African Burial Grounds Trip

Sierra Dennis

Our trip to the African Burial Grounds in New York was truly eye opening. We always hear about African slaves struggles but this museum provided detailed visuals and videos that gave us more insight into the history. One of my favorite quotes from the trip was “You may bury me in the bottom of Manhattan, I will rise. My people will get me. I will rise out of the huts of history’s shame,” stated October 4^th, 2003 at a rally by Poet Maya Angelou. This quote was directed toward the men who were discovered the bones and in a way to silence the discovery, by throw bodies in the Hudson and other area, almost destroyed parts of our African history.

One interesting thing I found out while at the Burial Grounds was that when Africans arrived to America, they were still divided up into their 12 tribes. Divided, yet, they were able to co-exist and share their cultures. It was not until the Europeans arrived that they were labeled “Africans.”

Another statue that I enjoyed was the half finished pyramid that was on Broadway that has the quote, “For all those who were lost/For all those who were stolen/For all those who were left behind/For all those who were not forgotten,” on the side of it. They Burial Ground ranger explained that this pyramid was “not finished” because our ancestors had created the base, and it was our job, generation Y’s job, to finish the top, basically to continue what they had started, and fight through the struggle.

African Burial Grounds

Jazzmin Tennessee

Post 7

This past Saturday I went on the New York trip to the African burial grounds. On the trip up to New York I was very excited to learn some new things that I never knew about before. Visiting the African burial grounds was important to me because it brought me closer to the ancestors and how they lived. I like how at the beginning we did the libations with Dr.Carr that was a really nice and peaceful moment and I really enjoyed it. One thing that I really liked about the burial grounds was the fact that they let us touch things and be interactive in the museum, because it really made me feel connected. I also really like when we went outside to the memorial site where we learned about the Sankofa symbols, and walked through the monument which from one side looks like an unfinished pyramid but from the other side looks like a ship, when we entered the monument all together to see what it would feel like to be captured for months with barely any room and maybe even a dead or dying person sitting right next to you i was overwhelmed with emotions. Something that I was expecting to see was actual burial sites and maybe even some bodies but I did enjoy it all. The trip to the burial grounds helped me to realize just how much our African ancestors went through and what they did for the country that we all live in today. This is a trip that I believe everyone should take just for the memory and the story behind the great ancestors that we know so little about. I really enjoyed the African burial grounds and I hope that everyone I know gets the chance to go one day and experience just for a moment the struggles that our ancestors went through. I now have a better understanding and an even greater appreciation for those who came before us.

"African Burial Ground: A Trip to The Mother Land on U.S Soil."

Ayana Boudreaux
Freshman Seminar
Post 7

Waking up at three forty-five in the morning just to shower and clothe myself for a trip to New York is not how I wished to start my day off after a long Friday night, but on October 16, 2010 that is exactly how my day began. As I  boarded the bus I prepared myself for a long nap so that I would be well rested once we reached the burial grounds and I forbade anyone to sit next to me taking the seat that I had reserved for my legs to lie upon. [Chuckle] In the back of my mind however, I knew that with a class of more than two hundred students, someone would have had to take a seat beside me. Luckily the guy that sat next to me was a great conversationalist.

As the buses took off for New York my seat mate and I spoke briefly about what we were about to experience. While he was looking to venture off into the streets of the Empire State, I was expecting to see something more along the lines of mummified bodies and extensive research. Too eager to sleep the two of us spoke for hours about our adventure.

Arriving in Manhattan and exiting the bus my Freshman Seminar group walked towards the African Burial Grounds. Once we reached our destination we joined in with the remaining groups from the class in a spiritual libation to our ancestors. When finished we watched a twenty minute movie about the grounds and we observed the museum area. Following that we received a lecture and historical message. Stepping inside of what I believed was a marble pyramid engraved with African Adinkra symbols, I got the chance to experience life on a slave ship. Next we walked towards a statue which was a representation of one form of way African woman dressed. There we spotted young men skateboarding along the grounds. I was outraged and to add insult to injury, as we walked closer one of the guys yelled to his buddy, “Hey hurry up before the HERD comes.” Herd! Do we look like a bunch of cattle to the Caucasian man still?

I believe that much more respect should be given to those grounds. Truly the African Burial Ground was a spiritual uplifting, but I wish that like many of the European museums and grounds dedicated to the founding fathers of this nation, that the African Burial Grounds could have much more to show or view.

Post 6-Dr. Williams

Chrissy Purcell

Freshman Seminar

Post 6

Dr. Williams Presentation

This presentation was very informational to me. It helped me to better understand what exactly what the purpose and goal of our groups is. Overall, Dr. Williams gave a brief yet comprehensive summary of what will be taking place in the weeks to come. Using the plan of action she offered, I think it will be hard for any group to not present some thing that exhibits great thought and great effort. I can only hope that my group will do justice to the task that is being asked of us. 

This brings me to my main area of concern. I am still unsure of what my group will conduct our research on. I have yet to even meet half of my group. Hopefully, they will be as dedicated as i am to coming up with some sort of presentation that meets and exceeds all of our instructors expectations. In order to achieve this, I promise to be receptive to everyones ideas and opinions, which can sometimes prove to be a problem for me. Also, I plan to be flexible and to ignore any tendencies I have to be reluctant to finish group projects alone because I feel as though no one else can do it correctly. This will give me a better chance at being a better group member because you cannot do everything alone all of the time. I must learn to trust and depend on others. This will help me in my schooling because I will become a working member of a group not the working member. 

Research and Methodology: Inscription as a Liberating Practice

Jazzmin Tennessee

Post 6

 

The final lecture, time has really gone by so fast. Dr. Williams’s presentation was like a mini review session for me. We discussed the lectures before and also what is now expected from us. We discussed the key components of the group projects and what we should do to make our projects better. We also discussed the basic components of research and how they take a major part in our projects. Dr. Williams’s presentation wasn’t the normal drawn out presentation that I expected it to be, it was actually one of my favorites because it was clear and I understood everything that was said. I was glad that she went back over all of the old presentations because I didn’t quite understand some of them the first time they were presented. Dr. Williams also gave very good advice on how to go about doing our project and the research that goes along with it. Overall Dr. Williams’s presentation was clear and informative and through this presentation I feel as though me and my group will do better research and in the end come out with a much better project. So I would just like to say Thank You Dr. Williams for your words of wisdom and advice, and giving us a better understanding of what it is that we must do, and how we must do it, I appreciate your wisdom and  accept your knowledge.

Entry 6: "Memory, Awareness, Vision"

In her presentation, Dr. Dana spoke to us about the methodology which we are supposed to be using to complete our Freshman Seminar Research assignment. Her first section was about the “Current State of Research,” and how as researchers we must ask key questions such as, “What has already been said about this topic?” “Will your research reveal something new or different?” “Can you find the answer in a reasonable amount of time?” She used their improvements in the Freshman Seminar Program as an example of how we should conduct our research; this was very informative. The panel of professors first found an issue within that current state: they did not want students to believe that their history began with slavery because that is not the case. They made suggestions on how to enlighten the students of their history before slavery. They decided to incorporated lectures into the curriculum that discuss the Ancient African World, the world of our ancestors. Dr. Carr and Dr. Dunston’s lectures were geared toward creating a “historical memory” for the students and to get an insight into their ancestors past and their theories on “speech” and “beauty;” they want the students to know that like their ancestors they have the ability to change their communities. Dr. Benjamin and Dr. Gbadegesin lectures about the “Scribes” and the “Story of Iwa” were geared to creating “awareness” within the freshman class of how the history had been institutionalized and helped create the foundation of Howard and the values which have been instilled within our race. The last part of the cycle was their “vision”: actually having the lecturers present to the students. They also introduced the concept of blog entries and the Mbongi forms to the students to receive feedback.

"Research and Methodology: Inscription as a Liberating Practice."

Ayana Boudreaux

Freshman Seminar

Post 6

Wow! The finally lecture of the Freshman Seminar, boy time really does fly whether you are having fun or not. When I heard those words I felt like a slave being freed from the shackles which held them back from the world. Now I am not saying that being in Freshman Seminar was like being enslaved because I haven’t experienced slavery, but I must say that I didn’t always look forward to attending class.

As I set back in my seat I prepared myself for what I believed would be another drawn out lecture about my African Heritage. Eager to get out of class I placed my cell phone on my desk to monitor the time. Stepping up to the podium Dr. Dana Williams began to exclaim the objectives of the day’s lecture. She was going to provide the class with the help that many of us were seeking in order to complete our group projects. This really grabbed my attention because, I am slightly skeptical about my group’s project. With open ears I aroused to the front of my seat and became very attentive as Dr. Williams began her lecture.

 Helping us to identify principle components of research and applying those components to our group project I must admit was a great idea. Dr. Dana William’s presentation was very direct and explanatory; I left out of Just Hall with a better outlook and understanding of how to construct the group project. Giving us examples of what to do was very helpful as well. I really enjoyed Dr. Williams lecture and I want to thank her for her help.

OMOLUABI: Self Actualization and Communal Responsibility

Jazzmin Tennessee

Post 5

First off I would just like to say that I really enjoyed myself during Dr. Segun Gbadegesin’s presentation. Dr. Gbadegesin spoke of Iwa or existence/ character, and how we should never lose our Iwa. This stood out to me because I feel as though your character defines who you are and if you lose your character what is left to define your existence.  He discussed the Goddess Ma ’at and the principles of Ma’ at, which are like what we know today as the Ten Commandments. The Principles of Ma’ at contain a list of forty-two confessions of things that have not been done in the honor of God. We talked about the ties that bind Ancient Egypt and the African World physically, spiritually, philosophically, metaphysically, and ethically. Dr. Gbadegesin presentation taught me about things that I probably would have never learned if I had not come to Howard University. Even though Dr. Gbadegesin has a very strong accent that prohibited me from understanding some of the things he was saying, it also made the presentation all the more interesting. So overall Dr. Gbadegesin had one of my favorite presentations because he not only gave us a sense of character and existence, he gave us a look into the lives of the ancestors that we don’t normally learn about, about the life of the great people who came before us, and the hope for the lives of the people of today and the future; I greatly appreciated Dr. Gbadegesin’s great Iwa.

“OMOLUABI: Self Actualization and Communal Responsibility”

Ayana Boudreaux

Freshman Seminar

Post 5

First allow me to begin by saying that Dr. Segun Gbadegesin presentation on the OMOLUABI: Self Actualization and Communal Responsibility was very informative. It focused on the empowerment of the young folk as shown through the eyes of the African culture. A strive to encourage youth to obtain an educate or continue the one they were seeking then applying it to service was created by his presentation. You see as stated in Dr. Segun Gbadegesin power point, “Wisdom is putting knowledge acquired through education to the service of community and not shying away from personal sacrifices when needed.”   We were also given the Principles of Ma’at, which greatly influences balance, harmony, the maintenance of order, justice, and truth.

I believe that the entire presentation was a method created to encourage as well as boost our self-confidence. I took a lot out of the presentation, but it was difficult to understand the words that Dr. Segun Gbadegesin was speaking. I mean no harm in saying this, so please excuse me. His strong accent made it difficult to comprehend his message throughout the entire session, but I tried my hardest to understand. Grasping my attention at times during the session became a task that was too hard to complete because I grew tired and my eyes became heavy as I attempted to understand his [Dr. Segun Gbadegesin] words. Sure understanding him was difficult, but regardless of his accent I took away a message of superior excellence and achievement.

Post 5

Chrissy Purcell

Freshman Seminar

Post 5

Presentation 5

I would like to start off by saying that I actually enjoyed myself during this lecture.   The lecturer spoke of things that were beneficial and helpful to our class. He spoke mostly about good character, what it means to have good character, and how to obtain good character. To me, this is one of the most relevant speeches I have heard since being in the class. I hold this opinion because it speaks directly to each individual student and not indirectly. Character and the qualities and traits one possesses affects us all directly. And for that reason alone, good character building is key to a harmonious society. Furthermore, developing character is apart of becoming an adult which is a major developmental process that all of us freshmen are experiencing right now. That made the topic of character that much more valuable as a lecture topic. Overall, I approve of this lecture. The only grievance I hold is with the fact that the lecturer had a very thick accent that made it difficult to understand everything he was saying. However, I must interject that if one paid close enough attention then extracting the general meaning of his lecture was not hard at all. 

Entry 5: "Self-Actualization & Communal Responsibility"

Last Wednesday, during freshman seminar, Dr. Segun Gbadegesin gave a compelling presentation about “Self-Actualization & Communal Responsibility.” He started his presentation by paying homage to his creator, ancestors, the class of 2014, and Ayan (drummer). He explained that there are physical, spiritual, and philosophical ties binding Ancient Egypt and the African World. He then captured our attention with the “Story of Iwa,” a great example of the importance of character. Orunmila, the Yoruba God of Wisdom, marries Iwa (means “existence/character”) and her father is Suuru (means “patience”). Well Orumila lost patience with Iwa and mistreated her so, she left him. This well-to-do man, Orunmila, had many issues in his life after she left him; he lost everything he had. In desperation, he went searching for Iwa, because he could not survive in a world without her. The moral of the story was that you can never lose Iwa (character), because without her you cannot exist. Who are we without character? Nothing. A famous quote said, “Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.” Good character is equated to beauty in the African World. Your character defines your future, so you have if you have control of your thoughts you can determine what kind of future you will have, because you don’t want to be like Orunmilo trying to search for Iwa. We are responsible for ourselves.