While reading any piece of literature, I often ask myself, “How does this affect me?” and “Can I relate to this? If so, in what way?”  Specifically, when I read the African American narratives and poetry, I found there are certain themes that continually occur.  For instance, I find it particularly interesting that some of the authors express the topics of self-image, childhood and conformity as primarily African American concerns. 

Maya Angelou, in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, states when discussing African American adolescence, “Most surrender to the vague but murderous pressure of adult conformity.  It becomes easier to die and avoid conflicts than to maintain a constant battle with the superior forces of maturity” (270).  This is not just an issue for African Americans; many of us can relate to this.  If the American Dream was a reality to all of America’s citizens, black, white or otherwise, then teens would not have to feel the need to surrender, instead they would persevere and fight for their rights, learn how to make mistakes before it is too late to fix them, and not live their adulthood in a constant state of panic wondering if they are making the right decisions in life.  In other words, they would be better equipped to cope with the responsibilities of adulthood.  Unfortunately, American teens do not have rights until they are eighteen, and many children and adolescents are not taught how to properly exercise those rights; therefore, they, many times, end up unhappy and full of regrets because they have steered their lives in the direction an authority figure ordered them to go. 

Angelou also generalizes the white culture when she states, “The white kids were going to have a chance to become Galileos and Madame Curies and Edisons and Gauguins, and our boys (the girls weren’t even in on it) would try to be Jesse Owenses and Joe Louises” (179).  I understand this was her immediate response to the aggravating white politician speaker at the graduation, but it should be noted that life is not that simple for all white kids.  She makes this a race issue.  It may have been in the 1930s and ’40s, but today many Latino, Native American, black and white children miss out on opportunities because of their family income.  Many children do not have the same chances other children have.  It’s not a race issue.  It’s a class issue.  Those living under a certain socio-economic level are unable to afford nursery school for their small children, which will help them with crucial emergent literacy skills.  They cannot afford to put their children in sports programs or music programs or send them to computer camp.  Those same children struggle through school barely understanding what is going on around them only to drop out or, if they do graduate, work as manual laborers or grocery store cashiers.  Granted, our country needs these people, but who is to say there is not a future Einstein hidden in plain view, but because his parents do not have the money to put him in programs, or are too busy working to help him with his homework, he loses interest and as an adult becomes too caught up in the death-like grip of endless situations life throws at us to better himself or his own children.  He, as a result, continues the cycle.

As a future teacher, I would ask the students to ask themselves questions as they read in order to help them make personal connections.  My goal would be for them to learn to ask questions of everything they read, in order to help them realize that people everywhere are dealing with similar issues.  I would use poetry that encompasses more groups, like Asians, Jews, and even whites, as they deal with similar topics of group acceptance, self-image, and language barriers. 

All Americans can relate to these issues and as Americans, living in the “melting pot,” it is our right and our duty to try and understand one another.  Using literature as a conduit shows students they are not alone, in contrast to what The Declaration of Independence might say about individualism.  In addition, there is always the hope that students will discover writing is an excellent tool for dealing with the harsh realities of life.  If they are of the lucky set and sheltered in a way that they know no harsh realities, then my job will be to expose some of those realities in the form of literature in order to stave off misunderstandings about minorities or other cultures and to learn to celebrate our differences. [JJ]

                        A reoccurring thought in the process of reading selections from American Minority Literature is the absence of choice equals the absence of a dream.  This is a vital characteristic of the American dream.  However, the minority literature constantly purveys an absence or at least a lack of choice in comparison to the dominant culture.

In order for The Dream to be achieved it is necessary for the basic equalities that our founding fathers drafted previously, are extended to all those in America without prejudice. 

            Unfortunately, this seems like a dream that is the immigrant dream, one that is always in the process that is in the future without any actual likelihood of attaining it.  This is unfortunately the inverse of the American Dream where an individual can claim and achieve his goals for himself and his family.  The Dream is far less likely to be achieved simply because of its group orientation.  It is harder to achieve a dream for a million but easy for one to achieve his own mind. 

            This is portrayed in Caged Bird, when Henry Reed gave his valedictory address and Ritie thought “Hadn’t he heard the whitefolks?  We couldn’t be…” (154).   It is this repression of the basic rights of African Americans that would not allow them to be.  Because they are denied a choice they in fact had no choice.  This was very disheartening for a young Ritie but she would soon learn to go out on her own and make her way regardless of racial pressures or denials; like when she became the first Negro railcar operator. 

            In Bread Givers, Max has an opportunity to make good by attacking the first sight of work he sees.  He has absolutely nothing but a desire, a dream and that option was all it took.  You also notice that he compliments Sara’s sister by commending her for standing on her own feet.  He then resumes by telling a story of how he managed to make it on his own.  It is once again an individual dream that is prefaced with one simple characteristic choice.

            Still, we have the famous words of Dr. Martin Luther King which state, “ The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny.”

Though this is extremely moving and beautifully worded, it seems that the group terms that are used are just so vague.  New militancy, Negro community, white brothers, all these groups are made up of different individuals with different dreams. 

            Each individual should therefore be given the choice to act upon their dreams in terms of the Declaration of Independence and be free.  It is however, with extreme bitterness and confusion that I come to the conclusion that the larger or less defined a group is then the lesser the opportunity of achievement.  The smaller the group and a more defined dream than the possibility of living the American dream is no longer a dream but a reality. [MAC]

            Course objective 1d discusses “The Color Code.” This topic, when combined with the elements of objective 6b, creates the framework for a very interesting discussion of what it means to be black in America. The wonderful thing about blackness as an identity is that it has many elements that serve to counter the pervasive system of racism in our society. The positive aspects of minority culture san easily get lost in slave narratives, or in the stories of a young girl growing up in the Jim Crow south. But blackness is so multifaceted that even when subjected to the worst conditions, some light will shine through. Racial categories do not exist because they are important: they are important because they exist. However, understanding that things are not always black and white is a necessary step in appreciating minority literature.

            The color code clearly presents itself in society upon the mixing of races. As the product of such an event, I have a lifetime of experience navigating through, and being subjected to the color code. In a racialized society like America, the color of your skin can mean everything. When you see a stranger, you see their membership in a racial group before you ever see them as an individual. Many people never get past the race in order to get to the individuality of a person. But the color line is a gradient and there are many in-betweens. The racial ambiguity associated with biracial individuals is unique to recent history. For instance, Frederick Douglass was 50% black but 100% slave. When a slave master impregnated one of his slaves, that child did not have a spot next to his father at the dinner table.

            I am often asked why I consider myself black even though I lack most of the obvious racial indicators. I usually explain that racial identity is not contingent merely upon pigmentation—or lack thereof. People who ask why I do not try to “pass” as white are unknowingly acknowledging the system of racism that shapes how people in this country interact. Safiya Henderson-Holmes, in her poem “Failure of an Invention” talks figuratively about bleaching her skin to be white. In “Blonde White Woman”, Patricia Smith made herself white with the aid of her father’s white dress shirt. So what happens when someone of mixed ancestry has a racial identity that does not correspond with the color of their skin? Beautiful things happen. You have no choice but to appreciate the beauty of the love that flew in the face of unspeakable racism and created a life. You have no choice but to venture outside your race to find friendship and love. But also you have no choice but to be exposed to the conundrum of being biracial in America: too black to be white and too white to be black. You have no choice but to transcend racial boundaries and embrace the beautiful colors of life.

            Frederick Douglass did not frequently describe himself as being black (and definitely did not define himself with the modern terms used for someone of mixed race). Frederick’s identity was mated to the fact that he was a slave. This would not limit him, for he would one day be free. Maya Angelou knew she was black and she knew she was poor in a place where those two qualities sentenced you to silence. This did not confine her; now she lives to let her voice be heard.

            These are not merely stories of success: they are transcendent accomplishments. Objective 6 mentions the sacred concept of individuality and rights. In the above cases it is clear that Maya had a right to be heard and Frederick had a right to be free. But in this age of attempted political correctness, there is resistance to the many classifications associated with race and ethnicity. From Black to African American, and Hispanic to Latino to Chicano, it is difficult for some to keep up with the vast array of post-modern identities. But to this one must simply say, “To each his own” and recognize the importance of an individual’s personal identity. People must have the freedom to form their own identity without being immediately relegated to a racial “box.”

             Although biracial individuals whose physical appearances seem to straddle the color line, their identities are often concrete. This runs directly counter to the common fear expressed by the dominant culture when confronted with the idea of interracial relationships. Some people say that the children of interracial couples will be confused. It is obvious that children learn a lot about race from their parents, which is why it would be rather odd for the child of one black and one white parent to view these two groups as inherently adversarial. Much of the literature in this class frames the debate as a constant conflict between these two races specifically (although the case could be made for any number of minority groups). There is also a wealth of literature that embraces blackness—but not at the expense of whiteness. The poetry of Langston Hughes (himself a product of an interracial relationship) often talks of the beauty of blackness in all its shades. This is an important aspect to educate those who think that to be black is to be bitter.

            The effort to be politically correct must not extinguish the desire to learn more about someone than which racial category they feel best suits them. The dialogue created between people from different backgrounds can be insightful just as reading a book with a different perspective can be enlightening. Since most of the books in the class so far have chronicled an individual’s struggle against an oppressive force through the confines of their racial community, there are only a few examples of meaningful interaction between races. The white boys who helped teach Frederick Douglass how to read would be an example. Perhaps the boys were too young to know that what they were doing was a punishable offense. Objectives 5a and 5c address these issues of influence and interaction, and the importance of this objective cannot be understated, for there is more to being black than the color of your skin. Understanding someone’s perception of self is essential; and since minority literature possesses its own implicit diversity, and it can be a tool to broaden one’s horizons. [JC]

            Some modern philosophers will argue that truth is relative.  In the eyes of an objective reality, this is absolutely untrue.  What confuses many people is the idea that we, as fallible humans, can never know everything at once and therefore our perspectives are necessarily skewed.  What is so remarkable about the American Revolution is that the creation of the Declaration of Independence recognizes certain facts about life which are universal to all men.  As a member of the human race, you are ethically entitled intrinsic rights: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  These are not given by some king who was simply born at the right place at the right time and nor are these only applicable to those who wrote the words.  These rights are considered to be fundamental to the life of a human being and as such, reach above and beyond the artificial laws placed upon the less fortunate.

            The study of American history helps to understand this idea, but upon reading Fredrick Douglass’ narrative, I found deeper meaning to justify this noble philosophy.  As I mentioned in my previous essay, many of the authors which we have studied so far believe that the fundamental philosophy as written by the founding fathers is, in fact, good.  It was simply the misinterpretation or the willful ignorance of its caretakers (the then citizens of the United States) who reduced this ideal into a “members only” club.  The recognition of truth with regards to the facts and rights of life becomes relative when the ideal has been distorted and abused.  Sadly, such was often the case for slaves.  Douglass writes, “It is partly in consequence of such facts [that telling the truth may warrant punishment or death], that slaves, when inquired as to their condition and the character of their masters, almost universally say they are contented, and that their masters are kind” (353).

            It is unnecessary to suggest that only those who prescribe to a certain civilization’s social contract are eligible for such treatment as equals.  The only exception to this is those nations that knowingly violate fundamental rights and act aggressively to remove or destroy said rights.  A nation, or even an individual, who is not part of a civilization in which certain rights are fundamental, but who has not acted aggressively, is, by the fundamentals of the philosophical ideals, included within these rights.  The slaves who were stolen from Africa and other areas were, in theory, protected by these rights.  I believe that in many cases, we shall see later in the class that Indian tribes should have been protected as well.  This point becomes strikingly clear when one reads about the obvious inequalities through the eyes of a slave, instead of just reading about the status of slavery in terms of general history.

            What I have found through reading these texts is the unfortunate fact that the experiences of oppressed minorities have helped make the ideals of the Declaration of Independence much more clear.  Unfortunate, in that these problems were recognized as soon as the document was written but the incorporation of these ideals wasted lifetimes of men who were unfairly excluded through brutal and degrading experiences.  All of this is indirectly related to the problem of assimilation or resistance.  If a minority believes that he is entitled to the same rights as is granted to the dominant culture, how is he supposed to act towards these rights (i.e. assimilate) if he is unable to speak the truth about his experiences? On the other hand, if resistance means that you must stay locked into a world of half-truths and unknowns, is it possible to know if the dominant culture is worth joining anyway?  The poem “Election Time” by Lamont B. Steptoe touches on the idea of relative truth.  Can his words be considered truthful if the realities of the situations have not caught up to the ideals to which we prescribe?  The answer is yes, from the objective perspective that the philosophy behind our founding document is fundamentally good.

            Most interestingly, these ideas come together with the reader’s ability to see that progress is in fact happening.  Within the scope of each text, a character may be forced to deal with horrendous circumstances, but never continuously.  What makes these texts so persuasive is the recognition of a dissonance between the ideals and his own achievable realities and the eventual realization of achieving those ideals (or a fair step closer to them).  This then begins a process of showing the reader of the closing gap between the metaphysical ideal and factual reality, to prove that the ideal is possible.  The truth of the American ideal becomes less of an unobtainable, subjective, and selective occurrence and more of a possible and objectively good ideal. [KB]

The subject matter which keeps reoccurring in our readings is how being literate is very important in obtaining some type of power and control of life and happiness, but most of all freedom.  I saw this in The Life of Gustavus Vassa, Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. 

In The Life of Gustavus Vassa a child is taken from their home country and sent on a journey of a lifetime.  The journey in the beginning is very difficult because there is a language barrier.  Gustavus does not know how to read or speak the American language.  As he goes through his life he comes to realize to get anything in this world or know anything in this new world he has to communicate.  He learns to read and write from many different people throughout his life and learns this is the ticket to freedom.  Once he has been taught and can read he learns and understands how he is not free and needs to try and become free.  The treatment and the way he had been taken away from his family was wrong.  Without his ability to read and understand he would not know anything different than what he is told by his owners. 

If Gustavus could not read or write than he would have never been able to tell his story to the rest of the world to understand just how bad his life really was.  Everyday was a never ending struggle until he was able to read.  If he had not idea how to read or write than he would have never been able to present to the Queen on March 21^st, 1788 with a petition on behalf of his African brethren, the Negro consolidated act which made the masters accountable for their treatment of the slaves.  Gustavus was able to help and try to assist his fellow slaves in protecting them from further harm and being ripped from the only families they have ever known.  If he had not sacrificed everything and taken the time to learn how to communicate with the English word he never would have been able to send word and make the Queen notice what was going on in the other countries and how the slaves were coming into other countries.  He would have never been able to tell his story so boldly and without any restraints.

In the Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass becoming literate was the most powerful thing a slave could do.  Telling the stories of working the fields, clothing he wore, being passed around from one master to another and one might have been nice, but the next could have been almost murderous.  If Frederick Douglass could not read then he would not have been able to have eaten when he had run away, he would not have been able to write the papers allowing him to travel without his master and he would not have attained so much freedom and recognition for his contribution to trying to save other slaves from further damage than what he had suffered through.  On page 364 of the Slave Narratives close to the middle of the page to the bottom talks about how a slave should only obey his master and learning to read is just a waste of time and if a slave could read they would be just a waste to the master.  The owners thought a slave who knew how to read would just do harm because they would be unmanageable and the slave would be discontent and unhappy if they knew how to read.  Then at the end of the page Douglass realizes his ticket to freedom is learning how to read and write. 

Finally in the book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings learning to read and write and do well in school was a very big obstacle to overcome.  An example would be Maya’s mother earning a nursing degree, but yet decided to work in a gambling parlor while her father who did not have any type of degree struggled for the rest of his life trying to make ends meet without an education.  Even Annie Henderson the Grandmother who raised the children got an education and ended up with the only store in Stamps, Arkansas.  She also has a great faith in god and can quote scripture, but the only way to be able to quote is to have read and memorized the passages.  Annie also gives Maya and Bailey books to read to help expand their minds and make them well rounded children.  If Maya was unable to read or write than she would have never been able to tell her story about her own life and share with the world the greatest obstacles in her life they would have just been memories in a mind and no real use to the rest of the world and Maya would have never been able to get her voice back after being raped because she used the words of other writers to share what she was feeling.   If she had not known how to read and write than she never would have been able to come to grips with her life and what she wanted out of it, or would she have been able to communicate anything to the best friend in the whole world, Bailey.

Literacy was the key idea in almost all of the stories I had read.  For a slave to have the ability to read and write they could read the bible and pray to God, write letters to family and friends, know when they would have been traded, known how much money they could make, but most of all know how to plan an escape for their freedom and be the voice to free the rest of their fellow slaves.  The writing of the past slaves allowed doors to be opened and schooling for the African American community so they could receive the same equal education and the right to learn how to read and write to have the power of choices.  [MKC]

For minorities, the American Dream often becomes the American Nightmare.  The stories that we have read so far do much to further this opinion.  The African-Americans who came to this country in its infancy, and have struggled to survive in its growth contribute to its literature in a way that defines the Nightmare. . . . [JH]