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1.6 Who am I, First Experience With Race & Sense of Self Brainstorm 

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1.6 Who am I, First Experience With Race & Sense of Self Brainstorm 

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Who am I?

My name is Crystal Moore and I have layers to who I am. I'm Benjamin and Lois's daughter which ultimately makes me a preacher’s kid. I'm a mother of an amazing two-year-old son. I'm a student. I'm a lover and a fighter. I'm a leader I serve as Compton Colleges Associated Student Government President. I'm a little socially awkward at times. I love hard and wear my heart on my sleeve. I'm a comedian and I love to make people laugh. I can be quite the handful at times. I have an attitude problem on some occasions. I will go to hell and back for the ones i love. Loyalty is one of my strongest qualities.

Who Do I Pretend to Be?

I pretend to be strong all the time. I actually have a lot of times when I am sad and feel defeated. I find strength in prayer, family and friends. When I am in those times when no ones around I kind of fall into those thoughts o weakness and sadness.

Who Do People Think I Am?

People think I am a leader. People think I'm funny. People think I'm different. People think I'm goofy. People think I fight. People think I love to hard.

Who Do I Wish I Could Be?

I wish to be a person who does good in the world. I want to help people heal from trauma and mental illness in a holistic way. I want to be a psychologist. I want my patients to trust that I can provide them with the best mental healthcare.

How Has Race or Ethnic Identity Played a Role in Any of These Responses?

I was born an preacher’s kid so my values and beliefs I was born and raised into. I'm a passionate and loud and I believe culturally African Americans can be loud that's how we show how passionate we are. I'm a fighter because my people had to fight for the rights and equalities we have now, we continue to fight.

First Experience with Race Activity

Growing up in Riverside racism has been something I have experienced since I can remember. Riverside was one of the most racist cities in California. There was a active Klan headquarters. There was a huge racial debate to name my High School Martin Luther King Jr. I remember seeing so many angry white people opposing the name on the nighttime news.

How old were you?

I had these experiences my whole life up until I moved to Los Angeles when I turned the age of 20.

This was the first

What emotions do you associate with the experience?

I disassociate myself from that bad energy. Every now and again it would make me upset depending on the depth of how disrespectful the matter is, I am so used to ignoring racial behavior because I had to do a lot of it growing up.

Have you ever talked about the experience?

I have never talked about it it was just life for me. My experiences where never meant to be talked about.

How have your early experiences with race shaped your worldview?

I don't think it has shaped my worldview. I seek to create my own impressions of the world by exploring the world for myself. So far my worldview continues to grow as I travel.

Positive Sense of Self Brainstorm

As I go through the content I see myself resonating a lot with the experiences of Dr. Tatum. Like me she grew up in a more suburban area. I never seen content that represented the way I grew up. I think my positivity and self love makes my personal ethnic love strong. I did not always have self love or love for my ethic background. Growing up in Riverside I didn't have much exposure to the beauty of Blackness. I was hated so much by the white people I grew up I was only trained to hate myself. I realized black was beautiful when I got to high school. I was honored to attend a school the white people fought so hard to not name after a great man who fought for my civil rights.

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2.4 Ubuntu, Afrocentricity and Nguzo Saba

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2.4 Ubuntu, Afrocentricity and Nguzo Saba

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THEME 1: Ubuntu

1. The concept of Ubuntu is uniquely African. After reading the assigned reading and analyzing the short video by Dr. Nelson Mandela, do you think that the spirit of Ubuntu is alive and well today in African American culture? Explain your answer and give an example as to why you have chosen your position.

The spirit of Ubuntu is the spirit of community, belonging and the coming together as a people in support of each other. In the African American culture I can say it is alive in some aspects of the world. Depending on where you where born and the generation your were brought in Ubuntu's concepts were alive. As I grew up there was a since of community in the black spaces I grew up especially growing up in the church. There everyone was an aunt or an uncle. Discipline was widespread among those whom my parents trusted and where close. Food, shelter and clothing was provided upon request from the church family. Now as the generations grow older I see less of this concept of community, and now a very every man for himself vibe. Everything is about making money by any means necessary and the concept of asking for help or receiving help continues to dwindle.

2. Compare and contrast in detail and provide examples of any parallels/similarities that you have been able to identify between African cultures and African American culture. Has this concept of Ubuntu changed your worldview at all? Explain.

When I think of the concept of Ubutu I think of the phrase "Southern hospitality". I lived in the state of Atlanta GA for about a year and I felt a strong connection with being out there, and with the people. Like the concept of Ubutu there is a warm welcoming aspect of living there. You feel welcomed and your treated with high regards of respect. You are greeted and recognized. There's just a sense of community and love unlike here in California. When I traveled to South Africa I also felt as if I was home I felt like I was welcomed by the people of South Africa. Growing up in America I was taught that Africans despise Americans but this very much far from the truth. The people of South Africa let me know I was also a child of Africa and it made me proud to call myself an African American. As far as my worldview goes I believe Ubutu can remain and become a way of life for Californians, we just need to orally spread the message and show the next generations how it is done.

THEME 2: 7 Concepts of Afrocentric Psychology

1. Choose and define the concept that you feel is most present in the African American community. Provide an example of how you have witnessed the concept you have chosen.

Spiritness is a concept whose meaning is to be full of life to have a mind, soul, energy, and passion. From the Africentric perspective, spirit is both real and symbolic and is the divine spark that makes humans who they are. I see this in the beauty of blackness. Everything African/African Americans do is done with unapologetic boldness. The passion is undeniable. We as Black people do everything with mind, body and soul. We make sure we have conversations with our God, ancestors and our loved ones to keep everything we do blessed. That's the divine spark having whoever were are connected to guide us spiritually so there can be no fumbles. For example when I look at my son as he grows up to be a man he is full of life and he has so much passion and love for me I can feel it without him being able to talk. I pray for him everyday making sure he is spiritually grounded and continues to grow more and more into the man he will become.

1. Then, define and provide an example of the concept that you feel is least present in the African American community. Also, provide an example.

Human authenticity is the condition of being sincere and being who you are meant to be. It is the quality of being genuine and free of imitation. When authenticity is absent, one is not sure who to trust or rely on. Unfortunately, sincerity and realness is hard to come by. With social media a lot of imitation is at the forefront of everything. Nobody wants to be their authentic self. Money, fame, and celebrity are glorified. Influencers have taken over and the concept of the role model is gone. Trust has been removed from the minds of the younger generations and the being genuine is not being broadcasted for the next generation to see. Only fake wealth and messages of violence, and death.

THEME 3: 7 Principles of Nguzo Saba

Choose one of the 7 Principles of Nguzo Saba and define it on your Padlet. Then explain why it resonates with you and how you feel you have seen this value in action in the African American community. Provide an example.

Imani (faith): To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, and our teachers, along with the righteousness and victory of our struggle. There a line from a famous book "faith without works is dead", I believe in that whole heartedly Having faith in something is what creates motivation. Our ancestors had faith in times of turmoil and hate faith is what brought African Americans to freedom, gave us civil rights and is what helps us continue to fight for what is rightfully ours. African Americans have experienced many victories and will continue to do so if we maintain our faith and continue to push the envelope forward.

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3.1 Multidimensions of Ethnic Self-Identification

1. Within the category of Natal Measures, I chose Birthplace Riverside California. Riverside Community Hospital. My birthplace is where I come from and how it was a challenge being here. I was ectopic pregnancy trapped in my mothers fallopian tube. My mother's resilience brought me into the world after the Dr. recommended my mom eliminate the pregnancy my mom would always tell me "God blew you into my womb". Which leads me to my natural parents. Benjamin and Lois Moore. I had older parents which granted me an old soul. I was a daddy's girl by heart he always had the good oldies playing as a little girl i would sing along to the greats like Marvin Gaye, The Temptations my dad would say, "girl that song is 40 years old and you know all the words!" My mother was strict and my dad I got away with murder but the love was real from the both of them. They brought me up to have morals and to love God and that is definitely embedded in my self-identity.

2. Within the category of Behavioral Measures, I chose friendship but for me, my friends are considered extended family a lot of my friends have been friends for long periods of time. Many I grew up in school and church. My friends don't always agree but we share the same values. My friends have always been there for me especially when my parents died. They were my support system. My friends all so knew how to wear me down when it came to peer pressure. I am my own person and make my own decisions but my friends were very convincing. Music is all so what makes up my Multi-dimensional Ethnic Self-Identification. so much so I tattooed I love music on my arm. Music is literally my mood stabilizer. When I'm in a negative head space I turn on gospel to bring my spirits up. When I am feeling loved I play the greatest of R&B. When I upset I paly gospel again. But Like i stated previously music has been an influence and has shaped my entire existence since I was a child. Fashion is a big part of my life I feel I got my fashion sense from my mom she was always breaking the rules when it came to fashion. She knew how to put it together. I was lucky to have inherited her fashionista skills. Fashion is a huge way to self express it could be used make statements and protest.

3. For Situation-Contextual Measures I have chose education. Having knowledge is a large part of self identity. What you know can take you far. Knowledge builds character. I also chose religion. I grew up Christian. Most of my decisions morally are based on my Christian upbringing. I was taught the Bible represented the basic instructions before leaving the earth. I try my best to follow scripture even though I often fall short. Lastly for this category I have to say recreation is very important it reminds me of the saying you are what you do. For my recreation I dance. I feel dance is a huge part of my identity. If anyone knows anything about me they know I going to dance once I hear the music. love to dance I feel a spiritual connection when I'm moving its like the moves are apart of me.

4. In the last category of Subjective measures, I would not say I truly resonate in this measure. I would say growing up I did have many role models. Fictional and mom-fictional people. I was raised in a very interesting time. THE 80's I had influx of role models unlike this day age.

3.2 Multi-Group Ethnic Identity Measure

5. The results to my Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure was 40.

6. I think I definitely strongly identify with my ethnic group. My score reflected my pride for being African American even though there were some questions I did have lower scores on I still feel like i had a strong solid score.

7. I have a strong bond with my ethnic group. There are times I feel like I overthink and exclude myself because society has put restrictions on what to like, music to listen to, what to watch etc. I strongest when I with my people and I wear my ethnic identity proudly.

8. I did notice the places I scored lower were places about learning more about my ethnic group. I scored most in the celebrating and being apart of organizations portions of the questions.

3.3 Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale

9. My score for the Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale was 28 on a higher scale.

10. I was very proud of my score. I agree with my score whole heartedly along time I had to build my self-esteem from the ground up.

11. Growing society glorified everything that was opposite of me. I was not the thinnest or the stylish. Euro centricity was the main product being sold and because I never seen full figured black women on television I felt as if I did not fit. As I grew older I started to realize the Eurocentric standards where totally non-realistic and began to start loving myself for who I was growing my self-esteem.

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Theme 1: Types of Racism

1. Growing up in Riverside California i have seen different types of racism. I have experienced Individual Racism. sometimes I did not even knw I was experiencing prejudice being followed around stores. Being ridiculed for having a different hair type. Individual Racism was an everyday thing until I got older and realized these things are not ok. I have experienced Systemic or Institutional Racism the high school I attended in Riverside brand new built in 2002 named after the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The residents were not so accepting of the name I remember seeing white parents on the news angry with opposition for the name of the school. Why would you want to name a school after a noble peace prize recipient? Recently there is a lot of Symbolic Racism in world from removing African American History from school to J.P Morgan denying the fact that slaves funded their big bank initiative. I myself have been told I did not suffer slavery first hand so get over it.

2. No I do not feel we live in a post-racial society I honestly feel like we are reverting to the America that was built by black people. I feel that the Government is provoking racism amongst whites and no one is taking responsibility for the racial damage being caused.

3. Growing up I was always told there is one race that is the human race. For me I believe race is a social construct because no matter where you go on earth the indigenous people of that land are usually black. I think race is only a benefactor socially. My phenotype is not based on social constructs therefore can not be biological. Race only matters when you White.

4. American Heart Association did an article on how race is a social construct and in healthcare this is affecting patient outcomes because doctors are basing there research on biological variables which is impossible because you can not treat a patient based off race. https://newsroom.heart.org/news/race-is-a-social-construct-and-often-used-as-proxy-for-biological-variables-may-affect-patient-care-outcomes#:~:text=Race%20is%20a%20social%20construct%2C%20not%20a%20biological%20variable%20determined,bias%2C%20imprecise%20and%20often%20inappropriate.

5. The main thing that stood out to me in this whole unit including the reading is that there can be so many types of ways to be racist. There are so many ways to be prejudice towards people. and its became so bad it seems to me to be a norm. Racism even exist between black people. Colorism is something I struggle with I have always felt I was dark skinned but darker skinned people insist that I'm light skinned. I have never benefitted from my skin color I will always be considered black and for me I stand with my fairer skinned and darker skinned people. We should not be putting each other down.

Theme 2: Racial Microaggressions Podcast

1. In this audio we immediately see Institutional Racism black Harvard students are experiencing casual bias. at a PWI. Unfortunately, being intelligent enough to get into Harvard is not enough students must deal with racial bias. I heard Individual Racism the expert state "he is a perpetual alien in his own country". The United States is a melting pot of different people and for a person not to feel like their own country does not accept them i know that could be frustrating.

2. No I do not feel we live in a post-racial society I honestly feel like we are reverting to the America that was built by black people. I feel that the Government is provoking racism amongst whites and no one is taking responsibility for the racial damage being caused.

3. Growing up I was always told there is one race that is the human race. For me I believe race is a social construct because no matter where you go on earth the indigenous people of that land are usually black. I think race is only a benefactor socially. My phenotype is not based on social constructs therefore can not be biological. Race only matters when you White.

Scientific American did an article stating the biological thought process of race needs to be fazed out. It discusses how scientist argue that it is a social construct using biological variables has been the topic of scientific journals and now research has changed its experiments and now since removed the biological variables.

4. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/race-is-a-social-construct-scientists-argue/