Leonie C.R. Smith’s To be Black, Female, and Literate: A Personal Journey in Education and Alienation was a moving essay about a black girl’s pursuit to discover and rediscover literacy, self worth and independence. Smith evaluated her life experiences in Antigua and in the United States. In Antigua she was at the top of her academic class but in the U.S. she was labeled illiterate. Smith says this was because she was unfamiliar with the material or the new testing format. In Antigua she felt comfortable with her appearance because everyone looked similar to her. In the United States the definition of beauty was changed and she was no longer considered the normal idea of beauty. Finally in both Antigua and the United States Smith displayed extreme independence. Whether she was migrating to a new place or dealing with racism at a white majority school, she continued to be in her abilities, have faith and hold on to her cultural values.
I really enjoyed the reading because of the level of intimacy in the writing. No one was telling me, “O white people are like this” or “O black people are like this”. The essay was about a black woman’s personal account and I was more accepting of her story because of this factor. Smith simply said, ‘This is what happened to me’, and it made her story more real to me. I could feel her emotions as I turned each page and I felt as though I could relate to this black woman. For instance, when spoke about her rebelling at a young age or how she felt alienated in a room filled with white people or even the comfort she felt around other black people, I could see myself.
Smith’s story was an eye opener to how real racism is. I feel as though everyone, particularly black and white people, could benefit from this piece of literature. Being more aware of how we treat each other and how we respond to how others treat us, are two lessons I was reminded of after reading this selection.
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