Symposium- Politics of Black Identity of the Age of Obama

This week I went to the symposium for A Soldier’s Play by Charles Fuller. Along with discussing his play there were panelists there to interpret the meaning of many complex ideas that the play addresses. The people on the panel included Jules Harrell, Lorenzo Morris, and Greg Carr. Among the many topics that each panelist brought up, all were centered on the idea of the play which was defining black identity. As described by Charles Fuller, the theme of the play was how blacks and others who have been enslaved or oppressed behave like their oppressor. This expression made me think how in today’s society this is still a recurring theme. Not to say that there is anything wrong in wanting what’s best but without historical memory we allow racism and white supremacy to shape our identities. In Dr. Carr’s speech he brought up how the challenge for Africans is defining us as a group. Once we answer the question of group identity then we should think about how we as blacks move forward as group. I agree with this because today many blacks question their identity and make the mistake of disconnecting themselves to the African race. Instead of trying to succeed as individuals, blacks need to acquire a group mentality meaning that not only are they representing themselves but representing a whole race. This can be achieved by blacks reeducating themselves on their origins and gaining historical memory in order to move towards the future.

Blacks and Swimming

Friday I went swimming in the Burr building where I met Coach Fogan. For those who don’t know, Coach Fogan is a swim instructor at Howard University. As my friends and I were swimming he came over and asked where we were from and where our parents were from. After telling him, he began telling us of his research. His study was on blacks and swimming. By telling him our hometowns and our parents’ hometowns he got an idea of whether we could swim or not and why we couldn’t swim. Because swimming is a high class leisure sports, many blacks weren’t allowed to indulge in this activity due to racism or socioeconomic status’s. After asking us our origins he then asked if either one of our parents knew how to swim. As said many older generations did not learn how to swim but because many of our parents migrated from their original birth places, many people from my generation were taught to swim. The talk with him in the pool made me think of why many blacks don’t know how to swim. Could it be because our parents never learned, you lived in a state that wasn’t big on swimming, or for the women, fear of getting their hair wet. Whatever the case, I found his research intriguing and essential to the black community. He plans on furthering his research and using the origins of blacks to assist his study. I think it’s important that in African American communities swimming is taught to all children to break all stereotypes and judgments about how blacks can’t swim.

Blog 3- Define Yourself

What is black? What does it mean to be black enough or act black? These two questions were raised by roommate and brought up in class. As I read the article from Roberto Santiago, Black and Latino, it got me thinking how in today’s society we categorize things by race. The first question, what is black, was asked by roommate. The answer is there is no black and white. I said to her that it depends on the context in which the word is used. One could be referring to color or ethnic background. So I guess my question to you is how do you define black? American culture has learned to classify race by the color of people’s skin. If you even have a hint of a black look to you then you’re black, no matter your cultural background. Roberto talks about as a child people would say you can’t be both. His response to this was, “I don’t feel I have to choose one or the other. To do so would be to deny a part of myself" (Santiago 1). He then explains that whether people agree or disagree there is still African blood that runs through the Caribbean. I personally enjoyed this part of his essay the most because not only is he claiming his cultural background of being African but he understands his historical roots. One topic brought up in class was what it means to be black enough or act black. My response to this would have to go back to the previously asked question of what is black. The thing is these names that we use to define ourselves were given to people of color by Europeans. Before these names we were just people so why attach a color to it? How I define is by my name, I’m an individual. What about you?

Blog 2-Current Event

I recently read an article about the terrible warfare in Mogadishu, Kenya. Terrified Somalis fled offensive attacks from Islamist insurgents. The scene that was described in the article was brutal. There was said to have been putrefying corpses and neighborhoods flatten by mortars. Some were able to flee the attacks but those of the poorer families faced the heart-breaking choice of who would stay behind. A man interviewed spoke on the progression of the attacks and how it was first bullets but it progressed to the rebels launching mortars. Later in the week Mogadishu’s airport was attacked. It was said to have been suicide bombers and explosives that set off chaos in the terminal. Few who reached the refugee camps reported on the rotting bodies and over flowing hospital. This article made me think how ignorant most people are to the rest of world. Right now there is a war happening and I wonder how many people in this country know that. I also wonder what America and other countries can do to lend aid. Yes I understand that there are issues happening throughout the world, but it is eye- opening when I read things such as this. Reading articles and the news is so fundamental in knowing what is happening outside your own country. Reading this article exposed my own ignorance to the struggle that is happening in Kenya. It is a tragedy to read about warfare and to wonder what I could do to help. Writing this and informing people is my aid. Hopefully this hits people the way it did me. My heart goes out to the families in this country who still have family in Mogadishu.

Blog 1- How can African Americans improve race relations in the United States

As African Americans, most of our history has been lost through ancestors and shortened in European textbooks. Mainly when people talk about the history of African Americans in textbooks, that we are meant to learn from, they start at the slave trade, rather than discussing African origins and their migrations to other countries. Without the memory of one’s past, the result is normally ignorance. To understand yourself, you must understand your past. The day when Africans begin to intake the knowledge of our ancestors, they can then disperse that knowledge to other races. We need to start educating our schools and communities on the people who came before us, not just on European view points, but from an African perspective as well. Along with educating ourselves of our history, we must not hold the anger that generations before us hold. In Obama’s speech, “A More Perfect Union”, he addresses how this new generation can help create change by learning and reminding ourselves of the struggle that our people went through, however he goes on to say that “That anger […] prevents the African American community from forgoing the alliances it needs to bring about real change.” If African Americans can use the anger that we have from a broken past to enlighten others and spread the knowledge to the young, we can collectively push forward as a nation. To begin to improve race relations, African Americans need to educate themselves on our untold history, lend support to one another, and unite as a community.