Self-Reflection

Sierra Dennis

Overall, I have enjoyed the Freshman Seminar program. As a person who has attended majority white schools the majority of my academic career, I found it refreshing to finally hear MY history, the history of MY ancestors in Africa and the ancestors that were brought to the United States. Often time the only black history we received in schools is that from the Civil Right’s Movement, which is a very essential piece of our history but I loved hearing stories about Omoluabi and how Afrkaans hieroglyphics had messages that we still believe in today—speech is beauty. The ability to express ones self is “beautiful.”

Though I often had to drag myself out of bed to come to freshman seminar, it was always worth it, because I truthfully enjoyed every presentation. I especially enjoyed the “Eloquence of the Scribes,” where Dr. Benjamin explain to all us students the history of the university that we all chose to attend. Throughout the semester I found myself, when going into buildings across campus giving my friend’s short biographies of the affluent historical figure in which the building was named after.

I believe the African Burial Trip was scheduled at the perfect time in the semester because after hearing all the presentations, we finally had a interact, hands-on situation where we saw pictures and artifacts that were all a part of our history.

The Mbongi forms really helped keep me focus in class because I always genuinely wanted to know how each presenter’s information would relate to my questions, like “what was something new I could learn from their information,” or “what was the contemporary issue that related to their presentation.”

Peer Review #2

Sierra Dennis

The HUHouston2014 group’s presentation focused on how the lack of necessities and unfit living conditions had a negative impact on African slaves health and manifests itself in current health issues within the Black Community.

The thin clothing material distributed to the slaves in the winter caused frequent sickness amongst many slave communities. Many times the thin material for their clothing was simply burlap bags! This was not sufficient clothing for cold days. Slave masters only gave them clothes to determine with the slave’s gender, and often time more clothing was distributed to slaves based on their performance. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs were met but not efficiently. Shelter was provided but they were often small shacks expected to hold several families and often not adequately insolated. This is how sicknesses spread quickly; living in close quarters in cramped houses gave them considerable exposure to other sick people. They were also provided with inadequate bedding—straw beds—which caused them much discomfort at night. As previously stated, clothing was dispersed depended on status, a house slave or an outside slave. They were provided with minimal nourishment, only the scraps of food left over from the master’s dinner. The weekly food rations were often diets high in fat & starch. This type of diet created many health issues for slaves, but the diet has been continued in the modern community. Black people love “Soul Food:” macaroni and cheese, collard greens, candied yams, corn bread, etc., but this causes our community to have a high percentage of people with hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. The group’s solution was to incorporate healthy foods into our diets at home.

Captive in slavery, many slaves lost their sense of self. Due to abuse, ranging from beatings to rapes, many slaves also suffered from anxiety & panic attacks. Children in slavery were dying younger and reaching puberty early, which is what we learned at the African Burial Grounds Musuem. Children at the age of four were already performing adult duties, which wore on their small, undeveloped bodies.

Peer Review #1

Sierra Dennis

The Asunteyanya group in freshmen seminar did their presentation on Race and Education with a focus on the DC Public School System. They discussed how over the past years within the DC school system the standardized test scores have lowered, with scores ranging from 1200 – 1196. The found a correlation between attendance and truancy, as attendance rates increase, truancy rates decrease.

There is a “Race Gap,” and Obama is enforcing the “No Child Left Behind” program in which unqualified teachers are fired and replaced with more qualified teacher. They mentioned how President Obama was so disappointed with the DC school system that he made a public statement saying he wouldn’t send his daughters, Sasha and Mileeya, to any of the districts schools until they improve drastically. Along with President Obama, Mayor Adrian Fenty will not allow his children to attend the elementary schools within the DC school system until the scores heighten.

The Asunteyanya group discussed alternatives for students struggling within the DC school systems. They suggested that these students could transfer to charter school, a primary or secondary school that receive public money but is not subject to the same rules or regulations as public school. Though they receive public money, they are not allowed to charge tuition to their students. The charter school that they suggested was the local middle school, Howard Middle School. Their other alternative was magnet schools, a school system that are public schools with specialized curriculums. Within a magnet school, students can begin a degree in 10^th grade.

Self Reflection

Jazzmin Tennessee

Post 10

Whoa, what a journey. These weeks passed by so fast I didn’t even realize how close we were to the end. As we bring Freshman Seminar to a close I reflect back on the day we first started, thinking that I would only learn a few things, not really thinking that this one credit hour class would do me much justice. Boy was I wrong.

            Freshman Seminar is a great opportunity to learn things you never even thought about. It was so fulfilling and so insightful and I enjoyed oh so much. Freshman Seminar has changed my views on a lot of things; it helped me to grow more into the heritage of my African ancestors. It boggled my mind left me wanting more, left me in awe over the things that I always longed to know.

            Through the presenters I was feed the life of the many glorious people who came before me I was intrigued and impressed. I have always been proud of my race and the people who sacrificed themselves to make sure I had a better life, and this class just gave me a deeper pride of the African Diaspora.

            I came to Howard University to learn more about just not my ancestors, but about my self and over the past weeks I have learned more than I ever would have at any other university. I take pride in myself and my culture, I love myself and those who paved the way for me to be here today. I am growing more and more everyday and I am glad that I was given the chance to take pride in my heritage. Freshman seminar was a great experience for me, but now it’s the end of the semester which means it’s time to go home NEW ORLEANS HERE I COME.

                                                                            Thank you for everything,

                                                                                  Jazzmin Tennessee

We Are Change

Jazzmin Tennessee
Post 9

How does gang violence effect inner city high school students in Washington, DC?

            Another fallen victim, another life gone, innocent or not who’s to say, but it shouldn’t be put in to the hands of a 13 year old who stole his mothers gun to get revenge or 16 year old who bought one off the streets so he could “handle his problems.”

            Gang violence has been going on for years and it’s not just a teenage thing, but for the most part this is the majority. Also, the group brought up the point in which males tend to join gangs more than females. People have been trying to find ways to end gang violence for years, but without anything else to do young people flock to gangs because they think it’s cool, or because it gives them something to do, some even join because they feel that it is some kind of brother/sisterhood.

            Gangs not only effect the crime rate but it also has many other effects on the community. This group brought up some very good points, even though they talked about the crime rate, and the violence, they also talked about the educational side. They spoke about the drop out rate and how it effected the graduation rate, which since 2006 has gone up.

            Some solutions that were put out were to involve students in extracurricular activities, create and enforce programs to improve education, fieldtrips, sports, academic organizations, and mentors. The group also felt as though if the mayor was to let them know that he cares, show them that they don’t have to do this that would make a difference.

            I just hope that one day everyone will see that gangs are not cool, that taking someone’s life is not their job to do, I just hope that the young people will wake up and see that they can be so much more if only they let the gangs go.

INTERVIEW BLOG

When we began our project, we knew that we wanted to focus on the environmental harm that the lack of recycling has placed upon the New Orleans community. I interviewed my senior year environmental science teacher, Bill Wallace, and he enlightened us on the long-term affects and the future health issues this presents for the community.

What are the long-term affects this lack of recycling will have on the community?

“Truthfully, I can only reiterate what various environmentalists have discussed. Lack of recycling impacts the community and the world. Lack of recycling creates pollution, excessive CO₂ emissions into the atmosphere, which affect the global warming. In communities, trash littered in oceans and local bodies of water can affect the aquatic life, and if oil spills have not done enough damage to the aquatic life, residents who don’t recycle don’t want to add to this issue…Also lack of recycling paper now, can result in tree reduction at great rates in the future.”

How does the lack of recycling affect the health of the residents in the community?

“One of the major issues with recycling is landfills. The waste is buried now, but if recycling continues to decline at this rate, the landfills will one day be full, and where will the trash go? In the ocean? In the streets? Garbage just being dumped anywhere. This is the same issue that America encountered during the urbanization period. Sanitation was a huge issue, when trash was littering the streets and houses…it will be difficult for residents to stay healthy in such conditions.”

HUHouston2014

Jazzmin Tennessee
Post 8

How does lack of necessities and unfit living conditions have a negative impact on African slaves health and manifest in current health issues within the black community?

            African slaves were treated like they were less than human, they wee feed scraps, they were beaten and raped, they were given scraps of clothing, and infected with many diseases.

            In my opinion this group presented very well, they dug down deep and pulled out the things that we already knew but also some things that we did not. Knowing that slaves were treated so poorly was always something we all knew, but to think that many of the diseases and conditions that the black community suffers from today all started from the mistreatment of slaves is enough to make you rethink everything you do in life.

            Slaves were awarded according to performance; their clothing was better depending on how they performed. It also depended on status, the house slave would usually get better clothes, live in the house even though conditions were harsh and space was cramped. The field slave on the other hand lived in huts with no heat, very limited space and inadequate sleep habits.

            The lack of nutrition caused for many complications with slaves. It caused stress, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity, all due to the foods that they consumed.

            So as a community we should learn to eat healthier, our community is know for the foods we eat but we are also the top runners for diabetes and obesity. It’s time for a major change and we should all be apart of the solution.

           

            

Chrissy Purcell-Post 10

Chrissy Purcell

Freshman Seminar

Post 10

African Burial Ground

“New York, New York, It’s a helluva town!” Wow! My first trip to New York. I had a blast. I had no clue that there was so much history in New York. Also, who knew that was so much African history in New York. It was absolutely fascinating to realize that some of the first “African Americans” actually died before they even reached land and there were so many of them too. I could never even begin to imagine how much trauma those people suffered mentally and physically just from the journey. And to think, the ones who survive actually only had harder times ahead of them. This trip made me realize that there are people who have paid for my freedom with their lives and souls. I am gracious and thankful. This whole experience was overall thought provoking and a bit self actualizing. It caused me to realize that if they had not paid their price, we would not as a race of African american people be where we are today. I mean, honestly, the president is black in a country where blacks were once second-class citizens at all times. However enlightening that fact may be, it is sobering to realize that in some respects there is segregation in other less obvious ways that we still must fight. even amongst ourselves, their is quite a bit of hate. All in all, this trip made me recognize how far we have come as a race but at the same time see how far we still have left to go. It makes me question if things ever really will be equal...

Chrissy Purcell-Post 9

Chrissy Purcell

Freshman Seminar

Post 9

Review 9-We Are Change

We Are Change gave a very ambitious, go-getting, and honest presentation. I can really appreciate them addressing a real question and not some hypothetical question that actually only refers to theories or ideas (examples: beauty, color complex, etc.). Instead they chose to address how gang violence affects inner city high school kids in the Washington, D.C. area. They raised some very important points. The first point was that many kids joined gangs for protection from other gangs that they encounter in their daily lives. We Are Change pointed out what a sad truth this is and that it occurs too often in many urban African American communities. Following these truths, We Are Change mentioned some possible solutions, which I found to be intriguing and creative solutions to what should not even be a problem in this day and age. They suggested that recreation center be built to cater to the kids who live in “dangerous” areas. The recreation center would have a mentoring program that would provide a sense of care between the older and younger generation. Consequently, this would make the kids less likely to choose the wrong path, which would be gang violence. Also, the mentoring program would make kids feel like they had a source of protection within their communities. This would deter them from feeling pressured to join gangs to preserve their own personal safety. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed We Are Change’s presentation. [Cues the applause.]

Chrissy Purcell-Post 8

Chrissy Purcell

Freshman Seminar

Post 8

Peer Review 1- Freshmen Inception

First thing off of the bat, I would like to say that I applaud this groups ambitious efforts to address the beauty complexes and myths found in the African American community. However, I would like to state that they attacked Nicki Minaj. While I am not fond of her “look”, it is a bit too overdone for me, she has a right to look any way she wants to. Consequently, I feel that it was a poor argument to attack a celebrity who has built their career around their outlandishly and physically unachievable looks and say that young black girls idolize her. It may be true that some young black girls idolize Minaj, but whose fault is that. I for one feel it is not Minaj’s fault. She cannot help if people wish to look like her and there should not be any stigmas placed on anyone who does wish to achieve her “plastic perfect” or “Barbie” look. And in addition, it is not up to Minaj to be an example for young black girls. She has a right as a human to be who she wants to be and not be judged for it. For example, one of the members of Freshmen Inception noted that Minaj wears a blonde wig to concede herself to traditional eurocentric beauty. Is it not her right to be herself? I feel like Freshmen Inception definitely skirted this issue. As I mentioned earlier, I still appreciate their deep thoughts and research on the topic. It was overall eyeopening and refreshing to my mind. Brava, ladies!

Chrissy Purcell-Post 7

Chrissy Purcell

Freshman Seminar

Post 7

Self-Reflection

Overall, freshman seminar has been quite an experience. There have been moments of disgust and moments of relief and even some laughs along the way. Although I am happy to have finished the course, I can say that the experience has taught me a couple things. The first being, I really cannot stand group projects. I do not function well in groups, too bossy. In this particular case, my group members were particularly argumentative. This caused me to cede any position of power I might have claimed. At the moment, this action was quite upsetting to my naturally controlling spirit. The second lesson is my ability to be a better member of groups. However as time passed, I became more willing to accept help, criticism, and exchange ideas. In retrospect, this might be freshman seminar’s biggest accomplishment in regards to me. I have learned to become a better follower and, in turn, a better group member. The third thing it taught me was that I have a knack for presenting. The same is not true for research though. I almost present my groups findings solely and I had no problem doing it. I find presenting to be enjoyable and easy, so it was only natural that my gift of gab was used to be the voice of our groups work. All in all, I had a pretty enjoyable time with my group. And i think it would be unfair to acknowledge their contributions. Thanks Ayana, Jazzmin, Sierra, and Tearra. I <3 you guys! And so long and farewell to freshman seminar!!!

“OH YEAH I AM GOING HOME!”

Ayana Boudreaux

Post 10

Freshman Seminar

I feel like a kid lying in bed the night before Christmas anxiously waiting for Santa Claus to come down the chimney with his bag of toys. Freshman Seminar has come to an end, which to me indicates that the semester as well is coming to an end. This all simply means shrimp etouffee, gumbo, family, and New Orleans. Oh! I have truly come to understand what it means to miss New Orleans. Please don’t take my overwhelming joy as a symbol of dislike for Howard, but like Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, “There is no place like home.”

When Freshman Seminar began on Wednesday August 25 I was eager to learn about the African Diaspora. With beliefs that I would be informed about things that I had never known as well as build a closer bond to my African heritage, I entered the class with great joy. Greeted by the energetic Dr.Carr, my excitement grew. That is until the lecture began, at this point I noticed that most of the things he was speaking of I already knew. I was not expecting to be taught about the same symbols and African beliefs. Even though this action occurred frequently during all the lectures, I can say that I still obtained much knowledge of my African heritage.

Freshman Seminar has allowed me to grow as well as understand where it is I come from. I love it here at the Mecca and because of the Freshman Seminar course my reason for attending this university has been asserted. 

We are Change: “How does Gang Violence Effect Inner City High School Students in Washington D.C?”

Ayana Boudreaux

Post 9

Freshman Seminar

BANG BANG BANG!!! A distant cry, screams, an echo of a human stampede, and the sound of police sirens fill the air like the night breeze as it pierce my cheeks. While my mind wanders to know what is taking place the voice of a radio host implants imaginatively in my mind these words: “Welcome to the MURDER capitol.” Yet my surroundings resembled that of the NATIONS capitol. It’s funny how crime has its own transportation and it moves from coast to coast. Like in New Orleans crime here in Washington D.C is carried out by the young.

In order to seek an answer to this broad question: In what ways is knowledge generated by various fields of study used to develop solutions to human social problems and challenges, the freshman seminar group cleverly branded, We are Change, attempted to discover a solution to gang violence in Washington D.C. Posing the question: “How does gang violence affect inner city high school students in Washington D.C,” they began to plead a case.

Through research, We are Change, discovered that most youth in the area join gangs because they cannot overcome the pressure of gangs or they have simply come accustomed to the everyday view of gangs. In order to solve the issue of gangs they believed that implementing field trips, building sports recreation centers, having a mentor, and just a simple presence of care can help end gang violence. In my opinion it may take a while to do and cause much turmoil, but gang violence can cease.

HU Houston2014: “A Story of Change!”

Ayana Boudreaux

Freshman Seminar

Post 8

Who knew that upon entering a course that only supplies you with one credit towards your college degree, so much effort would be required to put forth. Listening to lengthy lectures, some not as intriguing as others, we were thought lessons about the African Diaspora. For each lecture students were required to type up a 250 word blog. As the semester neared the end students were also required to seek an answer to this broad question: In what ways is knowledge generated by various fields of study used to develop solutions to human social problems and challenges?

Some groups explored the African Diaspora, of which we had been taught about since the course had begun in search of a topic, while others searched the modern world. Take for instance the self-entitled group HU Houston2014.  Viewing the mistreatment of African slaves as well as the lack of what we have come to know as necessities for survival, HU Houston questioned if these traits have contributed to the Black Communities modern health issue.

Their question simply asked how did the lack of necessities and unfit living conditions have a negative impact on African slaves’ health and manifest itself in current health issues within the Black Community.

From aspects such as clothing all the way to psychological reasoning, the freshman seminar group pleaded their case. Slaves were feed the slops and what remained of the pig once the “master” received his meal. These parts were extremely fatting, which lead to obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases. Today many African Americans eat these same products killing off our ethnic race through the “master’s” unpleasant food which he gave to his workers.

Taking a second to understand modern clothes fads HU Houston2014 spoke about the hand me down clothing, similar to those that my brother gave to me on my tenth birthday. Droopy, raged, and out worn clothing that had no sense feminism. [Chuckle] I guess HU Houston proved a point. So, how could we reach a solution to this problem? Simple! Through exercise, daily movement, and education the Black Community shall survive.