This class wasn't what I expected at all, but...I'm not going to sit here and put down AFAM and tell you all the things I didn't like about it. There were some thing I agreed with and others that I disagreed with. I beleive we got things done but in a very different way then usual. I realize that ever class is different and everyone has different teaching styles, but I just dont believe that I have learned anything new that I can benefit from.
In the beginning of the semester we started out by having assignment to read and then we would have class discussion that nobody even knew what was going on. I, myself, am more of a visual learner and we only have one real slideshow where we could take notes and it went super fast, so nothing was accomplished. It's very hard to want to appreciate a class if you never really know what is going on. I wanted to be in this class to broaden my horizon on the African American experience and instead I just found myself googling information right before our quizzes. I did enjoy our guest speakers and our extra credit opportunity :) I thought that it was different in a good way and that's something that made me want to participate in class.
All in All, I'm glad it's over. I'm ready to begin a new semester and I'm ready to become interesting in something new. I'm not at all dissappointed that I took this class, because it was a new experience and I"m always up for new thing.

The Media's Effect!

1. Smart Guy/ March 24 2009/ 3:00 p.m.
2. Television Show
3. BET, Channel 50
4. Single dad who supports his three children, which one of them happened to be a genius
5. Positive Image, because he’s taking care of his family without any negativity

1. One on One/ March 24 2009/ 2:00 p.m.
2. Television Show
3. BET, Channel 50
4. Single dad supporting his teenage daughter, while giving up his dream to be a professional NBA player
5. Positive Image, because he is taking care of his daughter and they are growing together to be a family

1. The Family That Preys/ March 25 2009/ 7:15 p.m.
2. Movie
3. My dorm room
4. A single mom struggles to raise her daughters, as one of them goes through an affair and the other on works at the family diner
5. Positive and Negative. Positive because it’s a single mother supporting her daughters, but negative because the daughter is ungrateful about her unglamorous childhood and begins having an affair


1. Daddy’s Little Girl/ March 25 2009/ 10:00 p.m.
2. Movie
3. My dorm room
4. A single father fighting to get his daughters back from his wife that is dating a drug lord
5. Positive and Negative. Positive because it shows that a father from the hood can take care of his daughters, but negative because it also shows that the hood is full of drugs and not all parents (the mother) are trying to instill good values.

1. The Bluest Eye/ Jul 2007/ estimated start time at 2:25p.m.
2. Novel
3. My Room throughout the summer
4. A young girl moves in with a family and tells her story about how her parents fought each other physically, and constantly told her that she was ugly; which encouraged her to want to be white.
5. Negative image, because it shows that African Americans parents aren’t encouraging their children to be themselves and that domestic violence is ok.

1. The Black Family Pledge/ March 26 2009/ 10:18 p.m.
2. Poem
3. Internet/ http://publicassistance.blogspot.com/2007/10/poetrythe-black-family-pledge.html
4. Maya Angelo reveals that because we have lost and forgotten our past and ancestors, we are dealing with the consequences that we don’t understand nor like
5. Negative image, because it shows that we are dealing with hard times now because we have this world idea of thinking how the world is suppose to be; without knowing the past, you’re bound to repeat it.

1. Banned Cartoon: Lazy Town/ March 27 2009/ 12:26 a.m.
2. YouTube Cartoon
3. Internet/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbSo7oxwqlg
4. A stereotypical cartoon that depicts black slaves and their families as being lazy, while looking like monkey.
5. Negative image; because it depicts black people as looking like monkey who don’t do anything but sit around, while in reality, they’re the ones doing all the work.

I think that the media has a huge impact in how America see’s the African Race. Due to the media, there are both positive and negative descriptions of African American Families. The media that I have found show both perspectives and I believe that it does alter everyone’s interpretation of the African American family. Most of the time in the media, we see single parents in the hood, most likely committing crimes, trying to raise their kids as best as possible. As an African American, I know that there is a good and a not as good side to growing up and living a life. I grew up in a family with two parents who are still married and their main goal is to make my life better than theirs. I also realize that there are children who only grow up with one parent or none at all, struggling for ends meet. The problem is, if you aren’t aware of more then what is just going on in the media than that is all you are going to know. It is going to be the biggest influence on your opinion.

Civil Rights Movement

The Harlem renaissance, otherwise known as “The New Negro Movement”, impacted not only African Americans but also Americans as a whole. It was a chance for African American to come out and really embrace who they were and where they came from. Anything from art to dance and music, it was a new way of life for afro Americans and Anglo-Saxons took in a brand new perspective of them. This movement showed how African American came from slavery and were now expressing their contemporary side.

The Civil rights movement was between the times of 1955 and 1968, and changed it the world. It was a political movement directed to find equality between races in America. The main concerns of this movement were to abolish racial difference and to restore what was taken away during slavery.

The lynching of Emmett Till happened at the end of the summer in 1955. He was a 14 year old boy who was friends with the opposite race. He was allegedly accused of grabbing a white woman and had to pay the price. He was taken from his house shot in the head and lynched. The terrible men that committed the crime were eventually let go and no one was sentenced for this terrible murder. It’s just awful what happened to this small boy, and no I didn’t know about this at all before class.

The SNCC is the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. This committee started out changing the world with freedom rides and sit-inns but then their purpose started to change. Their main contribution to the world was their determination to get people to vote and help them accomplish voting. It was hard to live in a world of such racism, and they were wondering how much longer they could stay nonviolent. They eventually turned into supporters of the “Black Power Movement” and the Vietnam War. The name was changed to Student National Coordinating Committee.

Malcolm X was a man who was raised without parent in an environment that wouldn’t be considered the safest. He was sentenced to prison for eight to ten years and came out as an Islam. He was a true believer in the Muslim faith and already had violence instilled in him since he was a child. He was a leader in the black power movement and helped to change the world. While on the other side of the tracks, Martin Luther King Jr. was raised in a family environment and he excelled in all things that he did. He was married and full of love. His beliefs were very nonviolent and that violence was unnecessary. I believe that because these young men’s beginnings differed that they were destined to have different beliefs. The way that a person is brought up has a large impact on the way they view life.

The Civil rights movement accomplished some goals but not all. Like for example, the problem of equality will never actually be resolved. There will always be difference, even though we have a black president in office…I mean look at the cartoon in the New York post, we are still thought of as animals. For things like the right to vote and eating in the same place, well yes, definitely the civil rights movement did fix that problem.

It is true that how and where you are raised depicts how you view life. If you were born in the hood, you’re officially not going to look at life the same way someone would if they were living in a mansion. Personally, I think it is sad that the world is supposed to be based off equality and it still isn’t. The problem is I don’t ever think it will be!

Privilege

1. The privilege of choosing any university that I wanted to attend, because my parents make enough money to support my wants and needs.
2. The privilege of taking the bus and sitting wherever I choose; I could even drive the bus if I wanted too.
3. The privilege of actually getting an education at college because a lot of people can’t even attend.
4. The privilege to wear any clothing that I choose, because some cultures aren’t aloud to show any skin.
5. The privilege to be independent and not to have to depend on a man as the soul provider, because in different places of the world it would be considered unacceptable.
6. The privilege to travel at anytime of the day that I choose and not have to worry about any laws restricting me in different towns.
7. The privilege to begin working which every job that I choose at the age of 16 oppose to some countries that have very small children working, or girls that are never able to get real jobs.
8. The privilege of choosing to be with any gender or race. No matter whom I choose to be in love with, we can be together.
9. The privilege of having equal rights, because America has come along way since slavery.
10. The privilege to do everyday things that aren’t illegal, for example washing your face, brushing your teeth and combing your hair.
11. The privilege to buy a house in which ever neighborhood I choose within my means, because some people have specific places that they have to reside.
12. The privilege to choose whatever religion I’d like and to practice as I choose, because in some cultures you have to do a certain thing.
13. The privilege to marry whoever I like, because in some cultures they have arranged marriages.
14. The privilege to do my hair the way I like without anyone saying anything, because in some cultures women can’t even show their hair.
15. The privilege to be an individual opposed to being just like everyone else in my culture, because in America it is very unlikely to see two people who are exactly the same in personality and dress.
16. The privilege to listen to any kind of music that I’d like regardless of what others think, because it’s an opinion and whatever you like.
17. The privilege to choose my friends as long as they would like to be friends with me, because in the olden days opposite races could not be friends.
18. The privilege to eat what I want, rather you want to be a vegetarian a meat eater or a vegan, and it’s your privilege.
19. The privilege to express myself in anyway as long as it’s legal, because it some cultures you can not.
20. The privilege to choose my profession as long as I’m well prepared for it, because in some places your profession is predestined.

I am PRIVILEGED. Regardless of whether I am black or white, I am. After hearing what Tim Wise had to say and reading the McIntosh article it shows me that even if I do have to suffer with racial profiling and being a woman, I am still quite privileged. I went to a private school when I was younger and I was raised in a Country Club. My father owns his own business and my mother works for the government in a small town. I am quite thankful that I am privileged; I have gotten to experience things that not everyone can. It is an extreme blessing that my parents can give me the life that they are able to because they have worked very hard for it.

NAACP.

1. Historically, how has the NAACP been instrumental in the African American experience? Please be specific.
The NAACP has been one of the most impactful things in the African American experience. As long as it’s for the cause of the movement, then the NAACP will back you up. For example Martin Luther King or Rosa parks were both participants of the African American experience relating to the NAACP. The organization was there to assist and inform about the movement.
2. How has the Oklahoma NAACP contributed to the history of civil rights movement?
The NAACP of Oklahoma has contributed to the civil rights movement by having people like Clara Luper make a difference. She formed a sit in and her determination helped to change Oklahoma’s history. The people of Oklahoma stood up and worked together to have what they believed in. By creating a chapter here in Oklahoma, it became apparent that individual state change was on its way.

3. What are some ways in which the legal movement contributed to the Civil Rights movement? Please be specific.
The legal movement contributed to the Civil Rights movements because multiple cases on education and freedom were becoming an issue. Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher was the first black African American to attend Oklahoma University in 1949. A Court case was developed, Sipuel vs. Board of Regents of University of Oklahoma, and Thurgood Marshall was Ms. Sipuel’s lawyer. Therefore a black student was admitted to the school and the first black lawyer was able to defend her.
4. What were some similarities between the NAACP's relevance to the African American experience and the legal movement?
Most white lawyers didn’t want to defend African American cases or people, either because they were ignorant or because they didn’t see the point. That benefitted both the legal movement and the civil rights movement because it was blacks defending blacks. As the movements began, it inspired more people to want to take part.
5. Explain Reconstruction and was it successful?
Reconstruction was a system to help shift the south after the civil war. It was set up to help people get back what they had lost and to find placement for slaves, it was all about money, business, and the forethought of the reconstruction. It didn’t work for the slaves, because the whites still weren’t willing to help but for the white southerners…it did.
6. What are some current ways in which the NAACP has been active in maintaining societal civil rights?
The NAACP is always trying to give back to the community and they are still maintaining a societal status in civil rights by giving away scholarships, helping kids in school and always trying to progress in their community service. Like in my hometown chapter of the NAACP, they visit schools and have little sibling programs. Also in the Oklahoma chapter, our visitor stated that, “they are trying to get the sunset signs taken down.”
7. Personal reflection: After listening to both of our recent visitors, what are some of your thoughts in reference to African and African American studies and the African American experience?
After listening to both guest speakers, it just puts back into perspective the struggle that African Americans had to endure. My life right now would never have been this good, if it wasn’t for them. But I’ve realized that no matter what, it’s all about giving back to the community. I hope to fulfill my dreams in life and then help somebody else. And the goals that I have written on my mirror have made it where I can think about them every single day.

I choose to use this week's free blog to talk about inner-racial relationships and share my opinions and thoughts about it. It's pretty much a known fact that parents would love for their children to date and wed within their own race, but what if they don't? Should an inner- racial relationship be judged, and why does it matter if people date within their own race? I, myself, always believed if a parent was against their child dating or wedding someone of a different race there was a trace of racism in them. But as I was watched an episode of "one on one" earlier this morning and it was contrary to my belief that most of the time this isn't a racist preference...it's more of wanting to keep a legacy going, keeping the family and tradition alive. My judgement that all parents looking down upon inner-racial relationships was prejedice is definately wrong. I can see how this relates to the african american experience because we have come such a long way from being taken from africa by a different race, why would we want to end our legacy and pure bloodline. It's not only an african american thing, but it can be looked at from all points of views. Personally I believe families are built from love no matter what color your skin is and that's what my parents taught me, but I'm sure things could change when I have my own children. Although many culture have taken part in changing the world and giving people a new perspective of mankind, there are also many places in this world that ban this type of thing for the very reason that they believed its ungodly. I embrace being able to be in african american in the united states and being able to have beautiful chocolate babies or mixing it up a bit. GO AMERICA :)

Sleep=Peace

I love to sleep, and I don’t understand why people don’t do it more often. It’s so calming and relaxing, and I feel like the day just goes by so much faster. A lot of people say that I waste my day away, but I wouldn’t want to do anything else. My father owns a barber and beauty salon in my hometown and when I was younger I used to have to sit there all day and just wait. In my midst of waiting, my mom would just tell me to fall asleep…especially if I was hungry. Now anytime I get hungry, I just fall asleep. It’s like my own personal diet and it really works, I still haven’t gained my freshman fifteen. My roommate and I used to have completely different sleeping patterns, but somehow I brain washed her and now she sleeps just as much as me. Because we sleep all day, we’ve been thinking about having our own talk show at night time on the internet. We talk about everything and anything, and we really believe people could relate to our thoughts and ideas. Even though we suffer from severe insomnia, it’s fun running around the halls of our dormitory being the only ones awake. I believe the hours between one and four is when I get my best thinking done. The only problem I have with not being able to sleep at night, is that it’s not good to study at that time. For my finals last semester, I didn’t do so well but since the semester has started…I’ve been trying to create a different sleeping habit. Unfortunately it’s not working, and I’m still taking quite a few naps every day. My bed is probably my best friend, which is really sad. I love pillows and when I’m in it, I just feel so warm and comforted like I’m still at home.