Dr. Cain Hope Felder

This week’s lecture was given by Dr. Cain Hope Felder of the School of Divinity. He gave a speech explaining the meaning of the title “Practice of Freedom and Justice: Representative Thinking. This week’s lecture was about the human right of having freedom and justices that come with that. Freedom is defined as the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint. He explained that practice of freedom goes has a long history together. This history has been a tragedy for most human beings at one or many points in history. Freedom for African Americans is still a topic that needs to be touched on. From being only considered someone’s property from being someone’s slave to having the largest incarceration rates from the corrupted law system, African Americans have been fighting for freedom since the day we stepped on the soil of this land. Because we are the minority group, we will be treated accordingly. The law system is in place and only works for the majority group. It does not work in the hands of the minority groups which mean we all work together to find a solution to this problem.
Fighting for freedom, whether it be for an individual or a whole group of people, can be done with us all working together. Freedom can be an everlasting occurrence rather than to be an ideology if we all just simply fight against the ignorance. Freedom is what everyone deserves and we should all exercise that right.

Dr. Cain Hope Felder’s Lecture

Tamika Philip

This past Monday the Freshman Seminar class was blessed to be lectured by, Dr. Cain Hope Felder from the School of Divinity. Dr. Felder lectured to the Freshman Seminar classes about the practices of freedom and justice. Felder stated that, “freedom is at the center of an historic request, and it is making good or bad choices.” He also stated “we are free to be responsible.” Perhaps if America is land of the free, then why were blacks considered 3/5 of a person. This country that was based and constituted on equality yet, never showed anyone deemed beneath American social values unequal. Dr. Felder also talked about justice, and how it relates to our lives. He broke justice down into two words, “just” and “us,” meaning that subliminally justice is only for the people who created what justice represented. Slaves could never and never did get justice because they were not part of the American “us.” If you were a slave you were at the mercy of your slave owners.

The pursuit of freedom and justice has been a rallying cry of the educated in this oldest of traditions. Many African- American men lost their lives to fight for our freedom. As a young black woman I am very appreciative to be able to live a normal life because those who created a path for me.

DR. Carr

This week the lecture Learning, Wisdom, and the African World Experience: An Mbongi was given by Dr. Carr. Many people do not know that African language proved that education, literature, and even scholarship began in Africa. Dr. Carr emphasized that words like Sedjem, Ma’at, Sedi, Sankofa, and many more were all existent words long before the colonization of Africa by Europeans. During the sermon Dr. Carr also went into depth of a quote from E. Franklin Frazier in which he complained that the intellectual negro was to blame for his limited thinking, and lack of philosophical insight on the meaning of life or lack thereof. Kemet also known as Ancient Egypt was of very important significance in the lecture, Our professor greatly expressed the significance of Kemet not only because it was the most advanced of any African civilization but because many civilizations European, African, or Middle Eastern built their empires on the same principles of the ancient Egyptians in Kemet. Africans is under rated in the history books as the race that were just slaves and that is it. In When being studied we are seen as insignificant and not important. The first woman was an African, the first world conquering empire was ancient Egypt or Kemet not Rome, even the pyramids which today are still thought of as architectural wonders of the world were built and designed by Africans. Dr. Carr’s lecture was informative and almost forces one to explore and go into depth about the hidden history of Africa that people do not want us to know, which is really the ancient history of man since it all began in Africa.

Dr. Benjamin's Lecture

Doctor Benjamin's lecture on the eloquence of scribes explained how vital scribes are to preserving our civilizations achievements. Without having educated people to take down all aspects of our lives we would not be able to receive advice from our ancestors or be able to give advice to our upcoming generations. While explaining how important the scribes were she also gave us an insight as to where the names of our buildings here at Howard University come from. Common places we all go such as Cramton auditorium was named after Mr. Louis C. Cramton who was a modern twentieth century scribe. Along with that on his resume he also helped Howard University to receive the financial aid from the government that we receive today. We owe the three hundred plus million dollars a year that we receive from the government to this man. Another common place that we go to learn is Douglas Hall. Named after perhaps one of the best and most eloquent scribes of the eighteenth century, Fredrick Douglas. Along with being a scribe Douglas was also more of an abolitionist who fought to help all enslaved African Americans gain freedom and equality. The Administration building also known as the Mordecai Wyatt Johnson building is named after our first black president of Howard University. He helped get schools here at Howard accredited and is a common day Howard Scribe. Finally the hall where all the freshman boys live in , Drew Hall, is named after Charles R. Drew who was a famous scientist and scribe. He pioneered the art of banking blood and helped save millions of lives during the first World War. He worked right here at Howard University and trained many medical students to learn the art of banking peoples blood. In this field his work was unmatched. His sudden death surprised many however giving his name to the dormitory room of all freshman boys allows his legacy to stay in all of us and as a part of Howard University.

Dr. Benjamin's Lecture

This week Dr. Benjamin educated everyone on the Eloquence of the Scribes. During her lecture she touched on the importance of ancient scribes to their civilizations. For example, Egyptian scribes where very important people in their societies, and they wrote in cuneiform on papyrus rolls. She also highlighted man important scribes throughout history like medieval scribes such as Jean Mielot.
Dr. Benjamin also emphasised on the fact that most of the buildings on Howard University's campus are named after truly great scribes like General Oliver Otis Howard for who Howard is named after, and also the first president of Howard University. The school of social work is named after Isabel Burns Lindsay who was also the first dean of the school. The largest school on Howard's campus, Locke Hall, is named after Alain Locke Hall who was a major contributor to the Harlem Renaissance and its cultural revolution. Douglass Hall is named after Fredrick Douglass himself, a truly great scribe that refused to be a slave and refused to be uneducated. Drew Hall is named after Dr. Charles R. Drew the first to develop the concept of blood transfusion. Earnest Just Hall is named after Earnest Everett Just the creator of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and the first black man on a postage stamp. There are truly many eloquent African American scribes that were well presented by Dr. Benjamin.

Dr. Benjamin's Lecture

The importance of scribes is seen throughout history. With Dr. Benjamin’s lecture, she has introduced us to the many scribes that have graced the Howard campus. Of course before Dr. Benjamin began to talk about the many faces of Howard’s scribes, she started with the very person who opened the school, Oliver Otis Howard. From there she introduced the class to Mordecai Wyatt Johnson and Inabel Burns Lindsay. Both Johnson and Lindsay had many accomplishments, but the most notable accomplishments were Johnson becoming the 36th president of Howard University and Lindsay becoming the first dean of School of Social Work. Also, the Founder’s Library is dedicated to the 17 founders that helped to fund the library. Founder’s Library is where two men named Arthur Spingarn, a collector of African American literature and newspaper, and Jesse Moorland, a collector of African American books and pamphlets sold their whole collection to Howard University. Other women such as Alain Locke, Zora Neele Hurston and Lulu Veere Childers have also played a great role in Howard University’s history which has led to the naming of several buildings on the Howard University’s campus. What caught my attention the most was when she spoke about the Harriet Tubman quadrangle. Although I knew about most of the women whom were represented in the quadrangle such as Sojourner Truth, Phillis Wheatley, and Julia Frazier, I did not know who Louise Baldwin and Prudence Crandall were. I learned that Baldwin was the first to hold a high position in education in Cambridge and Crandall was the first person to open a school for African American girls in Connecticut. Dr. Benjamin’s lecture was truly an eye opener. I had never understood how much history each building held.

Dr. Benjamin's Lecture

Tamika Philip

During this weeks lecture, Dr. Benjamin enlighten me about the history Howard . Being the Associate Dean of the Division of Fine Arts, College of Arts and Sciences, Professor of Art History, and Director of the Gallery of Art at Howard University, Dr. Benjamin was able to deliver an adequate amount of information which broaden my knowledge on Howard University. Dr. Benjamin lectured the freshman seminar class on the eloquence of scribes, expectations and mastery on continuing the legacy at Howard University. During her introduction, Dr. Benjamin mentioned, that a scribe is a person who writes books, documents, scrolls, ancient scribes, etc. She also enforced the fact that General Oliver Otis Howard founded Howard University on November 26, 1866, which later opened in January 1867. The university was designed to train dentist, teachers, and lawyers. Today Howard University is composed of twelve schools and colleges.

Dr. Benjamin also indicated that Mordecai Wyatt Johnson was the first African American President at Howard University. As a College of Arts and Sciences student from New York, I was delighted to learn that Locke Hall was named after Alain L. Locke, “Harlem MECCA of the Negro.” After Dr. Benjamin announced that Douglass Hall was named after the notable Frederick Douglass, she also briefly touched on Douglass’s speech, “what to the slave is the 4^th of July?” I was excited when she bought it up, because I concur entirely with Frederick Douglass. Perhaps if we were indeed granted freedom in 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was signed, instead of 1819, after the ratification of the nineteenth amendment, then Douglass would of refrained from making that speech.

I must admit that Dr. Benjamin’s lecture engaged me to the fullest extent. I was pleased to learn about my “home”, as she mentioned, “Howard is a home.”

Quick Post to the group

Hey guys. I got a voicemail but I couldn't make anything out. It was muffled... I'm not sure why. But this is just a friendly reminder that I'm always available if you guys have any questions. If you need my cell again, email me. I emailed it to everyone that first week, but if you need it again, let me know. =)

Dr. Dunston's Lecture

This past week Dr. Dunston delivered a powerful and important message to us about the human genome. She explained that the human genome is the history of mankind and therefore the history of all black people because mankind begins with us. According to Dr. Dunston, the human genome is the key to recovering our lost culture, and the history that has been distorted by the historians of the west. Dr. Dunston led us to understand that the human genome is our DNA and that we all are 99 percent the same. This means that the only thing that makes us different from one another is one percent, this to me means that many of our disagreements based on race and ethnicity are petty and unnecessary. Dr. Dunston's lecture was insightful and I am glad I was there to receive such an important message.

Dr. Dunston's lecture

The human genome is the most sophisticated genome of all species. It is the most important genome of all organisms to ever be found. This genome not only holds the DNA make up of all mankind, but also holds the history of mankind. It tells of who we are, where we’ve been and how we lived our daily life. It shows us the age of the oldest human being, an African human being. From the finding of the oldest genome, we can track down the knowledge of our ancestors. This knowledge will bring us back to our lost culture and history. This will be passed down to the current and future generations to come. The human genome connects us with each other culture and with the life of our many ancestors.
I believe we as people of African descent should learn about the first people on earth, their own African ancestors. Many of us African Americans are taught that we derived from others instead of vice versa. We need to understand that man began when the first African being stepped on the face of the earth. The understanding of the human genome will surely bring back the real teachings of mankind. This will create pride among many African American children because now they know they have something that no one else has. It is something that cannot be taken away from them. It will be the beginning of something that will benefit them and their fellow children by teaching them about the past life of their own people.

Dr.Dunston Lecture

Tamika Philip

During this week’s lecture with Dr. Dunston I was able to understand the human genome and its relation to the lives we live today. Before Dr. Dunston’s lecture, I always viewed the human genome, as our genetic makeup/ DNA. Although Dr. Dunston was only able to complete her introduction, I still was able to gain a lot of knowledge through her intro. She stated that ninety-nine percent of everyone’s DNA is identical, and that the one percent is what makes us all different. Dr. Dunston also stated that DNA is indeed the gift of life, and identity defines one’s purpose in life. “No one is the same…we are all unique”, said Dr. Dunston. I concur with her because even identical twins are different in their own special way. Dr. Dunston seems to be very interested in the youth at Howard University. Throughout her lecture I felt as if I was listening to one of my guardians lecture me, due to her compassionate tone.

Summary

The following week, Dr. Greg Carr spoke about the great wisdom and stolen history of our African ancestors. He first explained and gave definition of encouraging words from ancient Kemet. Such words such as ma’at, Iwa- I’ewa, Iwa- l'aiya and sankofa which all has to do with ones education, character and the truth. The teachings of these words were all tied into the miseducation of the American “negro”. Our ancestors came from such great countries with unique traditions, beliefs and teachings just to be completely stripped of those very things that made them proud and given the name slave. The brain washing of the African slaves led to the re writing of history of our people. We should understand and follow the words Seba/Sebayt and sankofa; the teachings and “go and get it.” African Americans should go get and relearn their peoples teachings that they lost so long ago.

Education of our ancestor is the only way we can truly learn and understand ourselves. We should reclaim our history and pass down the knowledge that we received. I believe Dr Carr’s lecture opened many of our eyes. He brought up historical facts that many of us was not aware of. The African world experience is not something that is spoken about in a positive light. The “Learning, Wisdom, and the African World Experience” slide has gotten the attention of us younger Africans to search for the truth, the real truth of our people. Carr’s lecture is the beginning of regaining our history back.

Dr. Carr's Lecture Summary

Dr. Carr's lecture, this past week, entitled "Learning, Wisdom and the African World Experience: An Mbongi" surrounded the ideas of Africans and African Americans and education. We talked about Africa being the motherland of ideas such as  language. For example words like 'sedjem' meaning 'listen', 'Ma'at' meaning 'truth', and the term 'Medew Nefer' meaning 'good speech'. Other forms of education or learning that came from Africa include writing, science, arts, spiritual systems/religion, formal teaching/school.  

The one topic that caught my attention immediately upon it's mentioning and continues to peak my interest is the idea of "Miseducation". The fact that we, African Americans, as a people, have, for some time, reverted back to some forms of ignorance, peeves me. It makes me feel ashamed and in some way disappointed at the digression of our people. At the same time, it motivates me to go against the grain; to strive to do better than what others and even I, myself, expect of me. 

Overall, the lecture was influential. I learned that Africans always thought that education was vital to everyone and that our ancestors strived to be smarter, wiser beings and I feel that is a goal that we, as humans, should all have for ourselves.

Summary of Dr.Carr's lecture

Tamika Philip

In this week’s lecture Dr. Carr talked about African teaching and learning. In the beginning of the power point presentation, Dr. Carr showed the class different African symbols used to represent basic teaching and learning terms. A few of those terms were, “Sedjem” (listen), “Ma’at” (truth), “Medew Nefer” (good speech), “Seba/ Sebayt” (teach/teachings), “Sedi” (educate), “Medew law” (staff of old age), etc. Dr. Carr also emphasized the fact that we are all descendents of Africans. He also stated that, “African’s were deep thinkers, and the goal was to recover African Deep Thought from its historical African background…and to show that such deep thought serves as the basis of what we now refer to as ‘academic’ work.” In my opinion, there are many traits in African- Americans that were passed down from our ancestors, such as our ability to learn and understand. According to Ayi Kwei Armah, The Eloquence of the Scibes, 274, 279, “the Ancestors may be contacted in the books, songs, prayers, proverbs, music, ritual and art…the soul which wishes to receive inspiration makes a habit of visiting these sites of ancestral excellence, to ask questions, to listen and to read, to analyze and to sift.”

In conclusion, Dr. Carr’s lectures are very intriguing. His tone and choice of words makes each lecture an unforgettable one. So far I am able to say that I have learned something new at both lectures. My only concern is that a few of the power point slides are not clearly perceived in my mind.

I turned in the form today when I was done with classes. I submitted your research question Tamika. Thanks so much for the input =)

Research Topic

okk so im suggesting ALCOHOL/ Drug Abuse can be our topic....Our Research statement can also be, HOW Alcohol and Drug Abuse can have a negative impact on the human body.