Omoluabi: Self Actualization and Communal Responsibilty

This week’s session of Freshmen Seminar was presented by Dr. Segun Gbadegesin, a professor and expert in African Philosophy and Ethics. The focus of Dr. Gbadegesin’s presentation was centered on a story of character and wisdom. With the example of a story, Dr. Gbadegesin was able to explain the importance of wisdom and character and how we must balance both. Dr. Gbadegesin also spoke of the importance of education. He explains that by being at Howard University great opportunities await for us. These opportunities come from our lessons, books, daily interaction with professors and other students, as well as the city around us. He stressed that we must use our education to its full potential in order to succeed.  Another part of Dr. Gbadegesin’s presentation was on the ethics of ancient Africa. He, like Dr. Carr reminded us that the Ancient Egyptians were black Africans.  The ancient times had a rule of ethics, from God, that set the standards for their everyday life. Some of the rules included: not stealing from people, not stealing from God, not to commit adultery, not to curse, not to shut ears from the truth, to not break the law, and not to disvalue your own self.  Majority of the ethic rules that were listed are still necessary today in modern society. If more people remembered to follow the ethic rules that Dr. Gbadegesin provided the world would be in a better state today. Something that Dr. Gbadegesin said really intrigued me, he mentioned that with the rule “do not break the law” we must only follow this is the law is just. If the law is not just, then it is not of God and we must do what we can to correct it. Overall I enjoyed Dr. Gbadegesin’s presentation and took many things from it.

-Safisha Seifullah

The Legacy & History of Howard University

This week the class learned about the legacy and history of Howard University, presented by Dr. Benjamin. This presentation I found particularly interesting because prior to this lecture, I knew little about Howard's first beginning. I learned that the year Howard was founded, it was named after Civil War general Oliver Otis Howard, who was both the founder of the university and the commissoner of the Freedman's Bureau. Howard was founded for the purpose of liberal arts and medicine. Furthermore, the class learned of the story behind many of the buildings we enter or pass by everyday going to class. For instance, the infamous Administration Building, is named after the university's first president, Dr. Moredecai Wyatt Johnson. Dr. Benjamin then went on to explain the history behind the various dorms on and off campus. The dorm where I reside, Bethune Annex, is named after one of the greatest and most respected African-American educators, Mary McLeod Bethune. To know that this woman of color, overcame racism and prejudice to pave the way for other young women such as myself makes me honored to live in a place dedicated to her life and legacy. Dr. Benjamin's presentation as a whole, was a very enriching learning experience about the University and the legacy its educators and leaders have left behind. From this lecture, I gained a new sense of pride in calling myself a "Howard Bison." I know that with such a rich history in African-American leadership and success, that I have the inclination and the inspiration to suceed at Howard University and any other future endeavors.

The Love of Self and Inheritance

The lecture for this past week’s freshman seminar class was delivered by Dr. Alton Pollard, III who is the dean of the Howard University School of Divinity. Dr. Pollard stressed how it is imperative for the younger generation to continue to make our voices be heard about equality. We can’t just stop with what our ancestors done for our future because we also have a next generation to help set that road for. Ancestors such as Howard Thurman, Sojourner Truth, and Jarena Lee were able to set that path for our generation by fighting for the opportunities, for what we have now. By keeping their faith and perseverance they were able to succeed in winning our Civil Rights. Dr. Pollard shared with us how he keeps cotton on his dresser to remind himself of how well he is doing and the standards he need to meet. The cotton is reflection of the period of slavery and trials and tribulations past ancestors had to go through for us to be where we are today. He played a song by the O’Jays, Ship Ahoy, which was about the enslavement of our ancestors. For some reason, many people of our generations seemed to be embarrassed by our ancestor’s struggles. As individuals, we do not show the appreciation of our ancestors or the love of ourselves. Even though we have artists such as Common, Alicia Keys, and Wyclef Jean who may make their voices be heard through the lyrics from their songs or the humanitarian work done, there are still not enough of us who are willing to do that. As mention earlier, many of us are ashamed to talk about slavery and what our ancestors went through but the knowledge of this information is not meant to hurt us, it’s meant to make us stronger. It’s supposed to be the motivation for our future successes. Dr. Pollard closed by saying “always know thyself” and he also told us to ask ourselves what we mean to this world. If we are able to do those two things and just believe that the God of our ancestors made it possible, our generations can too, pass on the legacy of our voices being heard.

-Ramona Williams

Social Change with Alton B. Pollard

In this weeks freshmen seminar class we listened to a presentation given by Alton B. Pollard who is the dean of the Howard University School of Divinity. The main focus of Dr. Pollard’s presentation was the powers of the younger generation and what we can accomplish. Dr. Pollard first started by explaining that for a lot of adults, the younger generation (mine) is indefinable. We are a generation that is made up of cell phones, iPod’s, computers, and media. However, Dr. Pollard explains that this does not hinder our abilities to make changes in this world. That just by being students at Howard University in this day in time we will become stronger people and make marks in changing the world. To further explain his emphasis on the importance of the younger generation Dr. Pollard brought us back to the civil rights movement. 

Throughout the civil rights movement many petitions, sit ins, marches, and so on were done to bring equality for minorities in America. To sit and think of who actually participated in the civil rights movement names such as Huey P. Newton, Malcolm X, Dr. King, and Rosa Parks might come to mind. While these people did make great strives in our civil rights we have to remember how young they were when they did this, and how even younger the civil rights volunteers were. Volunteers of the civil rights movement were mainly college, high school, and elementary students who believed it was time for a change in America. Dr. Pollard also expressed that voicing change wasn’t only through civil rights actions but in the music of the time such as The Isleys, James Brown, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin and so forth. 

Today we are still making our voices heard and taking strives for our civil rights. Dr. Pollard explained that having a black president isn’t enough to make living in America equal for us, so we must keep pushing forward to make it. Dr. Pollard believes that our movement and strength can be seen in Hip Hop Music. When you look at positive artists such as India Arie, Lauryn Hill, John Legend, Lupe Fiasco, Common, Talib Kweli, and so forth you can see the step forward we are making. We are making our voices heard in the music that we listen to. I learned a lot from hearing Dr. Pollard speak, I agree with his beliefs that it is the younger generation who has to make the change for the next generation to live in. In other words we must help create a better America and then “pass the torch”. Overall I truly enjoyed Dr. Pollard presentation and found it very engaging.

-Safisha Seifullah

Creating a New Dynamic

The lecture focuses on reflecting on the African Foundations for our intellectual work, sketching an outline that traces the connection/relations between learning and wisdom, and opening your personal pathway for engagement and renewal. One way in which Dr. Carr reflected on the African Foundations was by displaying a list of Africana terms that were used in teaching and learning. The purpose of Dr. Carr reminding us about the writings of the Egyptians times is to show that blacks have been making several contributions to the human race since the beginning of time. It was discussed how African Deep Thought, and intellectual ability is a threat to Africans. Many blacks of this generation do not appreciate and cherish the value of knowledge. As the old saying says “Reading Is Fundamental”. The examples used in the slide supported the issue that many African Americans, or as stated “Negro intellectuals” failed to achieve any intellectual freedom. This lecture overall emphasizes the essentials of the knowledge of our history and of current knowledge. Dr. Carr’s presentation helps students realize that once we get here, at the Mecca we do not stop adding to the legacy that has been already started for us. Many of us come to Howard and state what their major is and what they want to become when they leave here but never mention what kind of legacy they want to leave. It encourages the listeners to engage in African thought and use that throughout your intellectual work at your institute and the community. So don’t just stop with academic success, give back to the community, and create a new dynamic when leaving this place.

-Ramona Williams

"Age of Human Genome Knowledge"

This past week’s lecture was delivered by Dr. Georgia Dunston. The lecture focused on the history and legacy of Howard University in the pursuit of wisdom in the 21^st century. When I first sat down in the lecture and glanced at the screen I thought, “What does the genome have to do with fulfilling the legacy of Howard’s legacy as well as other social problems?” Well in this session she formulates her focus on wisdom from a biological perspective. Our genome influences our thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes in various ways. The genome provides a set of instructions that are received which helps us understand why we are the way we are. Dr. Dunston points out how genome based knowledge are challenging current concepts of health, life, and human identity, and in the process informing and facilitating human transformation. She emphasizes how it’s a social and scientific imperative to have Howard University’s full engagement in the human genome based knowledge revolution so that advances in the emergent of age of biology fulfills the U.S. Public Health Service “Healthy People 2010” goals of disease prevention, health promotion, and the elimination of health disparities. We must do the research and own the knowledge required to reclaim our inheritance; restore our health; build our communities; repair our cities, and reform our countries. Dunston discusses the notion that we are all, as human, biologically connected by our DNA and not just our race. With this knowledge I think that it would help everyone be able to relate better in regards to knowledge and ideas that each of us have to share. This lecture helped me realize that several fields of study our able to contribute to solving social problems in their own ways, even with biological thought.

-Ramona Williams

A Biological Approach to Our Heritage Presented by Dr. Dunston

Throughout the duration of Dr. Dunston's presentation, she focused on the human genome and how our African genes make us predisposed to knowledge and wisdom. She characterizes DNA as not simply our genetic makeup, but the "quintessential gift of life" that pieces together our physical being. Our genome provides a set of instructions that are recieved from DNA, and explains why each of us are the way we are. Our genome influences our thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes all differently. However in spite of this fact, Dr. Dunston insists that we all posess knowledge, which typifys our wisdom that is attributed to quality and value, the speed communicated, and quantity. This means that our wisdom is based on merit and significance to our lives and education and that it relies on readily speed to be learned and is subject to quite a large amount of information. Nevertheless, our genetic makeup prepares us for this, as one must have wisdom to be able to function in life. After discussing our genetics, Dr. Dunston had us repeatedly say the phrase, "I am on time, I am on point, I am on purpose." This infused in us the notion that to be knowledgable, one has to display wisdom, and to display such a quality one must be on time, on point, and have a purpose. By this, I felt Dr. Dunston was encouraging all students to strive to be at their best at all times and was implying that we all have it in us to achieve great things, evident by our genetic makeup. I found her presentation to be particularly intresting, being that I am a psychology major with plans to attend medical school. I am fascinated by the mind and discovering how genetics and other biological and environmental factors affect our minds and bodies. Thus, this lecture for me was very intriguing.

Our African Roots as Explained by Dr. Carr

Dr. Carr, a professor of African American studies here at Howard University, enlightened us with his lecture on the roots of African culture and the progression of education and wisdom in today's society. He began the presentation by telling us that we are the foundation of life, meaning our African ancestors were the first people, with the first words being traced back to Egypt. This immediately gave me a sense of pride in my heritage. He then went on to teach us about the African diaspora, or forced movement of our people to various countries/regions around the world. Usually when I learn of this, I learn about it in terms of the enslavement and opression of our people and it is taught in a way that arises feelings of sadness or self-pity. However from Dr. Carr's lecture arose no feelings of self-pity, but self-pride rather. To know that it was my people who brought the various cultures and traditions that we know of today to not only the Americas, but the Carribeans, and elsewhere around the world is a powerful understanding and I take honor in knowing this fact: We are the originators of global traditions. Furthermore, I found it interesting that instead of being taught about the miseducation of blacks during slavery, Dr. Carr explained to us the education of blacks during early African civilzation. Our ancestors demonstrated Iwa-Pele, meaning good character in ancient egyptian language and Iwa-I'aiya which is the moral and righteous way of life, in order to educate themselves and others about the language and customs of African culture. By demonstrating these exceptional qualities, our ancestors formed the basis of knowledge and by understanding this origination of early African education and civilization, we gather a better understanding of ourselves and find a new appreciation in the education we recieve today.

First Day of Freshman Seminar

The first day of class was not what I expected. When I thought of Freshman Seminar, I thought of a class that made students learn about the University's rules and history. Not at Howard University. Here, we are given the special opportunity to learn about OUR history and the rules and customs of our culture. I was plesantly suprised when I discovered that the content of this class would focus on African-American history because it is something that I am very intrested in. The professor explained how the class would be hosted by a range of intellectuals, all with the goal of helping us students understand the roots of our culture, how we came to be, and what we should strive to be. I think this will be a unique and engaging experience, and I am excited for all the new things I will learn about my people. I believe this class to be a special opportunity for me become more self-aware of who I am and take pride in my background. I am very thankful for this opportunity, and I know that this class is just one of many prospects of this prestigious University.

Initiation, Expectations, and Mastery - Presented by Dr. Benjamin

This past week a presentation was given to the class by Dr. Benjamin. The presentation stressed how each one of us is scribes in our own way, and how we make our marks in history. In her presentation, Dr. Benjamin went through different buildings at Howard University and gave a brief summary of its history. She told of who the building was named after, and what accomplishments and contributions that person made to black history and the world. One of the building histories that I found most interesting was the history of the Bethune Annex.

Mary Mcleod Bethune was an educator and civil rights activist who founded a school for black students in a time when there were not a lot of educational opportunities. Because of her hard work, today Bethune-Cookman University is present. The contribution of Mary Mcleod Bethune was if interest to me because I reside in the dormitory that was named after her, the Bethune Annex. I think it is great that I had the opportunity to learn about who my dorm was named after and I think that at another university I would not have necessarily had that opportunity.

Dr. Benjamin’s presentation was really intriguing and engaging. Each one of Howards building has a strong history; like the people that these building were named after we must strive to be as strong as they were. As Dr. Benjamin stressed, we are all scribes who must keep moving forward in order to continue the legacy of Howard University.

Safisha Seifullah

Abandonment, Dismemberment, and Reawakening

Last class’s presentation presented by Dr. Georgia Dunston was definitely a learning experience for me, for the ideas that she expressed were of those that I have never considered before. The main focus of her presentation was the importance of wisdom. She expressed the fact that you cannot be powerful without being wise.  The wise knows what they want in life and strive to reach for their goals, without letting distractions slow them down. Along with that, Dr. Dunston expressed the importance of the Genome and that all humans are connected. She explained that Howard University possesses the only African American Genome Research Center as well as the only Genome Research Center in the United States. This research attempts to prove that all humans are connected to each other by more than race, but by DNA. This idea that we are all connected biologically was new to me, and I found the idea intriguing. Dr. Dunston stressed that we should never stop searching for our answers to being here, there are never any ends to being here. What I took from this presentation is the reinforcement that wisdom is power and that striving to reach your goals can take you anywhere, and also I learned a new way to think about people. That we are all connected by more than just our race but by humanity. Though some of the ideas that Dr. Dunston presented were new to me, I truly enjoyed listening to her presentation.

Safisha Seifullah

Start of Freshmen Seminar

For the students of the Howard University’s College of Arts and Science a special opportunity is given. The opportunity comes in the form a class that shares the message of the black existence, a class that is instructed by many intelligent and accomplished African Americans. The purpose of the class is to educate the next generation on where we come from as a people and discover what possibilities are in store for us. I really enjoyed the first day of Freshmen Seminar. It turned out to be nothing like I thought it was going to be. When I first learned that we had to take this class I just assumed it was another one of those mandatory classes that gets freshmen students adjusted, however it turned out to be a class that has a lot more to do with self awareness than anything. The first day the lecture was on the history of our university, as well as African Americans. The lecture explained what we are going to learn about in this course, and how it will benefit students throughout our time at Howard and further on. I think that the professor gave a great presentation explaining what the goal of the course is and what it is striving for. I believe that this class is going to help me better understand where African Americans have come from and how much we have accomplished. This class will also help me to better appreciate the opportunities that I have here at Howard University.




-Safisha Seifullah

Dr. Carr's Presentation

In this session of Freshmen Seminar, we heard a presentation from Dr. Carr. The presentation had a lot to do with ancient Egyptians (black people) and their discovery of letters and writing. The focus was also on what black people have accomplished from that point on and how our language today can be traced back to the ancient Egyptian times. The presentation that Dr. Carr gave was one of the best that I have ever heard. It really made me re think what I believed to be the accomplishments of black people. Dr. Carr stressed that a lot of times when we think of African American history we start at slaver, and then go forward in time. However, it is important to remember that we existed before slavery and we were active before slavery. From this part of the discussion I took a lot from it and like I really thought about how I viewed my people. It was interesting to learn about the far past that is hardly ever discussed and learn that it did exist. Not once have I ever been taught in school that the ancient Egyptians were black and that they created letters and writing. I have spoken with friends at different universities and shared with them what Dr. Carr spoke of and what I came to find was that a few of them did not believe me. For what reasons, I am not sure, but I think it may be because they are at a majority school and the same message is more than likely not going to be taught to them. The fact that it was taught to me makes me very grateful and appreciative that I attend Howard. The possibilities of what can be accomplished are endless.

-Safisha Seifullah