Presentations

The presentations went well for both my group and the other groups within our section. In my group’s presentation we focused on art and its role in documenting the African American community from the 1900’s until present times. My group was large; therefore, our project embraced many different disciplines. The disciplines we concentrated in were biology, sociology, psychology, politics and the arts. I believe the different majors within our group helped to diversify our overall presentation. From the project and each individual’s contributions I learned a lot about each of the studies. Everyone collaborated well and did their part to ensure the accurateness and creativeness of our PowerPoint.  From my experience with the project and working with the group I learned to appreciate different ideas; and I learned how to incorporate them into one final product.

Seminar Experience

In my opinion, Freshman Seminar was a very eye opening experience for the Class of 2015. Each week the Wednesday class met with influential men and women who have established themselves as the scholars of Howard University. We were also offered many opportunities to attend learning communities and trips that would further teach us, such as the trip to the African burial ground and the Miss Ever’s play. I believe seminar taught everyone to be the best students, people and scholars they could be. I learned a lot about the Black Diaspora and how past blacks have contributed to it and how I, in turn, can make contributions as well. The course was important for the freshmen to take part in. It taught us to respect and know our history, to strive as scholars, and make a difference in our communities.

Presentation Evaluation

In my cohort were group numbers 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15. The Presentation day for all of us was split up into two days. Group 11 and group 12 presented on the 9^th. Groups 13, 14 and 15 presented on the 16^th. Group 11 went up first and I do not remember what they presented on. After group 11, group 12 went up to present their project. All I remember was that their project was about Michael Jackson and music. Up next was our group, number 13, entitled JUST DO IT! Our research question was How Art has contributed to the Notions of the African-American human condition? I felt as though our group’s presentation went smoothly and everyone did a great job evaluating their slides.  Afterwards, Groups 114 and 15 went up to present. Unfortunately, I do not remember what they presented on either. Even though I don’t remember the content in their presentation, I do know that everyone presented effectively and precisely. No one in our cohort seemed extremely nervous or distraught, and there were no difficulties what so ever.

Reflection

Freshman Seminar was an interesting approach to teaching Freshman how to find their purpose, how to figure out what to do with their education and how to use education to better the human condition. The best experience for me during Freshman Seminar was visiting the African Burial Grounds. I learned so much about African culture that day. Each lecture in Freshman Seminar class was different and unique. However, they were all connected and presented the same goal: changing the Human condition and bettering oneself. Some presenters had PowerPoints, while others could stand alone. Even though the blogs were tedious, each lecture help me realize a little bit more about myself and my history. Freshman Seminar inspired me to push even farther to my goals and to have my ultimate goal to change the human condition. Freshman seminar taught me to not just gain knowledge, but gain wisdom; do not just make money, change the world. Freshman seminar presented me with skills that I could use in every class I have and will have in the future. I learned the importance of approaching questions from several different fields of study and transforming knowledge. I will not be defined by society; I will define myself in it.

Presentations

The groups I had to present to and who presented to me intrigued me with their creativity and expertise in the research they presented. At first glance of some group presentations, I thought "what does this have to do with was we were trying to understand in Freshman Seminar." However, they proved me wrong. They engaged every aspect of their topic with each group member's discipline, giving a transforming image; an approach that was purposeful and not from one field of study. Some people had off the wall topics, such as, specific famous people. Yet, they still took a deep understanding and presented new insight to the audience. The only negative part of one presentation was that they had inaccurate data. The group stated one thing, but their PowerPoint said another. I believe that my group did a good job with our presentation. We worked together and split up the work equally. We compromised and each presented good ideas. We took new insight on Art. We were able to connect the transformation of notions over time through Art; as well as, presenting several approaches (fields of study).

The Past Affects the Future-Wilkerson's Journey

It was an amazing experience to hear the thoughts of a historical recollection from the author of The Warmth of Other Suns. She spent 15 years gathering information, traveling in the footsteps of many migrates and interviewing hundreds of them. Her dedication to inform the nation of the most unaccredited movement was inspiring. She realized that without the people of the South having the courage to move, many people would not be here today. Several famous people that had impacted the world would not have existed if their parents from two different southern states did not migrate North and meet. This insight was intriguing because I am a product of the Great Migration. My great-grandmother moved to Cleveland from the South which was one of the major states migrates moved to. It was interesting how Isabel Wilkerson took the journey one of the characters in the book did, just for the experience. I felt honored to get the opportunity for her to sign my book. Even though Warmth of Other Suns was 500 plus pages, every page was like a penetration of our personal history.

Self-Reflection Post

I would say my first time experience in freshman seminar was like a rollercoaster, in which it had its ups and downs. During the first class, I felt extremely uncertain of what this class had to offer. After hearing Dr. Carr’s lecture, I knew this class would be an enriching one. My assumptions were not far off, lecture after lecture I felt more motivated to perform at my absolute best at this University. Aside from the lectures, this class did get tedious at times having to write blogs about every lecture. Writing the blogs would have to be the worst part about this class. However, the lectures themselves are quite the opposite. Hearing successful African Americans speak to us about compelling concepts, the importance of our education and what it means for the future sets an amazing example for something I strive to be. Coming out of this seminar made me realize that I want to augment my education 10 fold and change the African American Human Condition for the better.   

My Howard Homecoming Experience

My Howard University Homecoming Experience was everything I expected it to be. The energy was high and was jam-packed with celebrities. My favorite event out of the entire homecoming week was the R&B concert. It was so enjoyable and seeing all of those renowned singers in person was something I have never experienced before. Other than the R&B concert, I attended the gospel show. Aside, from some minor boredom here and there, when the energy picked up, it flew through the roof! Shirley Caesar was very mesmerizing to watch.  I also greatly enjoyed yard fest. I thought it was really cool to see a bunch of Howard Alumni comeback to celebrate the festivities. It was like a mixture of the new generation and the old generation.   All in all, homecoming was an experience I will never forget and it is something I know will be looking forward to in the next three years.        

HU Homecoming Experience

With this being my first Howard University Homecoming experience it was something that I will always remember. I see why so many alumni come back every year to partake in these events. I didn't participate in every event but the events I did participate in were truly overwhelming. The first event I went to was the fashion show. There were so many gorgeous black women. The designers did a great job in making the girls attributes stand out. The designers clothing were very innovative and stylish. I also attended the yard fest. It was very crazy! I saw a lot of celebrities, different vendors, and people from different schools. It was almost unbelievable that I was seeing so many people that I was accustomed the seeing on television. It was almost surreal. I got to see stars such as Wale, Young Jeezy, and AJ Calloway. I look forward to next years Homecoming.

H.U Homecoming

For this year’s homecoming I expected greatness; great food, people, celebrities, festivities, and excitement. From the alumni to the upperclassmen and other attendees I had always heard Howard’s Homecoming is an eventful affair.

Homecoming Monday through Thursday was boring and left me unimpressed. Because we still had classes, I initially felt homecoming was just another week of school. To kick off the week we had Midnight Madness last Saturday. I thought the event was fun; I got to see everyone represent their clubs, the performers dance and some up and coming artists. The title of the event was a little deceiving but besides it not lasting to midnight I had a good time. Then on Wednesday, I got tickets to see the Fashion Show II. The models, designers, dancers and stage crew executed the show very well. I almost felt as though I was a spectator at a real show in Fashion week.

The real excitement however did not kick in until the weekend. I could not wait to get out of my classes to get to the yard fest. My friends and I loved the artists that were featured and their performances. And on Saturday, I went to the football game and the Step Show. From the time of our win against the Aggies to the announcement of the winners of the Step Show I felt I had more fun than I had had all week.

All in all, the weekend was the best part of Homecoming!

Homecoming at the Real HU!

Homecoming at Howard has gained so much reputation that all you have to say is "HU Homecoming" and people are swarming toward D.C. This was my first Howard Homecoming and it was an amazing experience and the most fun I had in a while. My Homecoming events started with the Yardfest. It seemed overnight that the Yard was transformed into a festival-like atmosphere. There was tent after tent filled with food or items for purchase. The atmosphere was filled with students and people out of town, all there to take part this year's legendary experience. I had a wonderful time at the Yardfest concert with Jeezy and Wale. I was so surprised to be able to be in the front row to see them! Thinking about how big the events were, I realized how much work the Homecoming Committee had to do. Kudos to the Homecoming Committee! I was so glad that my sister, who is an alumni, also came to the legendary homecoming this year. I had a blast walking around the Yard wit her. That evening I attended the R&B show, which was a huge success. People were bound to have a good time with artists like, Tyrese, Monica, Joe and Avant. I was brought to my feet several times during the performance. Many celebrities were honored to perform or participate in Howard's Homecoming. For example, Free, who hosted the R&B show, said that she turned down an invite for another school's homecoming to be the host at the Real HU. Howard equals Prestige. On Saturday was the homecoming parade. I got up bright and early to help with the parade. The parade went smoothly and I was happy to be able to help out with it. That evening, the step show was on the list. I walked in and the place was live. Everyone was excited to the what the Greeks have been practicing for months. All I can say is this stunning experience is one that I will never forget!

The Maternal love of Howard

Being a student at Howard University has had a tremendous impact on my future aspirations. There is something about the atmosphere that makes you want to be the best you can do. Maybe it’s the history that permeates from the architecture, literature, and allegories of HU alumni. Maybe even the wisdom that is entrusted to us from past generations. Or even the protective and loving sentiment that envelops the campus that has an inclination to make you feel as safe as the warm and soothing cradle of a mother’s arms. Seeing all of this inspiring history and success honestly makes me think that maybe I can become someone of importance to this world. Hearing all of the exhilarating lectures from such experienced professors and officials gives me courage and motivation to perform at my utmost potential. Studying at this university so far has been a reality changing enterprise that has expanded the boundaries of my comfort zone and propelled my resolve to new heights. I cannot fully explain the feeling this university gives with my limited vocabulary, but I am quite sure that I will not get the same sensation attending another college or university.

My Seminar Experience

In the first Freshman Seminar, we were given an overview of the classes and what would be expected of us throughout the course. This was also the first time the class was given a blog topic in which we had to detail our first week’s experience at Howard University as the new class of freshmen students. In my first blog I talked about looking forward to learning about what the Howard experience had to offer.

Almost eight weeks later, I believe Howard has offered to me more than what I could have imagined the first week here. Just being a Howard student is a lesson within itself. You learn to value and celebrate black culture, live past your potential, network, be a self-activist, work hard, be responsible and most importantly stay true to yourself.

As evident in the learning of Howard’s history, we as the students have a lot to live up to. Howard has produced many scholars, celebrities and intellectuals, who have set the standards before us; and as students we must continue this legacy.

Retreating to Family

This weekend was one of the best of my life. I spent this weekend in Baltimore at the African American Heritage Retreat. I was invited to attend by a friend of mine that I knew from working with another organization and she assured me that I would like it and she also arranged for me a place to stay and means of which to get there so I didn't really have much objection.
This was the 22nd year that this group was doing this retreat and you could tell that a lot of the people have known each other for some time but nevertheless, they invited me in with welcome arms and made me feel at home. I find that's how African American people are all around the country. We make everyone; rather they're white, brown, purple, or orange feel welcome and make them feel like family. I was talking with one lady who lived in Switzerland and she has been making the trip from her country to the retreats here in the states since 2001. She told me that it is important to her and she makes the trip every year because of the way the group makes her feel when she comes and the feeling that stays with her when she leaves. She gets this feeling of acceptance and love from her family at the retreat that she doesn't get from her biological family. This help me realize that you can make your own family wherever you go, with whoever gives you the love and support that you need. They people I met at this retreat I consider to now be my family here on the East Coast (where before I was alone but not anymore) and I can't wait to see them next year.    

You cannot be One-Sided

When I walked in the room the first thing I said was "yes, powerpoint." I'm a visual learner and I like to listen and look at what I'm being taught. Dr. Williams did an excellent job of breaking everything down. She broke down the research question like never before and took us step by step in Research and Methodology. I never learned a step-process for it before. I found it interesting when she was talking about Dr. Cobb and explained that "not sticking to one discipline allows one to be transformative" (Dr. Williams). This statement made total sense to me because I tend to make sure I 'm able to argue both sides in an essay in which I only have to pick one side. People would be more willing to agree with your opinion if you could argue the other side as well. Just like in writing, you cannot be one-sided in society. You cannot transform or move knowledge along when defending one side or one race. Dr. Williams also got me thinking about am I finding the connection between the lectures and is the purpose of the lecture being fulfilled? Was I ready to embark on the research project? I thought about how to make sense of the research question after it was broken down; so I rewrote the question for my personal benefit.

The original research question:

How have scholars across the various fields of study advanced and transformed academic knowledge related to enduring problems of the human condition?

My interpretation after the lecture:

How have scholars across different branches of knowledge moved along or changed the accepted body of knowledge from other scholars corresponding to the continuing social, cultural and personal problems related to the experiences of being human?

So now the research question is understandable, simple and clear.

Miss Evers' Boys

Miss Evers’ Boys was an outstanding play, hands down. It had all the elements: it made you laugh, cry and smile and frown. The play gave you a close look to how society viewed African-Americans as inferior. The white people thought that only black people got syphilis and called the disease “bad blood”. I know that’s how certain disease were broken down to the African-American race back in the early 20^th century, but is there an underlying meaning. Is that saying supposed to mean because there black they have “bad blood”? It was really ridiculous how the African-American race was taken advantage of and used like guinea pigs in the study of syphilis. The Public Health service and participating doctors in the study lied to them. They gave the African-Americans in the study false hope. They said it would be a year study that turned into 14 years. They told them they would be first in line when a cure came along and they did not mention it when it came up. They told them they were still receiving treatment of mercury back rubs and arsenic shots, but they were really taking samples for the study. They wanted to make the connection of syphilis and race when there is not one. They found the syphilis disease inferior and connected with the race they found inferior: “blacks.” The racism and oppression of the African-American race was evident. They had little education and were seen as ignorant and unintelligent, but in actuality, what the study did was ignorant. The study became a new form of slavery because at first the doctors needed the patients for a couple years, but then they wanted them to dedicate their life to it. I think it was absurd that Miss Evers’ did not tell the boys about the study. I saw what Miss Evers’ was doing at the beginning; she was trying to improve the human condition by becoming knowledgeable and helping others. I also saw that “blacks had to work twice as hard to be half as good,” which I learned from a previous lecture. The dancer in the story practiced a lot to be able to get a chance at the cotton club. The patients were all farmers that made the minimum amount. I enjoyed the performance.

Libation

The African Burial Grounds was an amazing experience. I’ve been to New York several times and didn’t even realize that the Burial Grounds were there. It showed respect for our culture and our ancestors. I enjoyed the ceremony that Dr. Carr performed in respect for the ancestors and all the remains that were found in New York. I loved the museum because it was hands-on and you could take pictures. It made the experience more personal, not having to worry about touching anything. It was amazing how many found remains were able to be recognized by gender and age. It was a lot of things that stuck out to me inside the memorial: the wall of laws that affected Africans in New York; a barrel that weighed the amount many Africans had to lift working at the docks; and a scene of an African burial. The wall of Remembrance was a sight to see and enlightened me about the Burial Grounds that I had never learned about. Around the circle of Diaspora are sings, symbols and images that represent different African cultures. It was nice to see the diversity and brought me to a closer understanding of my ancestors. I would like to go back with my family one day to the African Burial Grounds.

Fact or Myth

“We need to push against the mischaracterization of our community,” was a statement that stuck with me after the lecture by Dr. Finwick. She introduced the topic in a creative way: a quiz. It was surprising to me, how many I got wrong. We let society persuade us that we as a race score lower on standardized test, and are not intelligent. The fact is that data is out there that proves the conceptions wrong. We are not taught the data that teaches us how to overcome and making a better way. Dr. Finwick talked about how African-Americans are underrepresented in education. There are very few African-American teachers even in inner-city areas. Some of these low numbers are due to desegregation when, “some black teachers were replaced by lesser qualified whites” (Dr. Finwick). Even though desegregation was in effect, whites tried to separate the white and black teachers. This included replacing some blacks with whites. During segregation, black teachers were well educated and the best teachers for African-American students. Dr. Finwick also discussed the misconceptions of black males and African-American students. She told us that black males scored higher than black females, white people and other races on standardized test. African-American students are more likely to be against drugs in high school than any other race (Dr. Finwick). We as the Black community must define our self and gather the data to find the truth. If we do not gather the information, we might be influenced to believe the myths that characterize us in society.

Changing Misconception

This weeks lecture by Dr. Fenwick opened my eyes to many misconceptions that we as African Americans subject ourselves to. She had use take a pop quiz before she started lecturing that had to do with positions held by African Americans in education. As we went over it after I saw that a lot of people had the misconception that blacks had a greater role than they really did. I found this very interesting. Dr. Fenwick explained that people often had these misconceptions because they were told this misinformation by other groups and just took it to be true. Dr. Fenwick said that we must question these conceptions and just take them to be true. She gave an example of wen she was at a conference and it was said that black males naturally just do not test well. She didn't just take this as the true but questioned it and did research of her own and found that this wasn't true at all. What i found most interesting about this story that she told the class was that nobody had questioned the information that was presented that said that blacks don't test well, but as soon as Dr. Fenwick discovered information that proved this information false they immediately questioned it and what resources she got this information from. This is how we should question everything. This lecture defiantly encouraged me to look critically at all the information that is presented to me and that has been  presented to me.

Miss Ever's Boys

 I went to go see Miss Ever’s Boys this week. Miss Ever Boy’s was a great depiction of the Tuskegee Experiment. In this experiment, African American sharecroppers were subject to decades of abuse from the U.S Public Health Service. Some more than four hundred men suffered the effects of syphilis for the health service’s experimental purposes. The term, “Bad Blood” was used to diagnose those men with the disease. The participants were manipulated with the promise of free medical care, meals, and free burial insurance. Even after the cure for the disease was discovered these men were never treated.

In the play, Miss Ever’s tells men, they could get tested for bad blood. Caleb Humphries, Ben Washington, and Willie Johnson, were three entertainers, with dreams of making it into the prestigious Cotton Club before the experiments had began, but by the end of the experiment they were left mentally ill, crippled, and dead. To recognize them for years and years of participation they all received a certificate from the health services. Despite Miss Ever’s close relationship with the men, and the desire to stop aiding the experiment, she continued to abuse the men with the promise of a higher position. This to me made me question her integrity. How could she continue to install false hope into these men. Overall, the play was every good and I'm glad I went to go see it.