of his lecture that stuck out to me was Howard’s history of student activism. Prior to the lecture, I did not know about the Malcolm X debate or Stokley Carmichael. Along with those two stories, he also told us of a time where the student body took over the A building and changed the curriculum. His lecture really made me feel like I have the power to change things here despite being a student and its legacy. My voice and opinion have the power to make a difference.

In all, Dr. Wright lecture stressed the importance of education and the black community, like previous lectures.

Jael's blog: Convocation

The convocation on Friday was interesting. Because I am a fine arts student the musical portions of the convocation were most fascinating. But at the same tme I took interest in the speaker who graduated from Morehouse and recieved a honorary doctorate from HowardUniversity that day.

I recieved an opportunity to hear Dr. Anthony Randolf play the organ. However, I neither saw the organ nor him and just figured the organ was placed somewhere backstage. I thought the orchestra and the choir did a great job. I had heard the choir practicing the negro spiritual in the recital room in the Fine Arts building for a very long time. I like how the choir frequents negro spirituals done in a classical format. It allows them to learn and perform with proper vocal technique while honoring their culture. The other song they performed somewhat confused me though. I thought a gypsy themed opera was very out of place. Perhaps it did have a place but on the speaker neglected to give the audience the background information on how the gypsy song related to Howard's convocation.

The speaker who recieved an honorary doctorate spoke about a lot of interesting things. One thing in particular was when he was speaking on how alumni ought to donate to the school. That lead me to think on a couple of things. I was awarded a donor scholarship which really helped me make ends meet and so I am very grateful for the alumnists who do give to the school. But I imagine that the 89% of alumnists who are not giving probably do not have to give. My mother is an alumnist of Howard University and she is still paying off her student loans and recently went into more debt when she took out the Parent Plus Loan for me to attend Howard. Also, I feel that some people may not donate to the school because they do not trust the school with funds. I unfortunately had to hear a faculty member at Howard say that they would never donate money to this school because it would just sit on someone's desk and then get stolen. That really caused me concern and it leads to another topic that the speaker touched on. He mentioned that HBCU's need to remember that the student is a customer who can take their business else where. That stood out to me because all summer I was told by friends and family that I should consider going to another school because Howard was not handling my business properly. Every day I was recieveing new and contradictory information regarding financial aid and registration. A friend of mine attending Howard told me right after concovation that she was going to tranfer after this school year because the administration was causing her too many problems. I really want to stay because I find the education I am recieving will prepare me to compete at my best but I understand where she is coming from. I had assured my parents that my first year at Howard would be like a probation period and if I find that problems in the adminsitration make it impossible to focus on my work I will switch schools.

Dividing to Multiply

When Blacks reflect on the concept of segregation, they think about the hardships that whites put them through by not being able to have the same privileges. We think about the fact that we were not about to go to the same schools as white children, or use the same bathrooms as white families. The concept of segregation was detrimental to the Black community because it did not allow for the upward mobility of Blacks; however, segregation also helped the Black community to come together as one. Since they could not integrate with Whites, each other was all Blacks had. During this time, Blacks took care of each other, welcomed them into the community, and came together for worship sessions.
With integration the live of Blacks were changed forever. Depending on the person, some would say lives were changed for the worse. "Segregation gave us something that desegregation took away" were the words of Dr. Richard Wright. The term something refers to things like the value of education, the importance of family, and the respect for others. As you can see, in today's society, neighbors argue and disagree instead of borrowing sugar or watching each others houses while one is away. Children are acting up in school instead of taking advantage of the education being administered to them. Fathers and sons are fighting instead of children staying in their places. Like everything else, integration as well as segregation had it's pros and cons.

Jael's blog: Faculty Rectial

The faculty in the Fine Arts department performed for their students to give their students a taste of what hard work in the field of music will eventually lead up to. Some performances were entertaining while others were beyond my understanding. My professor certainly proved that they were experts in their field and that I am in good tutorage.

My vocal jazz studies professor, Prof. Miller, dedicated her performance to her freshman students. She sang "All of Me", the peice she had assigned to me and the rest of the freshmen, to give a proper example of what she was expecting out of our performances. Her performance was phenomenal. Two other professors played a duet on their trombones. I had no idea that the trombone can be such graceful instrument. I am used to hearing the trombone and other large brass instruments playing in the background. I especially appreciated that it was a duet because duets are hard to do, especially when one musician is playing the melody and the other is playing an oblagata (an embellishment of the melody).

The professor of classical voice performed a peice that was very intense and I found it difficult to understand. She sang a classical rendition of a African-American poem titled "The Negro Speaks of Rivers". Dr. Raymond Jackson also played the a very intense and curious peice titled "Rondo Capriccioso". The title implies the song will be playful but the peice seemed to go back and forth with its moods and I felt as if I was listening to a work written to express the turmoil of a catatonic schizophrenic.

My facorite and most difficult professor, Dr. Randolf, did not perform a peice. But he did speak at the mandatory lecture later on that day. I understood why he might have chosen not to perform a peice. He explained that he was primarily an atonal composer (atonal means against tone). Freshmen students like me are not yet at the exposure level to even comprehend what is ocuring in atonal music.

I feel that Howard is a great place to learn music and will most definetly be practiing hard to match my professors.

What they could not take away

Coming into freshman seminar this week i was expecting to hear something along the lines of education. However , i got a greater lesson than what i was expecting.

As black people we are often taught that when they took our ancestors from africa that everything was taken from us . They text books and teachers talk as if we had to start all over , as if we had absolutly nothing. However , what i failed to realize was that we did not lose everything , there were some things they can not take away.

Some things like food , culture , traditions , and family traditions they were not able to capture . These things lived in the hearts and minds of every slave that was ripped from their lives. Even if they took us from our natural habitat they still could not take everything away from us. These traditions were passed down from parents to offspring throughout the generations and are still practiced through out the african american community .

It was refreshing to bring a new prospective to how i looked at a topic. Also its nice to know that the same resiliency that exists now , was even more dominate amongst our ancestors.

Something Torn and New

In this week’s freshman seminar class, a lecture was given by Dr. Mario Beatty. Dr. Betty lectured on the topic of Abandonment and Dismemberment: "Something Torn and New". He explained to us how even though our people were taken from their homeland, parts of our culture still traveled with us. Parts of African culture are still preserved in the modern African American as well. Three examples of this are modern music, modern language, and maroon societies.

One way African culture is preserved is through modern music. Dr Betty said that “music-features of antiphony, group nature, pervasive functionality, improvisational character, strong relationship in performance to dance and bodily movements and expression” all reflect African Culture. I agree with what Dr. Betty said. Black people founded most modern music. Hip hop and rock and roll were both started by black people. Music and rhythms were essential to African culture, so it’s no surprise that black people play a major role in music.

Another way African culture is preserved is through language. Dr Betty explained how ancient Egyptian and African language did not use copula verb to link subject noun and adjective, non-inversion of subject. He also said this still applies today through slang and Ebonics. I definitely agree with this because it is easily proven. I hear it every day from my mouth and my friends. It just naturally happens.

One last way Dr. Betty said we preserved African cultural is through maroon societies. Maroon societies were groups of black people forming communities in places like forests. They would come together and refused to be entrapped in slavery. This part of the lecture made me thing of similar society of black people in Tulsa Oklahoma during the 1920’s known as the “Black Wall Street”. They were a community of black people that did everything amongst themselves. Many of the blacks in the community were millionaires.

Dr. Betty’s lecture help connect African history and culture to modern culture. His lecture along with the past two have helped me see how African ideals are still alive today .

African Culture Beyond the Coasts of Africa

This week for Freshman Seminar, we embraced another powerful speaker by the name of Mario Beatty. Beatty lectured us on the topic of Abandonment and Dismemberment: "Something Torn and New". This topic was about being ripped from the homeland of Africa, but still being able to embrace the African culture in 2011. Pieces of African culture are still embodied in our language, music, dance, and morales.
One aspect of African culture that we embrace is language.Growing up in an predominantly black community while attending an elite high school put me at a great advantage , but also got me teased. I was different from the people around me and I became labeled with names like "white girl" and "stuck up". While some people spoke ebonics, the language spoken widely in the African American community, I was the only one of my friends that spoke standard English. I was the one of my friends who would correct the rest of my friends when they said things like, "Where you going" or "How you". Although these sayings were understood, I prefered to say "Where are you going" or "How are you". When I did speak like this, my friends said that I was trying to be "white" when all I was doing was utilizing the education that some others did not have the privilege of having. I did not feel that speaking standard English made me any less black.
Another aspect of African culture that we embrace is music. Although I would personally prefer Taylor Swift over Rihanna, I appreciate the tunes and musical habits that started in Africa. As Africans, we have maintain the call and effect technique. For example, a popular artist once said when I say "hey" you say "ho". The African blood in us allows us to know when and how to respond to this. Other aspects of music such as the tempo, soul and rhythm are embodied in modern day music as well. When an upbeat sound comes on, my friends and I usually know how to dance to the beat; Likewise, we a slower song comes one, my friends and I can also dance to such a beat. The African in our blood gives us the rhythm to naturally know how to dance to certain songs.
Other aspects of African culture are around us everyday. This ranges from the way that we raise our children to the way we do our hair. The way Blacks know to gather in a circle in time of assembly and the attitude in our voice when we dance or sing lets the people around us know that they have not stripped us of our African culture. No matter what happens these aspects will always flow through our blood.

Jael's Blog: Not Disconnected After All!!!

Dr. Beatty spoke on the abandonment and dismemberment of Africans upon their forced diaspora to the Americas. Usually this topic is approached with the focus on the loss Africans experienced and how that loss negatively impacts our lives daily. Dr . Beatty offered new insight on this topic. His presentation answered these three questions: (1) were and are African Americans truly seperated from their African culture?, (2) how did the African culture play a part in the enslavement of Africans?, and (3) where do we see the African influence in African American culture?

Dr. Beatty explained that African culture was not lost to those who arrived in the Americas but it was transformed. It has been argued that slaves were stripped of their African selves completely for the reasons being that their names were changed to European-sounding ones, they were forced to practice the religion of their slave masters, and they were not allowed to speak in their native tongue. But this raises the question whether the essence of a person disappears with the loss of those things. Beatty explained that the slaves would either create a culture of their own that is mixed with African culture and colonial American culture or would have secret maroon societies that were simply a reproduction of African tribes.

Dr. Beatty made an interesting point that Africans were enslaved because of there cultural strengths that would be beneficial to the colonials in the Americas. I found that really interesting. Growing up I was under the assumption that blacks were stolen from random locations just for being black, but the truth was that only specific ethnic/tribal groups were taken. As blacksmiths and rice cultivators were needed, slave traders would go to a map and decide which groups of people would already be culturally ripened for the tasks at hand. I find this even more frightening than what I was originally told. I believe racism is ignorance and ignorant people can only be expected to do stupid things. But the stealing of slaves was carefully and diligently organized in attempt to make the most possible money at the expense of other people; that was not stupid it was wicked and smart.

My favorite part was when Dr. Beatty spoke on where we see the African influence in our day to day life. Due to lack of time he spoke only generally. He compiled a basic list that included language, music, story telling, and medical practices. I think the most interesting ties could be found in music. When people think of negro spirituals they may think only on moannful field hollers, but the elements of negro spirituals fascinated some classical composers so much that they would rewrite the spirituals to be done in a classical format. What is so awesome about negro spirituals is that they incoporate the pentatonic scale, which is the same scale you would find in much African music. Also, the swung eighth note that is popular in jazz is also used in the African drum tradition.

Through Dr. Beatty's lecture on abandonment and dismemberment we find that we are neither abandoned nor dismembered. The elements that make up African culture still thrive today outside of Africa. This topic is relevant to solving the problems of the human condition because many African Americans are unfortunately in a state of learned helplessness. They feel that because of the portion of history that oppressed them there is no purpose in even trying to elevate themselves beyond it. This lesson shows that there is so much African Americans have to hold on to in their quest to forge their identity in America.

Jael's blog: Omolaubi

Dr. G spoke about Omolaubi which means a person with good character. His message was linked to Dr. Carr's being that he spoke about the heritage of African morality. The three main points of Dr. G's message were that (1) African culture displays a concept of truth/morality, (2) we should aim to have good character or iwa, (3) and make sure all of our research is relevant in relation to the human condition.

I agree with Dr. G that we should all apply our resources and work to bettering the human condition. If someone is wealthy but they do not aim to help others than there wealth means nothing, and if someone is smart and all they use their mind for is to bring others down then they are just smart and not wise.

I thought it was interesting in which the commandments of the Goddess Ma'at had many of the same principles of the 10 commandments. I wished it was emphasized how some truths are embedded in the human experience.

Omoluabi

Last week, we were blessed with the inspirational words of Dr. Carr who informed us on the roots of our African culture. This week another speaker by the name of Dr. Gbadegesin came to offer his words of wisdom. His lecture focused on the theme, Omoluabi: Self Actualization and Communal Responsibility.

Dr. Gbadegesin used the ancient history of Africa to express the importance of being a good person and staying true to yourself. He explain the difference of being knowledgable and being wise. You can obtain knowledge by simply reading a book or listening to people; however, it takes a person who incorporates personal experiences into their knowledge to be wise. People often acknowledge older people as wise because they have been through much more than our generation. People who spread their wisdom are identified with the term, omoluabi because of their kindheartedness. These are the people that are often well respected and idolized.

I may not have the wisdom that others possess, but before I leave Howard University, I would like to be considered an omoluabi.

Omoluabi ; Self actualization and communal responsibility

In this weeks freshman seminar the speaker was Dr. Segun Gbadegesin . He focused on several broad spread topics , all of which made great impact . However , even though they all made great impact the three that impacted me the most were african influence , wisdom , and the way he intrepreted education.

When he was talking about the african influence , he was emphasizing on how african's were starting things like utilitarianism and the coffin texts long before the ten commandments were being written. Often times as an African Americans we know intresting facts about our history , but when you hear them compared to a recognizable timeline it opens up your eyes. I realized that African's we not behind anyone in inventions , in fact , they were far ahead !

While discussing wisdom Dr.Gbadegesin emphasized on a point that really make me pause and ponder. He explained the idea that wisdom has very little to do with knowledge , which baffled me because we were taught that wisdom equals knowledge . He went on to explain that wisdom has less to do with knowledge and more to do with how you apply that knowledge in life. So its not so much what i learn in class , but how i choose to better the world.

His description of wisdom and education are slightly related however his discription of education had even more impact on me than wisdom . Even though he barely touched it , what he implied was profound. He said that we should not view education as for ourselves but for others. He implied that whatever we learn in the classroom , on campus , or in the school of life , should not be used for self . Instead , that we should use it to improve and better our fellow man  and use everything for the good of others first.

After listening to Dr. Gbadegesin and Dr.Carr both speak i see many trends . Besides the resounding theme of African American pride , i see a theme of education of all sorts. Dr.Carr spoke about having  a passport and seeing the world to gain knowledge , while Dr.Gbadegesin spoke on acquiring knowledge in the classroom to share. Wether it be by life or the book , i am convinced that knowledge is my key to changing the world .

Self-Actualization and Our Communal Responsibility

This week’s freshman seminar class featured Dr. Segun Gbedegesin as the guest speaker. He spoke to the freshman about self-actualization and our communal responsibility. Three key things from the lecture were what it really means to have wisdom, the story of Iwa, and the concept of omoluabi.  All of these concepts point to the significance of having an education.

                Dr. G explained that having wisdom is more than just having knowledge. He broke it down into three parts. Having knowledge alone is not enough because having knowledge basically just knows things without knowing their supporting reasons.  He then said an intellectual person has knowledge and appreciates it, but lacks the skills to apply it. A person with wisdom has knowledge and is able to use it to benefit him and others. This resonated with me because it’s the whole point of being in college. College gives the knowledge and the social skills needed to apply what you learn in the real world. This will ultimately help you and others.

                Another important part of the lecture was the section on Iwa. Iwa represents the good in existence Iwa also signifies having beauty character.  We gain character through education.   If we learn to embrace education we will then have a more beautiful character.  A man with good character is a man of wealth, and is the essence of religion.  The educated people are the ones with power. This is important because by going to college I am improving my character.

                The last important section was the concept of Omoluabi. The purpose of college is to become an Omoluabi. An Omoluabi is a “person of character, disciplined, and self-improving, thus earning the respect of peers and community on account of practical wisdom, putting knowledge acquired through education to the service of the community, and not shying away from personal sacrifices when needed.”  People who successfully complete college are disciplined and have the respect of their peers. This is proven by a college degree in itself. The college experience enriches a person, and helps them prepare me for the real world.

                Dr G’s lecture about self-actualization and our communal responsibility highlighted the importance of education and college. College enhances one’s Iwa, gives them wisdom, and transforms the person into an Omoluabi.

Works Cited

Gbedegesin, Segun . "Self-Actualization and Our Communal Responsibility." Just Hall, Howard University. Washington D.C, 7 Sep. 2011.

Embracing the Mbongi

This week's Freshman seminar was a powerful and very meaningful session. We were graced with a very inspirational speaker by the name of Dr. Carr. Dr. Carr used his knowledge and passion for the African culture to spark a interest within the entire class. Eyes were glued, heads were nodding in approval and "oohs" and "ahhs" slipped from the mouths of my classmates as Dr. Carr spoke his words of wisdom.
The lecture started off with the explanation of the term "mbongi". The term means room with no walls. While in the auditorium from freshman seminar, we are part of an mbongi. That is a place where no one is to hold back on what they need to say and a place where there are no limitations as to where your mind can go during this hour. We explored the mbongis that we, as Americans, come across everyday. This includes gatherings as big as parades and sweet sixteen parties to those as small as a study group. We then explored early African language and early words like "sedi" and "sankofa" shaped into the language that we use today. We ended the class on a mission to trace the history of Africa as far back as 1.5 million years ago. The timeline included the times when Africans created writing and counting and when they created pyramids.
My favorite part of the lecture today was learning new terms. I love the fact that I can enrich with vocabulary with such terms. Hopefully as the course proceeds, I will be able to use some of these words in context. With that, I will be able to enlighten others who havent had a chance to take this course.

Learning , Wisdom , and the African World.

Coming into freshman seminar this week , like i stated before , i had a learners mind and decided to be receptive. I'm so happy i did ! This week was so interesting and insightful that i couldn't help but pay attention and gain a little african pride by doing so.


Dr.Carr came in so excited that it made everyone in the room get excited with him and perk up with interest. Like he stated , one negative attitude can bring everyones mood down . Thankfully he set the tone for the whole class. During his lecture i learned a lot about how african history fits into today's society. I had no idea that Africans were the first writers and librarians . Being raised in a public school , i guess they didn't feel the need to include that in my history classes , but they fully elaborated on slavery , a topic we know all too much about. I was so excited to learn about africa and not even hear the word "slavery" , but instead hear and understand words like" boko " and " ashe ". Its refreshing to be in a place that allows me to hear and understand concepts i would have been blind too. Who knew that we were breaking headway in the sciences long before the greeks ! There is so much to be proud about as an African American , so much history to enrich myself in , so much to be excited to learn about. Dr.Carr changed the way i looked at African American history forever. Not only am i definitely   taking his class next year  ,but i look forward to looking more into the topics he talked about this session , to make me more aware of the prideful history i come from.

Jaels blog: Learning, Wisdom, and The African World

The latest freshman seminar was very interesting and gave me an opportunity to articulate my views. The three points of the lecture "Learning,Wisdom, and the African World" were the significance of the mbongi, the African legacy, and an afro-centric take on learning.
A literal interpretaion of mbongi is "a house with no roof". The overall idea of the mbongi is a open but protected community where people work together to engage in problem solving and learning. A mbongi is a natural and universal phenomenom. A mbongi may take the form of a friendship between two people or a large church congregation. I loved when Dr. Carr noted that all human beings were concieved to a mbongi involving two people (our parents). I will do my best to open up and be apart of the communion of the Howard Mbongi.
The portion on the African legacy somewhat confused me and there were many things said that I did not think were necessarily true. One thing that confused me is that through history we know that the majority of Africans taken from their homeland to be slaves were taken from West Africa. If that is so, why is their such a large emphasis on Egyptian history? Africa is a big continent and natives to the continent look very different from one another and have different cultures depending on what corner of Africa they come from, and therefore African Americans may not be direct "heirs" to the Egyptian heritage. Also, the feats of the Egyptians that the black community claims credit for happened so long ago that, biologically speaking, people of different ethnic backgrounds could claim the same relations to the ancient pharoahs. Plus, I was confused on who and who is not "black". As I said before, Africa is a big continent and people look vastly different on different corners of the continent. Dr. Carr mentioned that Africans were the first people, but does that necessarily mean that the first people looked like what Americans see as black? I always imagine Adam and Eve placed in the Garden of Eden in Africa as two racially ambigious beauties. For example, one would have dark skin, straight hair, blue eyes, and be very lean, while the other was light skin, had almond eyes, kinky hair, and had freckles. Then it would not be later on until Noah's son dispersed all over the world and created families where people with similar features populate a region that race became noticeable.
The portion that focused on an afrocentric take on learning bared the same confusion. As human beings are we not all heirs to learning and thinking, and being black has nothing to do with it? I personally do not believe that my earthly ancestors have any bearings on my future. I prescribe to the belief that my heavenly father, who sees no difference between Jew and Gentile, holds my future in his hand.

Learning, Wisdom, and the African World

Dr. Carr’s lecture was one of the most interesting class sessions I have ever experienced. His lecture on learning, wisdom, and the African world was both stimulating and insightful. When I entered the class my body was awake but my mind was asleep. His lecture woke my mind up and. Three points of the lecture stuck out to me in particular. The first was when Dr. Carr said that “human brilliance must be connected to African brilliance.” The next point that really stuck with me was when he said that “what you say belongs to you, but what you think belongs to the people.” The last point that stuck to me was his explanation of what an mbongi is.

Dr. Carr’s lecture gave a sense of African pride. Growing up in Virginia Beach, I had never really experienced anything that taught or demonstrated African pride to me. I had learned black history and its importance throughout my years of public school, but Dr. Carr’s lecture really put into perspective how important Africans have been to the world since the beginning of time. As Dr. Carr’s lectured, he began to list some of the accomplishments of Africans and the contributions to the world. Africans created the first alphabets and universities. Africans basically a significant portion of the groundwork for today’s modern society. “Human Brilliance, must be connected to African brilliance” because without the contributions of Africans beyond the history taught in most high school textbooks, moderns civilizations would not exist as we see them today. His lectured really began to open my mind to how much Africans have contributed to the world, and also instilled in me a sense pride because they are my ancestors.

Dr. Carr’s lecture also touched on a social concept that I think is very important to understand. He said that “what you say belongs to you, but what you think belongs to the people.” I believe this is very important because if a person understands this concept, they can avoid a lot of unwanted problems. In today’s era, people are using things such as Facebook and Twitter to constantly post what they’re thinking on the internet. Some people do this, but do not understand that everything should not be said because, once it’s said, you can’t take it back. I too was guilty of this at times. Now I realize that what you say and how you say are some of the ways people form opinions of you. Now that I’m becoming a man in the professional world, my image is going to be a very important aspect in forming relationships and capitalizing on business opportunities. I believe that I need to keep what Dr. Carr said in mind so that my public image does not prevent me from accomplishing what I want in the future.

The last point in Dr. Carr’s lecture that stuck out to me was his explanation of what an mbongi is. Basically what I got from this part of his lecture was that an mbongi is group where all inside the group share. Howard University or any other college is an mbongi because knowledge, culture, and many other things are being shared amongst the people. I thought it was interesting how this African concept still has relevancy in the modern world.

Dr. Carr’s lecture was both intellectually stimulating and insightful. His points on the African world, what an mbongi is and how the things we say do not belong to us really stuck with me and made evaluate how they relate to my life.

Works Cited

Carr, Greg . "Learning, Wisdom, and the African World." Just Hall, Howard University. Washington D.C, 31 Aug. 2011.