Final Reflection- Sara Tosi @02647875

I’m glad to say I made it through Freshman Seminar. I became good friends with the members of my group, ‘The Group’. I will keep in touch with Tashiana, Melat and Melissa. I really enjoyed visiting my home state of New York on the field trip. The African Burial Ground memorial was beautiful and moving. Having a different professor every week was interesting and I was always eager to know what topic they would choose to lecture on. Dr. Williams’ lecture gave me some new ideas about research. Filling out mbongis and blog posts was a little tedious but I’m glad to have gotten credit for the class and to be done with it. At the beginning of the semester I thought Freshman Seminar was going to be a “bird course” but it actually challenged me. Therefore, I am very proud to have met all the requirements of the course. 1 credit down, 119 to go!

Peer Presentation 2- Sara Tosi @02647875

Dynamic Bison did a presentation on human trafficking. They explained different parts of the world that are affected by human trafficking. They said that trafficking is difficult to investigate and prosecute because it is such an underground market. Also, traffickers prey on vulnerable individuals on the fringes of society who are unlikely to be reported missing. The group explained some of the things that happen to trafficked individuals, for example they may become domestic servants or prostitutes. I didn’t think Dynamic Bison expressed themselves very clearly and they didn’t seem very sure of what they were presenting. I think they could have done a little better if they had done some more research. They didn’t seem to have a clear conclusion at the end of their presentation. Overall I felt they did an OK job but would have been great with a little bit more research and interpretation.

Peer Presentation 1- Sara Tosi @02647875

Just Greatness’s presentation on world hunger was very well done. I thought they made a good choice of research question because hunger is a problem that we can all relate to. It’s also a problem that we can all help hands on in our community by volunteering and donating. The members of the group explained the different parts of the world affected by hunger, included how we are affected locally. They explained what hunger does to your body and the various nutrients that your body needs and what happens when they aren’t available. They explained that hunger is an economic problem because there IS enough food for all the hungry people on the planet, but it’s not getting to them because of costs. They discussed some possible solutions to hunger such as a tablet that would have necessary nutrients. They also discussed some affordable water purification methods. Just Greatness urged us to think about how much food we waste here at Howard. They presented their research very well and I felt more informed at the end of the presentation. All members of the group seemed to have put a lot of work into the project.

Faculty interview- Sara Tosi @02647875

The day of the interview we arrived in class and took quite a bit of time to get organized and settled while we waited for our faculty advisors to arrive. We asked Dr. Kai, our group’s advisor, to explain the rubric of the research project to us, which she did in depth. Then we split into pairs to find professors to interview. Tashiana and I went in search of sociology professors. We ended up leaving our contact information for some professors but nobody got back to us. Melat and Melissa had better luck than we did. They interviewed Dr. Barpha S. Mitra for our project. Dr. Mitra is a biochemist and a professor at Howard University. Dr. Mitra made some interesting comments that helped us direct our research on the AIDS epidemic in the District of Columbia. Dr. Mitra said that the population in the District of Columbia is very closely genetically linked to Africa, where the AIDS epidemic is most severe. Dr. Mitra’s comments showed us that we had to look at many variables as possible reasons for the HIV/AIDS rate being so high in our area. There isn’t one hard and fast reason, making AIDS very complicated to study.

Dr Williams' Lecture- Sara Tosi @02647875

Dr. Dana Williams’ lecture was without a doubt the most helpful in terms of starting our research project. Dr. Williams explained the objectives of the Freshman Seminar course, which are basically to teach us how to research. She then explained research in six broken down steps: statement of challenge, current research, methodology, framework, development of thesis, and conclusions. This made the group project seem less daunting. She gave us an example of how she and the other professors used this method of research to go about building an effective Freshman Seminar course. Dr. Williams then reviewed the previous lectures and gave some examples of our peers’ blog entries showing who had done exceptionally well. Dr. Williams told us how the remainder of the semester would go and said we would have no more regular lectures because we would be giving our group presentations. At the end of Dr. Williams’ lecture I felt that I had learned something that I would actually be able to use to help me with the final assignment. Overall I felt the presentation had a clear purpose and was very straightforward. Dr. Williams was also relaxed and used humor in her presentation, which is always appreciated.

Dr Benjamin's Lecture- Sara Tosi @02647875

I really enjoyed Dr. Benjamin’s lecture on the Eloquence of the Scribes. Before her lecture I didn’t know about half of the people the buildings on campus are named for. It was really interesting to get a glimpse of the University’s history and made the buildings feel more personal. Perhaps one of the most interesting figures is Zora Neale Hurston, author and founder of The Hilltop. I was also eager to learn more about Harriet Tubman, whom I have never studied in depth. Dr. Benjamin taught us that Tubman also worked for the Union army during the civil war as a nurse and spy in addition to her work on the Underground Railroad. I was really intrigued by Phyllis Wheatley. I live in Wheatley Hall and never knew about Wheatley’s history. As soon as I got home from class after the lecture I looked up some of Wheatley’s poems. Dr. Benjamin also taught us a little about the sculptures on campus and some of the fraternities. She finished by teaching us that Howard has always been a University; it did not start as a college. After the lecture I genuinely felt like I knew more about the University. I know this knowledge will come in handy in the future. I thought it was really good idea for a presentation on Dr. Benjamin’s part.

Dr Dunstan's Lecture- Sara Tosi @02647875

I was really disappointed with Dr. Dunstan’s lecture. It felt more like a motivational speech than anything. Dr. Dunstan expressed confidence that the class of 2014 would do great things. While it’s nice to hear, that’s not the kind of thing that helps me with research. She also told us “that each of you is a product of love”. At that point I gave up taking notes. We get enough mandatory motivational speaker events at Howard; we don’t need them in class too. Dr. Dunstan spent her entire forty minute speaking time on her introduction. We didn’t even get to hear her lecture on the Human Genome Project. She says in her power point presentation that there is a lot of knowledge to gain by mapping and studying the Human Genome. She also said that Howard must be involved in producing this knowledge and distributing it to increase wisdom. There are a lot of interesting graphs and maps in Dr. Dunstan’s presentation but it’s difficult to interpret them without having had her explain them. Overall, Dr. Dunstan stated that we should shift our focus on medicine to biology to generate wisdom about health.

Final Reflection by Tashiana Hudson @02652609

Going into Freshman Seminar, I thought I would be enduring a very long and boring course on study techniques and social skills. However, the course turned out to be completely different from what I expected and was not boring at all. As the course went on, I found out more and more that it was more a course on having pride in our cultural heritage and the history of our school than anything else. I usually found the lectures interesting, if occasionally confusing, and I thought the subjects and professors were well-chosen. My favorite was Dr. Gbadesin’s, because it included an anecdote and even a demonstration of African talking drums.
I really enjoyed the trip to the African burial ground, as well. I really felt that it was an important place to visit and I learned a bit about our cultural history there. Going through the sculpture there and leaning about the symbols engraved on it was a memorable experience. It also allowed me to see my sister, which was nice.
Finally, I thought the research project was fairly useful. My group did a question that I found really interesting and had wondered about before. Our question was about why the HIV/AIDS rate in D.C. was so much higher than in other areas, and though we did not find an exact answer, we did come up with some theories and found out about research that is being done and programs that are being instituted to decrease the problem.
Overall, I thought the objectives of Freshman Seminar could have been outlined more clearly from the beginning, because I really didn’t understand them until Dr. Williams’ presentation, but I thought it was a nice course to take and I feel that I learned a lot.

Just Greatness' Presentation on World Hunger by Tashiana Hudson @02652609

Just Greatness decided to divide their presentation according to their separate areas of study. One member, an economics major, informed us that there is a large food supply and the supply does equal the demand. However, the cost of supplying this food is greater than the revenue gained. Many countries don’t supply food, because it costs billions to donate and ship it. She also discussed the idea that the social cost of not shipping the food, the death of many people who could contribute to the world, is much greater than the economic cost of shipping it. This member also interviewed Professor Enrique Lopez lira, who said that we need a method of distribution that is safer and less costly.
Next, a political science major discussed world hunger from a political perspective. She gave a few definitions of hunger and explained that the underlying factors of world hunger are failures in economic and political systems. She interviewed professor of Pan-Africanism Wright Pan, who listed some solutions including creating stable governments in third world countries and creating jobs so laborers can be consumers. The professor also explained that the reasons for instability in third world country have a lot to do with members of first world countries pitting groups against each other to stay in power.
Another group member discussed the issue from a psychological perspective. He discussed hunger being the first rung on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs because it is a physiological need. He said that hunger slows development because of a lack of food and issues with fights for the food that is available. As a temporary solution, he suggested the use of adrenaline, which stops hunger by constricting the intestines.
Next, a nursing major discussed the fact that hunger is the way the body tells us we need to eat. She informed us that organs cannot function without food and nutrients, so the body essentially begins to eat itself. She also said that scientists are looking into nutrients in tablet form and pointed out that seventy-six countries have greater than five percent of their population starving.
Finally, a communications major discussed the fact that the media can help by highlighting the problem, using emotional appeals to get people to donate food and money. Overall, I thought this was an interesting and informative presentation.

Final self-reflection, by: Melissa Moise @02644455

My viewpoint of freshman seminar was a class focusing mainly on study skills and how to survive college. I thought the class would give us advice on study habits that would be useful for the rest of college. I didn’t think that we were going to have different guest speakers every week or even go to a field trip all the way in New York.
After the second class I thought to myself why must we also have to take an African studies class, because I felt like freshman seminar was an African studies class. Most of our discussions were about our ancestors and how everything traces back to Africa. At first it was frustrating because it felt like that’s all we ever talked about, Africa. I soon realized I was learning a lot, and if I never had this class I probably would not have gone to the African Burial Ground. One of my favorite presentations was The Eloquence of the Scribes because I learned so much about Howard University’s history like how Inabel Burns Lindsay was the first female academic dean in Washington, D.C. Even though I should have researched Howard’s history on my own it made me proud to know that I attend a school that had so many ambitious leaders and it motivates me to do the same. One of the most valuable things I learned was I was put on earth to answer someone else’s prayer and that I do have a purpose.
Overall freshman seminar has been a great experience because I learned to work with others and research on my own and I also learned to meet deadlines for my blogs. If I could change one thing it would be to have the research and methodology presentation in the beginning because it completely explained what freshman seminar was and the goals for the course; it also explained what was needed for the project and it cleared a lot of confusion that I had.

Peer Presentation 2 on Dreamers and Believers, by: Melissa Moise @02644455

Dreamers and believers presentation was on HIV/AIDS and how is awareness being promoted today. Even though a few other groups discussed the topic of HIV including my group I think it is important that society is educated about it. They began their presentation with saying “HIV has no face” most people are uneducated about HIV and say it can’t happen to them or only gay men get it, but this is not the case anymore. In fact HIV cases are higher in heterosexual couples most likely because they believe it only happens to gay couples; so they do not protect themselves. Dreamers and believers first discussed the history of HIV before discussing ways awareness is being promoted. The first outbreak of HIV in New York was July 1981 and a year later scientist discovered that HIV caused AIDS. Most people believe that AIDS causes death but this is not true. When the HIV virus invades your body it commands your system to stop making cd4 cells which fight off viruses and infections, so you really die from things your immune system can’t fight off like the flu. In 1984 the first treatment was experimented on chimpanzees.
There are many ways that HIV awareness is being promoted; first there has been an increase in free HIV testing. It is offered in many places like school health centers, public clinics, and even in buses that come to you. Another way of promotion that has been popular for some years is giving out condoms whether it is at school or the clinic. A new way that HIV awareness is being promoted is through the fashion industry. The industry has came up with a few tactics like making clothing specifically to bring awareness, and even having models educate younger ones about safe sex.
I think Dreamers and believers did a great job explaining the different ways to bring awareness to HIV, and they all spoke about the topic passionately and even gave some places to get tested. I think that if the free testing continues and education about HIV increases in schools then there will be a decrease in the number of HIV victims.

Final Self-reflection By: Melat Gebre @02640216

My first perceptions about what freshman seminar would consist were not accurate. I thought the class would just be an overview of how Howard University functions. I did not expect to have guest lecturers nor did I expect a group project. My favorite part of the class was the guest lecturers and my least favorite would have to be the blog entries. Although I do not like the blog entries, I do understand that they are necessary in order for the instructors to confirm that we are learning from these lectures. The group project taught me how to work with others in a more effective way. It also served as a way to practice my public speaking skills, because we had to present in front of an audience of students and faculty. I do not enjoy public speaking so this class forced me to get out of my comfort zone. My favorite lecture of freshman seminar would have to be Dr. Gbadegesin’s lecture. I thoroughly enjoyed his story about the importance of character. I was also able to relate with him, because I am also Africa and was born in Africa. In conclusion, I do feel that freshman seminar is an important class that needs to be kept. I learned a lot from the lectures and I also learned a lot about the history of Howard that I did not know about. One suggestion I do have is that I felt like there was an organizational problem with this class. Many times things would not start on time and many people were confused on where they are supposed to be and what they are supposed to be doing. Overall, I did enjoy freshman seminar and I did learn a lot of new things.

The Chosen One's Presentation on Representations of Black Women in the Media by Tashiana Hudson @02652609

I watched The Chosen One’s presentation on representations of lack women in the media. First, the group discussed, the “mammy” stereotype, typically very maternal and not very intelligent, devoting her life to the care of white children. They gave an example of a “mammy” type in a character in the classic movie “Gone with the Wind”, contrasting it with the modern day show “Hawthorne”, in which a black woman is caring, yet intelligent and powerful. They also discussed the sexualized stereotype of the black woman and its modern representation, the video vixen.
One group member discussed the representations of black women in health in the modern day. She mentioned the National Black Nurses Association, which was founded in 1971 and Nurse’s Day, an annual event when nurses storm Capitol Hill to draw attention to health issues. Another group member discussed representations of black women in literature, citing Maya Angelou’s work and Queen Latifah’s UNITY project.
Next, a group member discussed an interview she conducted with a Psychology professor, who stated that media has a profound effect on people’s perceptions of black women. The professor also asserted that advertisements make black women feel inferior, and the only way to contrast this is to insert good representations of black women into everyday media, such as sitcoms and commercials.
They also interviewed friends, who asserted that the media only shows black women in two extremes: the damsel in distress or the overly independent role. When asked about physical representations of black women in the media, they explained that the women were usually of medium tone or lighter skin with long hair and hourglass figures. They thought that the media makes girls feel that if they do not fit this stereotype, they are not beautiful, and that the media should display more positive messages.
Another group member discussed representations of black people in fashion and society, discussing the fact that black people are usually depicted as criminals, athletes, or sidekicks. She also explained that Essence magazine just hired their fist white editor, and there was some backlash, because many felt that a white person could not understand African-American beauty issues.
Lastly, a group member interviewed Karen Roberts, who explained that black women in the media are usually displayed in extremes; they are either overly emotional or stoic and sluts or saints. Also, they usually have light skin and long hair and display promiscuous behavior. She said that there id definitely a need for a real representation of black women in the media.
I enjoyed The Chosen One’s presentation. I thought it was well thought out, thorough, easy to follow, and assimilated all of their concentrations well.

Interview with Dr. Barpha S. Mitra by Tashiana Hudson @02652609

I arrived in class the day of our interview confused as to which room I was supposed to be in and where our advisors were. When my confusion was finally cleared up and our advisors arrived, we were given the date of our presentation and handed in our revised research question before going to interview professors. Melat Gebre and Melissa Moise went to find a Biology professor to interview, while Sarah Tosi and I went in search of a Sociology professor. Naturally, we started in Locke, going to the writing center to be redirected. The staff in the writing center had no idea who the Sociology professors were or where we could find them. They told us they would e-mail us more information, but they never did.

Meanwhile, Melat and Melissa interviewed Dr. Barpha S. Mitra and shared their interview with us later. When asked about the high AIDS rate in D.C. Dr. Mitra reportedly stated that AIDS, like any other STD spreads very quickly through metropolitan areas. Dr. Mitra also discussed the idea that finding reasons why AIDS is so prevalent in D.C. is difficult because there are always so many uncontrolled variables, and the high AIDS rate may have something to do with genetics, but this has yet to be proven. Dr. Mitra pointed to the fact that this generation of D.C. residents has a lot of people who are closely linked to Africa, where the AIDS problem is greatest. Also, Dr. Mitra reminded Melat and Melissa that an individual’s lifestyle can increase their chance of contracting AIDS.

Peer Presentation 1, By: Melissa Moise @02644455

I chose to do a peer reflection on The Chosen Ones who chose to do their research problem on How does the media influence societies perception of African American Women? As an African American woman I think it’s important that young girls know they are beautiful and important no matter the shade of their skin color or their size. Most of the time black women on t.v. or in magazines are the light skin girls with the curvy bodies and “good hair” This is a problem for black girls because they think if they don’t have light skin or good hair their not pretty.
The chosen ones discussed the different stereotypes black women on t.v. faced like mammy, video vixen, and the stay at home nurse like in “Gone with the wind”. Even though there are shows like Hawthorne that represents a black woman with a respectable profession she is still light skin with a thin body. Dr. Harrell believes many young people think they have to use skin lightning creams and all these hair products to make them feel attractive and give them self-esteem. Karen Roberts who has worked on t.v. for fifteen years says, the media perceives African American women as either overly independent or sluts. The media also portrays blacks as only entertainers, athletes, and criminals, like were not good for anything else. Although there is all this negativity authors and musicians like Maya Angelou and Queen Latifah have tried to represent black women in a positive way.
Overall the chosen Ones did a great job, because their research question was relevant and they related the question to all their majors. They also gave many examples like t.v. shows, authors, and musicians. Most importantly it was an interesting topic.

Peer Presentation 2: By Melat Gebre @02640216

The group that presented was the “Dreamers and Believers”. Their topic was about HIV/AIDS. The “Dreamers and Believers” began their presentation by giving a brief summary of the history HIV/AIDS. They said that the first cases were seen in N.Y. HIV/AIDS was first called “gay cancer”. In 1985, the first test for HIV was made. “Dreamers and Believers” also said that no one dies from AIDS directly. They went on to talk about HIV/AIDS from the perspective of administrative justice and from a fashion perspective. From an administrative justice “Dreamers and Believers” said that there should be more HIV testing in penitentiary. There should also be more HIV awareness in penitentiaries. If the inmates were more aware of HIV, then the HIV rate would be lower. From a fashion perspective, models, designers are getting more proactive in the fight against AIDS. FAA is an organization that stands for fashion against AIDS, DAA stands for designers against AIDS, and MAA stands for models against AIDS. All of these organizations have a common goal of HIV prevention and awareness. “Dreamers and Believers” also mentioned that television has had a great impact on HIV awareness. More and more celebrities are doing commercials that advocate HIV awareness. These commercials are usually clever and very impactful. These commercials appeal to the younger audience, which happens to be that age group that is most affected by HIV/AIDS. Overall, I thought that “Dreamers and Believers” had a very straightforward and clear presentation. Their presentation taught me about some HIV/AIDS awareness groups.

Peer Presentation 1: By Melat Gebre @02640216

The group that presented is “The Chosen Ones”. Their topic was the influence of media on the perception of black women. They also talked about the stereotypes of black women. “The Chosen Ones” presented their topic from four main perspectives. These perspectives include nursing, English, psychology, and fashion merchandising. From a nursing perspective they mentioned Jada Pinkett Smith who plays an African American RN (registered nurse) on a popular television show. They said that this progress from when black women were shown on television as always staying in the house and wearing an apron. Smith demonstrates that working influential women are more accepted in today’s society. The second perspective was English. They mentioned Maya Angelou’s poem “Phenomenal Women”. They also mentioned Queen Latifah’s song “Unity”. “The Chosen Ones”, explained that these women are examples of people in the media who not only set a positive example for black women, but also change the perspective in which black women are displayed in the media. From a psychological perspective “The Chosen Ones” explained how the media advertises skin lightening creams and hair treatment; this causes black women to have low self-esteem. What the media displays as “beautiful” causes black women to become unhappy with their appearance, which then causes them to purchase these products. From a fashion merchandise perspective “The Chosen Ones” said that people learn from television. Many of these television shows reinforce the typical African American stereotypes. Television also depicts that “beautiful” African American women have lighter skin and long hair. Television also shows all African Americans to be the same. Overall, I enjoyed “The Chosen Ones” presentation. I felt they were very thorough and clear.

Faculty Interview By: Melat Gebre @02640216

We first meet with our faculty advisors. Our faculty advisors arrived late and then they took another 15 minutes to get everything together. I was a little bit frustrated with the lack of organization and structure. After waiting for a while, I decided to ask Dr. Kai to give my group a quick overview of the rubric used for the presentations. After explaining, Dr. Kai allowed my group to leave and begin our faculty interviews. Our group split up, Sarah and Tashi went to interview a sociology professor, while Melissa and I went to the biology building. Melissa and I interviewed Dr. Barpha S. Mitra, who is a biochemist at Howard University. Dr. Mitra said D.C. has a high HIV/AIDS rate because it follows socioeconomic patterns and the normal path of a STD. He also said that HIV/AIDS, just like many STDS, are very common in cosmopolitans; Dr. Mitra is saying HIV/AIDS is a cosmopolitan problem, not just a D.C. problem. Dr. Mitra said that although there has not been any scientific evidence yet found, some people may be more genetically susceptible to contracting HIV/AIDS than others. It is hard to pinpoint why D.C. has a higher rate of HIV/AIDs, because you cannot control the environment; so the environment is always going to be a variable within a test. Dr. Mitra also mentioned how an individual’s lifestyle can affect their chances of contracting the HIV/AIDS. One hypothesis that Dr. Mitra mentioned that I did not even think of is that D.C. may have a higher HIV/AIDS because D.C. has a higher percentage of people that have a direct link with Africa. I strongly believe that the fact that the generation in D.C. is closer to Africa, is a contributor to the high HIV/AIDS rate.

African Ground Burial Trip By: Melat Gebre @02640216

My trip to the African Burial Ground started at 4:30 am on Saturday October 25. We arrived at the bus around 5 am, but we did not get to leave on time because our bus was having some “technical difficulties”. After a while our bus finally left. When we arrived at the burial around Dr. Carr performed a ceremony paying homage to all those who died to make our lives possible. We then had a speaker talk to us about the history of the memorial and all the trials and tribulations that the community went through to make the burial ground possible. The burial ground was discovered in 1991, when construction workers were trying to build a new federal building. After the discovery the workers wanted to continue construction, despite the discovery. The local black community along with some politicians pressured the national government to do something about it. The memorial was then made to honor the bodies of our ancestors. The speaker then told us about the meaning of each symbol on the memorial.
We then entered the museum and watched a movie that explained how slaves lived in New York during that time. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed the movie and found it very informational. After the movie, we got to tour the rest of the museum that included: pictures of the bones discovered, African jewelry, statues, and artwork.
Overall, I did enjoy the trip and I appreciated the rich history. The only part of the trip that I really did not enjoy was that our bus driver did not know how to get back to D.C. so ended up driving around NYC until she figured out the directions. My suggestion is that all buses should have GPS devices. Before coming to Howard, I attended a predominantly white school, where black history was not really taught. I haven’t been at Howard for even a year yet and I feel like I have learned a lot about black history. I feel very fortunate that I was able to go on this trip.

Faculty Interview, by: Melissa Moise @02644455

To me, our meeting with the faculty mentors was not the most successful. The first meeting was much unorganized and it was not only because students were late and did not know where to go. First my groups' mentor was late which gave us less time to speak to her the first time. Also too much time was wasted on separating groups into the different rooms and calling out all the groups and making sure they were present. There were also still some students who did not know which group they were in. By the time everyone separated into their groups and the mentors introduced themselves class was over. We also had to fill out mbongi forms, but I could only say that it was unorganized and that my group changed our topic.
The second meeting was more productive, my group was able to discuss our topic in more detail. Also we were able to talk to our faculty mentor Dr. Kai who went over the rubric with us and gave advice for presenting our project. We were not able to interview Dr. Kai, but we did leave early to interview other faculty members. My group member and I Melat Gebre went to the biology building to interview someone about the aids epidemic in D.C.
We were able to interview Dr. Barpha S. Mirtha and get a biochemist perspective of the aids epidemic in D.C. When asked why the number of African Americans affected by aids is so high, Dr. Mirtha expressed that there are many variables like lifestyle and economic background. It is also not something that has been researched. Dr. Mirtha contributed a lot of helpful information to my group.

African Burial Ground by Tashiana Hudson @02652609

The African Burial Ground located at 290 Broadway Ave. in New York, New York was rediscovered in 1991, as construction workers were trying to build a new federal building. There was some debate about what should be done, and the local Black community had to fight to make the site a memorial and a national landmark. The bones of the buried Africans were sent to Howard University for research before being sent back to the site and creating somewhat of a cultural celebration along the way.
I visited the burial ground on October 17th. We entered a small museum with some information about the discovery of the bones and the years leading up to the building of the memorial. There was also information about how slaves lived in New York at that time, including a video and some very lifelike statues. We also explored a sort of memorial statue that was an unfinished pyramid on one side and a ship on the other. We all went inside of it in order to imagine the horror and discomfort of the trip to America for slaves. We then learned about some African symbols representing things like endurance, love, and courage. There was also a fountain built in honor of the slaves and their burial ground.
I thought this was a great experience. I really felt closer to seeing how slaves were as people, rather than as I usually see them, abstractly. I thought our speaker, however, talked for so long that everyone lost interest and had a very negative attitude. I felt that he treated us like young children, rather than just acting as a tour guide or allowing us to explore the memorial ourselves. Overall, it was an important experience, and I’m very grateful I had the opportunity to go.

Dr. Dana Williams' Lecture on Research and Methodology by Tashiana Hudson @02652609

Dr. Dana Williams spoke about research and methodology. She explained that the purpose of Freshman Seminar is to encourage students “to pursue a lifetime of independent discovery” and “cultivate a commitment to academic excellence”.
She went on to explain the basic components of research. These are the statement of a problem in order to advance knowledge, solve the problem, or inquire. She reminded students that when researching they must ask themselves if their question is specific enough, broad enough, and doable in the time allotted. She also reminded students to find out the current state of research on the topic, including thinking about what has already been said and whether the student’s research will reveal something new on the subject.
Moving on to methodology, she advised students to conceptualize a research design, listing examples such as reference period, retrospective, and prospective. Next, she advised students to determine the method of data collection. Finally she asked students to choose a disciplinary approach; the different types include discipline-specific, multi-disciplinary, and interdisciplinary.
Next, Dr. Williams asked students to decide on a method of presentation, suggesting either an expository report, and informational presentation, or a persuasive scholarly paper and to display this presentation using PowerPoint, charts, graphs, tables, video, music, handouts, or a mixture of these.
Dr. Williams asked students to articulate a thesis and provide detail and, finally, to draw conclusions about what has been revealed, what limitations students encountered, and what future studies should happen.
I found Dr. Williams’ presentation to be the most organized and easy to follow. I really appreciated her straightforward method, and I especially liked that she listed our objectives for the day, as I have been very confused in previous lectures. She was clear, concise, audible, and overall a great lecturer.

Dr. Dana Williams lecture on Research and Methodology, by: Melissa Moise @02644455

The topic of Dr. Dana Williams lecture was Research and Methodology: Inscription as a liberating practice. Dr. Williams began by discussing the purpose of freshman seminar which is independent discovery and to conduct meaningful research. When I think of independent discovery I think of individuals researching on their own and always seeking to learn new things. Then we began to discuss the components of research.
First you must know what your purpose is and what you are searching for. Then you must review what has already been said about your topic and what materials you will need to complete your research. The next component is methodology which is how you will address your topic and how you will collect your data. Then you must determine how you will present your project whether it is a power point or paper. Next your thesis must provide convincing and detailed points. Finally your conclusion should include what new things you discovered about your topic. Your conclusion should also restate your thesis.
Finally Dr. Williams discussed the purposes of freshman seminar this year; which included an awareness of our African ancestors and of course research. Some approaches to achieve this goal include the blogs, mbongis, lectures, African burial ground, and the group project.
This lecture was by far the most helpful because I learned the actual purpose of freshman seminar. In the beginning I thought it would be all about study skills and how to survive college but I quickly realized it was more related to African studies. It was also helpful because we went into detail about the project. I also liked how Dr. Williams used a power point and was engaged with the audience.

Dr. Dana Williams's lecture on Research and Methodology Inscription as a Liberating Practice By: Melat Gebre @02640216

The central idea of Dr. Williams's lecture was about the appreciation of research and importance of discovery. I feel that the main purpose of Dr. Williams lecture was to give us a better understanding of the purpose of freshman seminar. The lecture also informed us on how freshman seminar is not just curriculum; it is a class that provides us with vital skills. These vital skills can not only be used inside of the classroom, but also in the real world and everyday life. Dr. Williams spoke out the two main objectives which include, to identify the principle components of research and to relate these components to the group project. The purpose research is to advance knowledge, solve a problem, and to inquire. Dr. Williams also spoke about the many lectures we had throughout the class thus far. She explained how the lectures are all connected to each other, some way or another. She also said how we can use what we learned in the lectures for our group project. Then Dr. Williams then began talking about methodology and the group projects. She mentioned the many ways to approach the group project. She said the purpose of the group project is not only to come up with a solution for a real social issue, but also to learn how to work in a group. She mentioned how learning to work in a group is a skill within itself. Overall I feel like the lecture was very informational and Dr. Williams did a good job in getting the content to use in a clear and organized fashion.

African Burial Ground Trip- Sara Tosi @02647875

I was very excited to attend the African Burial Ground trip this past weekend. Despite not having gotten any sleep the previous night, and suffering from a severe chest cold, I was in high spirits as I waited with my classmates outside Crampton Auditorium at 5:00 AM on Saturday. When we finally boarded the bus and got going I fell asleep almost immediately, waking just in time to glimpse the iconic city skyline as we entered the city. After our chaperone provided us with granola bars and orange juice we were let off the bus at the Burial Ground site. We congregated around the memorial near where the bodies of those studied here at Howard are now buried. Dr. Carr led a simple prayer and libation for our ancestors buried there. I was glad that I was wearing dark sunglasses because Dr. Carr’s words moved me to tears. Being at the memorial was a very spiritual experience. An employee of the burial ground explained the significance of the memorial to us and then Dr. Carr took some time to explain the meaning of some of the symbols carved on the memorial. Then we got to go inside and see a short movie about the burial ground and some exhibits with information about the people buried there. When Howard University was mentioned during the movie my classmates and I cheered with bison pride. One of the employees explained to us that the burial ground comprises about 5 city blocks and is mostly under the municipal building, the courthouses, and police plaza, in other words, the buildings associated with justice in New York. I learned from the exhibits that 40% of the 20,000 bodies buried in the burial ground were children under two years of age. That was probably the most sobering fact about the place. Despite being a very small and simple memorial, the burial ground was a very powerful place. After a couple hours at the burial ground we got back on the bus and were driven up to Harlem and were given some free time. I was very glad to be in my home state of NY and met up with one of my best friends from high school for lunch. I am very grateful that we freshman were given this opportunity and wish I could go on this field trip every weekend it is offered.

The African Burial Trip, By: Melissa Moise @02644455

On Saturday October 3, 2010 the freshman seminar class attended The African Burial in New York City. When I learned that I had to wake up at five in the morning, and I wasn’t returning until ten at night I wasn’t so pleased. I thought to myself “there goes my weekend”. Then I realized some of my good friends were going to attend the trip with me; and we were going to have free time after, so I began to think more positively. While at the African Burial I learned more about my African/Haitian heritage and myself.
I learned that 15,000 to 20,000 Africans were buried there and the remains of about 400 Africans were preserved there. While walking through the museum I discovered most of the remains belonged to children. I am most proud that the black community decided to have students of Howard University study the remains, because it adds more history to the school; and as a student it makes me proud to attend Howard University. Howard University was able to detect some of the remains, gender, age, and other things. While walking through the memorial and viewing the symbols, I realized that some of them relate to Haitian Voudon like papa Legba and manman Brigitte. I learned that most Haitians were descendants of Africans that came from congo, Yoruba and other places; prior to that day I only knew they came from West Africa. This added to my Haitian pride and made me feel more connected to my African Ancestors.
Overall I’m glad I attended the trip, I truly learned a few new things about my African/Haitian heritage. I also felt connected to my African ancestors when we gave a moment of silence and poured water. I also enjoyed the free time in New York City with my friends, because that was another experience itself as well. I thank Dr. Carr and everyone else who gave me this opportunity.

Dr. Gbadegesin's Lecture- Sara Tosi @02647875

Dr. Gbadegesin’s lecture was very interactive and interesting. Dr. Gbadegesin began by teaching us about the Egyptian Goddess Ma’at and how she predates Aristotle, Jesus, and Moses. He taught us the importance of the values of Ma’at, such as truth, justice, and harmony, with particular emphasis on personal character. To demonstrate this he told us a story about Iwa (character), granddaughter of the god of patience. Iwa was married to Orunmila (wisdom), on the condition that he did not stress her, else she would leave. Orunmila became very prosperous but took Iwa for granted and she left, and when she did Orunmila was no longer as successful. Dr. Gbadegesin says this is because a man who has no character has nothing. Dr. Gbadegesin did a dramatization of the story for us complete with a drum and taught us a poem about the importance of Iwa which when translated means, “Honor may vanish from your house, Cosmetic beauty may fade, Iwa is what endures even into the grave, Take care of your Iwa”. He also said that Omo Olu Iwa Bi is a child begotten of the source of Iwa, with character and discipline who serves the community and makes personal sacrifices for the community and that we should all strive for this because it is our responsibility to serve the community through our education. He said that good character is beauty and it is the essence of religion, and that if you do not have Iwa your children will belong to someone else. Dr. Gbadegesin finished with a quote from Mordecai Johnson about the importance of education and told us that we need to educate ourselves so we can serve our community. I really enjoyed Dr. Gbadegesin’s story about Iwa and thought his lecture was fun and engaging.

Dr. Gbadegesin lecture, by: Melissa Moise @02644455

Dr. Gbadegesin’s lecture was on self-actualization and communal responsibility. He began the lecture by telling an ancient African story that his father once told him. The story began with Iwa, the goddesses of character; who was married to Orunmila the god of wisdom. The only one condition of their marriage was Orunmilla could not stress out Iwa or she would leave him for good. Orunmilla did not listen and began to stress Iwa about cooking and cleaning, so she left and Orunmilla had to beg Suru Iwa’s father for her return. The moral of the story is too never lose your character, because if you do you lose everything. Character is the traits and qualities, like honesty and courage that a person has. If you lose qualities like honesty, you cannot be depended on or trusted.
Then Dr. Gbadegesin began to discuss about those who were before Jesus Christ which includes goddess Ma’at, Vizier Ptahhotep, and Pharaoh Amenemope. Also before the Ten Commandments, there were the principles of Ma’at which were about truth, justice, order, and harmony. Some other texts included the book of instructions, the pyramid texts, and the coffin texts. Some principles of Ma’at included, I have not committed sin, I have not told lies, or I have not made anyone cry just to mention a few.
Finally Dr. Gbadegesin discussed how Ancient Egypt related to Africa. They relate physically, spiritually, and philosophical. I learned that every individual has the responsibility to remake themselves through education and not just through books, but through elders as well. One also has the responsibility to serve the community by educating the younger generations. Overall I enjoyed Dr. Gbadegesin’s lecture, because he shared a personal story, used the drums to explain to us how they are used as a form of education. The power point also helped while taking notes.

Dr. Gbadesin's Lecture on Self-Actualization and Communal Responsibility by Tashiana Hudson @02652609

Dr. Gradegesin opened with a story about gratitude. The story was about Iwa, the granddaughter of patience, who married orummila, the god of wisdom. Iwa told orummila that she would only marry him if he did not stress her. Through marrying Iwa, Orummila gained honor and fortune, but was still unsatisfied. He began to stress Iwa about cooking and cleaning until he left him. After she left, clients stopped coming to him and he lost some of his fortune. Orummila searched for Iwa, apologized, and convinced her to return to him. Iwa is a symbol or character in the story because if you lose it, you lose everything.
Gradegesin went on to talk about Ma’at, representing truth, justice, order, balance, and harmony. Principles of Ma’at include no sinning, robbery, stealing, killing, swindling, lying, cursing, ignoring truth, adultery, making people cry, being depressed without reason, assaulting, polluting oneself, disobeying the law, acting hastily, working evil, cursing, disrespecting the dead, etc.
Gradegesin also told a story about a man who prosecuted his own father, to Plato’s great confusion, and posed the philosophical question, “Do the gods love what you do because it is the right thing, or is it the right thing because the gods love it?”
He went on to speak about Ptahhotep, a principle meaning that “a man of character is a man of wealth, and he talked about the Coffin Texts, written from 2200-1800 BCE for the tombs of nobles. These Coffin Texts inspired Moses. He also spoke about Iwa as character and existence.
I thought this was one of the most interesting lectures thus far. I really enjoyed the stories, and the African talking drums. The speaker did go off on a lot of tangents that made his lecture hard to follow, but it was full of good advice and kept my attention.

Dr. Gbadegesin’s lecture By: Melat Gebre @02640216

Dr. Gbadegesin’s lecture was mainly about the importance of character, self-actualization, education, and how it is a combination of these important tools that allow us to become prosperous and individual. He also emphasized how we must then take our talents and give back to our community because it is our responsibility.
Dr. Gbadegesin began his lecture with an ancient African story. It was about a beautiful woman named Iwa who became married to the God of Wisdom. Iwa was the granddaughter of a powerful God and she agreed to marry her husband on the condition that he is not allowed to stress her out and if he does she will leave him. Once Iwa and her husband became married, her husband began to have more clients and he then became a very prosperous man. Iwa then begins to complain that her husband is not doing the house chores correctly, which in turn stresses her out and she leaves her husband. Once Iwa leaves her husband, the number of clients her husband receives goes down and he is no longer prosperous. The moral of the story is that Iwa represents character and once you lose your character (your Iwa) you lose everything.
Dr. Gbadegesin then mentioned some people who came before Jesus and Socrates and those people include The Goddess Ma’at, Vizier Ptahhoter, and Pharaoh Amenemope. He then went in more depth about some ancient Egyptian Gods and nobles. Gods are not except from the principles of morality. Ptabhotep once said “A man of character is a man of wealth”. Dr. Gbadegesin mentioned how a lot was learned from Egyptian texts written by Pharaohs and coffin texts written by nobles. In 1962 Time magazine suggested that coffin texts influenced Moses.
Dr. Gbadegesin then talked about the connection between Ancient Egypt and the Africa. These connections include physical, both the Egyptians and Africans are black, spiritual and philosophical which includes moth metaphysical and ethical. Dr. Gabadegesin then spoke about how humans are constantly remaking themselves and he said if a human is not constantly self-improving then he/she is not a human.
He ended his lecture with the belief that Iwa endures all, “Honor may vanish from your house…Iwa endures”. I really enjoyed Dr. Gbadegesin’s lecture I felt that the drums added an authentic aspect to his lecture. I believe that character is a trait to have and I thought it was creative how Dr. Gbadegesin stressed this character trait through an ancient story.

Dr. Felder lecture, By: Melissa Moise

Dr. Felder’s lecture was on freedom and justice. He began his lecture by stating “in time all that is hidden will come to light” which relates to all the new ideas coming from Africa. Most people do not realize that most things originated in Africa. He also mentioned western history, and everything that is important comes from Europe. While speaking on freedom, Dr. Felder asked us “who are the free people, and are we free? He also mentioned how America claims to be the land of the free, but yet we imprison more blacks than any other nation. Then we began to discuss the bible and how it represents Afro-Asianic. Also freedom means the ability to exercise choices whether making good ones or bad. Then Dr. Felder gave an example of Adam and Eve and how the blame of eating the apple needs to be shared, because they both had a choice to make. With freedom comes responsibility and consequences whether one makes a good or bad choice. Then we began to discuss how in the bible most of the time women were blamed for things that men were at fault for. I agree with this because the bible was mostly written by men. Next we discussed justice which has to do with the right relationship and fairness or balance. I began to think about how blacks are still going to jail for crimes they did not commit, or being killed by law enforcements for no reason. The final topic was Jesus of Nazareth which I had a more difficult time understanding what it had to do with justice and freedom. Overall I enjoyed the lecture, and I look forward to reading The Original African Heritage study bible. I would have enjoyed the lecture more if there was a power point to go with it.

Dr Felder's Lecture- Sara Tosi @02647875

The theme of Dr. Felder’s lecture was justice and freedom. Dr. Felder said that when people speak about justice they often only mean it for people like themselves or “just-us”. He defined freedom as the right to make choices and pointed out that often when the words freedom and justice are used they are not really meant, such as in the founding of the United States under the principles of freedom and equality when in reality Blacks, Native Americans, and women were still second class citizens. Dr. Felder also spoke about how Europe has become the epicenter for culture and learning and Africa has been marginalized, and that the Bible has been white washed. Dr. Felder said “Egypt doesn’t move” and reminded us that Egypt is not in Europe so all of the figures in the Bible could not possibly have been European. Dr. Felder also spoke about the demonization of women as evil seducers in the Bible. Then he told a story from the Old Testament about Esther, the girl who became Queen of Persia and stopped the King’s persecution of the Jewish people. This story served to show us that strong female figures could be found before the European Bible. I enjoyed Dr. Felder’s lecture very much. I think it is fascinating to study religion from a different perspective than that of patriarchic Europe. I would have preferred if Dr. Felder had used a power point presentation or had some notes on the board for us or even some handouts because I was a little lost at the beginning of his lecture.

Dr. Felder's Lecture on Freedom and Justice By: Melat Gebre @02640216

Dr. Felder's lecture was mainly about the freedom and justice. Dr. Felder started out by saying "In time all that is hidden will come to light". Then he began to speak about the dispersal of African culture. Africa has been marginalized and Europe is the center. This is major paradigm that needs to be dethroned. Freedom is responsibility and has consequences. Freedom and justice are deeply woven in Western culture and this culture traces back to Greece and Rome. Dr. Felder then poses the question was there anything Greece and Rome? It seems as if Africa is forgotten about. Dr. Felder defines freedom as something that "refers to the individual or groups to exercise un-feathered choices such choices will that may or may not determine if a human reaches full potential".  He then rises the point that the Christian bible denies the existence of any colored persons. The African bible rejects the notion that when you open the bible all the people are European. In biblical times there is no sense of race. The bible also depicts women as seducers. Dr. Felder then goes on to say that America is self-serving and leaves out many important facts. He also makes a pun on the word justice, saying that it’s “just-us” meaning justices is for the select few, not for everybody. Dr. Felder then begins to close his lecture with speaking about religion and the bible. He states that Jesus of Nazareth is the justice of God in his human form. Jesus Christ is the icon, the non-mortal. Both Ghandi and Mandela didn’t like how Christianity is practiced by Europeans, but they both admired Jesus. Biblical history is a particular subject matter that I would like to know more about and Dr. Felder’s lecture gave me further insight on this subject. Overall, I enjoyed Dr. Felder’s lecture, but I do feel that the lecture could have been a little more organized and it would have made it easier to understand. 

Dr. Felder's Lecture on Freedom and Justice by Tashiana Hudson @026526009

            Dr. Felder began his lecture by defining the African Diaspora as the dispersal of African people. He stated that we must try to restore pride in African contributions to the world throughout history. He went on to explain that the bible is misleading in its lack of representation of people of color.

            Dr. Felder discussed freedom and defined it as “the right to exercise unfettered choices…” He explained, however, that sometimes freedom for some has led to the enslavement of others, as in the case of slavery. He joked that justice used to mean “just us”, as in justice for the majority only.

            Dr. Felder then spoke on righteousness, defining it as having the right relationship, not only with God, but also with one’s neighbors. He explained that all religious books like the Bible, the Torah (the Bible’s first five books), and the Koran (the Muslim code of ethics) seek to define and create the “right relationship”. He explained that the media tries to demonize laws that are not Christian, especially Islamic law, since the September 11^th attacks.

            Dr. Felder went on to explain that “Slavery is the most glaring denial of ones freedom” as “slaves are essentially non-people” whose choices and actions are an extension of their “master’s”.

            Dr. Felder ended by describing how Jesus of Nazareth, that is, Jesus as a man, rather than a symbol of Christianity, represented the justice of God in his healing, teaching, and challenging of the political establishment and was essentially a martyr.

            I found Dr. Felder’s lecture quite interesting, though I thought he indulged in too many tangents that made it hard to focus on his main point. I thought his lecture would have been easier to follow had he used PowerPoint or even written main points on the board for those of us who are visual learners.

Dr. Carr's Lecture- Sara Tosi @02647875

Dr. Carr's lecture urged us to understand the difference between learning and wisdom and to pursue both at Howard. While it is important to acquire knowledge we must also be wise as to how to apply our knowledge for society to progress. Dr. Carr said that we can gain the wisdom of our African ancestors' by studying what they left behind for us, particularly through texts but also through music, art and prayer. This is also a way for us to communicate with the ancestors even though they are gone. The “deep African thought” in these texts is the foundation for our academic work. Dr. Carr introduced the concept of “sankofa” meaning 'go get it'; meaning we must go and get wisdom from our ancestors. Dr. Carr also stressed the importance of striving for excellence in education as opposed to working to fill an achievement “gap”. He said to achieve excellence we must read, write, and speak and that success in learning also depends on excellent measuring and excellent service. I was particularly intrigued when Dr. Carr taught us that the glyph for beauty is an image of lungs and a windpipe, and that this suggests that beauty is what you say, and it is internal as opposed to external physical beauty, and it is important to learn what our ancestors said because it is beautiful and wise.

Dr. Benjamin's Lecture on The Eloquence of Scribes by Tashiana Hudson @02652609

Dr. Benjamin started off her lecture by explaining that a scribe is “a person who writes books or documents by hand as a profession for a government…” They have a history of being responsible for copying sacred texts and keeping historical records. Modern scribes include journalists, accountants, lawyers, and government officials.

Dr. Benjamin then went on to describe the many scribes for whom the buildings on campus are named. She started with General Oliver Otis Howard, for whom Howard University is named. He was an army officer who promoted the welfare of former slaves. Next, she discussed Mordecai Wyatt Johnson, the first African-American President of Howard. Following that, we learned about Inabel Burns Linsay, the first dean of the Howard University school of Social Work and the only female dean of her time. Next, we learned about the Morland-Spingarn research center, named after two men who contributed thousands of books to the Founders Library. We also learned about Alain Locke, the first African-American Rhodes Scholar, for whom Locke Hall is named.

Dr. Benjamin also discussed Lulu Vere Childers, Frederick Douglass, Ira Aldridge, Louis Crampton, and some women of the Tubman Quad, including Tubman, Truth, Crandall, and Wheatley. Dr. Benjamin went on to talk about Lucy Slowe, Mary Bethune, Charles Drew, George Washington Carver, and Ernest Just, explaining a little about each person’s achievements. She ended her lecture by explaining the meaning and origins of the statue outside of Crampton Auditorium.

I found Dr. Benjamin’s lecture enjoyable, if extensive. It did seem to drag a bit at the end, and there seemed to be some time constraints, but, overall, it was easy to follow and did a good job of informing us about the buildings on campus.

Dr. Benjamin's "The Eloquence of the Scribes", by: Melat Gebre @02640216

Dr. Benjamin's lecture was about the importance of scribes and the continuing legacy of Howard University. A scribe is a person who writes books/articles by hand. Before the printing press was invented, being a scribe was a common job. The Egyptians had many different types of scribes such as, scribes for the cattle and scribes for keeping record. Dr. Benjamin then went on to discuss famous scribes that have left a legacy at Howard University. General Oliver Otis Howard was the founder of Howard University and he fought for the rights and freedoms of minorities. General Howard was the president of the university from 1869-1874. Mordecai Wyatt Johnson was the first African American president of a university and he was president of Howard University from 1926-1990. Johnson was the eleventh president of Howard University and the administrative building on campus is named in his honor. Inabel Burns Lindsay was the one who established the School of Social Work, was named in her honor, and she was the only female dean in the DC area. Founders Library was opened in 1938 and was named after the 17 founders of the University. Lulu Vere Childers, the fine arts building was named after  her, founded the Howard University Glee Club, orchestra, and choir. Louis C. Cramton, the auditorium was named in his honor, was a congressman who influenced Congress to fund Howard University. Prudence Crandall, a hall inside the Tubman Quadrangle was named after her, is responsible for opening the first school for African-American girls. Phillis Wheatley, a hall inside the Tubman Quadrangle was named after her, was a famous poet who came as a slave from the Libya and became the first African-American women to publish a book. Dr. Benjamin then continued to discuss several other famous scribes that have influenced Howard University. Overall, Dr. Benjamin’s lecture taught me a lot of history about Howard University. Before this lecture I did not know why the buildings on campus had those names, now I understand the history behind those names. Dr. Benjamin’s lecture was clear and concise and I very much enjoyed it.

The Eloquence of the scribes, by: Melissa Moise @02644455

The two main topics of the lecture was the eloquence of the scribes, and continuing the legacy of Howard University. First the word scribe describes a person who writes books and documents by hand, and works for the government by keeping track of records. Howard University students have high expectations to continue the legacy and do great things like the ones before.


Some of the great leaders we discussed include Inabel burns Lindsay who was the first dean of school of social work as well as the only female academic dean in Washington, D.C. The school of social work also became the second accredited school in the nation for African American students. Another great leader was Frederick Douglas who was a journalist as well as a spokesperson for African Americans. Then we went on to discuss the different dormitories and the important people who they were named after. First the quad consists of Truth, Wheatley, Crandall, Baldwin, and Frazier hall. Harriet Tubman was important because she risked her life to save about 300 slaves, by leading them through the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman is known as “The Moses of her people”. Sojourner Truth is known for her memoirs and famous speech, “Am I not a woman.” Prudence Crandall is known for opening the first African American school, but was forced to close it. Phillis Wheatley was purchased by the Wheatley family to be a slave at the age of 8. By the age of 12 she could read Greek and Latin; and became the first African American to publish a book.

I learned a lot about the history of Howard University from this lecture. I did not know Howard had so many leaders and first African American deans, publishers, writers, and so much more. The lecture motivated me to continue to research about the history of Howard University as well as continue the legacy of great leaders. I would have liked the instructor to have gone in more depth and save more time for questions.

Dr. Dunston lecture, By: Melissa Moise @02644455

Dr. Dunston is the founding director of the National Human Genome Research Center, and studies the DNA molecule and 30,000 human genes. One of Dr. Dunston’s purposes is to understand why certain diseases have a higher frequency in the African American community. The word genome represents 23 chromosomes with all the genes we inherit, and every cell has the same genomic info. The Genome is also a record book of our ancestors history, and we should read it in order to further understand our ancestors and where we came from. Some of the other topics included “the knowledge revolution”, our purpose in life, and knowing ourselves.


Dr. Dunston explained “the knowledge revolution” as being class of 2014 time. She described class of 2014 as being on time, on point, and on purpose. Dr. Dunston believes that the class of 14” will do great things. I also believe that our class is capable of many things, just because we are in the time of the first black president and so much more. The most important thing I learned is we have to learn how to use our knowledge intelligently to solve a problem or many; otherwise it’s just a waste. One topic that made me think the most is our purpose in life, which is the only reason why God put us on this earth. It made me realize that I need to pray and reflect more to find out why I’m truly here on earth. As of now I believe my purpose is to help those less fortunate than me especially children; and that’s why I want to be a pediatrician. The thing that stood out to me the most is that we are here to answer someone’s prayer. Finally I learned that it’s very important to know yourself first, before you start trying to help other people realize who they are. This is another reason why I need to take time to reflect. Something else that stood out to me is, think about what you think about; which means to really take the time and research about what’s important to you.

In conclusion, Dr. Dunston’s lecture was very inspirational, and it truly made me think about what I want to do with my life. Although the lecture was helpful I wish there was more time for questions, and to go in depth about genome.

Dr. Dunston's Lecture on Abandonement, Dismemberment, and Reawakening by Tashiana Hudson @02652609

Georgia M. Dunston is a scientist who deals mostly with investigating the human genome. She explained that each person has a unique genome encoded in each of their cells. After a cell reaches maturation, its genome disintegrates, but these genomes are the basis of how our bodies are formed and operated. Dr. Dunston explained that investigating these genomes may help us discover why there are health discrepancies, that is, why some individuals or races tend to contract certain diseases more frequently that others. Understanding these health discrepancies might help us find a way to get rid of them, using aspects of the genome of some individuals to figure out how to make those more susceptible immune. Dr. Dunston explained that we are in the midst of a knowledge revolution, during which we are discovering new things about the human genome that could help us better understand humanity.

There are many definitions of the human genome, but one in particular is “a record book of the history and legacy of humanity”, suggesting that we can better understand the past by understanding the human genome. Dr. Dunston asked “How do you use knowledge intelligently to solve the problems of your time?”, and stated, “Creativity is the highest expression of that which makes you uniquely you.” She explained that we must use what we have been given in our DNA to change the world for the better, reminding us that less than two percent of the genome creates the physical body, while the rest is concerned with how we regulate and control that body. This means that most of our genome focuses on not our bodies, but what we can learn to do with them.

Dr. Dunston’s lecture was interesting, but I was very disappointed to find that she had spent the entire class session on her introduction. I was also disappointed to find that she never posted her PowerPoint online, so it seems that we will never know what information was beyond her introduction.

Dr. Dunston By: Melat Gebre @02640216

The main topic of Dr. Dunston’s lecture was about the human genome project and how it relates to Howard. Dr. Dunston started her lecture by talking about how the human genome project is the discovery life. The human genome project involves scientists that are sequencing all the DNA of humans. By sequencing the entire human genome this allows doctors and others in the health profession to better treat patients and it also opens up an endless number of scientific advances that can be made. Sequencing the human genome also allows us to have a better understanding of our ancestors and how we have evolved as humans. Dr. Duston said so eloquently, “The human genome project is history being unfolded in the language of the genome”. It is a well-known fact that the origins of human kind lead back to Africa and as Africans we must take part in this historic moment. A portion of the human genome project is actually taking place at the Howard University College of Medicine. Scientists are sequencing the genome of Africans. Throughout the lecture Dr. Dunston urged for us to get involved in the “discovery of life” and she mentioned how we must take advantage of the fact that the DNA sequencing of Africans is actually occurring at our own university. Some interesting facts that I learned from Dr. Dunston is that less than 1/10 of 1% of our DNA defines our ethnicity and that less than 2% of our DNA makes all our external and internal parts of our body. Overall, I enjoyed Dr. Dunston’s lecture. Microbiology is one of my favorite subjects, so it was very exciting to hear Dr. Dunston speak about the human genome. 

Dr. Carr's lecture on learning and wisdom, By: Melissa Moise

The main topic of Dr. Carr’s lecture was the importance of learning from our ancestors, improving our own lives, and teaching younger generations, so they become better than us. It’s important to learn from our ancestors, so we don’t make the same mistakes they did which gives us more time to accomplish things in life. Another reason is so we understand why certain things were done and for what reason. Some ways we can learn from our ancestors is by reading text they left behind, listening to those who came before us, and even visiting Africa to study the monuments and other cultural things. In order to truly learn we must always write, read, and recite. We must also teach younger generations because it is like a cycle. We learn from our ancestors then we teach younger ones so they become even better than us and even the ones before. One way we can teach them is by recording what we know and learned through writing the same way our ancestors did. This cycle is very important because it all relates to improving our lives which is why God put us on earth as well as to help others. Some ways we can improve are lives are always learning from our and others mistakes, and embracing other people and their cultures. Dr. Carr’s lecture was very important and informative because not many people know about the many things African Americans did from being in charge of a library to inventing the first stop light. I benefited from Dr. Carr’s lecture because it made me realize that I need to read more text from my ancestors, and I don’t need to be afraid of my curiosity to learn more. The most important thing I took from the lecture was, true beauty is not what’s on the outside but how you act and carry yourself.

Dr. Carr's Lecture on Learning and Wisdom by Tashiana Hudson @02652609

            Dr. Carr began his lecture with some key African teaching terms, which I thought was appropriate, considering we were learning about African learning. He went on to explain that our goal as a whole is to recover African Deep Thought. He explained the idea that we have been led to believe that Africans were not and are not a people of knowledge and wisdom. However, if we look back into our ancestry, we see that African people have always been a people of learning.

            Carr went on to explain the “power of the text” and writing things down, using the quote, “If you write it down, it remains.” I found this idea particularly interesting, because it connects to the idea that knowing about the past is an important part of understanding the present and that people can live on through their written work.

            Dr. Carr went on to show Howard students visiting important African landmarks, which really helped me see how his lecture focused on Howard students, specifically, understanding their history and remembering African Deep Thought. Dr. Carr also spoke about the importance of memory and being able to hold on to the things we know. He spoke about Seshat and a history of “accuracy, reliability, and a preservation of knowledge”.

            I originally found Dr. Carr’s lecture very fast-paced confusing. However, after being able to slowly read over my notes and take everything in I found the lecture to be very interesting and understood that the main point was that we as African-Americans, and other races as well, must remember, understand, and respect ancient African Deep Thought and how it has influenced today’s academia. 

Dr. Carr's lecture By: Melat Gebre @02640216

Dr. Carr's lecture was mainly about how Africa has contributed to the world of academia and global traditions. Dr. Carr also spoke about the importance of acquiring knowledge and wisdom and using those tools to help fix social problems. Another point that was brought up was the lack of African philosophers. Not having African philosophers have kept Negroes from attaining intellectual freedom. African philosophers are necessary in order to examine the meaning or lack of meaning of human existence from an African perspective. The academic world that we know of today roots from African deep thought. Those who say that Africans do not want to learn are wrong, because learning, such writing and reading, originally came from deep within Africa. Dr. Carr began to end his lecture by talking about the circle of life. He emphasized how we must learn from our ancestors in order for us not to make the same mistakes as they did. The best way to learn from our ancestors is to read their work and study their history. He also mentioned how our children must be better than us and how their children must be better than them. This is essential in order for us to advance as humans. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Carr's lecture. I thought his lecture was very informative, but also inspiring at the same time. Dr. Carr’s lecture made me really think about all the contributions Africa has made to the world. I feel like a lot of these contributions are overlooked or even undermined. Although Africa has made many important contributions, I feel like it has much more to give and we must keep growing as intellectuals in order to help solve the social problems of today.