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.