Black Excellence Speech

Black excellence; a term that is possibly defined as the recognition and celebration of the successes of the black community. Lacking from the definition is the idea that black excellence cannot be achieved without understanding its relation to apparent racist perpetrations. In the essay entitled “The Meaning of Serena Williams”, author Claudia Rankine states, “the notable difference between black excellence and white excellence is white excellence is achieved without having to battle racism. Imagine.” The prevalent absurdity exuded by this statement is the unfortunate reality we now inhabit.

Black excellence; a term possibly defined as the recognition and celebration of the successes of the black community. Lacking from the definition is the idea that black excellence cannot be achieved without understanding its relation to apparent racist perpetrations. In an essay discussing Serena Williams, entitled “The Meaning of Serena Williams”, by Claudia Rankine, she states, “the notable difference between black excellence and white excellence is white excellence is achieved without having to battle racism. Imagine.” The prevalent absurdity exuded by this statement is the unfortunate reality we now inhabit.

You’re invited to one of the biggest and highly anticipated cultural months of the year- Black History Month. Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by black Americans and a time for recognizing the central role of African Americans in U.S. history. Today marks the first day of Black History Month and we are so excited to announce all the great things happening this month.

Being apart of the African American community has never been easy. Early on I realized that regardless of how much money I make, how educated I may become, or where I chose to live, I will always be less than. Despite the great deal of hardship that comes with being a black women, it is the group that I am most proud to be apart of.The role given

For centuries African Americans have fought for equal rights, one of them being an opportunity for the chance to get an equal education. Many people believe that African Americans have an equal or better chance at getting an education than other students. This is not the case when in fact, it is actually harder for these three reasons: African American students tend to come from harsh, poverty stricken atmospheres. Shattered family lifestyles that make it difficult to pursue a higher education because they have not received the proper information. Secondly, just because African Americans are minorities does not mean that they receive a vast amount of government assistance or financial aid to pursue a higher education. Lastly, African

Racial diversity is something that is often discussed on college campuses. As a student who self-identifies as a minority in more ways than one I often feel like I have a pretty good understanding of the subject of racism and race. However, often times when these issue are discussed I learn something new; this was the case when reading the articles this week. This week’s articles examined the issue of race from different perspectives. This allowed me to re-examine the issue in a fuller manner; it also allowed me to question some of my own notions that I hadn’t really challenged before.

Over the last couple of years, I have had many opportunities that dealt with me enriching diversity for my campus and community. Being a member of Phi Theta Kappa has many immeasurable benefits. One benefit that came with me being a chapter officer at North Hennepin Community College is that every year we get to choose a project that benefits or raises awareness to the community. This year me and my Phi Theta Kappa team chapter members wanted to see what our fellow student body members thought about equally underrepresented minorities in position of power. We were able to gather and interpret the results. From the results, I personally changed my attitude, I learned that everyone needs to be educated so that they could be more knowledgeable

Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication will aid me in my journey to overcoming these imbalances while exploring the art of writing and communication through journalism. I aspire to write for revered magazine publications such as The New Yorker and Vanity Fair. While pursuing my dream, I want to become an influential figure in the African American community to further demonstrate the limitless success black women are capable of. This is not to say that role models of this stature don’t exist today. Thriving black women such as Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Condoleezza Rice continuously serve as groundbreaking women of color in society. I only wish to add to their progressive achievements in order to further communicate positive messages of African American women, and with Grady College I will undoubtedly do

I am delighted to announce that I am running for the presidential position of Science National Honors Society, which has truly been one of the most active clubs at Clements High School this year! In doing so the club has genuinely lived up to its motto of "Promoting Science, Service, and Leadership". Hearty congratulations to all the current officers for successfully re-establishing the SNHS standards at Clements High School after a year of hardships. From the establishment of Pat Cave to volunteering at Westbury Community Garden, active involvement in SNHS has given me a rigorous introduction to application of scientific concepts to real life problems. At the same time, this club has taught me how to sincerely appreciate nature, specifically

Being a black woman, in a “white man’s” world, is a very hard thing to encounter; especially growing up in the south where racism is still clearly evident. Georgiana, Al, the small town I grew up in, a white man owns everything. The only exception is the night club that is open only Thursday thru Saturday, but even that business is on the way of being shut down just because it is a popular business owned by a black man. Growing up I have seen first-hand racism, discrimination, and stereotyping against towards the black community.

Stokely Carmichael gave his most famous speech on the campus of the University of California at Berkeley in 1966. His speech, “Black Power,” addresses the issue of black racism in America and gives strategies for advancing black civil rights. His use of ethos, logos, and pathos is successful in getting the audience to engage and connect with his speech.

After attending several events such as Founders Convocation and hearing Helen Smith Price, Jacque Reid, and Krystal Underwood speak, I was embraced by the presence of the knowledge of three powerful African American females and graduates from Clark Atlanta University. The legacy of “ Find a way or Make one” at Clark Atlanta University continues after leaving CAU and will go with you for the rest of your life, as shown by listening to the guest speakers talk about their accomplishments in life and how that were able to get to where they are today. Helen Smith Price, Jacque Reid, and Krystal Underwood have made me appreciate more of who I am as a person, my culture and the wonderful institution that I attend. The guest speakers for Founders

Many of my life experiences have given me a glimpse of what it means to be in the margins of society. My family’s history of racism and poverty, my father’s physical disability, my experiences as a woman, and growing up in the diverse Bay Area with friends, mentors, coaches, and teachers from different backgrounds has opened my eyes to the disparities in society. When I was sixteen I had a particularly salient experience that awoke my heart and mind to the ideas of social justice. I was in Memphis, Tennessee for a basketball tournament and on our day off we went to the Civil Rights Museum, which was built around the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. We saw the counters from sit-ins, buses from the Freedom Ride, and learned about the systematic oppression of Jim Crow. I was confused by the hate and anger I saw but found myself clenching my fists with rage at the injustice of it all. Yet, what was even more powerful was sitting in the parking lot with my team and listening to our assistant coach, who was an African-American man, share his experiences of racism, how it shaped his identity, and his fears for his two sons. Our head coach then shared about her experiences as lesbian and the ways in which she was continually denied rights because of her sexual orientation.

As a young African-American man in America, my life (past, present, and future) has been a constant struggle for survival, adequate education, and self- awareness. No matter how handsome, smart, or strong one is or can be, the level of success and peace will always be determined by skin color in America and others countries across the globe.

Through my leadership experiences at SCSU, I have grown into a strong, independent, and courage woman. This past spring semester, I took the opportunity to apply and be accepted to present at M.E.Ch.A.’s national conference about my independent studies course that I developed. I never imagined to share my cultural experiences on that level and have professors comment afterward about how they enjoy my presentation. There have been opportunities where I was able to discuss with administrators among other students and our concerns on campus issues facing students of color directly to them. I have met strong, academic leaders and students at conferences that have exposed me to love and embrace my cultural identity, indigenous roots, femininity, strength, and personal struggles. The education program gave me the opportunity to continue learning in another location for student teaching, which again has exposed me to new experiences, people, environments, and academic challenges. I no longer view challenges as obstacles, rather I view them as tests to help me remember how worth it, the path I am on and pursing, is to me. When I first started my freshman year in fall 2012, I could have never imagined that I would do and come as far as I have. I remember when I began this journey, I said to myself that I would graduate