Self Reflection, Self Worth by Michelle Harris

     To be completely honest, when I was first told that I had to take this class in order to graduate, I was very upset.  For one, I am a senior and I just felt out of place.  Also, I thought that I knew everything about the school that I needed to know.  Now I see how wrong I was.  After being in this class, I not only reflect on how I look at myself, but how I look at myself as a young African American woman.  This class has allowed me to actually realize how far we have come as a people.  I am so much more grateful for my ancestors, because they have paved such a remarkable pathway of opportunity for us in this day and age.  I am also more appreciative of my privilege to attend Howard University.  I didn't know as much about the history of this school before this class, but now that I know what I know now, I use this knowledge as a source of inspiration to excel and take advantage of the many opportunities my ancestors worked so hard for us as African Americans to have.  I have also learned that the world may try to break you down, but your spirit cannot be broken.  The African Burial Ground is living proof of that.  Those slaves died fighting for a cause, and although alot did not make it, their spirits carried them farther than life on earth ever could. This class has given me an opportunity to feel more closer to my African origins, and I am proud of who I am and where I come from.  I think that it is sad however, that alot of young people especially in my generation are more concerned with the ignorance that goes on today more than they are with themselves.  We are beautiful people.  We are humble, unique, and different and we should embrace that, rather than allow society to mold us into insecure beings who are ashamed of who we are.  We are worth so much more than we give ourselves credit for.  So all in all, I am thankful for the experience of this class and the knowledge of our deep rooted history.

"Colorism" by Michelle Harris

     The next group that stood out to me was the second group that went the second week of presentations.  Their research topic was on Colorism.  Honestly, this was my favorite group because the topic was so interesting.  It also brought on an even more interesting discussion afterwards and gave us alot to think about.
     They first started off by defining Colorism for us, which is the prejudice against or preference of skin tone in a race.  In other words, Racism within a race.  They explained how most black people have been brought up to believe that the lighter, the better.  They had a video to support their presentation, and it was very interesting to see what preferences were for both black men and women.  Most black men preferred lighter toned black women with long hair and a lot of black women preferred darker toned men.  What made it more interesting to me was that it was the darker toned of each gender that preferred the lighter toned and vice versa.  After the showing of the video, the discussion afterwards went in more depth of the topic by stating that maybe if we were brought up to praise darker skin there would be a higher preference for it.  This provoked a lot of opinions and thoughts throughout the room.
    I would have to agree with most of what this group said.  As black people and from years beyond our time, we have been brought up to be ashamed of our skin.  We were brain washed to believe that the lighter our skin, in other words the closer to "white" we are the better and the more accepted we would be in society.  I honestly believe that it is sad that we discriminate against each other especially given the fact that we have been and sometimes still are discriminated against today.  The last thing we need to do is turn against one another.  Personally I am proud of my skin and I think that black is beautiful.  This brings me to my next point which is I disagree with the whole lighter/darker preference.  I have no particular preference when it comes to a black man's skin.  I am more concerned with the person.  I think it is very sad that society has influenced us as African Americans to be ashamed of who we are and how we look.  They have tried to break our self-esteem enough as it is, so for us to do it to each other is quite devastating and extremely disappointing.  We have overcome so much, and to put down one another is a slap in the face of our ancestors.  We should be more accepting of each other and come together, rather than judge one another based off of what we have been judged for since the beginning of time: Color.

Lack of Necessities and its Impact on African Slaves by Michelle Harris

     During the last few weeks of our Freshman Seminar class, we were divided into groups of five and told to come up with a research question and a solution.  We all were scheduled to present on a certain day, and write individual blogs about how we felt about at least 2 of the groups' presentations.  The first group that stood out to me was the second group that presented on the first day of presentations.  I cannot remember the name of their group, however their topic was on how lack of necessities ad unfit living conditions had a negative impact on African slaves' health and manifests itself in current health issues.
     They came up with 3 perspectives: Clothing perspective, Psychological perspective, and Living Conditions, which all related to the group's majors.  For the clothing perspective, the group gave examples of how some slaves were not given clothing at birth and even so their clothing was not thick enough to provide warmth which resulted in babies getting sick.  They went into greater depth with the psychological perspective, explaining Maslow's theory, which is that the mental condition effected slaves' physical condition.  They went on to use the movie "Beloved" when the mother killed her oldest daughter to protect her.  In my opinion, this was a good movie to use as support of an unstable mental condition.  The last perspective they elaborated on was the living conditions that slaves were forced to live under.  Slaves suffered from sickness due to a lack of utilities and exposure to other people in the house.  There was also a lack of nutrition need to support their heavy workloads.
     Overall, in my opinion, I feel that this group was very informative.  Their research question was well researched and their power points were very easy to follow.  I also liked how they incorporated their majors into the aspects of their research question. (Fashion for clothing aspect, psychology for psychological aspect, and nutrition for living conditions.)  The only thing I struggled with while listening to this group was that they talked rather low.  However, they had such detailed power points that it made up for it.  This group did a great job in my opinion and everything was well put together.

Interview with Dr. Frazier by Michelle Harris

     We were instructed to interview a faculty member for our research question:  How does gang violence affect inner city schools in Washington, DC?  The first person we chose to interview was Dr. Frazier, a Political Science professor.  He seemed both humorous and also very helpful in answering our questions.  He presented a lot of good solutions and points about the reality of gang violence and how it affects kids which is that sometimes it is impossible to stop it.  Most kids are usually pressured or forced to join a gang or else they will get jumped either way.  So under those circumstances, kids will never fully be protected against gang violence.  Also, most kids are surrounded by gang members and have no real positive mentors or influences that encourage schooling, and unfortunately because of this, they do not take school very serious or get to learn the real benefits of what a good education can bring them.

     Dr. Frazier also mentioned how it is the mayor's responsibility to care about the community, and set a city wide agenda to lower the effects of gang violence.  I personally agree with this solution because if the mayor is not taking care of the community and shows no effort of concern, the community will not respect him nor will they support his cause.  Instead, they will rebel and are more prone to act violently feeling like they need to look out for themselves.  Especially young teenagers and kids.

Dr. Frazier also offered some positive solutions such as having youth groups and mentors or even giving kids field trips outside of school.  This is a good way to expose kids to something positive.  Sometimes people need to be taken outside of what they are used to and shown something different in order to realize that there is a better way.

     All in all, I completely agree with everything that Dr. Frazier said.  Kids need positive examples, and if they are surrounded by negativity, unfortunately they become a product of their environment.  There may never be a real solution to gang violence and how it affects kids, however, with some of the positive solutions that Dr. Frazier discussed, at least kids will know that there are alternatives and better choices for their life.  Hopefully they will be influenced to become leaders and not followers.
  

Color-ism by Jordan Henry

I really like the group who did their research project on the term “color-ism”.  The group stated the color-ism is thought as racism within a race.  They said in the African American community, the issue seems to stem around “light skin” and “dark skin.” The group said that society has builded on this idea that beauty is associated with how long a person’s hair is or how light their complexion is.  They claimed how the black community has really bought into this idea throughout.  The majority of black men tend to be attracted to light skinned woman and black woman seem to be attracted to men who have a light complexion.  They proved this theory, by going around the university and interviewing different students on film.  They presented the videos to class and most of the students tended to favor “light skin.”

                Before this group’s presentation, I was aware of the racism within the black race.  I was already exposed to the stigma in the black community over complexion, but I was unaware that the word color-ism was the term used to describe it.  This was the first time I’ve heard of color-ism.  Personally I feel like black people are beautiful regardless of skin complexion.   This definitely became more apparent once I started attending Howard University.   I’ve seen all types of black people whether they are tall, short, light, and dark, bald, thick or skinny.  I think it is truly sad that the black community punishes itself with color-ism.  I feel like it is the cause of some self hated that continues today in the black community.  Black people need to begin to carry themselves with pride and really show society why black is beautiful.

What is "Good Hair"? by Jordan Henry

Another group that I enjoyed was the one that talked about the terms “good hair” or “bad hair.”  I find these topics to be very interesting because they really relate to some of the issues concerning in the black communities. The group spoke about how a lot of black woman try to fit into society’s definition of beauty, which is lighter skin and long hair.  They claimed that this is due to a type of self hatred that some black woman suffers from.  They said that by black woman express their desire to alter their appearance by doing things such as wearing weaves, or perming their hair, or by bleaching their skin.  They proved these theories in a number of ways.  They mentioned that when little girls are asked to choose between barbies with thicker hair or straighter hair, they often choose the Barbie with the straight hair.  The group pointed how this issue is a concern of low self esteem among the black community.  However, the group did take the time to point out famous woman who chose to go against the stereotype like Erykah Badu and Jill Scott.

                I not only enjoyed this presentation, but I was also interested by the argument and discussions it caused in class.  Some students agreed with the theory that the group presented and some were totally against it because they felt not all woman who perm or put in their hair are trying to alter their reflection.  They believed that it was just particular preference on how to wear their hair.  At some points I did agree with the group because I do believe there is a ridiculous stigma of beauty among the black community but at the same time I do not necessarily that every black woman is ashamed of their appearance.  This topic always seems to be an interesting discussion among woman of color because it is all based off opinion.  I like how the group was open to comments or questions and I also liked how they pointed out beautiful black woman who choose to wear their hair natural. Overall it was a really good and thought provoking presentation.

Interview with Dr. Livingston by Jordan Henry

The Freshman Seminar had an outline of work that we were required to complete before the end of the semester. In the course for this semester we required to come to class and listen to lectures and fill out forms about we read every Wednesday each week.  We were also expected to get into groups of five students and create a group name and blog site.  Every week we were expected to post a blog about the lecture we heard earlier in class.  Our groups were required to complete a research project as well and we had to interview two teachers.  One of the teachers that we chose to interview was Dr. Livingston. 

                Dr. Livingston is the head of the sociology department and we felt that he was a good professor to interview because we found his class to be quite interesting.  Our research topic was “How does gang violence affect inner city schools in Washington, DC?” Dr. Livingston responded that gangs force a lot of pressure on kids in more urban or poverty stricken neighborhoods.  He said that kids today either observe what they see the success that other gang member make and they attempt to imitate that or sometimes they can be threatened to join gangs.  Sometimes kids just feel like there is no other option out there for them, so they unfortunately get involved with different gangs in the neighborhood.  As a result, kids lose track of school or they sometimes simply drop out to live the gang lifestyle.  He could not give us too many specific details about the DC area specifically, but he did offer some ideas of how the issue could be solved.  He feels that kids need to be encouraged more to get involve with different activities.  Kids should also receive more motivation from role models like the mayor and many others.  I feel like Dr. Livingston had an   excellent take on gang violence and how it affects schools.  He brought up some excellent points and I completely agree with his suggestion to resolve the issue.

Self Reflection by Jordan Henry

The semester is now ending and I a lot of mix feelings about my freshman seminar class.  Freshman was quite experience to say the least.  When I first registered for the class, I believed it would be easy because it was a one credit class.  I did not believe that this class would be important or require that much work.  I thought it was more so an introductory class meant for freshman to meet each other and to get acquainted with our professors.  I soon realized that was not at all the case.

                The freshman seminar class was more than what I expected and it actually ended up being a positive experience for me.  I really enjoyed the lectures we received every Wednesday in class.  I found the speakers to be really inspiring and informative.  I learned so much about Howard University and the legacy behind the university.  The speakers also gave us information about the amazing people that came through the school and opened doors for our generation.  We were told that it is our responsibility to carry that legacy on by educating others in our communities.  I also loved the African Burial Ground trip.  I learned a lot about the history of slaves and how significant the finding of the African Burial Ground was not only because of its important meaning, but because the people who were involved in studying of the bones were from Howard University.  Overall this freshman seminar  class really inspired me to become the best I can be and to continue the legacy.

African Burial Ground by Michelle Harris

Our Freshman Seminar class went to visit the African Burial Ground in Manhattan, New York.  Usually, when you hear "school trip" to anywhere, the first judgement is that it will be something miserably boring, educational, and of no significant importance to you after that class.  However, after the experience of this trip, i left with a deeper sense of self that will always be of great significance to me.  Dr. Carr told us that the graves we were surrounded by were those of actual slaves.  The thought, better yet the privilege of being in the presence of those who fought so hard to give us as African Americans what we have today was an honor in itself.  To think and reflect on what our ancestors had to go through and endure fighting for what we have now is still overwhelming to me.  I remember in class, Dr. Carr first told us about how African Americans protested against a company of some sort that wanted to tear down land where African slave remains were found.  After seeing the graves of those who fought so hard for us for myself and feeling the spirit of their struggle, I am so thankful that the company was sued and the land was saved.  For someone to try to "mask" or attempt to "erase" even a piece of our history is truly an insult.  These people died fighting for what they could not live to see happen: Freedom.
     In a way I felt a complete sense of sorrow, and a slight sense of guilt.  People in my generation, including myself sometimes, do not appreciate the opportunities we have been given.  We lose our heritage, and alot of us are ignorant about our history but know everything about the insignificant "role models" including their history of the world today.  These people were the real role models.  Those graves in that museum belonged to people who literally died trying to pave the way of equal opportunity, and now that we have it, what are most of us doing with it?  Rather than supporting "ignorance" of today, I will spend more time learning more about my African roots.  I at least owe them that...

Finale Thoughts by Russell Grandberry

      As this semester comes to an end I begin to think back to the first day of freshman seminar. It was very crowded. There we're lots of people I didn't know and the teachers were handing out sheet with a word that i didn't know on it. Mbongi, I didn't know what that meant at the time, but later on I came to find the meaning as a house with no rooms, which means everything is open to discussion. From that day on i knew i was going to be learning a lot in this class. I learned things about my African heritage that i didn't know before. I learned that not all of the things taught in my history class pertained to me. There we're things that were very important that our teachers left out. They didn't tell of our great ancestors on the other side of the earth. They tried to mask the truth that we built the pyramids. Not only did we build the pyramids, but we also built New York. The world was built on the shoulders of our ancestors. From the dawn of time our ancestors have been building the earth into what it is today. These things hidden to me before, after this class became apparent. I realized that It is always important to ask questions. You must do research before you can present anything. This freshman seminar class has not only help me transition from high school to college effectively, it has also given me a deeper understanding of truth and the world as it all pertains to me. I feel that i need to be informed as well as the rest of my generation. We should all go fourth and try to make a difference. If not now, then when?

Interviewing Dr. Frazier by Russell Grandberry

      We decided to interview our Introduction to Political Science professor Dr. Michael Frazier. He was very helpful and willing to help us. He answered our questions and more. We asked him questions about the gangs in Washington, DC, and what are some possible ways for us to solve them. He began by saying that it was the mayor's responsibility to care about the community and set a city wide agenda to lower the effects of gang violence. Dr. Frazier then said that in some situations it is impossible to stop the gangs from affecting some kids. However, if we give the kids things to do in and out of school, they are less likely to join gangs. He said that another solution could be giving the kids field trips outside of school and giving them incentives to come to school. He said it is important to have mentors and community youth groups.
      I agreed with everything Dr. Frazier said. It is hard for a child growing up in a neighborhood surrounded by gang members. Teens receive a lot of pressure to join gangs, so much so that sometimes there is no other choice.  Sometimes people get put into situations where the gang either beats them for not joining or they join. When a person is scared for his life, the decision may be more towards joining a group of people who could keep you safe. The pressures get emmence at times and you may not always know what to do. That is when you should join a youth group or an organization that could keep you out of the street. The boys and girls club of america is just one example of a successful place to take your children to keep them out of the streets. Gangs may be a problem that we can't abolish, but we can work to reduce their effects.

Color-ism in The African American Community by Russell Grandberry

      The second group to present talked about color-ism and how it effected the African-American race. The said that color-ism was like racism with-in a race. They reported that African-American males tend to lean more for light-skinned girls than brown or dark-skinned girls. They also reported that African-American women tend to like light-skinned males also. They said that this was because of the hundreds of years of slavery that our ancestors had been through. Our race had always been told to strive to be white. The group said that we wore clothes to imitate white people, because that's all we were given. They said that we've been told that white was good, so our culture has tried to straighten our hair and do other things to imitate white people. This also caused us to like men and women of lighter complexions, because it was closer to the Caucasian skin color.The group also showed various videos of interviews of their peers and their preferences.
     I did not know colorism was a real word until this group presented. Personally, i have no preference in women. Light, Brown, Dark i love them all. However, i do love a woman with long hair. That sign of feminism is attractive to me. I do prefer short women also, i'm not sure why it just happens like that. I don't believe slavery is the reason for preferences however. I just believe that light skinned girls have been stereotyped as being attractive. Preference wise however it will differ from male to male. But the theory that slavery is the reason black guys want light skinned girls doesn't sound correct to me. The video the group showed also adds to my theory that it's just preference. The people in the videos didn't all like light-skinned females.

Gentrification in Washington DC by Russell Grandberry

       The first group presentation that i recall was about the gentrification process happening to Washington, DC . The group claimed that certain parts of the city were getting gentrified which is a process of transforming a run-down or low income part of a city into a more prosperous one by investing in businesses and properties. The group also claimed that this process can be good or bad for the area. The group focused mainly on two areas of the city; Chinatown and Columbia Heights. They showed that the process could be beneficent to the community because of lower crime rates. However, they also claimed that the process could be racist pushing out the minorities in due to higher property value. They then gave evidence that gentrification doesn't actually reduce crimes, it just moves it from one place to another. The group then concluded that if gentrification were to work, it would have to equally benefit both the white majority and the black minority.
     Before this presentation i had not heard the word gentrification. I can say i learned something new from this group presenting. They all spoke up, and everyone had something to say. As for the thoughts about gentrification, I don't believe it could work. With the way that the economy is today if the price of rent goes up, people will have to move, especially people who are unemployed. I believe that there has to be another solution to the problem. Personally, I do not have a solution, but i believe our generation could make that change. I believe if we could put down the t.v.s and ask questions would could gain intelligence to rule the world. We should be less focused on the basketball game and more focused on our next class. As a generation we should all strive to make a change and put our mark in history.