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So what I learn and took from my discussions is that studying the histories, fine arts, and cultures of African Americans can have an impact on both my personal life and my future professional Personally, learning about the experiences of African Americans—through historical contexts, art, and culture—allows me to appreciate the strength, resilience, and creativity that were developed through centuries of oppression. Personally, it also puts me in a good position to reflect on my own self-identity, my values, and the kind of doctor I want to be as I move forward: one that listens, understands. On the professional side, this information is necessary to create a culturally competent physician. The health care system does not serve African American patients, not because of an absence of science, but an absence of understanding. In my family, for example, I have family members with high blood pressure. Most of the time, they are prescribed medications without being encouraged to make lifestyle changes like eating better and exercising. The health care systems quick fix depicts a gap within an entire system that neglects to ask why patient do not make the necessary health adjustments considering similar barriers of cultural, and historical contexts. By studying African American Culture, I can understand barriers my future patients may encounter, including mistrust of the medical system, lack of economic resources, and lack of access to healthy food and safe places to exercise. Also Henrietta Lacks a black women who died and cell was used against her family will is another example is why black women are not treated correctly and I also learn how storytelling, music, art, and collective community experiences can be used as interventions in patient education. In module 2  the video on Youtube showed that Dr. Brenda M. Greene, Founder of the Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College joins host Carol Jenkins to discuss black literature, its importance to exist, the history of National Black Writers Conference has been to create a space where Black literature is not only celebrated but critically examined and discussed. Her leadership has ensured that the conference remains a vital and dynamic forum for exploring the complexities of Black literary expression. Through her efforts, the Center for Black Literature continues to foster a deeper appreciation and understanding of literature. Looking at Black life through personal stories-carried by autoethnography-and by Black feminist ideas matters because these paths let the honest feelings, voices, and day-to-day truths of Black people step into the light; that is, it gives space to people who too often have not been heard or have been twisted into comforting myths. Movies such as Hidden Figures show how these angles uncover harder, sharper truths about race, gender, and power that regular academic reports might overlook. Hidden Figures, for example, retells the genuine journeys of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson-three Black women who did quiet, ground-breaking math and programming work at NASA during the tense American race to the Moon. Their small, personal wins and losses point to much bigger cages of color and gender that society built around them. When Katherine walks half a mile to the "colored" restroom, carrying the weight of rocket science in her mind, that frozen moment speaks volumes. History books may call it a footnote, yet seen through her eyes it becomes a tiny monument to the daily shaming and struggle Black women managed while still lifting their country skyward. By centering such ordinary, heartbreaking details, autoethnography reminds us that racism and sexism are not only written in dusty policy files; they are lived in flesh, sweat, and hope. Seen through a Black feminist lens, Hidden Figures spotlights community strength, self-determination, and quiet, hard-won resistance. These mathematicians did not fight Jim Crow alone; they also pushed back against rigid gender expectations that lived in white offices and Black homes alike. Scholar Patricia Hill Collins reminds us that oppressive systems interlock and must be examined together. The film illustrates this mix clearly: the women are doubted not only because their skin is dark, but because their work space is ruled by men. Read from any single angle-racism or sexism-their story shrinks; only a Black feminist frame keeps both edges in focus. Standard research often counts facts-how many Black women walked the NASA halls or how many rules were overturned-but those numbers hide the worry, the grit, and the small victories scrawled in margins. Personal stories, as shared on screen in Hidden Figures, turn cold statistics into living breath and help us feel the tangled, beautiful mess of Black life at work. In Module 3  Bryant Keith Alexander talks about Fading, Twisting, and Weaving: An Interpretive Ethnography of the Black Barbershop as Cultural Space I feel like it very important because the Black barbershop as a vital cultural space where everyday practices like haircuts become rich sites of social, cultural, and communal exchange. It serves not only as a physical place for grooming but also as a performative and reflective space where Black identity, wisdom, and community values are shared across generations.

chose this theme because I am personally invested in how we talk about and teach masculinity—particularly in a racialized context. As someone who grew up surrounded by narrow definitions of manhood, seeing those boundaries questioned in our course content was both validating and eye-opening.

Synthesizing course materials meant weaving together historical documents, theoretical texts, personal narratives, and creative works. I found value in juxtaposing texts like The Souls of Black Folk with modern media, which showed the continuity of themes like respectability politics and performance. This synthesis helped me understand that reimagining Black masculine energy is not only about resistance but also about redefinition, joy, intimacy, and self-acceptance. Through this project, I gained a new appreciation for the cultural labor involved in reshaping narratives about Black men. I saw how masculinity is not static but constantly negotiated in conversation with history, community, and personal identity. I've learned a lot about this course in just month and gain so much more respect for the black community