In the article the author describes her literary experiences in the south. She explains how her oral literary experiences shaped her as a African American female. She concludes that what she learned in school did not teach nor enrich her culturally. In the article it also describes how she feels about oral traditions and how this has preserved our history as African Americans over the years. I completely agree with this article. I feel as though school prepares you to handle the real world but the literary experiences you have with those who look like you are the most important. When you are not culturally astute how will you function around those who are culturally different from you. In the article the author also explains how oral tradition is discredited by mainstream society. I completely agree with her opinion, some believe that it is inaccurate because of human error. Most of African cultural traditions are rooted in oral history. Hence, by American standards African American culture is obsolete. For so long blacks in America were not allowed to read and write. Was there any other way we could safely communicate? The article also describes race in America and how she experience racial struggles with literacy. The author explain how she was complementing for making her race "look good" due to her intelligence. She questioned this statement and wondered why she couldn't make society look good. I feel that often times this is the case with most African Americans. Whites will only see you as a token to your race. They will never see you as contributing to society in any way. It hurts me to see that black people even now are not excepted because of their literary capabilities. At the same time I do believe that black perpetuate negative stereotypes about themselves. Until African Americans educate themselves as a whole and strive to be literate we cannot change the standards put on us as a community.
Brittney L. Echols
ReplyDeleteI agree with the article as well. Just last night my roommate and I were discussing school and our purpose for attending in the end. Rarely do people seek higher education to actually obtain an education, but rather so they are able to obtain a higher paying job once they finish their schooling. As we continue our higher education we are truly on grasping the concepts we need in order to succeed and that will help us get that "dream" job we want in the future.
I can relate to what you are saying because the learnig about Black authors is vital for a black student. However in high school I took a literature claas the had only three black kids,I was one of the three, and the rest were white. The topics that the teacher would discuss was not familiar to me and I was introduced to literature, movies and phrases that I never was exposed to before. It is a cultural thing that molds your knowledge of the world but if you don't branch out you won't be exposed to the othre things the world has to offer.
ReplyDelete-Candice Frazier
The point you made that stuck out to me the most was that what the author learned in school did not teach her culturally. I too felt that in my educational experience as I attended a predominantly white private school for thirteen years. While I learned what was necessary to excell in college, I neglected to educate myself on my true self and identity. I can only imagine that this was amplified for the author because she lived in the South.
ReplyDeleteBrittani Goodwin
I agree that it is important for a person to be culturally aware. If someone cannot work with their own people, then they probably won't be able to work with other people. That is one of the reasons why I chose to attend a Historically Black College.
ReplyDelete~Alaina Walton