1. Who am I?

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. 

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.

• Ma'at
• Maafa
• Veneration of the person
• Spiritness
• Human authenticity
• Inclusive metaphysical epistemology
• Sankofa

• Kujichagulia - Self Determination.

Within the category of Natal Measures, I chose:

1. Birthplace of self

2. Natural parents, grandparents, and extended family.

3. Ethnic origins of extended family

4. Ancestral Lineages

I chose these examples because for myself these are categories that have shaped my identity and perception I have of myself. I would say that birthplace of self is what sets the tone in identification. Where one is born and resides, allows you to become aware of those around you and how they act and behave. I chose natural parents, grandparents, and extended family because as a child these are the individuals that influence your behavior. These individuals are the ones you learn from, articulate from, and behave with. Ethnic origins of extended family, the idea is where does the ethnicity originate from, you see this in a lot of families where they discuss circumstances of lineage "down the line", where do these anomalies come from if this is not the first occurrence of these circumstances having shown up. So what is the true ethnicity of the extended family on both the mother and fathers side. Lastly, I chose ancestral lineages, because where I come from is linked to my ancestors in some way, shape, or form; certain characteristics of myself, can be traced down to the ancestorial lineage of my family, whether it be health or physical features.

Within the category of Behavioral Measures, I chose:

1. Language use patterns

2. Print and electronic media use patterns, music, clothing, and food preferences

3. Participation in cultural and religious activities

4. Friendship and acquaintance affiliative patterns

I chose these measures because these particular examples are what I feel not only shapes an individuals behavior, but also their identity as well. With the language use patterns, I understand this to be how one begins to formulate words, form the vowel sounds in their tone, and also the words that would allow someone to express themselves within their vocabulary. Print and electronic media use patterns, music, clothing, and food preferences are just that; they are preferences, where one begins to express themselves, where one begins to form their own personality. The last two measures chosen has to do with, how an individual participates within their own community, whether it be community based events amongst their own relatives or extended family, or events that are based within the individuals own extended religious family. Lastly, the last measure signifies an individuals own substandard on who they associate themselves with, all of which are of the utmost importance.

Within the category of Subjective Measures, I chose:

1. Self-identification of a preferred ethnic group

2. Value preferences

3. Assessment of own acculturation status

4. Real and aspired self-concept

I chose these measures based on preferences reflective of my own self-conceptualization faced throughout the last few years. Subjective measures are something that I am still trying to grasp and understand even today, but for me self-identification of a preferred ethnic group is and isn't that important. However, for most it is a commonality to self-identify not only with a preferred ethnic group, but also identifying with a group that provides the essentials that an individual closely relates to. Value preferences are established as an importance, worth, or usefulness of something, but with this measure this is when an individual begins to establish what is important and right for them. Real and aspired self-concept are the ideas and beliefs that one holds about oneself and the responses from others, but there are the actual self-concepts of an individual (real), and then there is an aspired self-concept that an individual aspires to be; a self-concept that an individual wants others to perceive them as, as well as the individual moving themselves in that direction to be.

Within the category of Situation-contextual Measures I chose:

1. Home-Family

2. Education

3. Spirituality

4. Recreation

5. Religious

I chose these measures out of personal bias and preference of my own reflection of contextual measures when thinking or reflecting on concepts of this magnitude. Personally Home-family are important aspects of an individuals identity because this is the beginning of affiliation, where one comes from and from whom one comes from. Education is an important factor of an individuals own identity. My Dad used to say things pertaining to how education is important factor, especially for a black man in today's society; it doesn't matter how far or behind that society is, education within the Black community is necessary and a necessity. Recreation I feel is an individuals own preference on what it is, that they enjoy doing in their spare time. Lastly, I am combining both Spirituality and religious because they ultimately go hand-and-hand. Religious is a doctrine or a set of rules or at least that is what is established within a religious aspect, but spirituality is something, that is beyond an individuals own self. I feel though, that you cant have religion without being spiritual.

3.2 Multi-Group Ethnic Identity Measure

1. My Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure score is 42.

2. To me this score means that it doesn't reflect how much or less I am connected to my ethnic group, what my skin looks like on outside doesn't define who I am internally. My circumstances are different than most people.

3. I think that this means that I have a strong bond with the Black/ African ethnicity because I can relate to the subcultural group on the outside looking in, but this is extreme biased because I relate to an array of different subcultural groups, its hard to put me in a specific box. This has been something that I have dealt with all of my life.

4. Nothing really surprised me about this analysis, however, this has made me want to even further pursue my own merit of receiving a DNA test, so that I may put certain aspects of my ethnic background to rest.

3.3 Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale

1. State your score after taking the Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale. 21

2. State what your score means to you and your understanding of your self-esteem.

   What this score means to me is absolutely nothing. However, based on the idea of what the score is representative of, and considering the questions asked, I know there is room for improvement in my own life, improvement that I am currently working towards, and improvement I know that will ultimately change the score with consistency and accountability. My understanding of self-esteem, is that it is an individuals own interpretation of how they see and view themselves. Whether it be positive or negative aspects of themselves, I am always learning of the human condition, so I know there are things within myself that need improvement, but I don't think of myself as less than anyone else. I do have pretty good self-esteem of myself, but I am also a perfectionist and sometimes, I just can't help to see things from that lens.

3. State why you believe your score is the number that it is. Provide examples. 

   I believe my score is the number that it is based on my responses to the questions that were asked of course, but also its my own internalization of my responses to those questions, and the reflection of my current state of mind that I am dealing with. Some examples of this would be me doing the work, that it takes for me to improve both mentally and physically and in all aspects of my life. At this current moment I am going through tremendous life changes and at this point in my life, I am truly only concerned with things that are going to fulfill my future and my overall health.

3.4 Racial Identity Development

1. State your stage of Racial Identity Development (they are in bold on the summary document provided). Please do not state that you are in the "People of Color" stage because that is not a stage. Please watch the video above for clarification. 

2. State why you think that you are in the stage that you identified.

3. Provide an example of how you know that you have passed through the previous stages.

4. State one thing that you learned from this process. 

My stage of Racial Identity Development based on Hoffman is interesting to say the least. Concurrently, I would say I have and understood the idea of Integrative awareness and I am in that stage, but I have a habit of jumping back and forth in a lot of ways. I would say I am in the Internalization stage, based on the idea, that there are negative qualities among my own people and not all white people are the enemy, but the majority are. However, that's not to say that people of Latin or Spanish decent aren't perceived in the same way as well. I think it is based more on the in the individual and the person than it more about the ethnic or racial identity.

. Honestly, I feel basing someone's own actions are derivative of a summary such as the Hoffman summary is a bit ridiculous, because the idea of someone's actions has to do with their upbringing first and foremost. The early development of one's own life.

I myself have never been in the stage of Emersion, I don't avoid as much as possible contacts with Whites, I avoid as much as possible with people of ignorance and foolish ways. I avoid as much as possible individuals who are going to waste my time and energy, no matter what racial identity they identify with.

With the conformity stage, I would say that I still to this day am in this stage and I live within myself of my every day life in conformity. I do feel as though I am just a regular American that is unconsciously aware of how I am perceived by others. I do say that I am naive in that way and that I am truly one individual who doesn't hold a preconceived notion of someone else as I don't associate notions or stereotypes of my own individualized self.

I would say that I live in perpetual state of dissonance as of late. I feel as though I do want to get along and be just a normal individual (American), but I do see, that my race and my gender preclude me from the benefits that other males receive, and yet at the same time the benefits that of course, white men in the same idealized fashion would receive. Although, with me their is always a catch within my research I have found positive aspects against the stereotypical views of my race and gender; I have and still am in the stage of feeling confused about the beliefs that have been held about America and myself based on what I see as the internalized problem or sexism and racism impacting my own life. I also have confused beliefs of America based on what is happening currently, within the United States within the last ten years.

If I allow myself to think long and hard enough, I do begin to fall into the Immersion stage, but for me this is a stage that I don't allow myself to stay in this stage for too long due to the violent rage that can result. I have in the past used this stage as a way to fuel and power myself against the challenges I have faced, since being in a state of awareness of who I am. For me this stage began in adolescence, literally on the playground. I wouldn't say that it just falls mainly on white people and just males who are racist and sexist though, and I don't feel that they are only just part of the problem in my interpretation. I also don't feel that these are the main barriers of focus (sexism and racism), I feel as though these are just the tail-end factors of a bigger problematic epidemic.

What might people of color do with this anger? If they were smart enough they would burn this entire place down and have anarchy with no government or control. Everyone would be for their own individualized self with the respect to not bother each other on any level, since ultimately that's where we're headed into anyway.

I would say within this summary and this process I continue to learn and add more things to myself and my character. This process has answered some of the long standing questions I have had, in why I perceive things the way I do. The perception of occurrences has a lot to do with the encounters I have faced in my childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. To put a foundation to my experiences and questions, allows me to have evidence to what has already been established.

3.5 Find Your Racial Identity Resource

The resources I chose as my identity resource, that would help me understand racial/ethnic identity better would first include a scholarly publication from the National Library of Medicine. The National Library of Medicine has a great resource of information and publications on many diverse subject matters. It is a vast resource with all kinds of research information, that provides known journal articles from many scholars in different industries.

The second resource happens to be image/posters that I had in my childhood, that were associated with Budweiser known as the Great Kings of Africa (see image above). These were images of Kings and Queens in Africa throughout history. They were articles, that told brief summaries of each individual in Africa of their contribution to the content, as well as to their society. I am glad I had an experience to have these colorful images, depicting my people and ancestry. To know that these individuals own stories would not go unnoticed was profound in my early development.

_{The type of racism from slide 2, that I have seen in the world would undoubtedly be institutional racism.}

_{Institutional racism according to the slide, is revealed by polices and practices within organizations and institutions that contribute to discrimination for a group of people. Institutional racism can also be thought of as systemic racism that continually leads to adverse outcomes for African Americans.}

_{There are tremendous factors of Institutional racism all around us in the United States. From children not being able to attend a good school because of busing; also not developing educational systems and programs in under privilege schools, or providing quality education. Banks not providing loans or financial assistance with small businesses of owners who are Black or African race. College/Universities only accepting a certain criteria of students based on their background vs. their merit.}

_{Some examples of structural racism in today society would include biased against not only people of color, but also individuals with disabilities, women, and people of different gender associations. These behaviors are still commonly found in the workplace, in institutions of higher learning (college/university campuses), in entertainment/media, and also within the United States government.}

_{When asked if we live in a Post-racial society today, based on the fact that the term or idea of post-racial according to Wikipedia is to interpret, in which the United States is free from racial preference, discrimination, and prejudice I would have to vehemently say No. If anything we have not solved all those issues from decades and centuries before, but instead it has been internalized and used by other means to denigrate people of color. Whether it is by means of still holding individuals in rural areas in lesser conditions, while those in city limits or known areas of higher populated subordinate people will have higher quality conditions. This can include emergency service assistance and medical services.}

_{Another reason why I feel we don't live in a post racial society is because for one everyone at this point is racist, and two those in higher power have covered up the racist ideas and utilized other ways in which to control an individual based not because of their ethnicity, but also because of their disability (even though its illegal to do, they still do it)gender, and even their gender identity. Hiding racism under discriminatory acts and circumstances by ways of intimidation towards males and females.}

_{My personal definition of race would have to be to put it simply a class of people unified by shared physical characteristics. Is what it should be defined as, along with an emphasis that race doesn't define who an individual is. I believe race is a social construct brought about in a discriminatory fashion to delegate who an individual based off of not only biological construct, but geographical and regional characteristics as well. I feel race should be simple and less complicated and not used to define who or what someone is. Defining ones race within in certain aspects does come with both positive and negative responses based on what one is trying to achieve.}

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

_{In the article "Race Is a Social Construct, Scientists Argue" written by, Megan Gannon (2016), it discusses how race is being used as a biological explanation in order to define someone's genetics; whereas race among most scientists is viewed as a social construct, in order to define someone based on group of origin based on the types of people who are known to come from specific regions of the planet. The authors point based on continuous research is that the idea and the word use of race should be deleted and instead use terminology that would make more sense such as ancestry or population.}

_{One thing that I learned that stood out from the unit reading, optional reading or audio material within this unit is the reasoning behind the use of the word Race, how it has been defined by many areas and individuals, as well as, its use in multiple areas of significance for individuals of color. It seems as though race benefits more of the people who are considered superior, in order to weed those they deem inferior. Race in itself although is a way for identification in a sense; is also in itself, systemically racist.}

_{4.4 Race and Racism: Racial Microagressions}

_{Theme Two: Racial Microaggressions Podcast}

1. _{Please post a response to the audio clip above. What types of "isms" can you identify in the audio clip above? What types of racism did you notice in the audio clip? Give examples.}

_{The types of "isms" that I can identify in the audio clip would have to include: ageism, sexism, classism, racism, and ableism. The types of racism that I noticed in the audio clip would have to include when the speaker mentioned about how when people ask.}

_{"Hey where you from?"}

_{And the guest replied.}

_{"I was born in Portland, Oregon."}

_{However, the person asking the question states, " No, but where do you come from?" Essentially this guest is saying that he's an alien in his own country. Thats essentially a racist microaggression statement.}

^{Honestly, when having read the question my immediate first response would be to say, One thing that I think makes the Black family unique would be their spirituality, prayer devotion, and belief in God. In reality, I would have to say without a doubt this has to be correct; even within the section of the chapter of "Families during Enslavement", it mentions about African families after enslavement,}

_{"Gutman believed that slavery did not destroy the Black family and that, in fact, enslaved families were stronger than had been thought. Although there were nuclear families, other family forms also existed because enslaved families were often separated through sales."}

^{It was also their belief in God that held these families together. I started to count the text out because it doesn't mention that specifically, as it should. As I continued reading on I found something on page 148-149 of Chapter 5 subheading, "Coping and Adjustment Among African American Families". It states that,}

^{"Compared with White caregivers of family members with dementia, African American caregivers report better psychosocial health, more positive feelings about caregiving, and the use of spirituality and prayer(Sage, 2019)."}

^{Finally it mentions it or gives some idea, that spirituality within the Black household is a necessary component for sustainability and positive mental health overall, which I would have to say undoubtedly is a unique quality amongst Black families, to put God at the forefront of the Family unit.}

2. What do you think are the strengths and challenges of the Black family? Please state why you think so and provide examples.

^{I believe the strengths and challenges of the Black family are the discipline and resilience of the Black family cornerstone. The reading defines the Black family as,}

^{"A household related by blood or marriage or function that provides basic instrumental and expressive functions to its members (Sage, 2019)."}

^{It is my understanding that some of the challenges that are faced amongst Black families are teen pregnancy, foster children, cognitive behavior, and stereotypical views amongst single black mothers are just among the few challenges, I feel that most Black families deal with, along with communication.}

3. How do concepts such as racial socialization affect parents and children in Black families? Please explain

^{I believe concepts such as racial socialization affect parents and children in Black families in such a way as to prepare Black children to function in the world. According to the reading,}

^{"Mothers more than fathers socialize their children about race issues. Racial socialization includes specific messages and behaviors that families provide their children about being African American, including group and personal identity, intergroup interactions, and their positions within the social hierarchy" (Sage, 2019).}

^{The process of racial socialization is the process by which parents and families socialize African American children in how to function in this society. This process involves making children aware of their race and of themselves as Black or African American as opposed to simply being American. Parents who racially socialize their children assume that their children will be in a hostile environment, at least at some times in their lives, and that they must be comfortable being African American (Sage, 2019).}

^{Personally, I equate Racial Socialization to a scene from the movie "A Long Kiss Goodnight", when Gena Davis' character is trying to make her daughter aware of how life is, and how she has to start toughing herself up and start being a "big girl", but the way in which she goes about it does leave some damaging trauma that is brought back up later in the story. I attribute racial socialization to growing up faster than other children, taking on a more responsible role for self and not allowing children to be children. When you racially socialize a child, you begin to take a part of themselves and replace it with something else. To the point where now that child's awareness is heighten, and in a sense they are looking behind their shoulder at all times. At the same time, it is necessary to teach, especially Black children how to conduct themselves within society, and how to see their self within society and how they would want to portrayed amongst others; as opposed to having the child grow up not knowing how to conduct themselves, or to be left to figure it out on their own. Racial socialization, to me is another form of necessary guidance in a Black child's upbringing.}

4. Based on our reading, what factors do you think have impacted Black families the most since slavery and why?

_{According to the reading, the factors that I feel have impacted Black families the most since slavery would be best explained from the reading, regarding the great migration, in some instances we still haven't moved past this.}

_{"The Black family migration and growing urbanization changed the makeup of the Black family (Staples, 1999). By 1925, Blacks in the urban North, Midwest, and West no longer has the cultural practices that had enabled them to survive in the South. During this time and the decades that followed, new phenomena surfaced: children reared by mothers only, welfare dependency, juvenile delinquency, and drug addiction. According to Staples, about 10% to 15% of all Black families experienced these problems in the 1950s. Social policies that included welfare and poverty programs were developed during the period of the 1950s. However, many of these programs did not consider other factors that affected the African American community. For example, social policies were based on a "breadwinner" model that assumed that husbands would provide the basic needs for their families. This model did not consider the low wages and the high level of unemployment among African American men that made it impossible for them to take care of their families (Burgess, 1995). Consequently, some of the early programs that were intended to benefit families may have encouraged fathers to be absent from the home. For example, public assistance requirements prohibited male presence in homes in which public assistance was received, discussed previously (i.e., man-in-the-house rule) (Sage,2019)."}

_{I feel these same factors from the 1950s are undoubtedly prevalent in 2023, along with teen pregnancy, educational drop-out from not even just high school, but elementary and junior high school as well. More importantly, the absent of the Father in the home has brought great strife in the African American/Black family household. Without fathers children don't have any direction, discipline, or a real foundation.}

5. Search and find one academic resource that helps you understand this topic better and post it to your Padlet. State three main points from the resource and how it helps you understand this topic.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/2784380

• _{Understanding the strengths of families and the resolution in solving problems that incur in families}

• _{Studies focused on nontraditional families (remarried families, blended families, dual-career families, older couples, and African American families, as well as other cultural groups}

• _{African American and Euro-American families have historically met the instrumental and expressive needs of their families differently.}

6. State one thing that you learned or one thing that stood out to you from the unit required reading, optional reading or audio material in this unit. State its significance.
   

   _{One thing that I have learned, that stood out to me from the unit required reading was really the entire chapter. Most of which I already knew from my own experience, the reading pretty much solidified what I either already knew or had first hand experience in. It put it in concise coherent way, to allow me to look back at my own family with questions and concerns. This lesson has allowed me to be more empowered in my own family.}