Opening Convocation: 144 Years Strong

     On Friday, Howard U had its 144th opening convocation.  It was a wonderful ceremony that not only inspired me, but got me out of a couple of classes (oh yea!).We celebrated "the university’s history to chart a path, the calling together of the community," as said by President Ribeau.
     Dr. Michael Lomax, cheif executive of UNCF, was granted an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Howard. During his speech, he said "Historically Black Colleges and Universities are the most effective institutions in the academy for producing black graduates." He brought out how historically black colleges and universities are needed because they continue to outperform the remainder of colleges in awarding degrees to African- Americans.  We, as black schools, have made a lot of progress, but there is and will always be a lot more to make. When change comes, we have to embrace it and do something about it. We are deep and rich and full of history, but we cannot become complacent. We must "discover a creative discomfort that will motivate them to struggle, determined to be better."

Convocation

Howard had its’ annual convocation this week. Honestly I had no idea what a convocation was, then I heard it was a ceremony to bless the school year and I decided to go. Dr. Michael Lomax talked about HBCUs. In his speech he spoke on the uplifting of HBCUs and their attendance. Howard’s main focus is to make students who can compete in any market, anywhere in the world. He then hit a very important subject. He talked about the University’s need to provide the students a happy experience because when we becoming alumni, we are hoped to fund the school. I strongly believe in this. I understand the whole concept of us students needing to mature and everything, but Howard’s tactic of teaching this is becoming a hassle. Sacrifices are necessary for progress and this speech was a wake up call I feel Howard needed to hear.

African Burial Ground

     Professor Mack did a great job with his presentation of the African Burial Ground.  Not only was his information interesting, the fact that he actually experienced everything he talked about first hand was great.  Knowing that I have the chance to go and see the things he showed in his powerpoint and talked about during his lecture is pretty cool.

     The whole project and  monument, in general, is super awesome.  It's extremely interesting. I definitely want to go to the grounds come October.  I don't really know how I'll feel about it, though.  I think it's the kind of thing that you have to experience to be able to talk about. I can't even imagine how I'll feel.

     I believe Howard U was chosen to study the remains from the grounds because we are, as everyone knows, the Mecca.  We have some of the best scientists and researchers in the country, and people from our university have been making impressions in this project since it started.

     Howard's involvement in this project most definitely inspires me.  Who wouldn't want to be apart of such a powerful legacy?  Being able to take the knowledge that you possess and help others around you with it is a beautiful thing, that happens here at Howard.  I love it.

African Burial Ground

This week Professor Mack came and spoke to the class about the African Burial Ground founded in New York City. This lecture was very intriguing due to the fact that Professor Mack showed us and gave us stories concerning Africans through through their ancestral bones. The researches at the site of the burial ground opened i believe it was 400 coffins.It was special that these Africans had coffins because it showed that there was an effort in their burial process, instead of the common desertion of the bodies.  In the coffins, there were some occasions were babies would be buried in their mother’s arms. I thought this was interesting because it hinted at some type of plaque or famine. It hurts me to know that America built buildings on top of our ancestors. It’s almost like they are trying to hide something, but that road leads to conspiracy and secrets, and is one I’m not prepared to go down. It makes me proud on the other hand that my university, Howard University, took part in the research to learn about African Ancestors.

African?

When Professor Mack first asked the question "What does it mean to be African?" I began thinking what the actual meaning to that term really meant. Professor Mack started off with giving the history of how it was to be African-American in the United States and how there was much borders between the white man and colored man, even when it came to burying them. He gave much history on slavery in New York, and how the first market so sell slaves was in 1729 on Wall Street. It's very ironic so see that that place is still a big representation of the economy till today. Professor Mack went on to say how in the currently, buildings all over New York city are built on top of African burial grounds, with no respect to dead. And the places that were digging up bodies found the bodies with a lot of abuse because of all the work they had done as slaves. With no respect to the dead, or the slaves during their lifetime, it shows how much Africans were mistreated, and are right now. He said that we need to understand our history in order to understand ourselves, because knowing the meaning of an 'African' will make us find the meaning of ourselves as a whole.

African Burial Ground

Professor Mack’s presentation showed how he uncovered the lives of African Americans through their bone structure and dental structure. It was interesting to see how one could figure out what kind of life or line of work the African Americans did all based on how their teeth were shaped. I cannot really say how I will feel when visiting the burial ground in October, but I am definitely interested to personally experience the burial ground for myself. I think Howard University was chosen to study the remains because they are one of the top researching schools in the country. They also protested against building over the burial ground and were willing to help excavate the grounds but not exploit them. Howard’s involvement in the project inspires me to want to make a change. It encourages me to know that my voice can and will be heard. Howard University was eager to jump on board with the project because it was an opportunity to learn about our ancestors first hand. Howard dug up or roots and shared it with the community. Howard University took advantage of the burial ground as a learning experience to transform academic knowledge.

The "Art of Africa"

Since September 6th, an exhibit showcasing the works of Warren Robins has been on display on Howard University’s Gallery of Art and is entitled “Art of Africa.” The exhibit puts on display Robin’s collection from the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of African Art of which he is the founding director emeritus. During the class’ visit to the exhibit last Friday a panel of intellectuals and scholars from various parts of Africa spoke to the audience of their opinions on African culture and the importance of it.

Robins spearheaded the conversation amongst his peers and colleagues in his first language, Spanish. He as well as the other scholars spoke Spanish as their native tongue, highlighting the effects of the African Diaspora and migration to places all over the world. The panel discussion covered basically the fundamentals of African culture and on the fact that we are all connected to it in some way or form. Robins even used a student from the audience and demonstrated that we have common ancestry even though we may live in different places, speak different languages, and wear different clothing.

The panel discussion overall gave students who attended a slight overview of the influence African culture has on today’s American people and society. It was an educational, interesting experience that was able to teach new things to new people.

Howard University's Annual Convocation

This past Friday at 11 a.m. the President of the United Negro College Fund Doctor Michael Lomax gave the key address at this year’s Howard University Convocation. Throughout his speech, Doctor Lomax spoke on the importance Black youth and its need for education. He stated that only some Black Americans attend college when all should be afforded the opportunity to do so. He allowed me to see that resting on past ways and accomplishments will not help us as Black America to advance and educate our people. In order to progress, we must recognize new ways of doing things so that the advancement of Black America and education can take place. Dr. Lomax also discussed the tough realities of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He brought to light the competitiveness between students and faculty in leadership and that it’s important to keep Black Colleges and Universities afloat in order to educated black students and specifically black males. Dr. Lomax overall gave a moving and insightful speech about the importance of education as we continue through the upcoming school year.Hoho

Howard University's 144th Convocation

The 144th Convocation granted Dr. Michael Lomax, chief executive of UNCF, an honorary doctorate degree from Howard University. He spoke on what HBCU’s need to improve attendance of students and become better universities. Attending Howard University’s Convocation helped make me aware of what Howard University needs to do to advance the university to be relevant and competitive in today’s society while maintaining the mission of Howard. Howard strives to produce “globally competent students who are highly competitive (Renee Higginbotham-Brooks)” often making them desirable in today’s market. Dr. Lomax stressed the need to treat students right because they “are customers and can take their business elsewhere,” meaning the university needs students to return the favor of funding the school after graduating. Dr. Lomax also stated that colleges cannot just sit back and relax on past accomplishments. They must focus on what needs to be done and not what has already been done. Howard must develop new and creative ways for transforming itself. Dr. Lomax called this “creative discomfort.” It will not please everybody, but sacrifices must be made to advance the university. Overall, the Convocation was an enlightening experience that made me aware of what I, as a student, need to do and what Howard needs to do to help Howard University achieve more accomplishments.

Resistance

Dr. Mario Beatty dissected African American’s contain of self culture. He started the lecture asking us what we thought the Africans retained on their way through the Middle Passage. Some of the things that came to my mind were food, dances, dialect, and general culture. These were all correct. The Europeans were able to take physical items from the Africans but the non physical items which they contained could never be tampered with. Until.... the moved to the New World. Once they arrived at the New World, most Africans adapted European culture. They were force feed this culture, and with time were made to accept it. While traveling the Middle Passage some Africans completely resisted the change in culture and thus, formed Maroon Societies. These Maroon Societies were basically little towns or villages in which Africans completely kept their culture in a foreign land. These villages were great for the people, but after about a hundred years the major ones, were destroyed. These destructions go to show the Europeans tyranny on the African Peoples and they’re strong resistance to the New World.

The Dismemberment of African Culture

This week’s lecture focused on the abandonment and dismemberment of African culture in the New World. There were different views on whether African culture was completely decimated or kept intact. One way scholars explain dismemberment is the way a new culture formed from the combination of African and European traditions, but primarily giving attention to European traditions. As slaves became deeply rooted into American society, African traditions remained such as dancing, music, medicine, etc. Sharla Fett explains how medicine men and women used traditional African remedies to cure people because they did not get it from the white doctors. Therefore, these aspects preserved African culture. However, over the decades, African traditions began to disappear as African Americans began to slowly assimilate into white society. As generations became further removed from the first Africans that were brought over, African culture was not preserved and blacks were uneducated on certain aspects. Gomez’s suggestion for transforming academic knowledge is to “rewrite the history of the Americas [by] emphasizing the African presence and impact.” Recognizing and emphasizing the African presence will allow intellectual freedom.

Abandonment and Dismemberment: "Something Torn and New"

     Dr. Beatty gave the lecture for this week. The abandonment and dismemberment mentioned to in the title of the lecture referred to the Middle Passage. The Middle Passage. Represents the
(one to three month) process of forcible taking African people off of the continent and taking them to other parts of the New World.
     Dr. Beatty posed a very intriguing question to us at the beginning of his lecture. It was "Does a physical abandonment/dismemberment equate with a cultural one?"After he asked us, we talked about the things that were brought over to America from our ancestors and the African culture. Some of the things mentioned were music, family, language, literature, food, dance, morals, ethics, stories, and religion. He also mentioned a book by Melville Herskovits that discussed that very topic. The book is entitled The Myth of the Negro Past, and in it he gives five areas of things brought over with the Africans: music, speech, religion, cuisine, song.
     Also, during the lecture, he talked about the different ways of explaining the "dismemberment." The first way is by creating historical narratives that deal with loss and emptiness. The second was by creating historical narratives of African continuity and collective synthesis and transformation interfacing with particular social conditions. The last way was by creating historical narratives of newness that assembles and combines African and European traditions, often giving primacy to the European side of the equation.
     The last note I wrote down was the definition of culture. Intergenerational, transmitted beliefs, behaviors, values, and world views that express humanity and communal identity. Even when we were stripped from our homeland, we kept our culture. To this day, that culture is still present.

African Dismemberment

During Dr. Beatty’s lecture this week he discussed African Dismemberment and Abandonment under the title of “Something Torn and New”. One of the three ways scholars explain African Dismemberment with is Historical narratives of newness that assemble and combine African and European traditions, often giving primacy to the European side of the equation. Academic scholars such as Thompson, Fett, and Gomez have transformed have transformed academic knowledge and what one is taught. Gomez, for example, does not agree with the narrative of idea of loss. Dr. Beatty instead reveals that Gomez notes the origins of African people in his literary works in a way that is very hard to deny or challenge. His results are logical and make sense. Dr. Beatty made clear in his lecture that though we may perceive or society now as westernized and more European than before, we still recognize our African roots. The Africanness of “Something New” is what allows behaviors and ideals to transfer through generations. Our music, religion, and food are just a few examples of how we carry out the traditions and ways of our ancestors. Perhaps the importance of African history is another category that could be added. The theory would stress why Africanness should be recognized by all races at all times.

Dismemberment

This week's lecture was filled with a lot of new knowledge that I had not know of before! I took more than three pages of notes, and am still fascinated by the things I learned! To start off with, we learned so much on the 'negro past' and how it made the nation and world that we are living in today. I didn’t know that the regular African American had such a history that is hidden from us on a daily basis. There were many things that were developed from Africans such as self-governance and resistance, social structures, and science and technology. With self-governance, African Americans taught themselves how to live in places that the ‘white man’ couldn’t live in such as swamps and forests. This was prominent in areas such as Brazil and the Caribbean. The social structures that were formed had to do with the modeling of the family patterns and the prominent role of the mother and elders. With the white man imposing Africans to be laborers, servants, etc., it was hard for them to see how Africans themselves held a role structure, despite the fact that it is applied in the current society today. When dealing with science and technology, many of the teachings used in agriculture cultivation came from Africans. So overall, this and many more proofs just shows how Africa really is the cradle of civilization! The problem is, we’re not taught this information in regular schools, which makes most of our people unknown that our ancestors are this intelligent! We have to start spreading this truth bit by bit, lecture by lecture, in order to show the world how great of a people we actually are!

Omoluabi: Self-Actualization and Communal Responsibility

"Ijuba, to the creator and creators, to the ancestors, to the flatness of the foot, to the suppleness of the palm, to the giants before me, to the giants after me.."
     Dr. Gbadegesin talked about a lot in his fifty minutes. One thing that he talked about was what academic knowledge was. He gave us three bullet points: production, advancement, and transformation. First it has to be produced, the it has to be confirmed with further information gathering, and finally that orthodoxy has to be challenged.
     He also told us the story of Omoluabi. Omo Olu Iwa Bi was a child born to the chief (or source) of Iwa. Iwa is a person of character, discipline, and self improving. Iwa was Orunmila's wife. Orunmila was the Yoruba God of wisdom. Orunmila, though, mistreated Iwa. Iwa left Orunmila and Orunmila lost everything he had. In the end Orunmila looked for Iwa in desperation. He ended the story with the quote "When what you are leaves you, you are nothing."


Remember, Honor may vanish from your house. Cosmetic beauty may fade. Iwa is what endures to your grave. Take care of your iwa. [=

I Need To Learn

This week we had Dr.G as a speaker and the main focuses were the acknowledgement of the human condition, the value of education, and the advancement of our education. He expressed to us how the human condition is always with problems, but to be without the human condition is not to be human. He also explained how ignorance is the death of man. To not have an education is to limit yourself and I truly do believe this. Honestly, talent is rare. Not everyone can be Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, or Steve Jobs. In this time in age, actually every time in age, you need to educate yourself. In my opinion, the only way to advance the human condition is to educate yourself. Educating yourself isn’t only limited to the classroom either. You can educate yourself through everyday life and Dr. G opened my eyes to this. 

More Than a Game

During the “More than a Game” activities this week, I attended both the male symposium and the debate with Howard University & Morehouse College. Through attending these two programs, I indeed found out that this event taking place on Saturday, September 10, 2011 was more than a game.

I learned of the deep traditions, competitions, and pride of the two schools and was a granted a new appreciation for both. The male symposium consisted of five males discussing the state of manhood in society today. Two of the panelists included Howard Professor Dr. Carr and actor Isaiah Washington who, as well as the others, contributed bountifully to this discussion. It included great insight as well as comedy as they discussed the state of society today and what it has the potential to be. I found it entertaining as well as educational for I discovered the reasons why the panelists decided the profession in which they are in, and why they are important factors to what goes on in the world today. Specifically, Howard Alumni Isaiah Washington touched on the importance of knowing one’s history and being able to link the past to the present. Overall, the discussion was one of importance and wisdom.

The debate between two great institutions: Howard University and Morehouse College, also served as a learning opportunity for me. I discovered the intense and intellectual art of debate as well some information about the topics discussed. Both teams eloquently discussed if cyber bullying be seen as a criminal offense and if college athletes should be monetarily paid. The two schools went back in forth respectfully as they professionally spoke their opinions and reasons as well as their justifications for those reasons. I found it refreshing to hear students my age have such passion about pressing subjects in college’s present society.

It became apparent to me that this classic was “More than a Game” and it was indeed played well by both parties.

A Charge to Us...

During Dr. G’s lecture this past week he touched on acknowledgement of the human condition, the value of education, and the advancement of knowledge. Dr. G expressed that the human condition contains enduring problems and is in need of advancement and renewal. He taught us that the main fields of study are imperative to this renewal and advancement of people, and more specifically, students. Linked with this is also the value of education and learning. Dr. G expressed throughout the lecture that education is what is key to the aforementioned advancement and acknowledgement of the human condition. One must not take their opportunity to learn and grow for granted, for not many have the chance to do so in an institution such as Howard. He lastly speaks on the advancement of said knowledge. Dr. G allowed me to see that through great philosophers of the past, the people of today are charged with growing in our knowledge and abilities. Learning does not stop in the class room, and we should be conscious of what goes on around us in our everyday lives in order to advance ourselves.

I see myself taking my education and experiences here at Howard more seriously after listening to both Dr. Carr and Dr. G’s lectures. They both stressed the state of the world today and therefore the importance of us as students. I appreciate the hope, trust, and faith these professors are putting in us as the future leaders of society. It has helped me to work on being a better person and student.

Dr. Carr vs Dr G

Last Tuesday, I listened to a lecture that was much different than the one I had listened to the previous weeks. Although both lecutres seemed to talk about connecting with our African identity, Dr. G's lecture was much more different than Dr. Carr's. To begin with, Dr. Carr's speech seemed to relate more to the youth than Dr. G's. Dr. G talked a lot about the transformation of knowledge and investigating scholars, while Dr. Carr talked more about how we should connect with our identity despite the fact that we were born and raised in American, a subject that many of the youth can relate to. Dr. G touched on many points such as ljoba( which means the paying of respect), human condition, and knowledge. He said that with the human conditions, we need to study human problems in order to solve human problems. With saying that, he connected it to knowledge and how we can advance it by pushing forward to find the answers.

Miseducation of African Americans

Dr. Gbadegesin’s lecture stated that we as African Americans must increase our academic knowledge by advancing and transforming orthodoxy. We can advance our orthodoxy by researching. We must research our past, the real past. We must find out our African roots all the way back to classical Africa and confirm that they are accurate. Once we correctly see where we came from we can move on and grow from that because we have the right foundation. Dr. Carr emphasized the importance to find out our true African roots so we can reach and strive for intellectual freedom. When obtaining intellectual freedom, one must not keep the knowledge to him or herself. They should be inclined to share it with the community. Omo Olu Iwa Bi is a well rounded person that earns respect and educates “to the service of the community.” Education is a cycle. Those that get educated pass on their education to the next generation and so on. However, a good portion of African Americans have not been educated with the proper education. Therefore, the current cycle of education must be broken and started over because we have not been taught the proper information. Dr. Carr and Dr. Gbadegesin stressed the importance to research our roots so we can start the correct cycle of education. Attending Howard University will allow me to begin working on intellectual freedom because I was not aware of some of the mis-education I have been presented in my life.