Jay David Discussion Questions to Finish, pp. 5-42
1. Adams writes that every African American child remembers the first time they were called a racial epithet. Do you think that is equally so for non-African Americans, that is, do you think they hold with them the first moment they heard or said the common epithet used in reference to African Americans? Why/why not? (19)
2. How do you think Gordon Parks’ experiences as a young man shaped the decisions he made with his art, and in particular, with his photography (recall that Parks was a FSA photographer that sought to bring attention to poverty)?
3. What conclusion did Parks come to about the best way to fight racial discrimination? (31)
4. Why do you think Angelou’s friends, family, and teachers put what some might consider “flamboyancy” into their 8th grade graduation procession?
5. What happened at the graduation that had a lasting effect on Angelou? (38-40) How did the students and parents recoup/recover from what was said? (41)
Jay David, Growing Up Black Discussion, pp. 55-62; 82-105
Lorene Carey, 55-62
1. David writes that Carey confronted an educational system that had low expectations for African American students, and that she too had internalized ideas about Black American intelligence. Do educators and students today have low expectations of African Americans’ scholastic competence?
2. Carey wrote that she shared a lot with her classmates and they had many similarities, but they also had concrete differences in worldview. What were the similarities, what were the wedges that drove the girls apart, and how did she seek to overcome this wedge? (56)
3. Why did Carey feel she could not “talk” about race? When she did, how did her classmates respond, and how did Carey view this response? How do you view it? Why did she find it problematic or troublesome to reduce racial difference down to green, purple, and the color of “muppets?”
4. When the topic turned to sexuality and the difference between black and white “boys,” why did Carey shy away from the discussion? Her classmate remarked that her reaction made whites feel silenced from asking questions about race. What is the appropriate response to such inquiries? How can different groups engage in discussion without fear of judgment?
5. Why did Carey feel that her teachers and schoolmates only expected her to “survive?” What would doing more than surviving mean? (60) This particular story made me think about a painting by Karin Turner called "Survival Skills." Do you see any connection between Carey's story and what the image below presents?:
6. What was the soccer game, for Carey, a metaphor for? (61-62)
Douglass, 82-93
7. According to Douglass, what did the parentage system of slaves enable? In other words, if slave children were to bear the status of their mothers, in what dual way did slavers benefit? (84) How were the children of slavers and slavewomen treated by their masters, male and female? (84)
8. Why do you think Douglass finds himself unable to fully commit to words the horror of being a witness and participant (whether literally or figuratively) to slave whippings? What does he mean when he says the events constituted “a spectacle?”
9. Douglass said that as a youth, he had more leisure time than most older slaves. What did this leisure time constitute? Was it leisure, or does his account point to how work on plantations is seen vis-à-vis other work? What other conditions did Douglass face while with Lloyyd?
10. Why did Douglass feel his moving to Baltimore was divine intervention, and what did he feel was his responsibility once freed? In other words, what responsibility did he feel his good fortune bestowed upon him? (89)
11. How did slavery change the mistress that once encouraged Douglass to read? (92) Does this story make you think of education differently? What strategy did Douglass employ to learn more? (92-93) Douglass writes that in contrast to his small amount of comfort as an urban slave, some of the young white children were hungry and poor. What does this say about the economic structure of the slave system? Why were the young boys troubled by Douglass proclamation that he would “always be a slave?” Why did they think he would be free by the age of 21? What does this say about a child’s ability to process slavery, and, moreover, the different ways white and black children experienced and understood slavery?
Washington, 94-95
12. We have discussed Washington in juxtaposition to DuBois over the past couple weeks. Did reading his story make you feel differently about his ideas or did it reaffirm your position?
13. How did the labor of Washington as a slave differ from Douglass? (96) How did those who were enslaved keep informed about the war and ensuing freedom? (97)
14. Washington at first struggled to obtain an education. What was holding him back, and how did he react (102)?
15. What does Washington’s story of the “school hat” mean to signify? In other words, why does he include this story—what work does he hope it will do?
16. Do you think education has different meanings for different communities historically and currently? Washington says he was determined to obtain an education “at any cost.” Do you think this is a widely held objective today for youth? Why/why not?
Jay David, Growing Up Black
Group Work for 3/03/09
Directions: Break up into groups of 4 and answer as many of the questions below as possible. Take 25 minutes (total) to complete this assignment. We will convene together as a larger group and discuss the questions for the remainder of class time.
Angela Davis
1. Did you find it ironic that “Black people from far away” did not seem to threaten the store clerks and manager? Why do you think this was the case? 210
2. What were the advantages and disadvantages of the segregated schools Davis went to? 213
3. How did the Board of Education’s visits affect students and teachers? In what ways were the Board of Education observers condescending to teachers and students alike?
4. In what ways did color gradation affect Davis and her interactions with other young school children? 217
5. How did Davis “escape” Birmingham? 222
Bebe Moore Campbell
1. What did Clarence’s defiance signify for the other African American students? 227
2. Why do you think Miss Tracy found Campbell’s book report inappropriate? In other words, was there more going on then Campbell’s alleged inability to “follow directions?” 229
3. Campbell notes at the end that her summer would deliver a “heart break and a promise.” What did she mean by this? 230
Anne Moody
1. What changed the way Moody viewed her neighborhood friends who were White? 232-233
2. How did Mrs. Burke rationalize segregation? Do you think she really viewed Moody’s family as “different” from other “Negroes?” 239
3. Do you think Moody’s childhood experiences affected her activism? If so, why, if not, why not?
4. What was one of the first activist actions that Moody involved herself in? (explain the events) 244-246
5. Why do you think the crowd referred to Moody and other activists as “communists? 246
Audre Lorde
1. Why did Lorde’s landlord allegedly commit suicide? 249
2. How did Lorde’s teachers perpetuate myths about the African American students? 250
3. Why do you think Lorde’s mother warned her not to run for school president? What did her mother mean when she said Lorde should not chase herself behind White people?
4. Jay David notes that Lorde’s excerpt is a “biomythography.” What does this mean? 248
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