As we go on, we remember.........

First I want to start this blog by saying that I have learned SOOO MUCH throughout the course of this year. The history of the African American race is not at all taught properly in the school systems. I have learned more in this class about the rich culture, family values, and hardships that African Americans endure than I did throughout my high school career. Next I want to say that my group was AMAZING! I could not have asked for better group members. I have learned so much form those guys and I have built friendships that I wouldn't trade for the world. Everyone in our group got along so well and we just had an absolute blast doing our projects together. I love every one of them and am blessed to call them my friends. When I first enrolled in this African American Studies class I was a bit skeptical. I was nervous to attend my first class but as soon as I walked in the door I knew that everything would be fine. The classroom atmosphere was so relaxed and everyone was able to be themselves without fear of being rejected.By taking this class I have learned soo much about the trials and tribulations that the African American race have been forced to endure. I have learned about the judgement that is passed and about the strength that they have had to overcome soo many hardships. I will consider taking more classes that relate to the African American experience because throughout this particular class I have enjoyed the curriculum so much. I thank Professor Wynn for teaching me everything that I have learned throughout the course of this semester. I had an amazing time in this class and I am soo glad that I had the opportunity to participate in this program. If anyone has the opportunity to attend a class of this sort I strongly recommend it. I want to leave by saying thank you to our instructor and thank you to my group! All of you are great and I wish you all the best as you embark upon your journey through the labyrinth of life.

The AIDS epidemic....

So, I attended this class on Monday evening that taught about AIDS and the way that the media portrays it. This class taught me several things that I previously wasn't aware of. I had no idea that the AIDS epidemic was as serious as it is. I mean yeah sure I have always known that AIDS existed and that I should always protect myself but some of the statistics that they said were just shocking to me! The speaker informed us of the ways that you could possibly contract the AIDS virus and spoke against several of the myths of how one cannot contract the AIDS virus. She explained several times that there are three ways you contract the virus and there are four fluids that can carry the virus. Through this class I became aware of the fact the the media first portrayed the AIDS virus are a "gay white mans disease". African Americans didn't believe that this virus affected them since they were neither white nor gay but in reality African Americans account for 48% of new HIV infections according to the class that I attended.The instructors of the class come from a company called Guiding Right. Guiding Right is the only federally funded program of it's kind here in Oklahoma. The class was encouraged to get tested and "know their status" . Overall I really enjoyed the presentation and wish more students from our class had been able to attend the class.

The African American Family

Thursday

March 26th, 2009

5:00 p.m.

BET Countdown ( #9 Video The Dream featuring Mariah Carey-My Love)

BET-channel 50 (cox cable)

Music entertainment

African American Family- The scene occurred about mid way through the video, It portrays an African American family spending time in the yard. Carey is braiding her friends hair and there is a glass of koolaid sitting right beside her.

The Image isn't negative I would describe it more as stereotypical. But the scene did portray everyone in the family taking care of one another.

Thursday

March 26th, 2009

9:00 p.m.

College Hill South Beach

BET-channel 50 (cox cable)

Reality show

African American Family- Although the African Americans living in the house aren't blood family there was a specific phone conversation with one of the girls mothers in which the African American race was portrayed as violent and "crazy"

Negative Image

Sunday

March 22nd, 2009

American Gangster

Movie night with my floor.( I did not choose the movies that night)

Based on a true story

African American Family- The family in this movie was very large. Although they were involved in illegal activity the movie showed the components necessary for any family to function. Even though it was a drug business the entire family was involved. It showed that no matter what families stick together.

Positive image on family-Negative image on the race as a whole (meaning stereotypical drug dealers)

Sunday

March 22nd, 2009

Diary of a Mad Black Woman

Movie night with my floor. ( i did not choose the movies that night)

Comedy

African American Family- Once again the media portrays African American families as having several members. But it also shows the importance of family. No matter what any member of the family did there was always someone willing to help them out of their bind.

Positive Family Image

Wednesday

March 25th, 2009

10:00 p.m.

Family Matters

TV comedy/drama

Nick at Night-channel 26 (Cox cable)

African American Family- In this specific episode erkle, who is a neighbor to the family, saves the fathers life. There were no negative images towards African Americans within this show.

Positive Image

Wednesday

March 25th, 2009

12:00 p.m.

From G's to Gents (season 2)

MTV- channel 30 (COX cable)

African American Family- They show how the boys react when they are separated from their families. It is a terrible thing for a parent to be separated from their children. But this show is basically about turning "hood rats" into good men.

Negative image

Friday

March27th, 2009

12:30 p.m.

Akeliah and the B(movie you showed in class, which i had never seen)

African American Family- The mother is very busy and the kids are kind of left to fend for their selves a lot of the times.

Positive image

The image that most media portrays about the African American family is far from the truth. Yes there may be several blacks that are drug dealers but I promise you that there are just as many whites that are guilty of the crime. Although i didn't find many negative things about African American families that occurred naturally, The majority of the time that I see blacks on the news or in shows their culture is being portrayed in some sort of negative way. That is NOT the case in real life!!!!! Not every African American is guilty of being "on the grind" The majority of blacks that I know are NO different from me! We have the same goals and aspirations and I do not believe that the black race is fairly represented through the media!!!! It's so stereotypical of society to think that all black people like Koolaid... Several Asians do as well!!! Everyone is different in their own way and the way that the media portrays almost every race besides Caucasian is ridiculous. And this assignment was difficult because I had to look very hard to find shows with Black stars on any channel besides BET. Whats the deal with that??? Maybe if the media showed shows more often that portrayed African Americans in a good light(as they should) racism would greatly decrease.

Who has it?? Who doesn't??

Privilege is a very complicated thing. Some people believe privilege has everything to do with their life and some do not. Personally I believe that discrimmination and being non privileged will make you stronger if you make yourself overcome it and do not let it get you down. Everyone has been discriminated aginst in some way or another throughout their lifetime. It's just something that everyone eventually has to deal with . Though it is sad and unfourtnate, it happends. All women have been called some sort of hurtful name due to their gender and most aftrican americans have had derrogratory statments made twords their race. It's a sad fact, but its true fact.

1. I am privileged to attend the University of Oklahoma. Many people are not afforded the luxery of a college education.

2. I have an amazing family. My family believes, encourages, and supports mr through every phase of my life.

3. I have never experienced poverty. Although I am not wealthy, I am not poor and I have always had everything that I needed.

4. I am surrounded by people who love and support me.

5. I am intelligent. Intellect may very well be my favorite privilege.

6. I grew up in a small town that was successful in teaching me morals and kindness.

7. My boyfriend survived a terrible car crash. The privilege of living is amazing.

8. I am healthy. If I need medical attention I have the luxery of going to the doctor.

9. My mother is in my opinion the strongest most caring woman in the world. She can get me through anything.

10. I have the use of my legs. I have a friend that recently lost feeling in his legs after a car crash and i see daily how difficult it is for him to live.

11.I have the luxery of buying items i want not only need

12. I have a wonderful job, I take care of children and I love it!

13. My brother is my best friend, and he would do anything for me.

14. I own my car. i worked very hard to save up the money but I did it and it feels great!

15. my roomate is the best! Im so lucky to have been allowed the privilege of a great roomie instead of a creep.

16. I have been encouraged my entire life. I have always been told I was beautiful and that If I set my mind to it I could achieve any thing!

17.I have never gone to bed hungry because there was not enough food. If i was hungry it was on my own accord.

18. I have never been watched closely in a store because the store owner feared I might steal something simply because of my color.

19. I have never had my vehicle searched simply because of my color.

20. my entire family saves money all year so that at the end we can all take a vacation and spend quality time together!!!!!!

Be The Change YOU Wish To See In The World :)))

The NAACP has been instrumental in the African American experience because it has worked very hard to protect the individual rights of all black citizens. Although the NAACP is not solely for African Americas, contrary to popular belief, it is multicultural. The NAACP represents minorities and makes sure that all of their constitutional rights are ensured. In Oklahoma, there were several acts committed to help African Americans receive theses civil liberties. When segregation occurred, there were such things as sit ins. which is where African Americans would go to a place that they were not at the time "allowed" to be at and sit there. These people would be spit on, hit, taunted, and several other things, all in hopes that they would leave because the restaurant owners or owners of wherever they were hated them simply because of their color and wanted them to leave. During the early years of the NAACP, there were several legal cases that they participated in such as the case that the NAACP took on the government in hopes to overturn the laws that legalized segregation. At the law school Dean Evans spoke to us about cases in which African Americans were being discriminated against. He spoke of sit In's and of being harassed as a small child when he and his parents had not "gotten outta town before sun set". He told of several towns in Oklahoma that had posted signs using derogatory words to describe African Americans and telling them to "be out of town by sunset". That is news to me! I knew that segregation was bad but man was i clueless to the severity of the issue. Dean Evans made a wonderful suggestion to post my goals on my mirror, and although I did not get them turned in for extra credit I decided to take his advice and place a reminder on my desk so that everyday I remember to pull my head out of my butt and do the things that I need to in order to make my dreams possible!

Racisim still exists....

Okay, so it's a sad sad thing to witness an act of racism. And when people hear the word racism, most automatically assume that the act committed was against an African American. But that's not always the case. My mother is employed by the public school system and therefor teaches a plethora of races, and has never treated any child different from another child. I have always been taught to see people, not color and i guess that's why I have such a problem understanding racism. But very seldom do we ever see racism directed towards children. Now as an adult I understand that some people don't like me simply because I'm white. And I'm old enough to handle it. But just recently something happened in the Atoka Public School system that upset several community members. The lunchroom at the elementary school my mother teaches at is employed completely by African Americans. When asked why there were no white cooks, our cafeteria coordinator always replied " Hunny you know white women don't cook the soul foods like a black woman does" and being that my school was probably 2/3 African Americans, soul food was what the kids would eat. But when it came time for seconds, a young white boy named Mason joined the line of children. Now Mason was the only white child in this line and when it came time for him to receive his seconds the cooks told him they didn't have anymore. But that wasn't truly the case. The cooks proceeded to serve 9 more African American children that were in line behind Mason. Now my question is why would someone do this to a child! I love children and I used to work at the day care that Mason attended after school. Now I'm well aware of the fact that Masons family has had some hard times. His mother is single and he lost his father and sole provider for the family about 4 years back. So, needless to say Masons family doesn't have much money. Mason receives a care package that is provided by our local DHS every Friday. This care package contains non perishable foods for the kids to take home an eat over the weekend when they may not get 2 good meals like they do at school. But because Mason was white he DIDN'T get seconds. I just find it sooooo sad that children in today's world are still feeling and suffering the effects of racism. Racism is wrong. PERIOD!!! Whether it's directed towards a white, black, yellow, or green person it's just wrong. But racism towards a child?? A poor innocent child that sees nothing when he looks a colored lunch lady but love and compassion because they are the ones that cease his hunger. It's by far the most severe and terrible form of racism possible.

A Weekend Of Manual Labor....

Okay, so this past weekend my family and I took a trip to Arkansas. The original plan was to take our entire family, which consists of my brother and his new girlfriend, my mother and step father, and myself in our RV and travel to the small town of Murfreesburo, Arkansas. So we loaded the RV and took off. My mother decided to take this trip after watching a show on the travel channel and because she's the boss, we all got suckered into going. The point of this trip was to "Search for Diamonds" like the brochure said but , HA! It was more like mine for diamonds. I spent the entire day Saturday in a field performing back breaking labor. Now I'm far form a city girl and I'm not at all afraid to get a little dirty but the tasks necessary to find a diamond are ridiculous! I dug holes four feet deep and 3 feet wide, I carried buckets and buckets of water across the field back to the dig site, I gathered dirt from low places in the field where small stones may have settled, and I spent hours sifting through pans of dirt in freezing cold water all to transfer the stones I found into another bucket and sift through them again! Now as my mother and I were carrying two buckets filled with water across the field she made a comment that was something along the lines of "this feels like slave labor"and I began thinking you know she's right. I cant even imagine how hard slaves must have had to work. At the end of the day I was worn smooth out and I knew that I had a nice warm RV with a comfortable bed and food on the table to go home to and thought to myself, slaves had nothing. After a very long day of extremely had work, all they had to go home to was the shack that their master provided them and hopefully some food. Slaves performed hours of hard work and were never thanked for it. That's kind of how I feel about this trip. I worked all day long, in the hot sun, with my hands in freezing water, waist deep in mud, and for what? To come home sore, tired, and empty handed!

My thoughts on why AFAM should be taught in schools.

Well firstly, We as Americans are allowed to study our past and know about our heritage. Hispanics are allowed the same privilege so why wouldn't African Americans have the same opportunity? I mean African Americans had an amazing impact on America. Americans treated not only blacks but also any other human that didn't look like them as if they didn't matter. Americans held blacks as slaves! No one should ever have to be treated in that manner and another scene that caught my memory was the bus incident with Rosa Parks. What a courageous woman! If she had not refused to give up her seat on that bus then who knows how long it would have taken for someone else to stand up and say NO! I that Americans made HUGE mistakes when it came to blacks, their laws were unfair and no one should be treated the way that they were. I believe that it is very important that African American Studies are incorporated into the curriculum of all schools because history has a way of repeating itself and should be well aware of the mistakes that were made in hopes that we may never be as crude, stupid, and heartless as we have been on recent years!!!!!!!!!!!