Did We Abandon Africa?

The lecture this week detailed the abandonment of African culture during the African diaspora. The African diaspora played a large role in somewhat of a disconnect between Africans that remained in Africa and the ones that were taken to the New World. This brings upon the question of whether or not African culture was abandoned completely when Africans reached the New World. Dr. Beatty exposed us to various historical opinions that answered that very question. According to E. Franklin Frazier, the Africans that were brought to the New World, they lost all of their culture and were indoctrinated with the New World culture. However there is evidence that suggests that this is not the case. There are several things that show that African culture is still a very integral part of American culture. From music and the arts to mathematics and science, African culture has made significant contributions. I believe that African culture is a very relevant part of my heritage as well as many other African Americans. It is inspiring to see that such a wonderfully diverse culture has such an impact on people today.

The Dismemberment of a People

Throughout the entire lecture Dr. Beatty spoke about the dismemberment of African people as they were dispersed into different parts of the world by force. The middle passage caused a huge dismemberment because the middle passage was so long and traumatizing. After they were dispersed into the Americas they were expected to to take on the European culture. One of the main questions he asked was, "Do you think the African people experienced cultural emptiness." When he said cultural emptiness he meant, did the African people feel like they lost all of their culture and history once they came to the Americas? Dr. Beatty showed that their culture wasn't completely lost through the way that we as African-Americans speak now. When we speak, we tend not to use linking verbs. He explained that this was how the Ancient Egyptians spoke also. This shows that certain traditions were passed down from Africa to the Americas. Throughout the lecture he made many points that were familiar to me but he also made points that weren't. I did not know that the structure of our speech was passed down from African languages.

More Than a Game

Often people can get carried away when it comes to competition. This weekend however, Howard and Morehouse used this opportunity to educate and nurture the community by providing several enriching events besides the football game. I attended chapel service this Sunday and I definitely felt that this weekend was about "more than a game". Dr. Robert Michael Franklin, President of Morehouse College, delivered an excellent sermon that gave several life lessons that will stay with me forever. Dr. Franklin started off by reading Ecclesiastes 3:1-11. This scripture was powerful because it reassured us that every emotion has a season and as long as you trust in God, you will be fine. This certainly spoke to the mood of the day in general because of the fact that it is September 11th. Although it happened 10 years ago, it is still a very relevant event in our history. Dr. Franklin went on to call us to realize the greatness that is Howard and Morehouse as well as all HBCUs. It is important to realize that though we are struggling right now as a culture but we will make it through these difficulties. 

Omoluabi: Being a Person of Good Character in Your Community

This weeks' lecture was about using your character to be a positve influence in society. It built upon the previous weeks' lecture about the importance of black intellectualism. Dr. Gbadegesin first detailed the importance of realizing our roots and what we came from. He cleared up common misconceptions about ancient African cultures. Some historians would lead us to believe that Africans had no relavent culture or history until colonialism however we know that this is not true. One of the main points of the lecture was showing that African culture not only existed but it also was full of values and ethical codes through which they governed themselves. Hence, it is not possible that African culture and morality did not exist. The lecture also defined what omoluabi meant and why it was relevant to our expericence as young African Americans. Omoluabi represents a person of good character. It is improtant for young people like ourselves to excercise good character and surround ourselves with people of good character. It is also important to realize that our decisions affect more than just us as an individual so it is crucial that we make good decisions. We have an obligation to ourselves and our community as a whole. Personally, I believe that being an omoluabi is critical to everything I do. I do not believe that anyone can say that they made a useful contribution to society unless they have been a person of good character.  

Omoluabi. What does that mean?

Alexis Thrasher

@02661188

Group 19

September 11, 2011

What is the human condition? That is the first question that Dr. Segun Gbadegesin asked our Freshman Seminar class. However, the seminar research question is: How have scholars acrss the various fields of study advanced and transformed academic knowledge related to enduring problems of the human condition? He went on to discuss various points that had to relate to scholars and how they contribute to Omoluabi: self actualization and communal responsibility. Omoluabi is a person of character, disciplined, and self improving, thus earning the respect of peers and community on account of practical wisdom, putting knowledge accquired through education to the service of the community, and not shying away from personal sacrifices when needed. Another definition of Omoluabi is a child begotten of the chief of iwa. Iwa is existence or character and Orunmila's wife. Orunmila is the God of Wisdom. These characters all come from the Story of Iwa. Iwa marries Orunmila and as the relationship progresses, he began to beat her. Suuru, Iwa's father, did not like this happening at all. Iwa left Orunmila and at that point, Orunmila lost everything he had. Once you lose Iwa, you lose yourself. So then in desperation, Orunmila went to look for Iwa. From then on, Orunmila was simply out of luck. Another point that Dr.G made was that the relevance of the research question is to see how scholars, especially at Howard, have been transforming scholarship. There are three key points to the question: Knowledge, Wisdom, and Philosophy. Knowledge is the acquisition of factual information without insight into their supporting reasons. Wisdom is when a wise person is skilled in turning his or her humanly oriented knowledge to serve the process of human relations. And a philosopher is a wise person. All of these characteristics are key for a scholar. Both Dr.Carr and Dr. G are scholars in my eyes. They both had very important key points and issues to address to our class. They both made me want to listen and learn more. I cannot wait for the next guest speaker!

You should aim to be a Omoluabi

Parker Gilkesson

@02660576
Group 19

W 12:10pm-1:00pm

The speaker of this lecture was Segun Gbadegesin. To start off the lecture he spoke about Iijuba. Iijuba means homage. He said he paid homage to the creator and the created and many other things including the class of 2015! He some on multiple subjects, but there were 3 that stood out to me. He proposed a research question that stated "How have scholars across the various fields of study advanced and transformed academic knowledge related to enduring problems of the human condition?" What must you know in order to answer this question? He stated that you must have knowledge of those various human conditions, understand advancement and transformation, and also realize that there is only one race which is the human race. Further into the lecture he talked about another subject that shocked me. I was always raised knowing that the "Mother Land" had a wealth of history and knowledge, however, the speaker stated that other historians of other cultures thought differently. They said that Africa has no history. To show how this notion was incorrect he gave us examples of African equivalents to Jesus, Moses, Socrates and other Philosophers that existed way before Christ. He also showed us Africa's equivalent to the 10 commandments. One of the last points he went over was Omoluabi. An Omoluabi is a person who has great character and is disciplined. The speaker said that "Everyone wants to be told that they are a Omoluabi." I personally took from the statement that in Africa, to be an Omoluabi is to be a leader and an esteemed person in your community.

What Did I Learn From Dr.Carr's Lecture?

In the lecture given by Dr.Carr, he spoke about various topics and terms that we should know from African Culture. For example, he stated that "Human brilliance must be connected to African brilliance. Human excellence must be connected to African excellence. To be African is to be brilliant and excellence." I feel that Dr.Carr means that all Africans are human beings and we are just as smart as everyone else. He also speaks about Mbongi. When I first heard the word, I just thought it was simply another African term, but after hearing the definition I figured it meant so much more. Mbongi means "house with no walls" and is both a physical and intellectual space or common shelter. The other main important terms Dr.Carr listed were: Boko, to break or to cut, Yemba, to create a shelter in order to cover and protect, Lusanga, to mix or put together, and Kioto, to inhale. Each of these terms can be used in different contexts. Lastly, he covered a few simple terms: sedjem "listen", ma'at "truth", medew nefer "good speech", seba/sebayt "teach/teachings", sedi "educate", and medew iaw "staff of old age". In the end, African people are smart and can excel, however, they just speak their language when they educate not English. That is why they are not as accepted as white americans. Africans are just as smart if not more than they will ever be.

Alexis Nicole Thrasher

Group 19