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.