Friday, April 8, 2011

World Language: “Negritude”


What Being Black Means to You
Evonne Mbadiwe, Chairperson of World Languages Department
Recently the French class at Chester High School worked on a project they wanted to share with us, “Negritude”. “Negritude” is about the fact of being Black. The word also relates to pride in black history and culture. Participants in this project answered the question: What being Black means to you. The answers were written in English then translated into French.

Evonne Mbadiwe, Chairperson of the World Languages Department and French Teacher at Chester High School, hoped that the “power of the words go a long way to inspire our youth.”
Here is a sample of the participants written words:

If white is the absence of color, then black is the epitome of color. Blackness engulfs melanin and melanin in turn denotes a cultural heritage that ranges from the Moors to the majesty of Nubian world presence.

Blackness is the silence of my midnight sky. It is the soot that sustains my knowing that fire exists. Blackness channels many worthy spirits and peppers the pages of presidential priorities. Black is blended ancestry, history, and culture. Black—the solid mass and liquid flow wherein I am well pleased. By Irene E. Owens, Ph.D

“Being Black means striving for Excellence in all areas of your life.” Dr. D. Wright

To me, the meaning of being black is being of African descent. It means being a part of a race that is rich in American history. It causes me to reflect on all of the contributions that our people gave in the past. It also helps me to remember all of the struggles that our people had and still have today. If we keep up the fight, We Will Overcome! By Ms. Regina McKinzie

…”Black people” represent strength, pride, wisdom, determination, and courage. Our ancestors have dusted off the pathway of success for the generations to come… By Tureka Smith-Dennis

Being Black means that…even the spans of time and distance between oceans will never impede the sanguine connection of my fiber to the rich continent of Africa. By Mrs. Mary L. Cottrell Tucker

After reading the definition for the color BLACK…stating: gloomy, dull, lack of brightness, I can truly say being BLACK means none of those things to me, however, being Black means FREEDOM! By Shanta J. Caulk-Cooper

Being Black to me is more than a label, more than the way we walk, dress, act… Something that nobody can emulate no matter how hard they try…To me being Black means being human with lots of soul, style, flair, rich underrated history with the power of our ancestors running through my veins…By Niam Little, Sr.
  
Awesome! More words along with pictures are on display in the commons area at Chester High School.

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