Bookmarks by Asia Tashay Mitchell

Prompt 1: Who Am I Activity?

Who am I?

I am a Black American woman with different African ancestry. I am still discovering who I am and my African lineage. I am also a mother and student.

Who do I pretend to be?

I don’t pretend to be anyone but myself. I just say that I am a Black American woman with African heritage.

Who do people think I am?

Most people think that I am a nice person, and when it comes to my identity most people don’t know. People can see that my skin color is back, but they often ask where do I come from.

Who do I wish I could be?

Truthfully, I don’t wish to be anyone but myself. I love being a black woman, however, I just wish I knew my African lineage. I’ve been soul searching with different DNA companies and when I did African DNA- my maternal lineage came back to being Native American with a haplogroup of C1c. However, my 23&me DNA test came back Nigerian Plus European with Native American being 0.7%. From my viewpoint, I feel that I am a nice person and I love who I am.

How has race or ethnic identity played a role in any of these responses?

There is a loss of ethnic identity, leaving me not knowing how to self-identify. If I do not know who I truly am, how can I get to the future?

Prompt 2: First Experience With Race Activity

What was your first experience with race?

I was driving home one day and I decided to take the freeway instead of the street. While I was merging on the 405 freeway I didn’t see another car on the side of me, a woman that was white sped up to my car flicked me off, and called me the N-word.

How old were you?

I was twenty-five years old at the time.

What emotions do you associate with the experience?

During that time I felt hurt and I was in shock truthfully.

Have you ever talked about the experience?

I told my grandparents, however they grew up during the Jim Crow era and they just gave me advice.

How have your early experiences with race shaped your worldview?

The experience that I have mentioned before was my first encounter with racism. I know that Los Angeles is a very diverse place and I try to ignore ignorance and treat people with respect.

Prompt 3: Positive Sense of Self Brainstorm

When it comes to African American history, I think since there are different stories on the identity of African Americans this can lead often lead to a negative sense of self. I feel that African American psychology should be a requirement for both Africans on the continent and African Americans all over.

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