Aint I a Woman?

Since the beginning of time, abolitionist have been working toward reform in order for a better humanity. In learning of history, we commonly salute and pay homeage to the men who have advoacted social and racial reform. The only woman I vaguely remember learning about as a youngster was Harriet Tubman. She lead hundreds and hundreds of slaves to freedom and is sometimes called "Moses." But Ms. Tubman wasn't only woman who contributed to the cause and acted as an abolitionist.  Francis Ellen Watkins Harper, too, helped along the Underground Railroad. She also assisted in southern reconstruction after the civil war, educated freed slaves after Emancipation, and was a noted author during slavery and post slavery days. She worked along side Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Stanton in the support for women's rights but valued her support for the African American race and their rights over women's rights. Maria Stewart addressed the gender politics of the 19th Century through public speeches and opened several schools for black students.  Her speeches reached auidences of both white and black races, men and women, and upset the attention of most. Sojourner Truth was born a slave but died a national symbol for African Amercian women. She, with no education, spoke out against slavery and equality for women. For a former slave, her complexity shocked her audiences. Her masculine voice, earnest gestures, witty character, and distinct dialect captivated their attention and made her speeches renowned. All of these women contributed an equal amount of work in the fight for human equality; their argument was that they have put forth just as much as men, why don't they deserve the same rights as men? Sojourner Truth questioned it best in her "A'n't I a Woman" speech in 1851:"..all I can say is, if woman have a pint, and man a quart-why can't she have her little pint full?" These women have endured the same pain, if not more, as men; why do you think men feared sharing rights with women? It seems they had nothing to lose and all to gain, espcially African American men, who looked down upon the works of these women. #imjustsayin

Time for a Change

History has proven that it takes the determination and cooperation of people to make change, for change is something that is not readily accepted. The world see's it as "if its not broken, why fix it?" People are afraid of change, afraid that change will negatively effect their endeavors.  In the days of slavery, the slaveowners rallied against emancipation, afraid that this change would ultimately eliminate or minimize their monetary resources. If they had no slaves to work the crops, then they didn't have crops. How do you profit from a harvest that didn't produce? The slaveowners were also afraid that the slaves would revolt against them; they had good reason to be. Another thing that frightened the Caucasian Americans was their system of rank or social class; they were afraid it would work against them. Before the slaves were freed, the only competition the white community had was themselves. If the slaves were freed and granted human rights, the now ex-slaveowners feared the slaves would gain more than them and surpass their status to become dominant. The world should be more open-minded and accepting to positive reconstruction(change). To place ourselves in a box based on physical characteristics and cultural similarities allows no room for growth. I see the little blue-eyed, straight-haired, white kid as my brother, all in the eyes of God; if I cannot accept all that comes with him, I am not truly accepting him as my brother, but tolerating him to please to my father. This is unpleasing in God's eye and my heart is fraudulent. We should take the time to step outside the box and view life and the life around us from a different angle. I charge my readers to make a new friend outside of your race, try a cuisine that you never have before, learn a new language, or just google a different country. Enlighten yourself on different cultures, become more diverse, and you will be a wiser person because of it.

My name is........

One day at the Union, as I by-passed the plaza I overheard three females, all African American, having a discussion. I didn't know exactly what they were discussing but when I heard one of the girls direct the term "bitch" towards one of the other girls as if it were her name i.e. "Bitch, let me tell you...." I actually found this to be hilariously intriguing. The comedy in it is that for centuries women of color have been ridculed and degraded with derogative terms such as "bitch." Throughout history, we have seen women fight for equality, limitless power, and RESPECT, so that the young ladies of our generation wouldn't have to endure such anguish. Here's the kicker; the term "bitch" is used in place of the word "homegirl" or friend, just as the word "nigga" is used to refer to a friend or "homeboy." These terms, one whose definition is a female dog and the other referring to an uneducated person or ignorant nobody, have been changed socially to reflect something positive rather than their negative translations. The "superior" population once used terms such as "bitch" to belittle the power of the our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and aunts, making her feel worthless, useless, and broken. Now the men of our own race use these degrading terms just as the racist white men did in the past. And now the terms not only reflect women of our race but the entire female population. These changes, like most, brought about many debates. But how can you argue with this change when half of the population responds to terms like "bitch." I've always felt that it's not what someone calls you but what you answer to. If you answer to terms such as "bitch" that is exactly who you are. A good way to avoid this label is to answer only to your name or a label that is associated with respect and good suchas "ma'am" or "young lady," simple as that!

Does race matter?

In a class discussion, we came to a concensus that although race shouldn't matter, it does, and probably always will.  Now, the question is "is it good or bad?" From an African American's perspective, it's bad. It's bad that that I have to approach white women with cation and ease, in fear that they will over-react due to their conception that I will rape or rob them, or the thought that I couldn't befriend my Indian-American neighbor's son because of his parents' illusion that I would be a bad influence on him; all because of my beautiful, brown skin. I am not ashamed of my race for I am my people, and I too possess that "proud to be black" attitude that is taught in most black households; but ashamed, I am, of the ruthless and degrading actions of my kind that has brought this bad name to us. Our race is commonly referred to as "black people"; just as the color, or lack thereof, it is associated with negative stereotypes. Negative stereotypes create biased impressions, thus hindering us from advancement in society. Must we continue to live out the stereotypes that make us look ignorant and hell-filled? NO. Let us live above people's expectations of us and leave the stereotypes in the past; but until then we will live in the shadows of our actions and the circle will continue.

 “Until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned, everywhere is war and until there are no longer first-class and second-class citizens of any nation, until the color of a man's skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes. And until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to race, there is war. And until that day, the dream of lasting peace, world citizenship, rule of international morality, will remain but a fleeting illusion to be pursued, but never attained... now everywhere is war.”
-Haile Selassie I