Abandonment, Dismemberment and Reawakening - Week #2

This week’s presenter was Dr. Dunston. She spoke about the importance of human genome. It is made up of genes that are covered with DNA which is the universal code of life. Without DNA we would not be existence so this is why studying and understanding the human genome is important. She mentioned that genes are essential gifts of life and that is true because genes make up DNA. The human genome isn’t the only thing that adds to our existence. Religion has a key part. In ancient Egypt Pharaoh’s represented God on Earth so that was their religion. In Christianity there is no God on earth but there are 3 forces of God that is represented on earth. The three are speed, volume and quality. These forces add to what make us complete as human beings. This is what represents divinity on earth.

Jasmine Westbrook   

African Burial Grounds

The African Burial Ground trip was one of the most memorable moments of my first semester freshmen year at Howard University. Even though it was only one day long I’m still grateful to have been able to see the burial grounds. I’m from New York State but not New York City so I don’t have the pleasure of visiting the burial grounds on my own time so this was a life time experience. I think it’s ironic that federal building was built on top of the African burial ground because my high school was built on top of a grave yard as well. That factor made me more interested in the grave yard. Before we got there I expected to see more of open space because I didn’t know the building was presently onto of it but the video helped me to understand how the burial ground. Our tour guy knew a lot of information and was knowledgeable but it was hard to hear him sometimes because we were such a large group of people and my classmates were complaining about the cold weather. I’m not too sure of what the symbols meant on the wall so I can’t speak a lot on those but I know they represented something important. Some symbolized religious matters while others dealt with symbols from astronomy. Looking at the model skeletons in the museum made me really think about my family. I thought about us being replaced with them and it made me wonder who those people were and what they could have been. Even though the trip was short I learned more about my ancestry so my goal was achieved.

Jasmine westbrook

Civil Rights, Hip-Hop and Hope: the power of young People - Week #4

This week’s presenter spoke on how civil rights acts have transitioned from the civil rights movement to hip-hop. Various civil rights acts were mentioned such as numerous sit-ins that took place in Wichita, Kansas, Greensboro, North Carolina and Nashville, Tennessee. Sit-ins are organized so non-violent protesting could take place for either political reasons. During the civil rights movements sit-ins were used to stop segregation in public places like restaurants, movie theatres, museums and on public transportation. Other civil rights acts were with the Black panthers. They wanted to get racism amongst blacks in the United States. Two big names associated with the black panthers are David Hilliard and Assata Shakur. Hilliard was one of the first members of the black panthers but he was sent to jail so he was no longer the chief of staff of the black panthers. Shakur also had encounters with the law as well. It’s ironic how protesters come from being non-violent to having criminal records. It relates to how so many blacks are in gangs and are killing each other. Media often blames hip-hop and I think it has a little affect on blacks but always history is becoming more violent. Martin Luther King Jr. fought for civil rights with love and peace and we would turn in his grave if he saw how times have changed. Jadakiss’ song called “Why” is a perfect song explain how today’s world is.  He speaks on the real problems in the black community such as crime, violence and poverty. We need to work on this so Martin Luther King’s dream can truly come true.

Jasmine Westbrook

Self Evaluation

I know that the purpose of freshmen seminar was to work on our research skills and to make us more acquainted with our ancestry and African roots. I understood the purpose of the class but I don’t think the goals that were set were made. In other schools my friends had to do more projects so the class was hands on so they were forced to learn then we were. I understand it was just a 1 credit class but I think raising it to 3 credits and requiring more work would be more beneficial to us as students. We would actually take interest in it and learn about our roots instead if writing up a quick synopsis of a 45 lecture. A lot of the freshmen, including me, think that this class was pointless. I say this with the upmost respect but we did not learn much. The African Burial Ground trip was where I learned the most and had the most fun because it was hands on and we weren’t stuck in a auditorium being lectured to.

My performance in this class was not the best but I put everything last because it was only worth 1 credit and the blogs were tedious. I think I could have posted the blogs on time but I let them slip but now they are all getting caught up. Next year I think freshmen seminar should be more credits so students would take it seriously and so they would obtain information by doing more work than we had to do.

Jasmine Westbrook

The Eloquence of the Scribes - Week #3

This week’s presenter spoke on the history of the names of the buildings at Howard University. All of our buildings from dormitories to academic buildings are named after important scribes who helped shape our Black community. For instance, Howard University is names after General Oliver Otis Howard. He was a union civil war general who tried to protect blacks from harsh conditions during slavery by using his religious polices. This is a great person to have a prestigious university like Howard to be names after because he represented greatness. We also were given the names and brief bios of a majority of influential people in history. One great person that is recognized on campus is Harriett Tubman. I’m proud to be staying in the dormitory that honors her because if she wouldn’t of lead slaves on the underground rail road then I don’t think African Americans would be as developed as we are. I’m pretty sure that we would be out of slavery but many events in history that lead to our equal rights would have been delayed and Howard University would not be what it is today. One building that I often go into for classes in Douglass hall. It’s named after abolitionist Fredrick Douglass. He was important in black history not only because he was an abolitionist but because he also was an escaped slave who became a writer. He set an example for other slaves to follow and gave them hope. Taking classes in that building makes me know that I need to achieve excellence just like my ancestors.

Jasmine Westbrook

Omoluabi: Self Actualization and Communal Responsibility - Week #5

This week’s presenter was Segun Gbadegesin. He spoke on the importance of education and respect in the African culture. To enhance the importance of education he picked two words that both have 2 syllables then he said the words and then he had the beat of it played on the djembe drum. I found this fascinating because I enjoy listening to African drums while I African dance so this reminded me of dance. Also I like to I have some prior knowledge if it. One of the stories he told us about was the story of Iwa. The moral of the story is to treat women with respect and don’t take things for granted.  

I think this is a great moral not only because I’m a young woman and I like to be treated with respect, but because it’ll help you get far in life. If you are respect versus being liked then you will reach your goals and have people who believe in you that also support you. The principles of Ma’at were also addressed and I believe they prepare you for success. The principles are truth, justice, order, balance and harmony. If some of these principles aren’t met then I don’t believe a person would be living a successful life. For example, life without truth is just filled with lies and deceit. If there is no order or balance in one’s life when they are not steady in a path or do not know where there are going. Some people like living on the edge but too much edge is a unhealthy way of living.   

Jasmine Westbrook

Presentation #2

To Clone or not to Clone

               One of the groups presented on cloning. One interesting fact that I learned was that the first animal that has ever been cloned was in 1952, and it was a tad pole. I had always thought that Dolly was the first animal cloned but she was the first mammal to be cloned form a somatic adult cell. This let researchers know that cloning did not stop at a certain age. In 2003 when the human genome was cloned researchers learned that humans could be cloned but this caused controversy.  Cloning is unethical so to prevent any problems in the United States Clinton disallowed federal dollars for cloning. Clinton was more considerate then other officials because cloning is banned in 23 others such as the United Nations and France. Some people agree with cloning because some benefits are so sterile families can have offspring and so people can be created for organ donating. Even though there are a few benefits of cloning the disadvantages are much more severe. Diversity amongst human beings will be cut down if human cloning takes place being eventually everybody will have the same genetic makeup and they will attract the same diseases and illness. After a while races would disappear and everyone would begin to look alike. Another negative affect is that clones may become looked down as by human beings or a war between the two could start. In history wars have started between two types of people so this is a possible outcome. Personally I think cloning is a bad idea because diversity is a good thing to have. If everyone is the same then diseases spread quicker and life is boring. I enjoy meeting people with different back grounds and different experiences so if everyone was the same life would be different for the worse.

Jasmine Westbrook

Presentation #1

Child Soldiers

One of the groups presented on child soldiers. I think it’s a touchy topic to speak on because it’s a sad concept so it grabbed my interest immediately. Prior to this I heard of child soldiers in Africa but I didn’t know much about them. During this presentation I learned that in the 1980’s, Uganda’s citizen Alice Lakwena did not like how the Ugandan government was being run so she formed an army of children to help her fight her rights and this concept expanded into child soldiers. These children are kidnapped from various places but the most common place is in their own homes. Most families live in villages so during the night the kidnappers would break into their homes and steal their children. To prevent kidnapping many parents would send their children to shelters in town where the children were protected. Unfortunately not all the children could be protected so the captured children would go through a lot of torture from their kidnappers. They are abused, emotionally, mentally, physically and sexually. This leads to many psychological problems such as depression, aggressiveness, abusive relationships and being antisocial in their future lives. Malnourishment is a large problem with child soldiers too because they kidnappers do not care about how healthy the children are, their only concern is fighting Ugandan government. Since that is their only concern these children tend to grow up too fast and are not close to their family so this causes problems for former child soldiers to start their our families. I think the kidnapping and activities of child soldiers should be stopped because there are no positive effects of it. The Ugandan government will still overpower them so it is just killing off children who could possibly change the world some day.

Jasmine Westbrook

Cloning by Saida Yusuf

This last group presented a question that has generated much dispute over the last few years: Cloning. Cloning has been in the works for many years and could possibly be revolutionary and change the way we live as Human Beings forever. The group raised the popular questions: would clones be inferior to us? Would clones rebel? As of right now there are no answers because humans as a species have yet to be cloned, however it has been practiced with many animals. Federal dollars towards cloning have been spent throughout the Bush administration, but were rejected during Clinton's. Cloning is currently banned in 23 countries, including the United States of America. I think it would be revolutionary and a wide and exciting accomplishment for science in the scientific world as an experiment that would prove ourselves to be extremely advanced; however, socially and for society i believe it would strain relationships, it would cause problems, and it would bring up the next essential question: who were superior? the real humans, or the clones created from them.

The HU Boys presentation by Saida Yusuf

The HU boys group presented an interesting presentation on one of Howard's largest social problems: the ratio of men vs. women. Howard's Class of 2014 has 2000+ females and circa 400 males. This makes it difficult for students to interact, as well as asking the question why are there so many females at this University. Howard is one of the premier black HBCUs, and when it was originally founded females were few to none at this campus. Why have the numbers changed so drastically as we progress. The HU boys answered these questions:

-Many African-American males don't graduate, or do poorly in secondary school and don't recieve admission.
-They are unable to pay tuition fees.
-Some are already in jail at this point in their lives.

These statistics are very real and very disappointing to read as a black female; however, this presentation made it clear to me that something has got to give!

Our Group Presentation by Saida Yusuf

Our group interviewed Dr. Kravitz of the Howard University psychology department, because our collective research topic was mental health and disorders. Dr. Kravitz answered our questions as follows to the best of his abilities and as far as he could answer them.

Q. What is your background in Psychology?
A. My background in psychology is experimental psychology.
Q. What brought you to teach at Howard University and how has the experience been?
A. I came to Howard because it seemed like a good idea at the time and I enjoy teaching.
Q. Do you think illiteracy is a factor in mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and personality disorders?
A. Yes illiteracy is a problem in mental health issues and there are a lot of consequences that come from illiteracy . Depression, anxiety and personality disorders are some but they are not limited to just those.

Our group discussed many mental health problems, including depression, anxiety and personality disorders. When it comes to black youth all affect us in large numbers, especially after going off to college. We found this to be a good topic because of the relevance it has to many of the students at Howard University going through these specific problems, and in addition we wanted to learn more about it. For our presentation we had a powerpoint aiding us in our speaking as well as flash cards. 

Interview

Our group interviewed Psychology Professor Dr. Kravitz because our project involved mental health. We learned that he chose to focus on the teaching route of psycchology. Since Dr. Kravitz had never actually worked in any sort of clinic, we aasked him a few general questions. Here aresome of the first set of questions that were asked.

—What is your background in Psychology?

¡My background in psychology is experimental psychology.

—What brought you to teach at Howard University and how has the experience been?

¡I came to Howard because it seemed like a good idea at the time and I enjoy teaching.

—Do you think illiteracy is a factor in mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and personality disorders? 

¡Yes illiteracy is a problem in mental health issues and there are a lot of consequences that come from illiteracy . Depression, anxiety and personality  disorders  are some but they are not limited to just those.

Erin White

Is Cloning Ethical? Or Could it be Used to Solve Social Problems?

This group raised the question on whether or not it was ethical to clone. This subject has raised eyebrows for years and people usually lie to stay away from addressing the topic. The group gave advantages and disadvantages of the cloning process. If cloning were to be legalized worldwide it would increase diseases and it would be highly unethical and unnatural. There would be no diversity and a loss in genetic variation; we would all be the same. Lastly there is the case of having conflict between humans and clones. There is no way to tell how they will react and behave in society. They could easily rebel and put us all at risk. Some benefits to cloning would be creating people for donating organs and it would allow sterile families to have children. The group touched on the economic factor in cloning which would not benefit us in anyway; it would only cost the country money. Bill Clinton disallowed federal dollars from being spent of cloning research and the actual process. The long term effects of cloning are premature aging-people will die quicker-, world hunger, and the loss in genetic variation. Cloning is banned in 23 countries including the United States, France, and Europe.

1952: 1^st animal cloned (tadpole)

1983: 1^st mammal cloned (mouse)

1997: Dolly (lamb)

2003: human genome- 1^st step to human cloning

Erin White

Self Reflection

Throughout my time in this course I found myself confused because I wasn’t sure exactly why we had to sit through these presentations. I also didn’t understand why we had to fill out forms that required us to pull out references to Africa and other places when some of the material had nothing to do with specific places. I often wondered why we were unable to take the forms home if we were required to blog about the presentation I took notes on. At the end of the course I realized the purpose of the presentations were to assist us in our research projects. I did learn a lot that I had not known prior to attending the class; history about Howard University, how Africans were really the creators of the things most people attribute to Europeans, and our role as human beings. I learned how to do a well put together research power point and to work effectively with a group. I do however feel like it is a lot of work for it to only be worth 1 credit. As freshman we want to start off strong and we have 3 credit classes that are very challenging so to have us doing blogs every week and a large research project is just added stress on top of everything else we have to do for, once again, just 1 credit. I personally feel like we deserve 3 credits for all of the work that had to be done I this class.

Erin White

HU Boys

The HU Boys

·         Why does the female population outnumber the male population at the school?

How many freshman males/females are enrolled at Howard?

·         1052 women 429 males

Female to male ratio increases each year…13 percent of 37 that graduate actually go to college.

Parents can’t afford to send their children to college or some end up in jail

We need to encourage the youth to go to college…men of Howard can encourage guys from home to attend Howard and just college as a whole.

The majority of black males do not have a drive to get an education; they are lazy; they want money the easy way….sports, rap, selling drugs

Black males feel they can be successful w/o going to college b/c college is a waste of money and time and why do something they’re not interested in…black men feel if they make it to 18 w/o being shot or killed that is enough success.

The media needs to show a more positive image of black men…portray those who have actually been successful and have acquired degrees.

If a young man’s parents did not attend college that wont encourage him to go.

65% of black families are single parent families…they can’t afford to send their children to college.

We need to inspire our black males to attend college.

Erin White

African American Burial Ground

I had the privilege of visiting the African American burial ground in New York with my freshman seminar class this semester. The experience was very enlightening and I attained a lot of knowledge I lacked prior to the experience. I had no idea the burial ground existed until it was presented to the seminar class and I was eager for the trip. I must admit, however, I didn’t have such a great time traveling to New York. The bus ride was very long and exhausting and we were only in the city for a short time and turned back around. I learned that in 1991 the construction of a Federal building was scheduled; during construction remains were discovered of hundreds of African slaves. African-Americans from all around came to NY to protest the continuation of the construction over the remains. Ultimately the community got their wish and the Federal building was constructed across the street and a museum was built to house the remains and inform the public of their history. The remains that were discovered were those of African slaves brought to the once country in the city of NY. They were some of the first to arrive in the country and were the builders of the city. The original burial ground was where the Africans paid their respects to their loved ones. As time continued and the city expanded the once burial ground was covered. I learned history from Egypt to the present time outside of the museum by a very knowledgeable speaker. After the tour we were able to go on our own. That part of the trip was very short and a little disappointing being that it was my first trip to NY.

Erin White

Dr Williams' Lecture (Week 6) by Saida Yusuf

Our last lecture was given by Dr. Dana Williams. Dr. Williams spoke to the group on how to create a good research project, which is very important information seeing as our group is going to have to come up with a research question and project that answers the question. Dr. Williams went over how to correctly formulate that question and how to go about researching it. Dr Williams helped me understand how to gain the most accurate research possible to make my project a success. Methods and the framing for our group projects were stressed as the lecture went on. Out of all the lectures given in our freshman seminar experience I would state Dr Williams as being one of the most important, because although all of the aforementioned and previous lectures were about important topics, this is a certain one we will have to deal with in our near futures. Beginning the research is one of the most important steps in achieving success with this project, so Dr Williams lecture helped me understand how to do that. All in all it was a great way to help us dive into the groundwork of our projects.

Dr. Segun Gbadegesin's Lecture (Week 5) by Saida Yusuf

For this weeks lecture, Dr. Segun Gbadegesin spoke to us about communal responsibility and self actualization. Literally, I am aware of the importance that the two terms hold in the dictionary. Communal responsibility being the duties one holds to their communities, and self actualization being aware of ones’ self, which is always important. Dr. Gbadegesin taught us about the goddess of existence, Iwa, and her importance in the African community, tying education into the mix; he also quoted Nwalimu Julius Nyerere stating “the purpose of education is to transmit from one generation to the next.” This brought a family reference to the air when I thought of what my father always tells me how he came to this country to provide for us, his children, and teaches us things that we may not learn in our lifetime because he is our father. Things specifically told to us so we can pass it on to our children. We should take note of this important quote in our lifetime, reiterating how important our ancestors, God, faith, and education are. All in all Dr. Gbadegesin’s lecture made things evident to me that I wouldn’t have thought of had I not attended this weeks beneficial seminar.

Dr. Pollard's Lecture (Week 4) by Saida Yusuf

This weeks lecture was given by Dr. Alton B Pollard III. It was on the Practices of Freedom, and he touched lightly on freedom, religion, and how these terms have changed over the years for African-Americans to assimilate to their lifestyles. For example, during the times of slavery Freedom for African-Americans meant to literally be free from enslavement to the white man. However, now, freedom can mean many things. Mental slavery exists, by listening to sexist or racist infused music, promoting the theme of women as objects, or black people being good for only the drug trade or their image as ‘thugs’. Freedom from mental slavery is also considered breaking from the norm, individuality. The definition of freedom has changed so much throughout time. Dr. Pollard also tied religion into freedom, speaking of how freedom is the bullet point for all religion in the African community. Religion was defined as being the phenomenon that occurs when a human being accepts the sacred divine into their hearts. As freedom has changed over time, can we say religion has? Personally, I don’t see this as being possible, as I practice a faith that’s texts date back to thousands of years before my time; however, who am I to speak for everyone.

Learning, Wisdom and the African World Experience - Week #1

               This week’s presentation was based primarily on African terms and symbols. Dr. Carr taught us numerous words but my favorite three were Iwa-l’ewa meaning character with beauty, Ma’at meaning truth and Sedi meaning educate. These three words are my favorite because they mean the most to me. In order to succeed in live one has to be educated either by going to college, or learning a trade or just simply learning how to survive in certain living conditions. For example, a New Yorker has to learn how to live in a big city so they can be safe throughout their daily lives. If someone were to move to New York City but still live by the same standards and conditions they lived by while living on a farm in Wisconsin that person would not be happy or safe living in NYC. Learning how to adapt in different environments is crucial. Being truthful is also a necessity. If one isn’t truthful to others then they won’t be able to deal with others. People surround themselves around people who are honest ad pleasant to be around but if you can’t tell the truth then you are limiting yourself for many job opportunities and relationships with people. In order to have a healthy relationship trust has to be present so not be truthful automatically prevents some relationships form being formed. Having a character of beauty is a great trait to have because beauty is more than just physical appearance but it’s also skin deep; true beauty shines from within. When someone’s has a character of beauty then they are an enjoyable person to be around and they make the worst things in life better. Since Dr. Carr’s speech I have been trying to posses these qualities.

Jasmine Westbrook

Research and Methodology: Inscription as a Liberating Practice - Week #6

Research and Methodology: Inscription as a Liberating Practice

Week #6

This week’s discussion helped me the most because it was directed primarily on the research aspect of this course and it showed me the steps of proper research. I have done research papers before but I didn’t have all of these tools and procedures so I know the substance of the papers could have been improved. Dr. Williams broke down our research projects into 6 main components. They are: statement of the problem/challenge, current state of research, methodology, framework, development of thesis and conclusion. Even though these components are very basic if Dr. Williams didn’t mention all 6 along with their sub components, my group (Freshmen Seminar 5) would have left it something out and that could of leading to our topic not being as great as it should be so thank you Dr. Williams. With any presentation isn’t necessary to plan out what will be addressed to the audience and how it will be presented. Methodology is the most important component in my opinion because before you research your topic you have to know how your group is going to divide the work. After that you need to know how the information will be collected and displayed. Knowing your thesis is important also but if you don’t know how to collect the data to prove your thesis correct then it’s no pint in having a thesis I the first place. The other 4 components are important so I will be sure to include them all in my group’s presentation.

Jasmine Westbrook

Research and Methodology: Inscription as a Liberating Practice

            Dr. Dana Williams was the last professor to lecture our freshman seminar class. She basically gave us the breakdown of the purpose of the class and how we should go about completing our research project. She gave us detailed instructions on how we should go about collecting data. She also told us how we should go about developing a topic to research. The topic of research was to be carefully chosen because we would have to research the topic very in depth.

            She explained that each person chosen to lecture our classes was told to present research material to us so that we could shape/frame our findings to what they had presented. The purpose of the speakers was to teach us all how to research a different subject and preset them to a lecture hall. The entire time I had been attending freshman seminar I honestly didn’t know the purpose because each speaker talked about a different topic that, in my opinion, didn’t really coincide with one another. After Professor Williams explained that the purpose was to show us how to take a question or topic, research it, and turn it into an informational lecture, it all became very clear to me.

            She also gave all of the dates each of our groups would present our projects. Gave the separate meeting places each group would go to work on our projects. Finally she read blogs from our fellow classmates as a sort of reflection of the class and how others responded to each of the lecturers.

Erin White

Omoluabi:Self Actualization and Communal Responsibility

            Dr. Segun Gbadegesin is the Associate Dean of Humanities in the College of Arts and Sciences and the professor of Philosophy. He spoke about the Ma’at cultures and traditions.  He told the story and ancient African myth of Iwa and Orunmima, the God of Wisdom, and how everyone takes on their own personal destiny. He spoke a lot about our character and the importance of having a good character. He wanted us a black youth to understand that our character is what defines us and it embodies everything we have to offer. “A man of character is a man of wealth”, he said.

            He stressed the fact that we should carry out the Ma’at lifestyle and if we did so our lives would be fulfilling. There would be no question in our motives because the Ma’at lifestyle goes untouched and unchallenged; everything done in the culture is for a special purpose. He touched upon our existence; challenged us on if we knew why we existed. If we knew what our purpose of existence was and if we were successfully fulfilling what we had been brought here to do.

            He tied his lecture into education and made it apparent that we must take full advantage of our Howard University education. Howard would help to build character and allow us to focus on getting to know ourselves better and to build our character.
Erin White

Freedom and Justice

Dr. Cain Hope Felder from the school of divinity spoke about justice and the practices of freedom in the United States. Although I could tell Dr. Cain had a very important topic and was even very enthusiastic about carrying out his lecture, it was often very difficult for me to understand a lot of things he was saying.

            I did however gather that he wanted to discredit the notion that those with darker skin are of any lesser value of whites or those of lighter skin. He spoke a lot about freedom and it having to do a lot with religion. He also said that the bible played a major part in the role of women in society.

            Justice and freedom goes hand in hand; especially dealing with African Americans. Due to discrimination there is a lack of justice when blacks are put into complicated situations. Thus taking away the freedom and placing them into the jail systems which has become modern day slavery.


Erin White

The Eloquence of The Scribes

 Dr. Benjamin gave a lecture on the importance of knowing the history of our campus. So often us as Howard students enter the buildings around us without thought. We don’t realize how important the names of each of these buildings really are. She told us about Mordecai Johnson being the first African-American president of Howard University. She went on to name Mary McLeod (Bethune Annex), Fredrick Douglass (Douglass Hall), and Ernest Everett Just (Just Hall). All of these influential African Americans played a major role in the education of blacks.

            She went through each of the sections of the Harriet Tubman Quadrangle; the freshman girl’s dorm. She briefly talked about Phyllis Wheatley; one of the youngest published African American women. Sojourner Truth; famous abolitionist, preacher, and a staunch advocate of women’s rights.  Prudence Crandall; a white woman who opened the first school for black girls.

            She went on to tell the stories of many other scribes at Howard University. Dr. Benjamin informed us that there were so many influential people with buildings as there namesakes that she couldn’t mention them all. In the short 50 minutes she had she gave all of the students a vital history lesson we will all never forget. We learned the legacy of our university and the importance of every building we enter each and everyday.
Erin White

Dr. Dunston

Dr. Georgia Mae Dunston, the founding Director of the National Humane Genome Research Center lectured on the importance of the human genome and how we as people must tap in to our entire genome instead of only using a small percentage of our genetic makeup. I learned that the research center was the only one of its kind to be on a college campus. The genome is opening up doors to worlds of knowledge that scientists never knew existed. Our genomes are what makes up the lifestyles we live and our behaviors as human beings. It is mostly important for us as African Americans because our ancestors were very strong and resourceful individuals; if we can tap into the genome in its entirety we have the ability to be very powerful individuals.

            She explained that when we have located and utilized the entire percentage of our genome instead of the small percent we have been using, we can truly live life fully; until then we are not reaching our potential of living a full life. She used the genome analogy to relate to our experience at Howard University. She was explaining to us that we are all here at this time for a reason and that we must take full advantage of it. 


Erin White

Learning, Wisdom, and The African World Experience

            Dr. Carr’s lecture was very informative and should have opened a lot of students’ minds to understanding the real value and importance of our African culture. I did not realize that Africans created and invented as many things as they did and Dr. Carr brought that to my attention. He spoke about the many finings of Africans a time long before they were enslaved. He told us how whites have fooled us all into thinking Africans were illiterate, despite the fact that they discovered astronomy, mathematics, and writing. The first language was spoken by our African ancestors.

Dr. Carr was very enthusiastic and engaging as he carried out the lecture, which held my attention and made me eager to hear every word he said. He made learning things I didn’t know about the early Africans interesting. When I left the class I wanted to know more. I learned some of the language they used, for example, Djaety: symbol of intelligence. They used hieroglyphs with words such as, Iwa pele meaning: good/right character, sedi: educate, Iwa-l’ewa: oneness of character w/ beauty.

He said, “The most serious threat to African dignity is the domain of intellectual ability” meaning that our knowledge is the greatest thing people can go after in order to destroy us. He told us that we need to transform humanity; meaning we need to come together and reverse the way things are going in our culture and generation. By motivating and informing our peers of the history of our ancestors and our actual destiny as a people. He also left us with three basic principles of learning:

1.      Be present (be there to learn)

2.      Read and write (repeat to sink it in and take time to think about it)

3.      Do what you do so well that those before/after you will mention your name.

The lecture overall was excellent and I am eager to learn so much more during our next class.


Erin White

Response on Dr. Benjamin's Lecture by Saida Yusuf

Dr. Benjamin's Eloquence of the Scribes lecture was one of my personal favorites. This is because one never hears the word 'scribes' in normal day to day conversation and it piqued an interest from the beginning. Dr. Benjamin went through her explanation of every scribe in the history of Howard University's accomplishments and stories. Some, such as the scribe Zora Neale Hurston, Phyllis Wheatly, Sojourner Truth, and Frederick Douglass were familiar to me; however, scribes such as Alaine Locke and Mordecai Johnson were not. I was intrigued to learn who all of our many buildings and dormitories on campus were named after, and the history that is housed within all of the aforementioned buildings. It was a lecture that taught me much about being ignorant; this University was founded on the terms that it would produce young Black Scholars aware of the world around them, and thats what i intend to be.

Dr. Dunston's Lecture Response by Saida Yusuf

After hearing Dr. Dunston's extremely interesting lecture on the Human Genome, it made me wonder what really made us different. Historians and present day scientists argue that all human life force started in Africa; therefore, if we all came from the same, why does modern day culture socially divide the races with such a bold defining line that we would never think we have anything in common on the inside. The maps interested me as well, seeing the large percent of African-Americans in the United States are on the East Coast, and predominantly in the South. This lecture was one of my favorites particularly because i had asked myself so many questions about where everyone came from and it had never been explained so intricately.

RePost by Saida Yusuf via Xanga (2)

• HUFreshman's weblog
• older »

Tuesday, 14 September 2010

• Dr. Carr's Lecture by Saida Yusuf

  This lecture in freshman seminar has touched me the most to date. Dr. Carr lamented on our African roots and great African societies we never really learned about in our secondary school career. Dr Carr went over African terms we should all be familiar with, such as Sedjem (listen) or Ma'at (Truth). We became familiar with many of the truths of the land of Kemet or Egypt, and we learned of how African Deep Thought is the true basis for the new generation word of Academics. Once actually thought about, the reality that Africans have been making great intellectual discoveries and thoughts that have been recorded, or even a written language, and various inventions thousands of years prior to the Enlightenment of Europe, while Europeans were in the dark ages is incredibly uplifting, and adds to why this lecture as a whole was the most awakening to date for myself.

RePost by Saida Yusuf via Xanga

Tuesday, 14 September 2010

• My Response on the First Lecture

  When arriving in Freshman seminar, i had no idea what i was getting myself into. I truly believed it would be a course designed primarily to teach Freshman students solely about Howard University, easing the assimilation process. However, i was shocked when the first lecture given was based on Howards history as a University, but elaborated on our collective African heritage, and black pioneers that paved the way for our latest generation. I came to understand that we would truly be nothing nor would we be here today in the dorms of this prestigious University without the help of our older sisters and brothers who made the transition from slave to respected intellect with their innovative literature, inventions, or education. The history of Howard University alone produces many of these respected black individuals, with alum such as Toni Morison or Zora Neale Hurston, halls named after Frederick Douglass and Alaine Locke, and dorms named after Phyllis Wheatley within the Hariett Tubman Quadrangle. We would be nothing without these aforementioned heroes, and sadly i am just coming to this realization.