It’s Our Duty To Give Back

In continuation to the blog earlier this week, Sunny-Marie Birney prolongs with her personal dedication to the gratification she returns to those who paved the path she travels today. Birney explains the gift of learning and excelling as an act of community service. If someone takes the time to teach you and be an asset in your life, it is then your duty to in return do the same and give back to the community. As she reflects on her personal life she evaluates how monumental the contributions of African American female educators, both past and present, have influenced the lives of each student they have encountered. She goes on to express the legacy of academic excellence is one that she will cherish for both herself as well as secure her feet when she teaches. For example, her dedication to build relationships with her students based upon sharing, caring, and nurturing. African American female teachers have the power to be mothers to children who lack that parental figure at home if they simple take the time to care. All it takes is for one teacher to see potential within a student and have the student bring out the best in him or herself. Once they appreciate the wonder from within themselves they will soar to a greater height. When African American female educators take you under their guidance, you become part of a collective group of women who historically have mothered countless millions. The power of knowing, interacting, and studying with African American females is a miraculous experience. Seeds are deposited within their spirit that they in return are able to deposit in the lives of others as they teach what they were taught. She also explains how one does not have to be in the traditional classroom in order to touch the lives of someone in ways never imagined possible. Just make an everlasting impression that they will never forget.
-Brittney L. Echols

It Takes A Village To Raise A Child

It has always been a common tradition amongst African Americans to say “it takes a village to raise a child”, in “Voices of Our Foremothers: Celebrating the Legacy of African-American Women Educators” by Sunny-Marie Birney, her personal life story is a direct correlation of this infamous quote. She explains how at the age of two she was adopted, being the first experience she encountered where the African American community took action to raise a child of the village. As her life progressed, up until high school she only encompassed four African-American female teachers. Although they treated her with care as if their own child, it was not until college she really felt the connection between academic knowledge and the broader world. She understood the dynamics of that ever changing place in the world. This became an impact on her life that would change and shape her forever. She explained how her professors were her “mothers away from home” and the academy her “home away from home”. This phenomenon is known as “other mothering” and is a characteristic of African American female teachers. As the village does, female African American teachers view “mothering” as a communal responsibility as well as an act of service. African American female teachers tend to care more about their students and hold them to the same expectations as they would their very own children. They naturally understand the power of nurture and caring for others, especially those of the same race. African American female teachers understand the importance of the “village raising the child”. They understand the realization that a mother cannot physically be there to raise their child every minute of every hour of the day; therefore it is the job of the “village” or community to pick up where she leaves off. With and through the presence of this concept Sunny-Marie Birney became inspired and followed the sacred calling of becoming a teacher. She believed it was her destiny to follow the legacy of caring, committed, and cultural uplifting that determined her to be where she is now. She now stands on the shoulders of the countless visionaries knowing she follows a path deeply rooted in a rich history of excellence of women who make it possible to envision a dream.
- Brittney L. Echols

Lessons From Down Under

Dr. House-Soremekun explains her drive to succeed in Lessons from Down Under. The stories and life lessons that her grandmother told her made a resounding impact in her life. Specifically, I remember the story of her great grandfather. She writes, “My great grandfather told my grandmother that pigs were given food in a big trough in the yard. After the pigs had finished eating, the plantation owners poured food for the field slaves into the same trough from which the animals had eaten. The field slaves were given no utensils and had to eat with their hands… The first thing my great grandfather did [ after emancipation] was buy himself a knife and fork… the purchase of the knife and fork … was a way to elevate himself to the “higher levels of humanity” from which he was denied as a slave. “(63) This, in addition to many other accounts motivated Dr. House-Soremekun to strive for success. Particularly, she wanted to attain a PhD because it was the highest degree possible to attain. She wanted to prove that she, nor were her ancestors, inferior to their oppressors. I can personally relate to her drive to succeed. My mother tells me all the time that she wants me not to be like her, but to be better. Carrying this weight has made me highly motivated to succeed. Like Dr. House-Soremekun, I see myself attaining the highest degree possible, not because I feel obligated too, but because I have the drive and determination to. I feel that it is important that her grandmother told her stories of the hardships that her ancestors had gone through. This inspired Dr. House-Soremekun to be the best person she could be. I feel that in today’s society children do not have the same motivation as their parents did. As long as the child makes it then the society is ok; however, what happened to children excelling in all that they do? - Daria Clegg

Black and on Welfare: What You Don't Know About Single Parent Women

The introduction to this chapter reflects on a personal experience of a 20 year old black woman taking her first trip to the welfare office. The welfare system belittled this woman the moment she walked out of the office to a feeling of dehumanization and humiliation. Although the welfare building built as an aid from the government given to those who need extra help, I feel that it is similar to charity. The welfare system allows many young women to get over on society because they will choose not to work and instead sit at home and wait for checks. They do not realize that the money that is being handed to them is being taken out of a hard working individuals check. Some women do not even us the money or assisstance they are being given to better themselves and their family, but instead expect it as a way to get by, some even sell food stamps. There are many women who do take welfare as an advantage because of the absence of their spouse. They are either in the process of looking for a job or have one but it does not pay that much. Welfare often times does not acknowledge black womens ability. Their history in school and functional literacy may be grade A, but they have been automatically degraded because of thier need of assisstance.
I have the greatest amount of honor and respect for single parent black women especially with all of the statistics that are going around today. It is very rare to see families together let alone married now a days, and if they are the household is often times "disfuntional". This means that the kids are out of control or there is step father taking the place of the father that has abandoned his children. Although the stpe father may care for the children, a lot of black women carry too much pride where they just feel like they don't need a man to do anything for this. In this article it talked about how black women place a strong value on church involvement. Independent mothers relationship with God is a sense of hope maybe even relief, but is generally a cry for guidance. Their connection to the church helps to build their confidence to be strong leaders and role models in our society.