Environmental Justice Symposium

Did you know that 1 in 9 people of color used to live in toxic neighborhoods? Now the ratio has changed to 1 in 4 people of color in live in toxic neighborhoods. This ratio is not only appalling but shows the lack of concern for the environment and mother earth herself. I went to a symposium on environmental justice, before this symposium I didn’t really know about environmental justice and what it stood for. It’s basically policy, and big businesses use policies to attack peoples land and build factories that hurt the land and the ecosystem. Here in America our social life is on a high past system, we require fast production of things we use daily, for example fast food, clothing, and even electricity. Meat production is responsible for 51% of greenhouse gas production. If didn’t have a demand for meat this percentage could be lower. By painting the roofs or even the streets white, there could be a 20% reduction on AC cost. We have such a high demand for produce and energy that we are the ones keeping these factories that hurt the environment running. However, not only are we hurting the environment, but we are hurting ourselves. Due to the high demand for fast food, most of the things we consume are toxic and grown with steroids and just think about it, if we could learn to eat organic, natural foods, how much that could change the ecosystems. As Michelle Roberts said, “there needs to be a conscious awareness of the way we live”. I completely agree with that statement. In order to save the planet we need to make adjustments in how we live. But how many people are really willing to do that?

Blog 5- Midterm

In most of my blogs, the focus is usually blacks in America and how we function in contemporary society. My blogs reflect a cause and effect structure and offer solutions for certain issues that affect African Americans today. The blogs normally look at past events and how the results of those events are still current in today’s society. A recurring theme in my blogs happens to be African people and the retrieval of historical memory. Not coming from an educational background where black history and its importance are stressed, I feel the need to share things that I have learned while on campus with others. Half way through this semester I have come across some very educating conversations with scholars on this campus about issues that I’ve never thought to address. Being on this campus gives everyone a chance to think about issues from a global perspective and I felt the need to express everything that I have learned in each blog.
In high school I don’t remember doing too many research papers. The papers that we did were mainly impromptus, where we would write a paper on a given topic on a book that we recently read. This experience with research papers isn’t completely foreign but I believe that I could use practice. I feel that at times my paper is repetitive due to the vagueness of my thesis. Once I learn to develop a well written thesis then the paper would flow better and have a higher level of sophistication. Since being in this class I have learned the different types of strategies in writing research papers. In the past I get the impression that my papers had no order to them, so these different strategies will help structure my paper and make it more organized. What helps me to improve papers and organize my thoughts is feedback from teachers and others. To continue my success in the class and further improve, I need to utilize the writing center and speak with my professor more often.

The African Burial Ground

Last week I went with the freshman seminar class to New York to see the African Burial ground which was in many ways breath taking. Before this freshman seminar class I never heard of this story and the findings of Africans beneath Manhattan. I find it so incredible how before people were just building and building on top of the ancestors without knowing. The findings of these African people are so essential and have made a vital contribution to the historical memory of this country. I cannot fault blacks for the protest they held, and wanting other black scholars to research the African people. When the debate aroused of who should be the ones to handle the ancestors, the people turned to Howard University. I think what the students at Howard did in recovering the bodies and placing them back into the ground was the greatest honor to the ancestors and I am proud to say that I am attending the school that helped make such a profound contribution to history. I connected deeply to the first part of the trip where we poured libations, paid respect to the ancestors. Africans are the ones who built this country and to be in the presence of those who made many sacrifices was moving and a very powerful moment. I think it so beautiful how after the research was done on them, the researchers put their bodies back into the ground and held a traditionally African burial for the ancestors. The only thing that I can say disappointed me was the fact that I wasn’t there to witness such a breakthrough in not only African history but American history as well. The trip to New York was such a remarkable cultural experience and the African Burial ground is a historical monument that should be visited by all.