Proud Shoes Essay

Additionally, while reading Nannie’s writings, Berea College came tangent to the education opportunities that Burroughs tried to set up and facilitate. Berea College is accompanied by the same ideology that Nannie’s Training School tried to provide: ethics and survival skills that are necessary in defeating suppressors, fighting ignorance, and serving as educators to others. Its international worldview and diversity provide its students with opportunities to grow as individuals, as a community and enlarge their horizons, to make them uncomfortable, to think and analyze. Today’s system is just slightly different than what it used to be a hundred years ago. It is claimed that there is equality and equity as African-Americans were told then, however,

Reflection prompt: Proud Shoes is the chronicle of Pauli Murray’s maternal grandparents, Robert and Cornelia Fitzgerald, and their experiences living in the segregation and Jim Crow-era South, particularly North Carolina. How does the book’s emphasis on interpersonal relationships and individual struggle influence how we understand the broader social and political context? What do we learn about gender identity and gender difference through the lives of Robert and Cornelia?

Lars Eighner writes an article in The Texas Observer called “Bigmama Didn’t Shop at Woolworths” that gives us insight into the life of a family living in Bryan Texas. Bigmama lets us know about her life in which she is unable to shop at regular stores and is followed around to make sure she does not steal anything. Bigmama has to teach her granddaughter about this way of life, advising Sunny Nash about the term “colored” in hopes that Sunny would not live a life of embarrassment or make a mistake and get herself killed. (Eighner 29) We are shown how Bigmama has to make decisions and influence the youth to be aware of what the world is like so that her family would survive. In 1946, Viola Johnson receives a letter from Louisiana State University informing her that the State of Louisiana has separate colleges for whites and colored students and that she would not be admitted to their medical college. (Patterson) Johnson would then write a letter informing LSU that she would be taking them to court in this issue. As time passed, Johnson would attend the southern Louisiana College for colored students and then request again to be admitted to the Medical college at LSU. Being denied again, Johnson would be taken on as the “ideal plaintiff” for the NAACP and go to court against LSU for violating the 14th amendment. She would lose the court battle against LSU, but that did not end her determination. Viola Johnson, now Doctor Viola Coleman would move to Midland, Texas and assist in the desegregation process of Midland Medical school. Viola left a legacy to her children, who knew nothing of what their mother did until she passed, to stand for what they believe in and stay headstrong in this life against unequal rights. (Patterson) In a news article from the 1940s, The Baird Star, reads

Anna Julia Cooper, bell hooks, and Patricia Hill Collins as each intellectual carries (or carried) on the work of the Talented Tenth. This research will include a discussion of Cooper's educational work as well as her speaking career; in both areas she advocated equal education opportunities for Black women. The central concern of DuBois' theory, his advocacy for education and the creation of an upper class of Blacks, was thus promoted by Cooper through these vehicles. I will demonstrate that Collins and hooks, educators as well as members of a contemporary Talented Tenth, are

Alice Stokes Paul was born on January 11, 1885 in a New Jersey town called Mount Laurel. She was the oldest of four kids born to Quaker parents, William and Tacie Paul. William Paul worked as the president of the Burlington County Trust Company which delivered a nice life for the Paul family. While Alice experienced a fortunate life on her father’s farm she was educated with Quaker customs. Quaker traditions include working to benefit society, gender fairness, and non-materialistic morals alongside close connections to nature and society, and humility. As Alice grew older she became a devoted pupil all the way through grade school. After grade school in 1901, Alice Paul attended Swathmore College. While attending Swathmore, Paul served as a member on the Executive Board of Student Government which may have ignited her enthusiasm

It was as if I was stuck in a shallow hole, in which I could easily climb out of, but I was too embarrassed to so. This was indicative of my entire middle school experience, swallowed by my insecurities and unable to recover. I spent 3 years, as the sole black girl, anxious and unsure. I often muzzled myself in fear of appearing more unlike my friends than I already was. Despite Mr. Fletcher’s slight apprehension towards me following my heated outburst, I began to stop regretting what I said, because, well, I was right. I was capable of more than he allowed me to show in that project. During a time when I never even considered the value of my voice, Mr. Fletcher gave me a chance to speak. It was in his social studies class l learned for first time my words meant something, he changed my life. Whenever something absolutely ridiculous came out of Mr. Fletcher’s mouth I was no longer afraid to retort. Now, when I see an injustice, when I’m underestimated, I say something, and people

In the Daily Gazette, Micaela Baranello states that Diane Anderson, a Swarthmore Education professor, emphasized, “The importance of realizing that just because students speak outside of the dominant discourse does not mean they are deficient, but rather that they are different” (Baranello). This demonstrates that if someone is different somehow, it should not degrade them, and that is what both Gloria Anzaldua in How to Tame a Wild Tongue and Frederick Douglass in Learning to Read explain in their texts. Even though Anzaldua promotes language identity while Douglass encourages an overall education, they both promote social justice and tolerance through the role of literacy.

Throughout The Color of Water, we find a heavy emphasis on obtaining a quality education in order to secure a successful future. Despite having to deal with poverty, prejudice, and single-handedly parenting 12 children, Ruth always championed quality education. “Her motto was, ‘If it doesn’t involve your going to school…I could care less about it and my answer is no whatever it is’” (McBride 27).  However, the word “education” does not explicitly pertain to academic learning, but also covers instruction and learning outside of the scholastic environment. McBride recounts several instances where his mother, Ruth, lectures them about their educations saying things such as, “Educate yourself or you’ll be a nobody!” (92).  Ruth

Education has always been valued in the African American community. During slavery freed slaves and those held captive, organized to educate themselves. After emancipation the value of education became even more important to ex-slaves, as it was their emblem of freedom and a means to full participation in American Society (Newby & Tyack, 1971). During this time many schools for African Americans were both founded and maintained by African Americans. African Americans continued to provide education throughout their own communities well into the 1930’s (Green, McIntosh, Cook-Morales, & Robinson-Zanartu, 2005). The atmosphere of these schools resembled a family. The

For generations African Americans have been disadvantaged in America and effects of these injustices have made a lasting impression. Education is one of the leading problems in the black community. Though there have many reforms in education over the years, racial injustices still exist because no attention in placed on how legislature affects people of color. I was raised in a middle-class family of educators. My entire life I’ve been told to “stay in school, get an education, and work hard so that you can beat the system.” Recognizing the structural forces in my life has helped me understand my place in society. Being able to “understand everyday life, not through personal circumstances but through the broader historical forces that

Quick! Look at your shoes. If your shoes have laces, they might be tied wrong. In fact, about 50% of Americans tie their shoes the wrong way, that is, they use the wrong knot when tying their shoes. If your laces come undone, or your bows are twisted, or you double knot your shoes to prevent them from coming untied, then chances are, you tie your shoes the wrong way.

Carolyn Graham sat down to try on a new pair of shoes at Famous Footwear, one of the new stores on the north side of town.

Basketball is a sport that relies a lot on the player’s footwork. You will realize that athletes in basketball normally make sharp cuts, jump around and move in all directions in a quick manner. The player must wear the right basketball shoes in order to do this. This will give the player a god opportunity to succeed in this game. The right pair of basketball shoes will provide the desired protection, traction and avoid injury while on the court. This is the reason why you should pick the right pair of basketball shoes. There are several things that you should consider when choosing the right basketball shoes. These include:

Education is one of the most essential necessities of a personal life because without education, we would not have a brighter future. In two essays “Learning to Read and Write” and “A Homemade Education”, Malcolm and Douglass describe what they have gone through in order to become more successful in their pursuits in life. While Malcolm X lived part of his life in prison, he spent his time writing numerous definitions from a dictionary amongst the walls and tables. The elements of the dictionary motivated him to not only become a free man, but a well educated one at that. Douglass, who also taught himself, began his life in slavery. But after a series of attempts, he escapes from slavery and pursues into his

With the hardships and obstacles individuals have to go through, they treasure every opportunity possible for them to learn. For some, due to society’s limitations and restrictions, they are forbidden or have limited access to learning. These individuals will treasure every opportunity they can receive in order to gain access in learning. For example, Douglass, in “Learning to Read,” is forbidden to receive any access to education. Yet, he managed to teach himself how to read and write by treasuring every opportunity available, such as making connections with white boys who have received an education. In order to gain access to education, these individuals may make connections with people who know how to read and write.