Blog Post #7 (Week 9)

The main article that I liked the most was the one on President Obama and Fatherhood. It shows that even though some individuals did not have a stable father figure within their lives, you are able to break that trend and start a new one for your family.

Some strength that was shown was within the article of “When Fathers and Sons Spend Time Together”. In this article it talks about how fathers and sons are learning to communicate with one another. Because of this it will allow a stronger bond between the two due to the steps they are learning and just by spending time with one another. It also shows that the fathers are not the typical males who abandon their children instead it shows that they are willing to be part of their lives. Since the premise of the stereotypical African American male not being around, this program is showing that it is not the case any more and there are males whom are sticking around.

With some research I was able to find the SAAF program. This program is a 7-week program from African American youth and their parents/care-givers. It allows for the families to learn how to become closer and promote a strong family unit.

Blog Post #6

During counseling of African American men and women there are multiple things to remember. It is important to remember that counseling may come with a stigma within the community. In many cultures it may seem out of the ordinary to talk to someone else about personal problems. Another issue that may arise is if the individual talking to a certain counselor over another. Additionally if there is a race difference then that may have to be address before the session continues. Furthermore it may be difficult to find the right therapy route to take because of how everyone is different and copes in different ways. Lastly, there may be different issues with the stereotypical roles that men and women play.

            There are some common similarities black heterosexual and homosexual couples have. One similarity is that they may not have the same opportunities and protections as white heterosexual couples may have.

            I personally do not believe being gay is choice but something that you are born as. Saying that being gay is a choice is like the same thing as saying you have the choice what to wear one day.

Blog Post #5

Within the Chapman article it discusses different challenges that arise in the Black community when looking for a partner. One of the challenges was the stereotype that men and women have. If we can somehow change how Black men and women are perceive then perhaps that ratio of African American marriages will go up. Another issue that was brought up was that the divorce rate within the African American marriages is higher then in the white community. Because of this there should be marriage counseling that is geared towards Black married couples. Lastly there is a big shortage of males due to incarceration or early death. To bring the ratio of males to females up early intervention should be implemented when the males are in their youth or adolescents.

While reading the Bethea article it talks about different stereotypes that were also presented in the chapman article. It talked about how African American males are seen as being lazy while the females are seen as being hostile and demanding. Because of these stereotypes men and women are hesitant to marry one another in fears that the relationship will not last or that they would not be a fit father/mother.

What mama couldn’t teach us about love handout talks about anti-intimacy beliefs that can be related back to the legacy of slavery. One of these beliefs is that “I’m not good enough to be loved”. This idea comes from when slavers were not seen as human beings basically and were not cared for properly physically and emotionally. Another belief was “I’ll lose any one who gets close to me”. During slavery many individuals were torn away from their families. Because of this you did not want to get close to anyone who can possibly taken away from you.

When reading the results from the Hammond article the top tow themes that came about from the data were responsibility (accountability) and autonomy. When I saw this article I thought it was strange that providing- waymaking was third and not first on the list. Many different males I have talked to say the main thing they want to do for their family is to provide for them. So seeing that not on the top of the list did intrigue me.

Blog Post #4

More explanation I would add to the “What’s love got to do with it?” article is that women are wanting to become more educated now a days since it is easier then it was about 100 years ago. Due to this, women want to finish their education before finding a partner and starting a family. Also there has been an increase in promoting the education of girls at a young age. So because of this many women are taking the opportunity that is being presented.

In the “Successful women who are childless” article states that only 29% of African Americans between the age of 28-55 years old and earn over $55,000 a year get married. Within the article Cornel West explains the increasing gap of African American male to female ratio. In 1970 the gender ratio was almost even but as of today it is as big as 9-1 females. In the past African American families were known to be strong. This is because of past history going back to the time of slavery.

“Annihilation through integration” can be defined as the culture and economic resources being weakened within he Black community. This is related to the Black marriageability index today because there has been a decreasing amount of marriage between an African American male and female. Within the article, it calls for an increase of Black males and females to marry. This will then decrease the “annihilation through integration” and increasing the culture and economics.

As I am all for an increase of African American marriages, I also believe that you should not limit your choices to just your own ethnicity or race. In our generation today I like to think we are more open to being with other races or ethnicities. So it is hard to know if there will be an increase in Black marriages or not.

Blog #3

I believe that Nguzo Saba did and still does matter in the success story of African Americans. Without these principles, African Americans would not have had as much success as they have.  They would eventually have accomplished as much as they have but I believe not as fast.

Evidence of the use of Nguzo Saba principles can still be found in programs today. Within the Harvey & Hill article it talks about different Nguzo Saba principles that is used. For example the “MAAT Adolescent and Family Rites of Passage Program” uses “Unity” and “Self-Determination” within the program. This allows the adolescents show what they have learned to the community.   

In Tyler Perry’s films you can find the principle of “Self-Determination” within his different characters. This principle talks about owning ones uniqueness. Because of this it allows Tyler Perry to show his wide range of acting within his films. But because of him portraying a certain type of African American is a downfall. In some of his characters he portrays them in what is not the best light for the African American community. I believe his creativity is not the same “Creativity” in the Nguzo Saba principles. This principles state that individuals should leave the community better then how they found it. But because of the way some of Tyler Perry’s characters are he is not fully leaving the African American community better then the way it was. In some ways he is hurting the community. This is because many Americans may believe the way he portrays his characters is exactly how the whole black community is.

Blog Post #2

3 facts that I found interesting under “Is race Real” where numbers 1 (Race is a modern idea), 4 (race and freedom were born together), and 10 (colorblindness will not end racism). In fact number 1 talk about how race is a modern thing. This is because in earlier societies people were grouped based on their class, religion, or status. It is very interesting to think that our society was the one to create race to feel superior over other humans. Fact number 4 was the most interesting fact that I read. This is because I did not know that race and freedom were concepts that were born together. I always thought that one came after the other. Lastly, I really liked fact number 10 where it talks about how colorblindness will not end racism. As a society it is good that some of us “don’t see color”. But that alone wont stop racism, we need to find a way to stop having a certain group of individuals have more advantages then others.

In the two articles “Hoe white people became white” and “The roots of racial classification” examined how race came to be in our society. From these two articles you learn that immigrants from European countries “got caught up in…this race thing.” It is interesting to think about how we learned what race was and how we categorize ourselves bases on our skin color. From others articles I have read on this issues it has come to my attention that we learn from a very early age what color of skin we are and the importance it carries.

Another video that I came across with Tim Wise was “Tim Wise: ‘White Americans’ does not understand the racial realities of America”. Here Tim Wise talks about how white Americans do not understand the hardship of colored communities. During the interview Tim was asked if he thinks if it is possible for all the police brutality and racial issues to be resolved at some point in America. He goes on to talk about how he believes there is a chance because he sees similarities between now and how society was during the civil rights movement. I agree with Tim Wise that as a society we have a chance to change the way other communities are treated. But as a whole we have to all see what is happening in front of us first before we can truly change anything.