African Burial ground trip

Recently, freshman seminar went on a trip to The African Burial Ground in New York. The 3 hour drive on the bus made me very lethargic, but I still was awake enough to retain the information I saw at the burial grounds. What is the significance of such a place you ask? The significance of this place comes from slavery during the 1600s-1800s. This burial ground is related to the earliest slave revolts. At the time, New York had the most slaves per household. The ratio to Europeans to Africans was 5 to 1.This land was first used as common ground until the late 18^th century. Africans buried their fellow killed slaves in places like these. Those slaves were killed during the Revolutionary War and as a result of slave revolts. The burial ground contained a lot of artwork. One of my personal favorites was entitled “America Song” by Clyde Lynds. This was a stone carving that included fiber optics. It was finished in 1995 and is a tribute to the history of all people who strived for freedom. At night you can see the fibber optics emitting light across the sculpture. Under the sculpture is a poem that reads:

“I want to be free

Want to be free,

Rainbow’ round my shoulder

Wings on my feet”

This trip was very educational as well as enjoyable. There was a lot of history here that I previously did not know about

Henrietta Egbo Group Presentation reflection

For my group “Boots and Moccasins” my team members and I decided to cover a subject that we could all relate to. So for our group presentation we answered the question, “Is college worth the stress?”. One of the biggest stressors we talked about is money. College is all about money. You have to pay thousands f dollars for room and board and tuition. Your cost can range anywhere into five figures. Its impossible to just get tens of thousands of dollars out of nowhere, unless you rich, so you are expected to take out loans. Loans provide another stress because you have to worry about paying back accumulated interest as well as the money you borrowed, or it may hurt your credit score. But other ways to get money are through grants and scholarships. This is money you don’t need to pay back, but there is of course a requirement to getting these. College stress doesn’t just lie within money. Stress in college can come from a variety of sources like the financial aid office, administration, peer pressure, roommates and of course grades. But after going through all the stress, there are benefits of going to college. As a college graduate you are likely to make more money in your life. You make lifelong friends who have the same goals as you do. And for people like me, becoming a doctor requires a lot of schooling and degrees so school is my only option.

Henrietta Egbo Course reflection

I feel as though freshmen seminar had a lot of benefits. Although I did not enjoy going to class at 6 o’clock every Thursday evening, the benefits outweigh that inconvenience. During freshman seminar we had a lot of very motivational speakers. They were all very accomplished and reputable speakers. And luckily for me, a lot of them spoke about things regarding my field of study, biology. But even for the ones who didn’t speak on topics of my major, I still enjoyed hearing them. Most of the speakers talked about how we as young black students are the future. How we have the potential to accomplish things that generations before us weren’t able to. They also spoke about how our ancestors paved the way for us to have the opportunities we have. It was refreshing as well as an honor to be in the presence of prominent successful adults. Freshman seminar gave me a reason to stay motivated as well as reasons to stay focused on achieving my goal of graduating and one day becoming a doctor. Overall freshman seminar was an enjoyable experience. As much as I dint want to work on my presentation or get up from taking a late afternoon nap, I think it was well worth it. The ideas presented to me in freshman seminar well represent the ideas of Howard University and puts them in a very positive light.

Brandon Dean - Freshmen Seminar Final Reflection

The value of Freshmen Seminar is great in my eyes. The program integrates first year students into their new environment. Seminar allows for an inclination to what research is at a more sophisticated discovery level.  The guidance and instruction provided to students in seminar was most valuable. The diversity of lecturers with many unique perspectives on disciplines assisted students in developing their own research techniques.  Group presentations mirrored the faculty lectures in that it provided students an opportunity to discuss topics from the perspective of their own disciplines. Concerns that I would like to express concerning the course are the need for more focus on the actual process of research as a opposed to developing “half baked” research papers and presentations. It is my opinion that students would benefit from being more interactive with concepts of research as opposed to practicing research in this course. Assuring that students have mastered the broad elements of research will guarantee their future success in writing. This could be accomplish but have guest lecturers focus on their disciplines, as they do now, but also discuss one or two elements of research during their presentations. The subsequent requirement should be for students to make blog post that discuss the lectures perspective discipline as well as the concept of research introduced to the audience.  Freshmen Seminar is a valuable resource for students. It prevents a permanent struggle to adapt to the college experience, especially academically. My recommendations apply only to the research aspect of the course but moving forward I regard the other practices and activities in the highest esteem.

Brandon Dean Freshmen Seminar Session 9 Opinion Group Evaluation

What is clear from the information present is that the employment of young people in prostitution rinks is alarming but present. This practice has evolved but at the same time become much more difficult to crack down on. Although comprehensive research to document the number of children engaged in prostitution in the United States is lacking, it is estimated that about 293,000 American youth are currently at risk of becoming victims of commercial sexual exploitation.

The corrupt bargains that extend this lifestyle to young people is one of the most disturbing elements of the research. Other young people are recruited into prostitution through forced abduction, pressure from parents, or through deceptive agreements between parents and traffickers.

We can now conclude that prostitution rinks are out there and that those involved are not necessarily involved by choice.

Among children and teens living on the streets in the United States, involvement in commercial sex activity is a problem of epidemic proportion. Approximately 55% of street girls engage in formal prostitution. The challenge for the select majors was to use their discipline to solve this problem beyond the urging of our law enforcement and government to be more proactive in identify problems there is not much more that was offered as a solution.  Now that we have had such a presentation we must begin to wonder how we fix the problem. The issue has reached the international front making an extermination of the crime much more difficult.  I encourage further exploration of the issue and I expect that Howard Students will be able to contribute in this respect.

Brandon Dean Freshmen Seminar Session 8 Opinion Group Evaluation

HAITI RELIEF

I appreciate the dedication to research on behalf of this group. Their discussion of the tragic events surrounding the Haiti Earthquake provided new insight to the world after the disaster. Out of the efforts to rebuild this ravaged country arose corruption, lawlessness, and deep hurt. Howard University made a substantial contribution to the cause and has been vocal in the aftermath. I encourage this conversation and research to continue as it contributes to the ultimate goal of rebuilding a nation.

“Despite the good intentions of the United States and the world community, weary relief workers say the coming weeks will severely test the resolve of those foreign contributors and the resourcefulness of a Haitian government that remains all but invisible.”

The preceding statement was made shortly after the shock of a large national disaster in Haiti. The earthquake devastation in Haiti earlier this year was devastating with the loss of life, resources, and homes.  The concern presented by the seminar group was centered on the misappropriation of funds raised by various organizations for the relief effort. To date funding remains unaccounted for and withheld with respect to rebuilding the ravished area.  Recovery efforts began immediately following the disaster but little has been done at this point to completely restore the nation to fair conditions. The effect that the relief efforts had economically, socially, politically, and in popular culture are unprecedented. Out of this disaster two hit songs were created by artist Kirk Franklin and a collaboration between America’s A list entertainers.

Brandon Dean Freshmen Seminar African Burial Ground Post

Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of November 16, 1990

Native American human remains, graves, and ritual objects located on federal and tribal land are encouraged to be protected in situ . In cases where in place preservation is not possible, or if archaeological excavation is necessary for planning or research, or if the remains are inadvertently discovered, then consultation is necessary prior to excavation under an Archaeological Resources Protection Act permit. If remains covered by the law are discovered, the project will be stopped for 30 days while the review and consultation process proceeds.

What is clear from this summary of legislation protecting ancient burial grounds for American natives is that no such protection exists for sites that include a majority African American population.  The above act requires consultation with the descendant community as to how to the remains will be interred and how studies will be performed on the remains.  This is a clear injustice to the African American Community and blatant oversight by individuals who have observed the established of the African Burial Ground National Monument as a complete victory.  In fact the establishment of the monument is only a part of the continued effort that African Americans of the descendant communities for the ancestors must make to ensure that justice is served to those who died at the hand of “old brutal slavery”. The first step towards progress is to write letters to our members of congress asking them to draft legislation similar to that of the 1990s protecting the Indian Burial Grounds. The second step is receiving the endorsements of caucuses on Capitol Hill for the legislation. Those bodies could include but are not limited to the Congressional Black Caucus.  The third step in ensuring the success of the legislation is mobilizing students across the country with a genuine concern for the preservation of the ancestors of the African Diaspora. I will personally be taking on this task and I invite my colleagues to join me in creating this necessary piece of legislation which protects what Governor David Patterson once referred to as “our Ellis Island”.

Dr. Dana William’s Lecture- Jasmine Rice

Dr. Dana William’s Lecture 
Research and Methodology: Inscription as Liberating Practice 
Oct.7th,2010 

Dr. Williams came and spoke to our Thursday class on Oct. 7th 2010 about the purpose of the Freshmen Seminar class at Howard University. It was the first of its kind, piloted by Dr. Carr and others, to foster the love of knowledge and good research in Howard Students. It is meant to teach us (if we haven’t already learned) the principle components of research and how to relate and apply what we learned to our everyday lives. 

I learned that the basic components of research are; 1) to state the problem and consider a clear purpose, 2) assess current state of research on the problem at hand,3) come up with a clear methodology (i.e. how to go about collecting data), 4) Set up a framework of how to solve your problem 5) Develop a thesis with supporting detail and 6) present the data gathered in a logical manner and construct (from your findings) a conclusion. 

These steps weren’t something that was foreign to me because they closely resemble the steps to writing an analytical essay (as I had to do often in highschool) but I was nice to see how exactly the professors of this course used these same ideas to built this course to fit our needs as well as have speakers come in to teach us about our history while doing it. 

I can say that by taking this course, I have learned much more than any history course in my white highschool could teach me about being black.

Dr. Segun Gbadegesin’s Lecture- Jasmine Rice

Dr. Segun Gbadegesin’s Lecture 
“Omoluabi”: Self-Actualization and Communal Responsibility 
Sept.30th, 2010 

Dr.Gbadegesin started his lecture on Sept. 30th, 2010 by paying homage to his ancestors and to God (in prayer) and he called this “IJUBA”. Immediately I knew that this lecture would be somewhat religious and it would explain the origins of African and Ancient Egyptian mythology. He spoke about the TOCHAN drum as being the hub of African and Egyptian culture because its mobilized the people in times of war, and brought them together in other times in order for elders to pass knowledge to their younger generations. 

He explained the story of Iwa; who was the goddess of character and the wife of the god Orunmilla, who was the god of wisdom. Iwa did everything for Orunmilla as the story goes, and Orunmilla often mistreated and took for granted, all Iwa would do. So she left him to return to her family, and it wasn’t long before all the fortune and nice things Orunmilla had (because of Iwa) began to perish. He soon learned that without Iwa (and what she represented) he was nothing. 

Looking back into the story the characters are but foils for what they represent in real life. The ultimate moral being that one can have wisdom but without good character nothing will last. 

He came to the end of his lecture by comparing and contrasting the similarities of Ancient Egypt and Africa to the innovations of the rest of the world’s civilizations of the time. And it can be seen that most successful civilizations after the downfall of Africa (due to slavery and greed) modeled their ideas and philosophies in old African thought.

Dr. Cain Felder’s Lecture- Jasmine Rice

Dr. Cain Felder’s Lecture 
Sept. 23rd, 2010 

I felt that Dr. Felder’s lecture was just a much religiously based, as it was factual. 
I say that because I feel he used religion as the basis to explain modern justice and laws. He began his lecture on September 23rd 2010, introducing religion as a phenomenon that documents the existence of human beings (early origins of various religions were carried through the cultures of different groups of people) and the manmade divide it created in the modern world. He applied this same logic to his explanation of The Black Diaspora. 

He began by making it a point that, “ We are a people of the day before yesterday” and I truly believe this statement. He explained that statement to mean that slavery, in the grand scheme of history, was only yesterday but that we existed before it and we will continue to exist after it. He said that as a race we must understand this in order to see that we have a greater potential instead of dooming ourselves from the very start. He introduced the African slaves’ transportation to the next world as a huge tragedy in that, being ripped from their native lands and customs they ultimately lost the power to see beyond their current desperation. This left them susceptible to used and controlled by the Europeans. 

The most memorable thing I felt Dr. Felder mentioned though, was that it is the nature of human beings to abuse power once they get it. I feel that this is very true, even in the modern world today. It’s how they crucified Jesus; it’s how slavery began; its how Hitler killed almost all the Jews in Europe; and its how people will continue to be. Hence is why the idea (in this capitalist world) that a race must suffer at one point for another to gain, makes absolute sense to me. 

I am not a product of shackles and neither is my mindset, much rather I am the product of brief misfortune. 

Total:333 words (assignment 250 min.)

Dr. Eleanor W.Traylor's Lecture- Jasmine Rice

In Dr. Eleanor W. Traylor's lecture that was held on September 16th 2010, she spoke about a group of revolutionary thinkers called the Hissaid. The Hissaid is believed to be a fellowship of great scholars that came out of Howard University (and black thought) to impact the world for the better. She began by describing Howard as the most diverse campus, historically, in this area and in the world (according to U.S. News Week). She spoke on some members of the Hissaid and described each example’s talent as a “power” given to them to be used out in the world to effect change. She noted in her lecture one of my favorite writers, Langston Hughes, and recited passages from his poem I have known rivers. As she recited the poem I could understand her theory that these thinkers have/had special “powers”, because specifically in Hughes poem his uses the power of memory of his ancestors to tap into his purpose for writing (which he used as a means to affect his change). She continued by introducing us to more recent members of the Hissaid; she noted that 1) open heart surgery was started here on Howard’s campus by Dr. Williams, 2) Ernest Everest Just (after which the science building on Howard’s campus is so named) was one of the first scientist to successfully split the cell and 3) Dr. Ronald W. Walters was one of the first people to predict a black president in one his published works. She named more prominent writers like Zora Neale Hurston and Toni Morrison to begin her transition into how appreciative we should be of the history we see around us everyday and the education we stand to receive as a graduate of Howard University in the coming years.

Dr.Dunston's Lecture- Jasmine Rice

Dr. Dunston’s Lecture
Jasmine Rice
Sept. 9th 2010 

I found that the purpose of this lecture was to make us understand ourselves on an atomic level. In the first lecture we were to see ourselves as equals in academic thought and this lecture is meant to go a step further and present evidence of our atomic similarities through the Human Genome. To understand the acquisition of knowledge we seek, we must place ourselves into the nature of life, as but a piece of the world around us. We are individuals and collectively “human” because we have the power to think; this sets us apart from animals and plant life. It is said that we are 99% the same as all other races of people but that the remaining 1% is responsible for our genetic diversity and the evolution of us as a human race. What I learned though is that the Human Genome comes out of three sub categories, which are; 1. The Clinical Phenotype. 2. Cultural Factors and 3. Environmental Factors. Those three things determine ones family history (biology, disease, gender, age), attitudes/ beliefs, and where they grow up (climate, parasites, pollutants, smoking, alcohol use, and drug use). These factors create the disparities between people in that 1%. With the information the Human Genome provides about human behavior, historians are then able to categorize the human race further into specific races and attribute academic successes, traits and stereotypes to them. In this way I felt the two lectures went hand in hand to explain the scientific and social existence of humans beings.

Dr.Carr's Lecture- Jasmine Rice

Dr. Carr's lecture
Jasmine Rice
Sept 2,2010

I enjoyed Dr. Carr's lecture on the African World Experience. He began the lecture introducing us to the basic terms of Africana learnings and teachings.
To my surprise many of these early symbols looked like hieroglyphics. Than I began to understand that saying that " nothing is new in this world, only recycled."
I always knew that Egypt was in Africa but you always hear about hieroglyphics exclusively "belonging" to the "white" or should I say lighter and richer egyptians. Or atleast all the great things that blacks did being attributed to our white counterparts. But I digress, Dr. Carr countinued to show us just how African teachings and culture have found its way to the shores of America and into the thoughts of great thinkers like WEB Dubois, Frederick Douglass, and Malcolm X. He lectured that global traditions and innovations in teachings have all come (in some way or another) from the contemporary African Experience. He made it clear to us that we must not see ourselves as beginning with slavery but that we are bigger than that; our thoughts go deeper than that. If we see ourselves as bigger, we will also see that every race of people has had their time on the bottom ( being oppressed) but that taken notice or not we all have contributed profoundly to the world we live in. He cited black intellectuals who wrote about the plight of the black man losing his culture and therefore the self- woth of his thoughts; in summary concluding that if one's self worth is taken the rest will follow. He also outlined for us the goals of African Deep Thought as 1. To recover African Deep Thought from its historical African background and 2. To show that such deep thought is the basis of what is now "academic" work. I took from this lecture that we as people must see ourselves as academic equals to others for them to respect us the way we want them too. We must look at history objectively and see the facts (and interpret them) soley as they are, and move on.

Practice Post- Jasmine Rice

this is a practice post- Jasmine Rice

Brandon Dean Freshmen Seminar Session 4 Opinion

Brandon Dean

September 25, 2010

Freshmen Seminar

The Bible

Dr. Caine’s indept analysis of the biblical scriptures opened a new perspective on biblical texts for me. The fact that so much of what is read and seems to be ancient is real, and is still here with us. This revelation along with the discussion of God’s intentions of humans was much appreciated and quite relevant to our generation.

The African American Church

One of the most memorable aspects of the conversation that Dr. Caine had with the students in our last session was his critiques of the Black Church. The Black Church even in my time has stood as a symbol of free expression and set a standard for righteous living in African American culture. With the recent eruption of scandals in the life an acclaimed Black Mega church preacher, Eddie Long, the impact of those traditions may have become questionable.

The Negro Mother

This work by Langston Hughes exhibits the great respect that Hughes held for the struggle of Blacks especially Black women. Presented with a tone that suggest determination and strength, the poem is motivating.  Hughes uses the poem to recall the experience of blacks through slavery and Jim Crow.

Kwame Nkrumah

Brandon Dean Freshmen Seminar Session 3 Opinion

The Chrystal Palace

Dr. Elanor Traylor’s presentation was valuable with respect to informing students of the contribution Howard University students have made to the arts and sciences. She created a crystal palace in her presentation to students aided with newspaper clippings, pictures of the Gullah People, and insight on upcoming events. Phylicia Rashd, Toni Morison, and Zora Neal Hurston were among the diversity of African American women discussed because of their achievements and their relationship to Howard University.  Dr. Ronald Walters was acknowledged as a pioneer of one of the most powerful forces in United States political culture: the Congressional Black Caucus. Phylicia Rashad is revered in the world of entertainment as a transformative figure. Rashad has proven herself in many portrayals to a an extremely talented women. Washington will welcome Rashad in November when she opens “Every Tongue Confess” in South West D.C.  The works of Toni Morrison and Zora Neale Hurston which depict he black experience so well were inspired by the stories of slaves and blacks in a racially divided country. In the time that their art forms were coming to life blacks were subjected to horrific conditions. Hurston and Morris’s stories were fostered by the richness of their own experience.  Dr. Traylor spoke firmly and with compassion about the significant of all their individual contributions. A failure to find some meaning in this work leaves Howard students far removed from the legacy. It also leaves one very distant from the crystal palace. Howard is and entity that supports and provides the resources for achievement but it is up to each individual to make the appropriate steps to arrive at that place

Brandon Dean Freshmen Seminar Session 2 Opinion

Human Genome

Dr. Dunston’s powerful assessment of the origins of human beings was candid and clear. Her exploration of reason for disease in the Black community is something that can be appreciated by the Howard University community and the D.C. community. She calls upon students to focus on the idea of abandonment, dismemberment, and reawakening in the black community. The idea is to concentrate on eradicating   blights in the black community using the wealth of disciplines provided in an Afro-Centric institution such as Howard.  The African American experience tells us that we have been the victims of healthcare initiatives that did not focus on the energy construct of African Americans.  Howard University students are responsible for solving the problems of the day, especially for African Americans.  Information that is limited can be rendered ignorant. Your thinking is a reality that is residing in you.  Genome is in every cell.  Examine the quality of your thoughts.  

QUALITY, AMOUNT, AND SPEED of information is what is important.

Freshmen Seminar Session 2 Opinion

Human Genome

Dr. Dunston’s powerful assessment of the origins of human beings was candid and clear. Her exploration of reason for disease in the Black community is something that can be appreciated by the Howard University community and the D.C. community. She calls upon students to focus on the idea of abandonment, dismemberment, and reawakening in the black community. The idea is to concentrate on eradicating   blights in the black community using the wealth of disciplines provided in an Afro-Centric institution such as Howard.  The African American experience tells us that we have been the victims of healthcare initiatives that did not focus on the energy construct of African Americans.  Howard University students are responsible for solving the problems of the day, especially for African Americans.  Information that is limited can be rendered ignorant. Your thinking is a reality that is residing in you.  Genome is in every cell.  Examine the quality of your thoughts.  

QUALITY, AMOUNT, AND SPEED of information is what is important.

Brandon Dean Freshmen Seminar Session 1 Opinion

Freshmen Seminar Session 1 Opinion


Engaging In the African Experience
As a class we set out under the instruction of Dr. Carr to reflect on the African foundations for our intellectual work at Howard and in the human community, sketch an outline that traces the connection between learning and wisdom, and open our personal pathways for engagement and renewal. Does this simply mean acknowledging and understanding the contribution of Ancient Africa, specifically Egypt, on the modern world?  This indebt analysis of the impact of Africans in science, art, language, and the entire gamut of modern civilization is accurate and appropriate. It prepares reader and pupils for further exploration of the ideas and practices of Ancient Africa. From what we examine we recognize that historical Africans have valued education and given great respect to those bearing some level of intellectual ability.  The section of Dr. Carr’s presentation entitled “How Were You Trained to Forget? “ previews the failure of artist and the media to offer a factual representation of the African and African American experience.  There does seem to a solution to this problem. We can eradicate the disconnect between society today and the essence of Ancient Africa by paying reverence to works that we reflect them as they were, in greatness. “The Ancestors may be contacted in books, songs, prayers, proverbs, music, ritual and art….” expressed Ayi Kwei Armah, in The Eloquence of the Scribes.   This is very important to understand for anyone who wishes to understand their origins.  For those who doubt the relevance of the past to what we are aiming to achieve in this century it is essential for them to have relevant examples of the complexity of African writing, the strength of Ancient tribes, and the value Africans placed on education.  Reflecting on the African foundations for our intellectual work at Howard and in the human community, sketching an outline the traces the connection between learning and wisdom, and opening our personal pathways for engagement and renewal is what we set out to accomplish. A presentation of this quality successfully achieves those objectives.

Brandon Dean Freshmen Seminar Session 5 Opinion

My favorite quotation by Mr. Thurman is the following:"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

This message is powerful in that it charges mankind to abandon a search for pleasing the masses without having a true passion for what they are doing. Mr. Thurman through his work was influential in this way. He came alive in the community that he served and he is still alive in the legacy hat he left at Howard University, Boston University, and Morehouse College.

Undoubtedly, Mr. Thurman is one the most important religious leaders of our time, as he is held by Time Magazine. Mr. Thurman passed away in 1981 in San Francisco, California after many years of service. In his honor his papers have been archived as well as having an building at Boston University bear his namesake.

Howard Thurman remains as one of the most transformative figures in the Howard Universities history. Mr. Thurman was a distinguished author, theologian, educator, and civil rights leader. Mr. Thurman served as Dean of Theology and of Rankin Chapel at Howard University from 1932-1944. Upon graduation for Morehouse College at the top of his class Mr. Thurman expanded his scope of influence and scholastic research to the global front. Influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and a friend of Martin Luther King Sr. (father of Martin Luther King Jr. his Morehouse Classmate) he was well respected during the civil rights era.

Brandon Dean Freshmen Seminar Session 6 Opinion

Freshmen Seminar Session 6 Opinion

One of the goals of this course is to encourage every student “to pursue a lifetime of independent discovery, including the appreciation of the importance of research.”

The preceding quotation is one that summarizes completely the essential role that Freshmen Seminar plays in the success of students at Howard University. Research and further exploration of topics has been encouraged throughout the duration of this course by the variety of lecturers. The assignment of a group research project will be beneficial as it will promote focus on a particular subject unique to the university and it will encourage cooperative contributions to the research. Recognizing that there are six basic components of research will be beneficial to students with concerns for the quality of their work and how it will be graded. Coordinators for the Freshmen Seminar have set a precedent by basing this program on the fundamental components of research.  The program has been an overall success and has accomplished through the reiteration of ideas the impact of research.  The review and analysis of individual blog post was reassuring as it revealed that students are grasping the information given to them in unique fashions by our guest lecturers. The most impressive post summarized the metaphorical presentation by Dr. Elenor Traylor. The lecture was complex but applicable to our time and our people.  In conclusion Dr. Williams offered a lecture that summarized the role of Freshmen Seminar as a whole and its focus on research. The final weeks of the program will consist of research and interviews that will assist students in liberating their inner star academia.

Blog 6

This week’s presentation was by Segun Gbadesesin of Howard University. It was called “OMOLUABI: Self Actualization and Communal Responsibility”. According to this presentation, there were goddess’s and pharaohs. There was also a variety of texts. A few were entitled the Pyramid Texts and the Coffin texts. Ancient Egyptians practiced several things. Some of which are truth, justice, order, harmony and balance. Once again this presentation brings up the ideas of ma’at. Some are “I have not committed sin, I have not committed robbery with violence, I have not stolen, I have not slain men or women, and I have not cursed.” There are a lot more but I would not be able to fit them all in this blog. The Coffin Texts I talked about earlier date back to 2200-1800 BCE. These were written for the tombs of nobles in their society. Those outlined ideas of punishment and reward in the afterlife. But more recently, a 1962 Time magazine article suggested that those texts were an inspiration for the lawgiver Moses. Egypt is bonded to the African world Physically, Metaphysically, and spiritually. Olmoluabi is a child of the forgotten chief of iwa. A child of iwa is a person of admirable character. That person is disciplined and has earned respect from his or her peers. Iwa is the good of existence. “immortality is the good of existence”. The key to success is knowledge. Every student should strive for the best.

The Eloquence of the Scribes

In this powerpoint we learned about the legacy of Howard. We learned about each building and where the names originated from. We learned about the different types of Ancient Scribes. We saw where Howard got it's name from and we now know the quote of General Oliver Otis Howard. The quote basically said he didnt understand why all races did not have the same privelages as each other. The slaves were free and had commited no wrong so they should have the same amount of rights as everyone else. All of the wonderful buildings of our wonderful school are named after GREAT people and they deserve to be. From the Tubman Quadrangle to Cramton Auditorium they all have special meanings behind them. This school is a very special school because it is named of great individuals and it gives me motivation to be as good as these people that these many buildings honor. I am proud to be here and knowing that one day I can and will be as great as these people put a big smile on my face day by day. I know that I am making a difference by just being at one of the greatest HBCU's known to not only the United States but known to the world. With this great reputation, I know and believe that I can be anything I want!

blog 5

This week’s presentation was by Dr. Eleanor Traylor. She is a book author. She gave us a copy of a children’s book she wrote. It was rendition of the classic tortoise and the hare. Although I have not read the book but I’m sure it is a wonderful book. Its very colorful on the outside and has few pages and many pictures. And I am a fan of childhood stories so I’m sure it will be good. Correct me if I’m but I believe Toni Morrison co-wrote the book. She is a good author. I’ve read her books “The Bluest Eye” and “Beloved”. They were both very titillating books. I also think that one of them one some sort of award or was on a New York Times Bestseller list. I‘m not really sure. But any who, I need to fill up this word space so ill just keep writing some more about these books. My favorite of the two was Beloved. It was a story about a slave mother who killed her child. The child’s name was beloved. She was just a baby when she died. Well, let me back on topic now. Or maybe not. I don’t exactly remember but it was a really good book. I wrote a paper on it also. I got an A. At first the book was a little hard to follow, but it was an easy read over all. Thank you for reading.

Henrietta Egbo

Research and Methodology

The very first seminar was telling me about the class. The research paper was discussed. We got put into groups. It basically kind of told us about what was going to happen in th class. It explained to us about the legacy and what happens in the class. It explained to us the purpose of the class and why COAS has to take it. We are the future business leaders of the world. To be honest, this class I was really not paying attention in this class because I was so confused but now I understand our point of taking this class. IT is a very informing class and I enjoy going to it. This class is teaching us how to do research and how to develop a project.

Blog 4

This weeks presentation consisted “the eloquence of scribes: initiation, expectations and mastery-continuing the legacy of Howard University”. This presentation talked about Egyptian scribes with papyrus scroll. An account of Barley rations written on clay is preserved till this day. It was from 2350 BC. An example of a scribe is this medieval scribe. This scribes name was Jean Mielot. He was a European author. He worked during the 15^th century. Genreal Oliver Otis Howard once said “The rights of the freedman, which are not yet secured to him, are the direct reverse of the wrongs committed against him. I never could detect the shadow of a reason why the color of the skin should impair the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." These passionate words of wisdom provided by general Howard earned him his own bui8lding on this campus. I myself have passed by the building visible from Georgia Ave. and wondered what it was. But im glad to have finally figured out thanks to this presentation. Next, we talked about a character named Mordecai Wyatt Johnson. He talked about war prejudice and how it is the root of all evil for all democracy. He also talked about how we are struggling for our own decency in life. We have the a gate named after this man. He has a gate in front of the Administration Building. This gate id made out of red brick and iron fro the gate itself. To represent the school of social work we have Inabel Burns Lindsay. She established the school and became the first dean of it in 1945. She was the dean for 22 years.

Omoluabi:Self Actualization and Communal Responsibility

We learned the story of Iwa in this part of the class. It was a good story on character and wisdom. Withoout character you are nothing. Character is who you are and what you are made out of. Before the biblical sense there were gods and goddesses that were characters. We learned about the principals of the godds and goddesses. We learned what they believed in and personally I thought that if they had all of these expectations, then alot of people would be sinners in their eyes. I learned that a man of wisdom is a man of wealth. As long as you have wisdom then you can do and be anything. In the story of Iwa, we learned that she was the daughter of a chief and that she was wisdom. We need to take care of our iwa because that is the only thing that we have to own that will never get taken away from you. Even if we dont do anything with our lives we need our education and our "Iwa". To be honest, this story taught me alot about my character and why I need to stay true to myself. Education is the best thing that you can have. It is the most important thing that we can have. It is a privelage and we should take advantage of it.

Blog 3

This week our speaker for class was Dr. Georgia Dunston. She is the founder of the National Genome Research Center. She is also a coveted professor here at Howard University. Here she is a professor of Physics and Astronomy. She is also the former chair of the Department of microbiology. She has studied in wide range of disciplines including diseased common to African Diaspora communities, organ transplant research, and the creation of more effective health options in underserved communities. Dr. Georgia Dunston has a Ph D in Human Genetics from the University of Michigan. Her mentor was a biology professor Louis Austin. He gave her the motivation. Dr. Georgia Dunston has been apart of the Genome Project. The project attempted to study and map the structure for the DNA molecule. She has been published a lot. She has done articles in Microbiology, Oncology, Genetics and human development. Dr. Georgia Dunston’s presentation was entitled “Abandonment, dismemberment and Reawaking: The History and Legacy of Howard”. She focused on the history of Howard and it’s legacy. It also focused on how this University pursues wisdom in this present time. “the sign of ‘our time’” is that we will be judged by not only knowledge, but by how well we solve problems of the world. She discussed the future of genome of medicine and how it will be personalized. Each person will have their very own genomic medicine.

Abandonment Dismembermant and Reawakening: The history and Legacy of Howard University

Howard University has been a school of wisdom and determination. Howard is the school as of the legacy of learning. They now realize that the gereat people that are now great will not just get anywhere from knowledge but from helping out with the world as a whole. Knowledge is more than just getting through and being smart in school. It is about being something more. It is about being able to relate to other thing. It is about being able to help other things in society and in community.It is about making a difference. The human genome has evolved into something more than it used to be. People as a whole have migrated from Africa where we didnt have as much as much knowledge. The only thing our ancestors knew were to survive and now we have come so much more further than that. We now have cures for diseases, we now have the ability to learn how to do things that dont have to do with surviving. The product of research is knowledge. The more we look for things the more we will know and the smarter we will be. Everything is made of energy so everything from human genome to biology is all made of the same thing. We need to take into account how far we have came from the migration from Africa until now and be grateful for this way we have come.

Blog 2

This week we discussed the key elements of to learning. To be considered successful by the intellectual African tradition, you must have excellent reading, writing, counting, measuring, and reflecting in order to contribute, and service. The pathway of Djehuti consists of memory and inscription. The principle function of this is memory. The wisdom lesson is repeating and improvising. Other of this include writing, repeating, improvising, and applied knowledge. The pathway of numeracy is called seshat. It accepts accuracy, reliability and preservation of knowledge. All of those are the responsibility of the teacher and the student. The pathway of sechat isknowing by measuring and counting. There a plenty of symbolic representations of Ma’at. One is a balance held by a goddess. The goddess in the statue is wrapped in bandages. The bandages hide to “festering” sores that were said to be the eyes of Langston Hughes. Another symbol of the pathway of Ma’at is universal rhythm and order. It represents the symbol of order, balance, truth, and justice. As well as reciprocity. There is no spilt between science and faith according to this order. From theses principles you can learn resolving disorder and discord. You can also learn how to bring good into the community and world. The pathway of Ma’at is very welcoming. It welcomes scholars to bring good into the world to make it a better place for every one. In the wise words of Sankofa “there is nothing wrong with learning from hindsight”.

This seminar wwas very interesting and touching to me. I was informed about the many sit-ins that young people, young African American people my age started They made a difference and tried their hardest to do things to show that they had as much right as the next race. That touched me because it showed me the amount of difference I can be trying to make and actually making even though I am only a 18 year old college student. I can get the equality in this world that my ancestors wanted. Not only were the younger generation trying to make a difference, but the older generation was too. They were tired of being treated like they were. Dr. Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Joann Robinson, Sekou Toure and the list goes on and on showing that you are never too old to be trying to save the nation. If your heart is into doing something serious then it is possible to do what you want no matter how old or how young you are. Some of these great people were leaders. That means that we havethe potential to do big things. There were many black idols and people still look up to them to this day. There were many great black singers. They are to me bigger than the other races taht had to come up because they had to struggle. The people that had to struggle mean alot more to me because it was something that they appreciate. James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Sun Ra, and Stevie Wonders are just a few people that are great people that matter to the world. They have had to go through so many obstacles and that is what made them great. Hip-hop has gotten great also. Now we have had the chance to have a black president and that has shown us that we can do what we put our mind to.

Diversity In Higher Education 9/16/10

In this Seminar we talked about knowledge and how Howard University was posted in the New York Times Dispatch as having diversity and lots of colleges in it to get us into the real world of success. The article was entiltled Diversity in Higher Education. We learned that knowledge was one thing and wisdom went along with knowledge. Wisdom is essential to education and in order for us to have the right education we need we have to have enough wisdom and enough character. That is all we have to have to succeed. We learned how Dr. Ronald Walters in which he predicted and outlined the challenges our black president, Obama. We came a long way and for Obama to be out president is a sign of wisdom and knowledge that we as black people. We learned that without the motherload of wisdom we experience "dumb-assification". That word describes the being of not knowing and being ignorant to everything. We need to know our inniciative and where we need to be. We need to have goals and reach our goals in order to be something in life so that we can pass on our wisdom to others to see others succeed. Not only were we talking about wisdom, we talked about courage. We learned about the early sit-ins that occured in restaraunts and how black people had alot of courage and how we needed to keep taht courage. We learned about the great plays and things that were happening in DC. We heard about Phylicia Rashad and where she would be performing. Overall we learned about the great people that are our color and I became very inspired and noticed that if all of these people could do things with their lives then so can we because we are using our wisdom and knowledge. We received the book The Tortoise and The Hare to remind us that it doesnt matter who the fastest is, slow and steady always wins the race. We need to take our time and do things, it is always the best when we put alot of effort into it and actually try.

Post 1

I recently attended my freshmen seminar course on Thursday, September 2^nd. Due to delays from the ilab I could not get access to the Internet until now. Despite the time that has passed, I remember Dr. Carr’s presentation very well. It was informative as well as inspiring. His presentation was especially effective because he seemed very passionate about what he was saying. His lecture was entitled “Learning, Wisdom and the African World Experience: An Mbongi“. He mainly discussed the meaningful accomplishments that Africa had to contribute to the world. Many of those are rudimentary skills that society today may take for granted. These accomplishments include writing, reading and counting. He emphasized who exactly we had to thank for these great discoveries, our very own ancestors. The credit of these discoveries go to Djehuti. Djehuti’s pathway is focused around principles of intelligence, memory, wisdom, and the arts and sciences. Other symbols of Djehuti include improvising and applied knowledge. One line in particular that I remember Dr. Carr saying was “don’t accept the freedom to be mediocre”. That line more than anything else caught my attention. As much as our ancestors fought for equal rights, there is that one we shouldn’t accept. Being a student at Howard gives me the tools to be extraordinary. Not just an extrodinary African American in DC, but an exemplary citizen of the world. There are so many opportunities in life that shouldn’t be taken for granted and I refuse to be one of the people who does take them for granted.

• Henrietta Egbo