Oh, To Be A Black Woman In America. When I Entered College

Solórzano and Yosso (2001) asserted that the aforementioned concepts act as a “camouflage for the self-interest, power and privilege of dominate groups in U.S. society” (p. 473). This means that even though over sixty years have passed since the Civil Rights Movement and over one hundred years since the Emancipation Proclamation, there are still forms of racism and oppression that are evident in higher education that require further research through the lens of critical race theory.

On the very first day of the class, Introduction to the Black Experience, we learned that people are defined by their culture and geography. We are also defined by the gaze of others and our own gaze. This realization led me to contemplate what the “black experience” means to me. As a first generation Haitian-American woman at Wellesley College, it has become clearer to me how important the language and culture of parents has been in shaping my identity. I have also begun to think more critically about how my identity as a woman of color separates me from black brothers as well as my white peers at Wellesley.

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

Incorporating topics of the violence and racial tension we see everyday can be difficult when it comes to certain class subjects. If a teacher is having trouble, Pitts takes the time to recommend various units teachers can use to inform students of what actually happened during times of trouble. This includes teaching about a revolutionary book in literature, what propelled the civil rights movement in history, and the black scientists who have contributed greatly to advance medical fields. Although the “black bodies have too often been used” and manipulated, she does not forget to acknowledge the fact that not all white people are bad and not all African Americans are saints. She asks educators to “be on guard against false narratives” and to teach about the white people who had

To begin, the first pivotal revelation is the concept of white privilege. White Privilege, as Peggy McIntosh specifies in her essay, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”, is a set of unearned assets which a white person in America can count on cashing in each day yet they remain oblivious to. This theme resonates as prior to this course, though aware of certain advantages as a seemingly “white” person in society, I was unaware of its official terminology. Also, as a person with one quarter American Indian blood I’m classified as a minority, however, I’m

Upon entering the class I was anxious, curious, and also oblivious to the ideas I would be encountering. Like other students who had not previously spent time discussing topics of race and ethnicity, I myself had nervous tendencies in assuming that such a class may not strengthen my understanding of ethnic and race relations. I realized I knew little about race or ethnicity, and even the possible similarities or differences. However, I welcomed the opportunity to further discover the possibilities of the class. My understanding of race was concentrated in a definition that could be understood as different skin colors. My limited conception of ethnicity applied to people’s origin or where they lived. It seemed as though my lack of

I attended the Gender, Labor and Politics event provided by the Black Studies Project at UC San Diego. During this event, I was able to hear about the research done by three black women in which they examined the intersectionality of black women in America during different time periods. There were three speakers but I found that the research done by Sarah Haley brought forth the most relevant and interesting information.

The central idea of this article is about the unfair treatment people are facing because of intersectionality. Such as Nicole, her grades are suffering, shes always late to class,etc. As The teachers dont dig deep into why she is late and her grades are suffering. They believe because she is a female African she is not doing well in her classes. What they dont know is that her socioeconomic status is low, and she has to take care of her two younger siblings.

Raised by a successful Black single mother, she taught me at an early age what it meant to be a Black woman in today’s American society. The daughter of field workers from Mississippi, education was my mother’s most important value. My grandparents worked hard to make sure she and her siblings received the education they did not and in turn, my mother stopped at nothing to make sure my brother

The central idea of this article focuses on intersectionality and how it affects different people's point of view. In the article, intersectionality is described as different kinds of identities people have. These identities are race, gender, sex,disability, and sexual orientation. Intersectionality also impacts how oppression and privilege connect and influence each other. Oppression is when someone faces unfair treatment because of their identity. This article gave us the story of Nicole who is in ninth grade who faces oppression from her teacher because she constantly misses her first period class and rarely turns in her homework, and as a result her grades are suffering. The teachers do not take the time to peel back the layers of Nicole's

16) and (ii) shaping the way in which students understand both social–historical perspectives and assisting students in making sense of them within their own personal and contemporary experience (2016, p. 16-7). Moreover, adult educators can help promote critical analysis of the Black Lives Matter movement, including classroom reading, writing, and discussion about issues of race and policing that were the initial impetus for the movement (Miller & Schwartz, 2016, p. 17). I fall in with the authors in the sense that these steps can eventually be reduced the huge amounts of discrimination between Whites and

This course changed my perspective and views about current day. I’ve grown to be more appreciative of the progress we’ve have mad as Americans. With all the things going on with present times from how the election further divided our nation to the influx of racist incidents. I found it easy to get caught as an African American. However, reading the stories of Fredrick Douglass and Olaudah Equino who have experienced so much made me realize the privilege. Life for my foremothers and forefathers were horrendous. From reading a few of the stories such as Phillis Wheatley, “On Being Brought from Africa to America” allowed me to see not all slave owners were bad. Still, my views on slavery remain the same. Reading “Harlem” by Langston Hughes, Invisible

First of all I would like to say how much I loved each and every discussion board I got to participate every week as we learned more about the issues faced with women of color in the US. This class truly makes you open your eyes to the world and view differently how we interact and judge.

This class has provided me with a lot of useful information that I will be able to use in the future. This class has shown me how to adapt my skills to different populations. I became aware of how every individual experiences the world in completely different ways. This class gave me an insight on civil disobedience, sharing cultural backgrounds, skills to develop as a counselor and white privilege.