E-Portfolio #5 Dr. Cain Hope Felder

Dr.Felder presented on the "Practices of Freedom & Justice in Race". He explained to us that freedom means to exercise choice and the free person is the one who exercises choice and justice is about the right relationship. He took us back to the beginning of Eden and how we are lead to believe that Africa has no history and Greece and Rome predated Africa. Adding that the Blue Nile/Giyan River/Nile River/White River is the longest river in the world. He brought up the book of genesis chapters 1-11 and the story of crime and punishment. How human beings will abuse power for instance pastors who are wealthy and live in these million dollar mansions in the suburbs while their congregation is still struggling and barely have a pot to piss in and a window to throw it out. Dr. Felder emphasized that we need to look back at notables like Sojourner Truth who was illiterate and the most noted and highly outstanding woman in the 19th century but practiced freedom and stood for justice and other notables like Martin Luther King Jr. He also spoke about Kwame "the redeemer" Enkruma another highly notable prime minister,vice president and pan-africanism pioneer. The perspective of history he have stating "we are the people of the day before yesterday", slavery being a big point, and the potential to one day be just as great as these pioneers.

E-Portfolio #6 Dr.Dana Williams

Dr.Dana Williams was the last speaker to present before we begin our presentations. Her presentation "Basic Components of Research" focused on four major elements of a research project giving us insight into our upcoming group presentations. They were methodology, framework, development of the thesis and conclusion. She explained each element for a complete research project backing up her work with the example of a case study of freshmen seminar and how we should go about out projects. This was one of the most helpful presentations seeing as though we were about to start our group projects and many of my peers including myself were a bit confused about what was expected and how to go about our projects. And the fact that we will be heading into ENG 003 next semester which will primarily focus on research papers and with Dr. Williams being the head of the English department it was kind of like a heads up for expectations and a future reference plan for research papers. She explained it well using our freshmen seminar classes as the case study and how it showed awareness and memory through our blog posts. I will very much take heed to what Dr.Williams has shared with us and plan to use it to my advantage next semester and hopefully my group presented our project with this same correct research format to our upmost capability.

E-Portfolio #4 Dr.Segun Gbadegesin

Dr.Gbadegesin presented "OMULABI:Self Actualization and Communal Responsibility" about knowing who you are is very important and those who came before you.He spoke about the African goddess Ma'at,Vizier Ptahhotep and Pharoah Amenemope before it was Greek gods and goddesses.Dr.Gbadegesin introduced the principles of Maat, the books of instructions and the pyramid texts before it was the Sharia,Kant's Groundwork or Mill's Utilitarianism. In knowing one's self he stated "a man of character is a man of wealth" and "patience is prescribed if there is social justice." The Omulabi was the Omo olu iwa Bi which means a child begotten of the chief or source of Iwa.Iwa Iewa states that good character is beauty.Iwa Ioba awure good character is the greatest talisman.Iwa Iesin is the good character is the essence of religion.Dr.Gbadegesin told a story of Iwa about morals and the choices we make. We as young people need to practice Ijuba which is paying homage to those who have come before us and appreciate what you have you never realize until its gone as did Orunmila in the story of Iwa after Iwa left. We also have to learn to not mix enemies with water. And a poem he recited resonated with his teachings was "honor may vanish from your house/cosmetic beauty may fade/Iwa is what endures even into the grave/take care of your Iwa." We need to avoid miseducation and education will prepare young people for their future.

E-Portfolio #3 Dr.Eleanor W.Traylor

At the beginning of class we were given out the book "The Tortoise or the Hare" by Toni Morrison & Slade Morrison and Dr.Traylor thereafter opened her presentation about the legacy of Howard University and its importance to the class of 2014. We are coming after pioneering Howard Alumni and we are being prepared during our four years here to become apart of the legacy of Howard University.She explained her take on knowledge that "without the motherload of wisdom knowledge is just dumbestification" and "knowledge is KING". She also brought her education rendition of E=MC2 and it was wisdom=e2 (e=education). Dr.Traylor heavily spoke about alumni such as Dr.Ronald Walters who had recntly passed away who was legendary in the Civil Rights Movement,Phylicia Rashad who is an well-known actress for her role in The Cosby Show as well as many other plays,movies and television shows. Who was making a comeback to theater at the Rebirth of the Arena Stage and two of the greatest female authors of all time Zora Neale Hurston and Toni Morrison. And Hurston who wrote her first story "John Redding Goes to Sea" while here at Howard University. Also Dr.Lorenzo Turner who was a pioneer for African Diaspora. Dr.Traylor speaking about these alumni was an example that Howard University breeds greatness.The assignments that were to follow this blog weren't to build up a ton of work but for us to gain more knowledge about these people,their accomplishments and to support our alumni.

E-Portfolio #2 Dr.Georgia Dunston

Dr.Dunston presentation was the "Abandonment,Dismemberment and Reawakening:The History and Legacy of Howard University"about the National Human Genome Center here at Howard University and the importance of knowledge about the human genome.She connected the knowledge of Africans, biology, human identity and the pursuit of wisdom across the human population around the world. This presentation struck close to home because she incorporated the use of science whereas my major is chemistry. Although I did walk away from Dr.Dunston's presentation a bit confused I did learn that everybody shares 99.9% of the same genome but that 1% makes us who we are as individuals.Which was shocking because we all are not as different from each other as we think we are. She spoke about the well known fact that all humans date back to Africa and then dispersed into different regions of the world and its seen in our DNA variation.She also stretched not only the knowledge side of the human genome but the medical side as well. And in order for us to be healthy people in 2010 there was a cycle of education and training,increase participation and inclusion in clinical trials. Howard university needs to lead the path of knowledge about the human genome and it will promise medical opportunity,commercial promise,ethical danger and social challenge.

E-Portfolio #1 Dr.Carr

Dr.Carr opened the semester with the lecture titled "Learning,Wisdom and the African World Experience:An Mbongi",expressing his knowledge of African history through different meanings, values, Egyptian hieroglyphics, knowledge of ancient Egyptian and the beginning of our intellectual genealogy to the present to connect with out ancestral wisdom. He spoke about the glorified European traditions that they're given credit for which truly date back to Africa. For instance Seshat and Djehuty created writing and mathematics but were taught in history class it were because of the findings of Greek and Roman philosophers. Ancient values and terms he taught us were ma'at which means truth,sedjem which means listen and sankofa which means go and get it. Dr. Carr emphasized the importance of knowing our ancestors history because without movement and memory we will not remember history and he showed us a great deal of knowledge within our own people that I would never get by going to sit in at an African American Studies class at Georgetown or NYU. I learned so much history not only about African Americans but our roots back in Africa and probably more than I have ever learned about our history in all my years in a public school history class. This presentation was spilling with knowledge and I'm not only happy that this presentation kicked off the semester but I'm also thinking about minoring in African-American Studies!

E-Portfolio #7 African Burial Ground Trip

The African Burial ground trip was an extremely interesting, informative, and thought provoking trip. Though the day started a bit rocky with us leaving late, we were able to take our bus up to New York City and visited the African Burial Ground in lower Manhattan. Before going in , in Dr. Carr spoke to us about the African Burial Ground and its importance. As we visited the site of the burial ground, I was able to see how important it is for one to connect to his or her heritage. Though I am not of African descent, I was able to notice the true  the importance act of connecting with one’s past. Also from the trip, I was able to see that many different people worked together to create this national monument. It was amazing to be able to see the work that my university, Howard University, has done for a national monument. This was extremely fascinating to me and also made me feel much school pride. I feel that from this trip to such an important national monument to people of African descent and all people of the United States, has truly enlightened me on many different things regarding the importance of one’s ancestry. After our visit to the burial ground was complete, we were able go a bit around the city which was great. Even though Howard University is in the District of Columbia, it doesn’t compare to the experience of one of the largest cities on the Earth, New York City.