“The concept of African American female literacies as I explore it here refers to ways of knowing and acting and the development of skills, vernacular or expressive arts and crafts that help females to advance and protect themselves and their loved ones in society” (Richardson 681). Obtaining different literacies are very important when it comes to success in our society! To think that just by knowing , developing and acting on a particular literacy, anyone can make a difference. Not only will the difference be made when it comes to themselves, but also when it comes to their families and future generations that will one day be inspired by this sharing of knowledge. For this reason it is important that all women and men take education seriously because you never know what difference you can make in the life of someone just by being educated. Back in slavery times many women would steal books from the ‘master’s” house, read them, and then share them with those in the slave community. Not only did this promote knowledge, but it promoted unity in this particular community. This unity birthed many plans for escape and freedom! Education, sharing and unity play key roles in making a difference in any society and everyone should take advantage of any literacy could possibly cross your path. Many also say that knowledge is power! Just think if each and every woman knew who they were and was proud of who they are what a difference it would make in a society that in many cases views us in a very derogatory manner. “Young black females often struggle to invent themselves against the distorted images….”(Richardson 676). This can be related to education, not only should we consider the difference that can be made through education or the acquiring of literacies, but we should also see the difference that can be made by holding our self to a standard! With this standard there would never be distorted images of any woman because the only image that would be seen is that of a strong, intelligent, caring and giving African American women! Remember Anthony Robbins once said that, “Any time you sincerely want to make a change, the first thing you must do is to raise your standards!”

Transformative College Literacy

There were many turning points for me in the “Transformative College Literacy of Literate Black Women Peer Counselors” essay by Robin Wisniewski. First the slow start made it difficult for me to get into it. Maybe it was outlining of what it means to be a black woman or the constant in text sites to validate what she was saying. Second, it wasn’t until I realized that she was a white woman that I understood why it was somewhat necessary for her to take this route. The color of her skin did not bother me but the interesting background gave me a holistic view as I continued to read. In Wisniewski’s essay a few things turned me off completely however there were things I could relate to or wanted to better understand.

One thing I neglected to do when reading a scholar essay was to explore some of the references in the cited section. After Wisniewski pointed out she had only drew from white males to describe the schema theory I was turned off because I had accepted her references without thinking twice about it. She noted how close minded her findings could be and I started to see that there is more to reading an essay than just the words. You have to understand where the data is coming from and understand it before you accept it. Immediately following the unveiling of the author’s race she dove into the accounts of two college black women named Lauryn and Vania.

The two women came from different backgrounds. One of the women came from an urban area and majority black high school, and the other woman came from a rural area and majority white school. Both accounts included there isolated filled experience at their majority white college. The author shows the growth the women find in serving as peer counselors. The job consists of encouraging, motivating and giving students a voice. The women mention the stronger connection they felt with the school because of this program.