Making Privilege and Power Visible

I must say that black women are mis-represented all the time. All the names that people call them is just wild to me. I even hate when my friends call them, sorry to say, bitches. I just feel like it is so disrespectful. Especially coming from a family of all aunts and really no uncles. It hurts me to hear that because that is how they refer to all women, and I wouldn't want anyone calling my sister, mom, grandma, or aunts that word. I can't say that I haven't called it how I see it though. I sometimes must say I have looked at a girl and off that back called her a bussa. A bussa is a girl that will have sex with anyone, and I feel like if you dress yourself to look like that and carry yourself like it then that is what you lable yourself as. If I know you are a hoe, then I will call you a hoe. I don't just go out and call our black women names that is not deserved for them. My names don't refer to just blacks but can go to all nationalities. Even though I love rap music, I feel that they have made alot of people comfortable to call our black women what they want to, but the black girls love the music so the males feel its alrite and they let us. I don't agree with all the stuff said in the Collins book because I don't here much of those words being referred to women. I do though agree on the way that people prefer lighterskinned girls now days. I myself even like lighskinned girls more then dark, I don't know why. I guess I just want a girl to look as far away different then my mom and sister I can. I have nothing against darker women thought because if you are beautiful then that is what you are. I was shocked to find out that a black girl that is lighter is more able to get the job from a darker girl. But the most name calling is women against women, so if they respect each other more I think that men will follow.

Is Barack Obama an African American?

A lot of people ask the question about is Obama black. I don't care what anyone says but to me he is. Though he has a white mother, his dad is a black african man. So he is just mixed, just like mostly every other light skinned person that we still call black is. If he was back in the day, he would be a slave because of his skin color. If he isn't black then what is he? If you have to question his race then obviously he is. If he isn't black then I really wonder why is he trying to help us so much. If he isn't black I wonder why the world feel this is such a big movement for him to become a president, because they say its history. It's history because he is the first black president. His wife is black, they made black kids, and their culture is those of black people. Many people even got mad when him and his wife dapped each other hands, something that blacks do. Its just to many things that they do that can't even make me think otherwise and neither should anyone else.

The HistoryMakers

I looked at a few history makers. Russel Simmons and Obama I feel had to make a transformation from the way that they were living their life. From the hardships they had in their younger days, to making out of their neighborhoods to get a chance at life. Russel didn't know that he was going to be who he was, Obama didn't know that he was going to be president. When they both found something going good for them they then stuck to it and kept striving to be better and better and it took them both to the top. Russel is over alot of organizations and people look up to him as a father figure in alot of businesses. Many men are trying to get their businesses to be as succssful as his. Obama has made African Americans everywhere feel like they have a chance to be and do what ever they want to do.

Beginning Considerations--Starting the Blog, Starting the Course

Reading the material in both books gets me curious about many things I must say. It makes me want to learn more about my culture as a African American. I would want to experience the way that we lived back in the day to really appreciate the things we got now, and it would probably make me work harder in whatever I do now. I take a lot of things for granted I feel, not thinking about the things that others went through to get me where I am today. It was interesting to find out about many of the black philosophers, many of the names I have never heard. I was surprised how Sojourner Truth who couldn't read or write became such a powerful speaker. I was shocked how many white students supported the move to establish Black studies programs at their school that was filled with whites in their colleges. Lastly, I am surprised at how women had barely no say so back in the day and now they are major in today's society with their ideas and almost been a president.

3 Questions:
1) Why are African American women and their ideas not known and not believed in?
2) Which woman do you think made the biggest impact for African American freedom today?
3) Which male do you feel made the biggest impact on African Americans?