The Power of Young People by Mobosola Asanpaola

  Wendsday's class was given by a passionate speaker. His passion for the youth and the power they exude was evident in the way that he spoke. When addresssing our generation there were names given such as the Millenium Generation or Generation Z. But as he stated this is a generation that defies description.
  He then used amazing examples from our history, of young people such as college students as ourselves accompanied by highschool students and even some elementry students. The 1960s was the time of the Greensboro Sit-ins, when people decided that enough was enough and they would no longer be treated as second class citizens who were inhumane. The youth were taking action and creating a voice for themselves. Young people were not going to be denied.
  An imporant quote he said to me was, "We are always looking outside ourselves for a leader when a leader is inside of us." People who emulate that quote are Nelson Mandela, Ella Baker, Septima Clark, Angela Davis, and Assata Shakur are few to name of many. 
  Our speaker made it very clear that we should never call ourself the minority but always look to ourselves as the majority in the world. The way you percieve yourself will ultimately determine the worth you hold for yourself. As people have always done, music is a big part of the movement. It conveys the inner thought of the people giving them something to relate to. From this speeech i gained the urge to do research on some of the many people that were brought to our attention. And just as he mentioned when he does thisd talk again in the years to come he would love to abble to add some of our names to the slide. i aspire to be one of those names.

The Hopes and Powers of my People by Antillio Lee

This past Wednesday Dr. Pollard lectured of the methods of change from young people of the nation. Beginning with the Civil Rights Movement and eventually finishing up with Hip-Hop, its culture, and how its powers were a monumental device of accomplishing hope. He first started out with various sit-ins that were carried out by oppressed African Americans in cities all around the country. He focused on how these strong young men and women of our past generations used their power to fight for what they believed, to fight for what they hope the world could be. Following that he moved the discussions towards the great elder leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. From Martin Luther King to Fannie Lou Hamer, Dr. Pollard really spoke on how these majestic leaders really paved the way for the younger generations to follow. Not only did Dr. Pollard touch on these individuals in America though, but African leaders and scholars as well. How black power from all over the globe has been concentrated and initiated in reaching hope. Hope for justice, hope for equality, and hope that generations after them will always fight for what they KNOW is right. Dr. Pollard finished up his lecture with what can be considered as the last generation as well as my generation’s fight for hope, Hip-Hop. Hip – Hop’s lyrical and poetic fight for hope is one that has been rapped and read for decades. Hip- Hop’s fight has yet to be won but we never settle for loss. Its war will be fought for years to come, but, if young people are always there to rise, to band together against the opponents of inequality and hate, then each battle WILL be won effortlessly.

Our Generation by Russell Grandberry

     On Wednesday Dr. Alton B. Pollard talked to our class about Hip-hop and hope for the new generation. First, Dr. Pollard showed us examples of civil rights leaders from the movements of the 1960's. Next, he showed us the early leaders of the hip-hop culture, and explained to us what they rapped about and why. Then, he showed us the rappers of our generation,and encouraged us to make a movement. Not only should we make a movement for change, but we should also make a movement that our whole generation could get behind and stand for. Hip-hop was a very affluent part of culture in the early 90's and stood for the things that the artist believed in. Dr. Pollard addressed the fact that our generation doesn't have a movement that we can stand behind, and encouraged each and every one of us to find it and start it. 
      Dr. Pollard's presentation was one of my favorites of the class. He showed us great visuals that related to the topic at hand. He also spoke on a subject that directly related to the students in the audience. He kept the whole group entertained and involved, and even added in a music video to bring the whole presentation together. Dr. Pollard knew how to relate the subject to the audience, and how to make the subject appeal to the audience more than normal. Dr. Pollard also made a very valid point. Our generation needs a movement to stand behind. Our generation, is unnamed and has nothing to bring us all together, and in a world where there are so many problems, that is unacceptable. We must come together and use our vast technological options to our advantage and bring about the change that has been waiting to happen.

The Power of our Generation by Jordan Henry

            In today’s class Dr. Alton B. Pollard came in and lectured our freshman seminar class. Dr. Pollard specializes in African and Divinity Studies.  The subject of his lecture was “Civil Rights, Hip Hop, and Hope.” He also discussed how the power of young people has affected change in the past and the ability of our generation to affect the future.

            All throughout the past century, young people have definitely impacted the world.  Our generation is known as the Technological or the Millennium Generation.  Dr. Pollard said that the difference between our generation and the generations of the past is that we are more intelligent and determined.  He said that we have higher expectation for ourselves, so it is up to us to embrace our freedom and black beauty in order to do so.  Dr. Pollard stressed that even if we achieve great things in the future, we must acknowledge the great “giants” before us.  All of these “giants” achieved great things as the young generation of their time.  The Civil Rights is a great example of young people affecting change.  For example, all of the nonviolent protests like marches, the freedom rides or the Wichita Kansas Sit in and the Greensboro Sit in in 1958.  Most of these individuals who challenged the law were college, high school, or elementary students.  Dr. Pollard also discussed many leaders of the past like Malcolm X, Coretta Scott King, and Nelson Mandela.  Some of these “giants” even came through Howard University like Cancellor Williams and John Hendrick Cook.  Dr. Pollard said that the Civil Rights movement somehow passed the baton over to the musicians and artists of different genres over the years.  Artists like Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Missy Elliot and many others represent the voice of our people.  Dr. Pollard stressed success comes with freedom and freedom is just about individual rights, but our responsibility to our help out our community as well instead of looking down upon those who do not make it out.  We must stop doing things to destroy our people and it is up to our young people to ask questions and never settle for anything less than the best because we have the power.

Scribes by Jordan Henry

This week Dr. Benjamin discussed the eloquence of the Scribes and the history of Howard University.  She said the scribe was a well respected and broad profession in the Egyptian culture.  Scribes were responsible for keeping records and they wrote papyrus rolls in a system called Cuneiform.    There were many professions in the scribe field like doctors or teachers, but the most esteemed career was that of the Royal Scribe.  Dr. Benjamin went on explaining that the legacy of the scribe has been passed on in generations and she discussed the scribes that existed all throughout Howard University’s history.

            Dr. Benjamin mentioned many individuals who are responsible for the legacy that exist at Howard University. Howard is named after General Oliver Otis Howard and he created the institution for colored ministers, who were later referred as the Howard University Scribes.  Mordecai Wyatt Johnson was the first African American president of the university and at the end of his career; Howard had ten schools of study that were naturally respected.  Inabel Burns Lindsay was the first dean of Howard’s school of social work and she remained the only African American female in Washington D.C. to maintain the level of respect as an educator in her time.  Howard’s founder library was named after Albert L. Cassel in 1938 and Jesse Moorland donated three thousand books to the university as well.  Locke Hall is known to be the epicenter of the Arts and Sciences and it was named after Alain Locke.  Alain Locke promoted many African American writers and poets.  Zora Neale Hurston was the founder of Howard’s newspaper the Hilltop and she also invested much of her time in the school of Fine Arts.  Dr. Benjamin also discussed the names of the resident halls as well.  The quad is named after Harriet Tubman who was a main leader in the underground rail road.  The Annex is named after the great activist Mary McLeod Bethune and Carver hall is named after the great George Washington Carver who was responsible for many important aspects in agriculture.  The list of Howard’s famous scribes goes on and Dr. Benjamin insisted that it is up to us to continue the Legacy of Howard University.

Genome by Jordan Henry

This week in freshman seminar, Dr. Georgia Dunston provided the class with a lecture about our DNA.  She stated every single person that ever existed or exists has their own special genome sequence in their DNA.  The genome sequence is responsible for making us the kind of individuals that we are and she continued to go into greater detail of why we should indeed value our genome system.

Dr. Dunston states that our genome sequence is different from everyone else and that it can never be duplicated at any point.  Dr. Dunston put a great emphasis on how special our genome sequence makes us and she said that we should take advantage of our individuality.  She said that we all have the power to succeed and achieve great things due to our genome system.  She said that it is possible for us all to reach our goals and she proved so by listing some of the great people that came out of Howard University.  This list included doctors, educators, historians, and many other powerful figures that existed in society.  She said that we as students can be just as great like the great ones that came before us because of the power of our genome sequence.

Dr. Dunston’s lecture was inspiring and thought provoking for me because I never put that much thought into how special we really are as individuals.  We all are truly unique just by the simple fact that we all come from our own distinct genome system.  We all have the power and responsibility to use our uniqueness to achieve the impossible. 

Africa by Jordan Henry

In today’s lecture, Dr. Carr spoke to us about our African heritage and explained many different aspects of our society that African people are responsible for.   I love today’s lecture because he really opened my eyes about the African culture and I left the class having a better understanding about my heritage.  Dr. Carr did not get to finish his lecture but he discussed many interesting topics.

            Dr. Carr explained that there were three forces in a classroom and these three forces were the teacher, the student, and the text.  He said that we as the student had to rely on the other forces when one force was not helping us better our learning process.  For example, if we as the students must turn to the text if we do not understand the teacher.  He explained that only we have the power to enhance our education.  Dr. Carr also explained that we as African people survived because of our wisdom in the African spirit.  He said that the Djehuty was the official language of the Egyptian culture and he also mentioned that in Egypt, beauty was based off how well an individual spoke and carried them self instead of being primarily based on their outer appearance.  Dr. Carr also went into great detail of Sehat who was the ancient goddess that created the number system and the spirit of knowledge.  He also stated that everything had to go through Seshat in order to gain knowledge.  He stated that there was a time when black ruled and we created many systems such as writing, counting, sciences, arts, spiritual systems, and formal teaching.   He gave the class an question to think about, which was how could such great culture go from the pyramids to the projects? 

            In the lecture, we learned that Howard University’s original purpose was to be open to all races and genders, but it soon turned into a predominately black school.   He told us that race is a reality and it does not determine our future.  He told us that it was up to us to continue the cycle to strengthen our people by learning our past and learning more in the present so we can pass it down to the future.  He said that the purpose of education is to translate life.  Overall, this lecture informed us how the great African culture was lost and that it is up to us as African people to rebuild it by educating ourselves.

Legacy Behind Names by Mobosola Asanpaola

On September 15^th 2010 I went into freshman seminar not knowing what to real expect. But when I walked out the doors, I left with a wealth of knowledge courtesy of Dr.Benjamin. I was actually disappointed that I had not previously researched some of the things she shared with us myself. There are so many scribes that have left their legacy on Howard’s campus. Howard was originally a school for colored preachers; it is named after General Oliver Otis Howard. The first African American president of Howard was Mordecai Wyatt Johnson, whose name is often associated with the A Building. When he was first inducted into his position there were 8 schools, non-that were nationally accredited. When he left 34 years later not only were 2 additional schools, but all 10 schools were nationally accredited. When noting such an achievement anyone can see that those who came into Howard never settled for what was given to them; but instead they strove for more. The ambition they held in their hearts led to the historical greatness in this university’s past.

            Even the names of the dormitories hold a story behind them. Tubman Quadrangle is named after the infamous Harriet Tubman, a great woman who is considered the Moses of her people.  Halls such as Truth are in honor of the dynamic Sojourner Truth who is famous for her active role in the civil and woman’s rights movement as well as her speech ‘Ain’t I A Woman”. Prudence Crandall was a woman who started the first school for African American girls in 1833. In honor of her Howard named Crandall Hall. All of Howard Universities departments and buildings have a rich history that Dr.Benjamin brought to us in such a short amount of time.

Scribes of H.U. by Antillio Lee

Dr. Benjamin’s lecture last week revolved around ancient scribes, and contemporary ones that still live throughout Howard’s campus today. While firstly touching on ancient Egyptian and Medieval scribes of yesteryear and why exactly they were classified as scribes in the first place, she then moved on to more scribes of the 20th/21^st century that have embodied Howard University through architectural landmarks; the most renowned being of General Oliver Otis Howard, the founder of Howard University. By this mark in Dr. Benjamin’s lecture, she begins her information of why Howard University personified there buildings with these prominent figures of history. She then wrapped up her tour with famous scribes that actually graduated from our illustrious university and the respective schools and colleges.

Overall Dr. Benjamin’s lecture really informed on the rich legacy that our campus holds and why these leaders of history bear the rank of a scribe. The way that she delivered her lecture was projected pretty well, in the standards of me personally being able to hear her. I didn’t really have any questions or concerns about the lecture, but it did leave a spark, a spark in the sense of learning about scribes of our past and now to help shape the ones of our future.

Scribes on campus by Russell Grandberry

     Last week Dr. Tritobia H. Benjamin came to talk to us about the importance of scribes in ancient times, and their importance in our everyday lives. Dr. Benjamin also showed us around the campus through various pictures. She described each building, and their origins. She described the buildings names and each individual that the buildings were named after. She also described the importance of each individual being a scribe, and why it is important to have scribes today. She described scribes as being important to continue history, and to pass on the knowledge of the past.
     Dr. Benjamin's presentation was easy to follow. She effectively showed us almost every building on campus through her power point. Dr. Benjamin's topic of discussion was scribes: continuing the legacy of Howard University. She told us that scribes were important, but didn't tell us how they continued our legacy at Howard. Dr. Benjamin  repeated the word scribe a lot, which made it hard to understand the definition of the word that she was describing. Other than the confusing use of the word scribe, Dr. Benjamin's presentation was very well put together and informative. She showed the history of scribes through ancient Egyptian times, all the way to present day. She showed us the importance of scribes today, and encouraged us to be the scribes of the future.

Genomes and Me by Antillio Lee

Dr. Georgia M. Dunston’s lecture this past Wednesday was an extraordinary to say the least. The way she linked biology to the psychology of your mind was something that I had my opinion on but was never really told facts too. Professor Dunston’s approach to this study is one that is done, correctly in my eyes, so her results are actually moral and evident in society today. Genome are what makes each individual an individual and not in common. It shapes the way you think, dress, act and overall carry you. Without the genome individuality is lost.

I was highly enthusiastic of Professor Dunston’s address; though because of the limited seating couldn’t here exactly EVERYTHING that she said. From what I did pick up though really had me look at Biology in a way that I never could have seen me do prior. Her voice projected well, even all the way to the back so that I actually was able to be involved and engaged in what she was saying.

In relation to our group question of how our studies affect poverty is this, with the study of what makes us who we are and how it does this, we are able to study why some behave in such a fashion that would lead them to poverty, or those situations, or others, that placed them into poverty in the first place.

The Genome by Russell Grandberry

     On Wednesday, September, 8th, Dr. Georgia M. Dunston came to talk to the class about the human genome. Not only was the human genome the DNA that describes ones looks, personality, and genetic makeup, but it is also the thing that makes one an individual. Every person in the world has a different genetic make up. Even identical twins do not have the exact same genome. Dr. Dunston talked about the importance of being a proud individual. She went on to say that each person standing in the room was someones prayer. We owed it to someone to sucked because we were different. 
     Dr. Dunston's lecture was interesting,but sometimes hard to follow. She did not use the power-point at all,so it was hard to picture what she was trying to describe to us. She switched from idea to idea very quickly. Due to the overflow I had to sit in the back with no seat, and sometimes it was hard to hear her. I did not understand the multiple definitions that she gave for the one word "genome", when we had no way of visually seeing the descriptions. In the end I learned that we are each individuals, and as such we must individually take responsibilities for our own actions. This relates to our group's question. It shows that to combat poverty we each have to individually strive to do better and help our brother. We should all come together each as one individual, and as one whole.

The Unique Genome

On September 8th, Dr. Georgia M. Dunston spoke vigorously and passionate about the importance of each unique individual. She used her knowledge of science to intertwine the way we are physically made and devoted with the spiritual aspects of ourselves. What she had to say was truly inspirational and touching.


The heart of her speech revolved around the Genome. Going hand in hand with the Genome would be DNA that was described as the universal code of life. Genome is a set of 23 chromosomes contains DNA strand. Dr. Dunston had many definitions for a Genome. It was described as a record book of the history and the legacy of human time, a version of the human story. With the power of spoken word, oral tradition must be in sync with written The Genome is what makes us different from one another; even twins do not have Genome, because nobody can occupy the space as you at the same time. The purpose of each individual is sacred in life because no one is built like that besides you.

Dr. Dunston enforced the importance of positive energy and positive thought. The Genome forces you to think of yourself; focus on belief and think; what you think and what you say governs what you experience, words are energy words are creative. Hearing this really moved me. In essence it is very true because as a child I remember being told to be careful what I say, or be careful what I wish for, or even to just speak yourself a blessing. The strength and power of speech and /or thought dictate our lives. Or as Dr. Dunston said, “the word of your mouth and the meditation of your mind control your body.”

Africa in Today

We often go through life just living day to day. We write, we speak, and we go about our lives not even knowing how many of our actions and expressions came about. During Dr. Carr's lecture he spoke to us about the origin of math and the alphabet. It was created in Africa. The hunger for knowlege and the eagerness to learn was inscripted in Egyptians. As they found ways to write creating symboyls with meanings. Find ways to record measurements, discovering science. They challeneged their memory and were eager to gain wisdom. Egypt appears to be the origin for much of this. With Egypyt's intelectualism, cultural unity, and humanity work; they are a culture to be emulated. They built and layed a foundation for education for alll times to follow.
We must learn and acknowledge our rich history. It is truly inspirational for a nation of people to change the world with their creation of symbols, respect for knowledge and wisdom. All the greatness that precedes in a time that wasn't considered to be as 'advanced' tells me that i can make a change in these times with all the tools that i have access to. The greats that followed Egyptians to change the world such as Dr.King, Thrurgood Marshall, Louis Armstrong have all made their impact on this world in our history. I recall Dr.Carr telling Obama to get on the line of greatness as there are so many before him. As I dig deeper into our history as Dr.Carr has inspired me to do ; I am determined to also get on line to be considered great.

Africa the Great by Antillio Lee

Beauty, history, and ancestry, are just a few collection of words that come to mind when Africa, the motherland, is referred to. Last Wednesday Dr. Gregory Carr put another word in perspective, CHAMPION. Champion, defined by the dictionary, is “a person who fights for or defends any person or cause.” These champions weren’t victorious in the Super Bowl or triumphant in the World Series though, no these champions, these African champions sought “to recover African Deep Thought from its historical African background” in order “to show that such deep thought serves as the basis of what we now refer to as “academic” [school] work.” This is where Dr. Carr’s word really begins to take perspective to me, because you see if one never learns then all connections toward wisdom are lost. Now you ask yourself who cares about wisdom? Your wisdom. How does my wisdom account for the better of a future for all? Well for one the gaining of your wisdom does not just affect you, no matter how much you think it does. How? The gaining of your wisdom is what helps to build an enduring capacity to apply learning to meet communal challenges. With Wednesday’s lecture it should be evident to everyone. Learning can just be an option, or forced ultimatum. Learning should not be the need anymore but the want. The want of all those who would one day want to be known as a champion, of any decent, for “The most serious threat to African dignity is in the domain of intellectual ability” (Carruthers, Mdw Ntr, p. 1)

Wed September 1st Lecture by Russell Grandberry

     The lecture we had was presented by Dr. Carr. He talked about Medew, which means speech and learning. He described the origin of math and letters from the ancient Egyptians. Writing and Numbers were originated by the married couple of Seshat and Djehuty. The fact that these very essential pieces of science were created by Egyptians, shows the ability of the African American man to create and learn. The next point to Dr.Carr's lecture was about the word Ma'at. Ma'at is about the pathway to learning. He talked about how the Egyptians used language to carry on the knowledge and experience of the world. This was essential to the development of learning and for the preservation of history.
     Dr. Carr's lecture was very interesting. Not only did he try to relate to the audience, but he also involved the audience in the discussion. Pressed for time, however, Dr. Carr tends to speed through the lectures, and sometimes makes the lecture hard to follow. The lecture is still very educational, and flows well enough to get the main points of what Dr. Carr is talking about. His lecture could be related to our group's question easily. He talked about the use of language for education. A potential reason for poverty could be the lack of value for education. It is statisticaly proven that if you go to college you will make more money than a high-school graduate or drop-out. If we don't educate our community then they are bound to stay in poverty. Knowledge is more valuable than any amount of money.