This week’s lecture focused on recognizing the Mbongis in today’s society. Mbongis are not visible; they are a state of mind. The early African ancestors emphasized and perfected their use of Mbongis to advance society intellectually as a community and not just individually. There are many types of Mbongis in today’s society. Hearing this week’s lecture made me think of some of the Mbongis that I have experienced in my life. The most prominent Mbongi in my life would be Howard University. Attending Howard University has been a totally different learning environment that I have not been accustomed to. The Mbongi at Howard is a lot stronger than the one at my high school and previous schools that I have attended. The academic experience at Howard thus far has challenged me to think critically and step outside my comfort zone within the first week of classes. Dr. Carr’s lecture presented many ideas that were new to me and made since once he explained them. Listening to him speak made me question whether the Mbongis in my life were as meaningful as I thought they were. Growing up, I lived in the suburbs of Atlanta, GA. I attended predominantly white schools for elementary, middle school, and high school. The Mbongis in these environments did not particularly look out for my best interest. Some individuals received more attention than others and not everyone was encouraged to advance as a whole. Not recognizing this would have caused me not to be intellectually free. I attended programs outside of school to help enhance my learning and studied on my own. Further into the lecture, Dr. Carr stated that some Negro intellectuals have ultimately failed to be truly intellectually free because they have limited themselves to the confines of American society ideas.
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