The Help is one of my favorite books. I can't wait to see the movie. It depicts the life of African American women who did domestic work for white women, and the attitudes of these women.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
The Colored Girl ALWAYS Rises
Still I Rise
Monday, June 27, 2011
4th Response Paper
For the past week we have read some very interesting articles. My favorite was by my most inspirational person of all time Fannie Lou Hamer. I loved her speech “The Special Plight and the Role of Black Women”. It was very motivating and it lit a fire within my soul. Hamer said that the plight of black women has been going on for 350+ years, and the numbers have increased since this speech was written. What I love most about the speech is, it has a great sense of togetherness about it. She didn’t just talk about black women’s plight, but she denounced classism, racism, sexism, chauvinism. Hamer did a wonderful job with making the speech very personal. She talked about Sunflower, County and how the air was polluted and the children there suffer from malnutrition. She talked about how they moved a poor white family in with them. Fannie Lou did not care if you were black, white, green, or purple, she wanted to fight for equality for all individuals. I particularly like how she called white women and black men both out on their fallacies. No matter if women were from the north or the southing rich or poor she felt like she was better Then, she goes to say that she would never be free until she (the black woman) is free. Although, I think my favorite of the speech is, “But you see now, baby, whether you have a Ph.D., D.D., or no D, we’re in this bag together. And whether you’re from Morehouse or Nohouse we’re still in this bag together.” She then goes on to say it is not the goal for black women to free themselves from black men, but to equally work together on the betterment of the race.
Sweat is also one of my favorites. I think this would be a wonderful piece of literature to teach irony, because the story is so ironic. Here you have this sexist and chauvinistic man who beats his wife and cheats on her. I think this is similar to the present day oppression of women. Black women go out and work to keep the house moving and going, and on top of all of that they still have to play the role of being a wife. And with all of that some of their husbands are emotionally abusive and often times physically abusive and even cheats. They would then have this optimistic perspective to them that keeps telling them that men will get what they deserve one day. So many women are like this, but the question I ask is how many men do not get what they deserve one day or why do the women have to even put up with this. And I think this is parallel to the case of Anita Hill and Clarence Thomas. Here we have Anita Hill who is this very educated and successful African American women whose voice is almost stifled because she chose to come out and say that Clarence Thomas had sexually harassed her. Here, you have black people saying that should not come and say anything because he had just been appointed. I do think that black people were wrong for saying this because every person should be held accountable for their actions, regardless of their position of power.
Interview #2
This interview was done on Saturday, June 25, 2011. *Disclaimer* The interviewee did not want to give her last name.
Q: What is your name? Maiden and Marriage (if applicable)
Patricia Anne
Q: Where were you born?
Tupelo
Q: Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Tupelo
Q: What were your parents names and occupations?
My mother’s name is Ester and she was a surgical tech who is currently retired, and my father was a maintenance tech and his name is Ray.
Q: Do you have any siblings? Yes or No, names? Yes I have two siblings. I have a older sister named Shanetta and I have a younger sister named Renae.
What was your life like growing up as a black girl in Tupelo, Mississippi? My life growing up as a little girl in Tupelo, I was kinda carefree. A little bit sheltered. Umm and I grew up in a predominantly black community. And I just remember having a lot of friends to grow up with a strong network of black families. And growing up in church. I just remembered my parents taking care of me.
Q: Did you ever encounter racism? Explain?
Yes. I encountered racism when I was in the fourth grade. I had a PE coach who called us little niggers. We went home and told our moms, and that coach got in trouble.
Q: What privileges or setbacks do you feel that you experienced growing up a black female in the South?
As far as privileges are concerned I would just have to say, (whispers setbacks) I would say a setback in resources. You know growing up in a predominantly white high school you really had to really kinda set yourself apart. Cause you already looked on as being ignorant and parvished. I felt as though I had the need to make really really high grades just to be acknowledged. I noticed a lot of the white girls in my high school had the privilege of going to certain camps or conferences because there were favors, and their parents knew such and such, and they could go to conferences and you really had to be just really work hard just to be acknowledged to be a part of this foundation, this conference this particular group. So I looked at it as a social setback.
Q: What, if anything, do you remember your parents telling you about race? My parents never did teach me about race. My parents taught me the difference between right and wrong. I grew up in a predominately black community with just treatin people right, and a strong religious faith to where it was until I got in high school I knew that there was racism and civil rights. Because I remember my English teacher had showed this video on the civil rights movement. I was just kinda dumbfounded. So my parents umm taught me that you know you’re just Patricia you’re not Patricia that is the black girl. You’re just Patricia.
Q: What did your parents tell you or instill in you regarding being a woman, specifically a black woman? That you will just have to work hard. Don’t depend on a man to umm… The age that my mom grew up in is that you know once you got married you were successful. What I was taught as a black woman is that you need to be independent. And kinda be able to take care of yourself. And carry yourself like a lady. Protect your name. Don’t you know mess it up.
Q: Did you attend school? Yes or No?
Yes.
Q: What was it like in school for you as a black female?
As a black female it was hard for me. I remember running for reporter for the student council. I was already editor of the high school newspaper, and I was an involved cheerleader. And on the student council already, I could just tell I was really trying to set myself apart, and I ran against this girl name Lori. She was this popular girl who was really skinny. I had campaigned maybe signs, made a campaign speech, and made a video. Maybe three days before the voting time, she decided to run, after I had been campaigned for two weeks. I remember she had made maybe three signs, and she won because she was white.
Q: Did you graduate and attend college? [Ask questions here to get more info regarding education ect.]
Yes. University of Mississippi, Public Relations.
Q: Did you get married? To who? When? [Ask about the circumstances]
No I didn't.
Q: Did you have any children? Yes or No? How many? Why? Was this a choice or just happened? If no children, you could ask them why they chose not to or was it medical reasons.
No I don’t.
Q: What it was like living as a black woman?
I think what it is to live like a black women is I find myself thinking like that little girl. Making myself stand apart. And in today’s society, many people judge you on what you have, and the way you look. So I really make sure I carry myself in a refined way, because I don’t want to be stereotyped as ignorant and ghetto. So, and I always watch the way I speak around people because I don’t want to be classified as ignorant. Umm you just really gotta just show that you’re educated, and you have some sense. And that you know you have a presentable presentation about yourself.
Q: What are your relationships like with other women? Specifically ask about white and black women.
As far as black women go, I have a strong network of sistahs in all ages. I look at it as a way we try to empower each other. There’s something you’re weak in or something that you’re strong in, you should be able to help me out. Because you didn’t have all those resources, I was limited to those resources, and I myself and my friends tell me that I am a very resourceful person. Because I am always trying to make sure I direct them in you know in this direction or if you need to know about this. I feel like I am a natural informant because of the way of the limitations I faced in the way I was raised. As far as white women are concerned, Uhh I feel like I have a network of you know a network of Caucasian that I do talk to. Who just don’t look at me as black, they just look at me as Patricia. And that makes me feel comfortable. And I just look at them as Dotty or Jessica, I don’t look at them as a white person. I just look at them as a person who can deposit some positive things in my life. And I feel like I have deposited some positive things in their life. I can see that they have been a little more resourceful than I have; it is what it is.
Q: Would they consider themselves friends with white women? Or do they have friends that are of another race?
I’m friends with white women. Umm I don’t have a problem with people of the opposite race. Cause at the end of the day if you’re a good person you’re a good person. You can be a bad person and be black. You can be a bad person and be white. You can be a bad person and be Native American, but as long as you’re a good person, and our spirits connect, I’m going to hang out with you.
Q: What type of relationship do you have with black men?
The type of relationships that I have with black men are you know. I just look at them as my older brothers. I feel like I feel myself being like a natural encourager. When I do meet black men, I find myself like encouraging them and if they do something positive. You know I’m just a naturally positive person. I’m like you know I’m proud of you, so I find myself being a naturally positive encourager of black men, because I know, they just have a lot of limitations denied their own right. And they just probably have to work 10 times harder, if not harder, to be presumed as this provider of you know as a successful black man. So if I could say a kind world to motivate them to their dream then I’ll do it.
Q: What do you think is the role of both black men and women in relationships and inside of the home should be? [Here, you can ask specific questions regarding marriage and the roles of both men and women inside of marriage]
Inside of the home I think like I said you know I grew up with a strong spiritual faith. And so, I do believe because I grew up in a two parent household that the man should be the head of the household, but I also kinda look at it as a partnership. I don’t believe that one person…the woman should cook all the time. And that he should mow the lawn, but I do think he should be the leader of the home, and the protector of the home. And the provider of the home. In some kind of way. Not just in economically, but just provide the ultimate wisdom. Just say so in the direction of how the family should go.
Q: What do you think about people dating outside of their race? Black men marrying white women and black women marrying white men?
Honestly, I really don’t have a problem with it, if… I had a friend she dated a white guy and I have dated a white guy before. And she dated a white guy because they just clicked and had a connection. But I do have a problem when I see black men dating white women just because they want to date white women only because they have a problem with black women. They have a stereotype. I have cousins who have married and dated outside of their race, and we welcomed them in. He fell in love with her because he just fell in love with her not because she was just white.
Q: What issues do you think most affect black Americans today?
Black Americans? I think just playing the victim. I just can’t do this because I’m black. I think what we fail to do is look at ourselves as being a person. A person who happens to be black. Don’t define yourself as being black. I’m Patricia the black girl. What does that mean? You know… It doesn’t matter. I think as long as you are good person, you educate yourself well that’s all that matters. Black people just need to educate themselves more.
Q: What issues do you think affect black women today?
I think there is a competition with black women. Trying to look beautiful constantly trying to have this European look cause I find myself trying to find this look. As oppose to you know, being accepted. Being accepted. And I think one problem that a black woman have is trying to be the strong black woman. And when being the strong black woman, you put this wall up and you don’t allow yourself to receive the resources that people direct you because you don’t want to show a vulnerable side, because you have this strong black woman wall that you don’t want anyone to penetrate – even your own race.
Q: So do you think it is harder for black men or black women in today’s society?
I think it depends on what area. In the area of education it seems like it is easier for black women because they have a little bit more resources. I can see a black woman getting a job. I can see a black woman being introduced to a conference or an organization before man.
Q: Do you think, there is a need for a woman’s movement needed to uplift women?
I think there are already enough movements and organizations. I think that the people who have arrived and been successful need to go back and grab and embrace younger females who are in development. I think that is what needs to happen. I think it needs to be a generational merging. A generation of mentors.
Thank you so much, Miss Patricia!
Interview #1
Brittiny’s interview took place on Thursday, June 23, 2011.
Q: What is your name?
Brittiny Massey
Q: Where were you born?
Chicago, Illinois
Q: Where did you grow up?
Up until age16 I grew up in Chicago, then I relocated in Mississippi where I currently reside in Grenada, Mississippi.
Q: What were your parent’s names and occupations?
My mother’s name is Shirley Anne Massey and she is a school teacher and formally principal for a private school in Juliet, Illinois, and my father’s name is William Massey and he is a supervisor for housing authority in Chicago, Illinois as well as shift manager for Operational Manager here in Mississippi.
Q: Do you have any siblings? Yes or No, names?
I do, I have several siblings actually. Nina Massey and she is 29 and she’s my older sister and Derrick Massey and he’s my older brother, myself and then there’s my brother Martel. He’s a year younger than me. Martavious Massey and Courtney Massey is my youngest sister.
Q: What was your life like growing up as a black girl in Chicago?
Umm, growing up I would say I lived a pretty decent life. I will say I lived a middle class average life. I think what most people would say. There were struggles with my parents because there were so many of us, and there were so many children; there were a lot more responsibilities for my parents. So, they had to work sometimes harder or longer to support us all.
Q: Did you ever encounter racism? Explain?
I did where I was located. I was always raised to help a person to see… people don’t judge people fairly off of what they are; we have so many stereotypes. One thing my parents help me to me to judge people off what you do or know. Not so much on what you may prefer or how you think or your personal preferences.
Q: What privileges or setbacks do you feel that you experienced growing up a black female in the North/South?
Umm I would honestly say in the North I would say that there is a little bit more discrimination as far as corporate and industrial area and corporate economics. Women, although they have opportunities especially in the North, you will see a lot stereotypical businessmen, and for the South it’s primarily the same thing. More so, I would say gender being the central focus, so then race at this point.
Q: What, if anything, do you remember your parents telling you about race?
One thing my grandmother people do not realize that is that she is mixed. Her mother was mixed and her father was white. My family has always been then type to express that diversity is important. It’s important because it gives you a better cultural perspective on things, and it enhances your ability to adapt to situations because you do have that level of cultural diversity.
Q: What do you remember your parents telling you about sex?
My mother and father. Well my father was a preacher first of all, so our household was: this is girls and this is guys. It wasn’t more so much that women were allotted to do it was more so his personal expectations or more so guys were expected to take out the garbage, where as women were expected to wash the dishes. He reinforced things like that but he never just pressured us about this is guys or this is girls. But generally I would say what I remember the most is my father was a very involved person. My father actually played sports with his girls. So you really didn’t have one way biases where girls would do one thing and guys would do another. He was really open-minded.
Q: What did your parents tell you or instill in you regarding being a woman, specifically a black woman?
That we are rare because a black woman. It’s your definition of how you define a woman, and a successful woman at that. As a black woman we have this double standard that we have to live to being black because of our ethnic background. And you know as well as because of our gender you do know we have to deal with that. But again she told me both of them instilled in me the way to eliminate those prejudices are to again show people through what you do. And so if they do judge you it’s off the things that they see that you have done and contributed to and not so much stereotypes or personal opinions.
Q: Did you attend school? Yes or No, why or why not?
Yes I do attend school, and I attend school because I feel like that it will help me as a person, because I want to help better myself, and I want to give myself opportunities, because without school I will not be able to attend to obtain. And school is not just wonderful for work but also for networking and just socially. It is good for you as far as career-wise so there is just so many open-ends to why I attend school, but primarily because I want to better myself.
Q: Talk a little bit about those days...
Because of that fact that I am so spontaneous, and that my interest tend to scatter and I just like to do different things, and with that is the way I am about things like that. I feel that that is important. You know to go to school to do the things I do, but I face some people, because of my gender or because of my race, I have literally time the first time I moved to Mississippi I was called the ‘N’ word, and I had never had that to happen before, and another situation where I’ve experienced both types of discrimination. For a job, where I was twice as qualified as well as my sister; she had a Master’s degree and she graduated at the age of 15 from high school, and she was a graduate of Ole Miss Cum Laude and there was a young man who had a Bachelor’s degree, and he received a job over her. And those are a few types of things that you face growing up and having to deal with and primarily you don’t let those be your focus. And you take those and let them be motivating factors.
Q: Did you get married? To who? When? [Ask about the circumstances]
No I did not get married. I myself I, myself, I’m a lesbian woman with a life partner. If I was to get married, and I have not got married because I feel my focus right now is centered on my education, because I’m the type of person that believes that in order to contribute positively to someone else’s life, I have to have my own life together. And you know, I have to have my own ducks lined up, so to speak.
Q: Did you have any children? Yes or No? How many? Why? Was this a choice or just happened? If no children, you could ask them why they chose not to or was it medical reasons.
I do not have any children. I want children one day. I do not see them in my shot-term future. Umm as I said, I am a person about structure and organization, and I’ve also had to raise and had to get temporary custody of my niece, who is now 4. So I know what that experience is like, and I know that personally dealing with school and everything else I could not handle the situation. So, at this point in my life, I hope to live comfortably for the child and for me, because I wouldn’t want the child to lack anything I couldn’t provide on a certain level.
Q: Where did they work as an adult
I worked at Grenada Lake Medical Center for two years. I was an Accounts Payable System Accountant. That’s just where you basically pay the bills, but my boss, it was so many different things that weighed on that job. There were a lot of things that played as a factor, because the youngest person that worked there besides me was thirty five years old. So that alone left this big uncomfortable feeling. So it left a feeling of uncomfortable for me, because everyone else was so much older, and you know everyone else beside myself, was of African American descent in the office that we worked in. And she had been there previously 10 years herself, so she had been there awhile for them to be used to. It was kinda weird at first. I don’t know if they thought I could handle the job, or you know personal stereotypes. I don’t know what it was but for a while I didn’t have anyone to speak to me for the first two weeks. It was really quiet, but I guess after my work performance, it spoke for itself and what they had thought about me. But my boss (sigh) I don’t want to say he was sexist, but he had a very very bad problem about categorizing things like and women in one category and men in another category – like they were separate, and they could never be holistically counted for together. And he would just do certain things. And certain jobs he felt like men were more sufficient at handling and certain jobs he felt like women and he would say little jokes and things like that. And you know that they weren’t meant to be really offense, but if you didn’t know him, you probably would think he was. But just things like that. I never really had to deal with any hostile employees or coworkers.
Q: What was like living as an openly gay black woman?
Ha ha ha. Living as an openly gay black woman. Whether it was up north or here in Mississippi, it’s a task in itself. Umm I’ve just never really had someone to approach me on the situation, but looks of disapproval and you know, small talk, or you know sometimes, like I said, I understand that we have people who have stereotypes about people and again all of those fall behind: I’m a woman, I’m black, I’m a lesbian. So for me, sometimes I feel like I have to prove myself to people. I’ll change that. And sometimes I feel like I don’t have to prove myself I feel like sometimes other people sometimes I can’t do the job or I can’t do certain things, because of those factors. And so I push to show that those factors actually don’t even matter. And they have no dictation of my work ethic, what I believe, and how I lead my life.
Q: What were their relationships like with other women? Specifically ask about white and black women.
It’s so funny. Up until about 16 or 17 years old, primarily women in my life were white women. And then, as I got older that changed. That shift came. And it was the other way- black women. So, I have a perspective on how women in general just live their lives. And how they do. Women that I interact with, I love them. They understand that my sexuality holds you know nothing of who I am as a person, or like I said my work performance and anything like that. Just the women that I interact with on a daily basis are understanding, caring, they just respect me. And that’s something many people don’t get especially people are of a minority and ethnic background and who chose to live a non social norm life. Whether heterosexual or homosexual lifestyle goes.
Q: Would they consider themselves friends with white women? Or do they have friends that are of another race?
I do. I do. I have one friend that is my best friend. And she is white. Her name is Christine. We grew up together and she lives in Canada now. And she’s having her second child now, and those are my god children. I don’t see a color barrier. That one thing I’m blessed that my parents did give me. They never made see a barrier for physical characteristics. I never held anyone to anything like that. It was always what a person does. You should be known for what you do and what you contribute to your environment and surroundings. Not stereotypes that people may hold to you.
Q: What type of relationship do you have with black men?
Umm black men are my best friends. (laughter) They are my best friends. The majority of my friends are males, and they are black males. Umm, I find it easy to talk to them. Believe it or not especially males, I do not find conversations to get across, but they find comfort in me, because they feel like they have that female aspect at the same they don’t have to worry so much about the same emotions they feel. Playing the same role. So, black men I would say are important to our society. My relation with them are that of a brother.
Q: What do you think is the role of both black men and women in relationships and inside of the home should be? [Here, you can ask specific questions regarding marriage and the roles of both men and women inside of marriage]
I think all relationships are similar. I think that there has to be a certain level of balance with the sense of what’s going on around. And taking care of the task because if you don’t feel like that support that backbone support and sometimes not are you the backbone and support but you are the foundation of that person. So I feel that, no matter heterosexual or homosexual I feel like every couple is different, and every circumstance is different. So I think that the situation has a lot to play on that. I don’t feel that there are certain roles, certain relationships, that should be played. Because I have so many guy friends who are cooks who cook for their moms and their wives every night, and they enjoy it. And that’s what they do. And likewise. I know that I have friends who are lawyers or social workers, or truck drivers who are female and they love what they do. I think as a couple your role to the other person is to be that support system that the other person needs. And to take care of your business, because if you are doing things, the way they should be done, there’s less likely a chance for problems to come up, and if you don’t look at it as a role type of situation, as oppose to a problem we need to take care of holistically together.
Q: What do you think about people dating outside of their race? Black men marrying white women and black women marrying white men?
I think it is beautiful. I think it is great, because I think that diversity is needed. I think sometimes we can’t figure out why we can’t address certain situations because, but our own narrow mindedness it is really what holds us all back. It limits us because we don’t take the time, to you know learn, to read up on things. We like to go off what have said because we have heard it. It’s a lot of times it holds no clout. It holds no credibility, but it’s things we have heard for so long. Things we have accepted socially. I think it’s a time for change for that. I think it’s time for people to be held accountable for how they do things. And you know I think that’s something that is important and could contribute to all of our lives.
Q: What issues do you think most affect black Americans today?
Literacy, financial problems, and I would just say motivation, because it’s sad, because there is a stereotype if you want to get anything passed black people put it on paper or put it in writing. Cause we’ve led so much to acquiring knowledge through our TV. And through the Internet more so than through books. We’re more so on memory than learning and I think that is hindering us a race for pushing forward, because we don’t look at things like that. Education – people fought for that, people cried for that, and sat through demonstration so we could have the opportunity and people are so relax that they are we don’t even appreciate other things that people have gone through to get to get to this point. So we ourselves could have the opportunity to learn and to grow and to develop the social skills we need. The academic skills we need. Just the life skills we need.
Thank you so much, Brittiny!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Hair
A common theme that the black women in our class keep repeating is the fact that they have natural hair. I love this poem biracial hair. It speaks to me, and I hope you all enjoy it.
Much love,
Ray
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