Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
African Languages and Societies Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
-
- Social and Behavioral Sciences (44)
- Africana Studies (37)
- History (33)
- International and Area Studies (27)
- African Studies (25)
-
- Sociology (20)
- Communication (19)
- Education (18)
- African History (16)
- Anthropology (16)
- Art and Design (16)
- French and Francophone Language and Literature (16)
- History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology (16)
- Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies (16)
- Religion (16)
- Fiber, Textile, and Weaving Arts (15)
- Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration (15)
- American Studies (14)
- Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education (14)
- Classical Archaeology and Art History (14)
- Classics (14)
- Creative Writing (14)
- History of Science, Technology, and Medicine (14)
- Social and Cultural Anthropology (14)
- Digital Humanities (13)
- International and Intercultural Communication (13)
- Language Interpretation and Translation (13)
- Nonfiction (13)
- Institution
-
- University of Nebraska - Lincoln (14)
- University of Southern Maine (12)
- College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University (10)
- SIT Graduate Institute/SIT Study Abroad (8)
- Walden University (7)
-
- City University of New York (CUNY) (6)
- Bowling Green State University (2)
- University of Nebraska at Omaha (2)
- Aga Khan University (1)
- Calvin University (1)
- Colby College (1)
- Edith Cowan University (1)
- Florida International University (1)
- George Fox University (1)
- Georgia College (1)
- Hope College (1)
- Michigan Technological University (1)
- Montclair State University (1)
- Nova Southeastern University (1)
- Oral Roberts University (1)
- Purdue University (1)
- Stony Brook University (1)
- The University of Akron (1)
- The University of San Francisco (1)
- University of Dayton (1)
- University of South Carolina (1)
- Virginia Community College System (1)
- Washington University in St. Louis (1)
- West Virginia University (1)
- Western University (1)
- Keyword
-
- Africa (5)
- Ghana (3)
- Islam (3)
- Korir (3)
- Peace (3)
-
- Boko Haram (2)
- Camus (2)
- Covid (2)
- Identity (2)
- Immigration (2)
- Kenya (2)
- Media (2)
- Nigeria (2)
- Pandemic (2)
- Peacebuilding (2)
- Resistance (2)
- South Africa (2)
- ARRAY(0x561de300c260) (1)
- Academic libraries (1)
- African Art Music (1)
- African History (1)
- African american males (1)
- African collections (1)
- African culture (1)
- African marriage (1)
- African refugee women (1)
- African religion (1)
- African traditional governance (1)
- African traditional leadership (1)
- African women with different abilities (1)
- Publication
-
- Egyptian Textiles and Their Production: ‘Word’ and ‘Object’ (14)
- Amjambo Africa! (12)
- The Journal of Social Encounters (10)
- Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection (8)
- Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies (7)
-
- Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects (3)
- International ResearchScape Journal (2)
- Journal of Religion & Film (2)
- Open Educational Resources (2)
- Abdou Filali-Ansary Occasional Paper Series (1)
- CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture (1)
- Colby Magazine (1)
- College of Arts and Cultural Studies Faculty Research and Scholarship (1)
- Department of English Faculty Publications (1)
- Department of Teaching and Learning Scholarship and Creative Works (1)
- Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports (1)
- Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) (1)
- Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository (1)
- FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations (1)
- Georgia College Student Research Events (1)
- Graduate School of Art Theses (1)
- Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (1)
- History Faculty Publications (1)
- Kruizenga Art Museum Exhibition Catalogs (1)
- Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications (1)
- Publications and Research (1)
- Senior Theses (1)
- Student Writing (1)
- The Qualitative Report (1)
- Theses: Doctorates and Masters (1)
- Publication Type
Articles 1 - 30 of 83
Full-Text Articles in African Languages and Societies
"En Afrique, On N'Oublie Jamais": An Autoethnographic Exploration Of A Tck's Return "Home", Justin B. Hopkins
"En Afrique, On N'Oublie Jamais": An Autoethnographic Exploration Of A Tck's Return "Home", Justin B. Hopkins
The Qualitative Report
Many Third Culture Kids (TCKs) struggle to answer the commonly-asked question: Where are you from? In this autoethnographic essay, a continuation of my earlier exploration of TCK experience (Hopkins, 2015), I confront my concept of home in reference to psychological research by Jerry Burger (2011), exploring the phenomenon of adults returning “home,” to place(s) that were important in their early lives. Like Burger’s subjects, I describe my experience of returning to visit, after over two decades away, the remote village in Senegal where I spent many of my childhood years. Following Tessa Muncey’s (2010) methodological lead, I structure my account …
Amjambo Africa! (December 2020), Kathreen Harrison
Amjambo Africa! (December 2020), Kathreen Harrison
Amjambo Africa!
In This Issue
Boko Haram .................................2/3
Publisher’s Editorial ........................4
Meet Georges Budagu Makoko .....4
Elections/immigration reform .......5
Translations
French ............................................7
Swahili............................................8
Somali ............................................9
Kinyarwanda...............................20
Portuguese ............................20/21
News from Africa.....................10/11
Piece Together Project .................12
I’m Your Neighbor Books.............13
Pious Ali mourns Rawlings of Ghana ....................14
A Man on the move.......................15
Black Mainer project.....................16
Finance/Business............................19
Auto Insurance ..............................21
Poem by Ekhlas Ahmed................22
Guest columns...............................23
Titi de Baccarat .......................26/27
Amjambo Africa! (November 2020), Kathreen Harrison
Amjambo Africa! (November 2020), Kathreen Harrison
Amjambo Africa!
In This Issue
batimbo Foundation Family ..........2
The Power of We.............................3
election 2020................................../5
Panel on childcare in maine............5
Publisher’s editorial ........................6
Translations
French ............................................7
Swahili............................................8
Somali ............................................9
Kinyarwanda...............................20
Portuguese..................................21
CovID in maine ..............................0
DiriGo TouchPass ..........................12
Youth photography.......................13
market basket..................................4
A Shooting Star................................5
Community News............................6
organization updates...................17
Telling room poetry.....................18
Finance ...........................................19
Guest columns...............................22
The mix...........................................25
Kennedy Park little library ........27
Writing Against The Grain: Expressions Of Resistance In The Postcolonial Novel Of Equatorial Guinea, Sarita Addy
Writing Against The Grain: Expressions Of Resistance In The Postcolonial Novel Of Equatorial Guinea, Sarita Addy
Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository
This thesis examines the extent to which selected postcolonial narratives of Equatorial Guinea express resistance at the social, religious and political levels. Three postcolonial texts, namely Los poderes de la tempestad (1997), El párroco de Niefang (1996) and Arde el monte de noche (2009) emit various discourses of resistance. These works which rehash the Spanish colonial legacy are also concerned with the social degeneration brought on by the first postcolonial presidency, often referred to as Nguemism. In response to these events, the writings of these authors show a refusal to be absorbed by both the colonial rhetoric and nguemist …
Amjambo Africa! (October 2020), Kathreen Harrison
Amjambo Africa! (October 2020), Kathreen Harrison
Amjambo Africa!
In This Issue
bus Shelter Project ..........................2
Victoria Pelletier’s story..................3
Publisher’s editorial ........................6
Financing higher education..........12
World Market basket ..............14-15
Metamorphosis awards ................17
News from Africa.....................18-19
Chess Game by Ali Ali...................19
letters to the editor......................24
Guest columns ...............................25
New Mainers Alliance ...................25
translations
French............................................7
Swahili ...........................................8
Somali............................................9
Kinyarwanda ..............................20
Portuguese .................................21
Analyzing The Social Impact Of Gacaca Courts In The Reconciliation Process In Rwanda, Mary Thibodeau
Analyzing The Social Impact Of Gacaca Courts In The Reconciliation Process In Rwanda, Mary Thibodeau
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Restorative justice is often misunderstood by Western academia in the context of community-based justice systems in African nations. The Gacaca courts used in Rwanda after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi are frequently criticized for their procedures and outcomes. However, a majority of these criticisms come from Western authors without having engaged in conversations with Rwandans and observing the effects of the trials within the nation. The only people who know and understand the impact of the Gacaca courts are Rwandans. I have been researching how the Gacaca trials contributed to homegrown solutions and their impact within communities in Rwanda …
A New Twist On The “Un-African” Script: Representing Gay And Lesbian African Weddings In Democratic South Africa, Michael W. Yarbrough
A New Twist On The “Un-African” Script: Representing Gay And Lesbian African Weddings In Democratic South Africa, Michael W. Yarbrough
Publications and Research
This essay examines the media coverage surrounding two African weddings of lesbian and gay couples in South Africa, as a lens onto the evolving cultural politics of black queerness in that country. Two decades after South Africa launched a world-leading legal framework for LGBTI protections, I argue that these media representations depict the growing inclusion of black LGBTIQ people as a process of bridging the supposed “gap” between homosexuality and African culture. This new “bridging the gap” script seemingly rejects the older, dominant script portraying homosexuality as intrinsically “un-African.” But I argue that it instead reproduces the “un-African” script in …
Gender-Based Violence During The 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic: New Challenges And Adaptations At Haguruka, Asia Korkmaz
Gender-Based Violence During The 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic: New Challenges And Adaptations At Haguruka, Asia Korkmaz
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Haguruka is a Rwandan NGO founded in 1991 that works to ensure Rwandan women and youth’s access to their legal rights. In addition to providing free legal aid, Haguruka runs educational and capacity building programs across the country to combat gender-based violence (GBV).1 When the Rwandan government instituted lockdown measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in January of 2020, many of Haguruka’s programs were no longer feasible under the new guidelines. Additionally, emerging research has shown that incidents of GBV have increased globally due to policies to combat COVID-19.2 Rwanda is no exception. Through a desk review, …
The Berbers: Constructed Identities By Foreigners On African Soil, Zineb Askaoui
The Berbers: Constructed Identities By Foreigners On African Soil, Zineb Askaoui
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
This thesis examines the textual evidence pertaining to the identity of the local North African population of Morocco. In examining the literature about North Africans and the inscriptions in North Africa, I wish to determine who their authors were. Since North Africa has been invaded and colonized multiple times throughout history, the available literature written by both the foreigners who colonized it and the locals yielded interesting and sometimes contrasting results.
The names that address the local North Africans are pertinent expressions of identity or of forceful submission. This study examines four different terms that have been used to describe …
Amjambo Africa! (September 2020), Kathreen Harrison
Amjambo Africa! (September 2020), Kathreen Harrison
Amjambo Africa!
In This Issue...
Indigo Arts Alliance.....................p.2
publisher’s editorial.....................p.4
registering to vote.......................p.4
French............................................p.5
Swahili...........................................p.6
Somali............................................p.7
School resource officers ..............p.8
U.S.-Canada border.....................p.8
News from Africa.........................p.9
Finance/buying a home.............p.10
Guest columns..............11/14/20/21
World market basket...........p.12/13
Héritier Nosso............................p.15
Community org. News........p.16/17
Kinyarwanda..............................p.18
portuguese .................................p.19
outdoor learning.......................p.23
bus Shelters................................p.23
We Do Not Have Borders: Greater Somalia And The Predicaments Of Belonging In Kenya, Bashir Haji
We Do Not Have Borders: Greater Somalia And The Predicaments Of Belonging In Kenya, Bashir Haji
The Journal of Social Encounters
Karen Weitzberg opens her book with a proverb from the early Somali independence era: “wherever the camel goes, that is Somalia.” This quote sets the precedence for the book illustrating Somalis’ rocky relationship with borders. Originally, Somalis were nomadic pastoralists that frequently moved around, crossing borders. However, after many African countries gained independence, new border lines were drawn up. As a result of this new reality, many Somali clans were forced to claim their territorial land and were also shut out from other regions, thereby impacting their way of life. Weitzberg, a Stanford graduate with a background in African and …
Rereading Albert Camus’ The Plague During A Pandemic: An African’S Review, Stephen O. Owino
Rereading Albert Camus’ The Plague During A Pandemic: An African’S Review, Stephen O. Owino
The Journal of Social Encounters
No abstract provided.
Rereading Albert Camus’ The Plague During A Pandemic: Of Plagues And Nazis: Camus’ Journey From Moral Nihilism, Stephen I. Wagner
Rereading Albert Camus’ The Plague During A Pandemic: Of Plagues And Nazis: Camus’ Journey From Moral Nihilism, Stephen I. Wagner
The Journal of Social Encounters
During our current pandemic, Albert Camus’ novel, The Plague, can serve readers well by illustrating and perhaps helping us resolve the feelings, options and decisions we are now facing. Indeed, Camus can help us learn much from our current situation.
Julius Nyerere’S Understanding Of African Socialism, Human Rights And Equality, Fr. Innocent Simon Sanga, Ron Pagnucco
Julius Nyerere’S Understanding Of African Socialism, Human Rights And Equality, Fr. Innocent Simon Sanga, Ron Pagnucco
The Journal of Social Encounters
Julius Kambarage Nyerere, African philosopher, anti-colonial leader, first president of the United Republic of Tanzania, and respected international statesman, served as president of the newly independent Tanzania from 1964 through 1985., after which he remained politically active in Tanzania and on the global stage. Trying to steer a post-colonial course of self-reliance, he developed and implemented African Socialism in Tanzania, articulated in the Arusha Declaration in 1967. As an anti-colonial leader, Nyerere referred to international human rights standards such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and maintained a commitment to human rights as president and afterwards. In this essay …
Tribute To John S. Mbiti, Joseph G. Healey, Mm
Tribute To John S. Mbiti, Joseph G. Healey, Mm
The Journal of Social Encounters
We continue to mourn John S. Mbiti, the Kenyan professor, author and theologian who died in Switzerland on 6 October, 2019 at the age of 87. He was one of the founders of our African Proverbs Project and the African Proverbs Working Group. He was one of cornerstones of our African Proverbs, Sayings and Stories Website.
Amjambo Africa! (August 2020), Kathreen Harrison
Amjambo Africa! (August 2020), Kathreen Harrison
Amjambo Africa!
In This Issue...
News from Africa ........................p.2
Art Shows....................................p. 3
Publisher’s Editorial ....................p. 4
French .......................................... p.5
Swahil............................................p.6
Somali ...........................................p.7
Canada-U.S. Border.....................p.7
COVID-19 Tips ...........................p. 8
Mills Administration ...................p. 9
Finance/Building Credit ...........p. 10
World Market Basket ..........p. 12/13
Leyla Hashi ................................p. 14
Election season .........................p. 15
Blaine House Visit ....................p. 16
Angolan Community of Maine p. 16
Legislative Update.....................p 17
Awards to community groups p. 17
Kinyarwanda .............................p.18
Portuguese .................................p.19
In Her Presence ....................... p. 20
Columns ....................................p. 21
Amjambo Africa! (July 2020), Kathreen Harrison
Amjambo Africa! (July 2020), Kathreen Harrison
Amjambo Africa!
In This Issue...
Publisher’s Editorial ....................p. 4
Translations French ...................................... p.5
Swahili...................................... p.6
Somali ....................................... p.7
Kinyarwanda ..........................p.18
Portuguese .............................p.19
News from Africa ........................p. 8
Business, Economics & Financial Literacy...................p. 10
World Market Basket ..........p. 12/13
Legislative Update ......p 17/20/21/9
Community News......................p. 16
Columns..............................................
About hair .................................p. 20
Hope House ..............................p. 19
Safe Healthcare .........................p. 21
A Qualitative Exploration Of Community Ownership Of A Maternity Waiting Home Model In Rural Zambia, Constance P. Fontanet Mph, Rachel M. Fong, Jeanette L. Kaiser, Misheck Bwalya, Thandiwe Ngoma, Taryn Vian, Godfrey Biemba, Nancy A. Scott
A Qualitative Exploration Of Community Ownership Of A Maternity Waiting Home Model In Rural Zambia, Constance P. Fontanet Mph, Rachel M. Fong, Jeanette L. Kaiser, Misheck Bwalya, Thandiwe Ngoma, Taryn Vian, Godfrey Biemba, Nancy A. Scott
Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications
Context
Ownership is an important construct of sustainability for community-based health programming, though it is often not clearly defined or measured. We implemented and evaluated a community-driven maternity waiting home (MWH) model in rural Zambia. We engaged stakeholders at all levels and provided intensive mentorship to an MWH governance committee comprised of community-selected members. We then examined how different stakeholders perceive community ownership of the MWH.
Methods
We conducted 42 focus group discussions with community stakeholders (pregnant women, fathers, elders, and community health volunteers) and 161 in-depth interviews with MWH stakeholders (health facility staff, district health officials, and MWH governance …
What Motivates Young African Leaders For Public Engagement? Lessons From Ghana, Tanzania, And Uganda, Richard Asante, Megan Hershey, Phoebe Kajubi, Tracy Kuperus, Colman Msoka, Amy Patterson
What Motivates Young African Leaders For Public Engagement? Lessons From Ghana, Tanzania, And Uganda, Richard Asante, Megan Hershey, Phoebe Kajubi, Tracy Kuperus, Colman Msoka, Amy Patterson
University Faculty Publications and Creative Works
Young people constitute a disproportionate share of the population in most African countries, and as such, make up a key political demographic. The discourse on youth political participation tends to focus narrowly on disengaged, apathetic and troublesome youth. Yet, many African youth have taken on leadership positions across the continent, engaging in politics, civil society, and activism. This article seeks an understanding of what drives their public engagement. Drawing on a qualitative study of 33 leaders across Ghana, Tanzania, and Uganda, we argue that a range of individual, relational, and societal factors entwine and build on each other to foster …
Public Opinion In The United States And Hungary: How Trump And Orbán Have Manufactured The Debate Over Refugees, Eve Cervenka
Public Opinion In The United States And Hungary: How Trump And Orbán Have Manufactured The Debate Over Refugees, Eve Cervenka
International ResearchScape Journal
This research paper is inspired by the author’s recent experience interning with US Together – Cleveland, a non-profit refugee resettlement agency that provides services before, during, and immediately after refugees’ arrival. It will utilize a humanitarian approach to the topic of public opinion and perception of refugees in the United States. In order to put these findings in the context of world refugee response, Hungary will be considered as another case study. This will include a look into the history of refugees in both countries, as well as the recent policy changes by both the Trump and Orban administrations respectively. …
“The Torture Of Colonization And The Holocaust: Multidirectional Memory In The Nature Of Blood”, Sarah Webb
“The Torture Of Colonization And The Holocaust: Multidirectional Memory In The Nature Of Blood”, Sarah Webb
International ResearchScape Journal
In this paper, I read Caryl Phillips’s 1997 post-colonial The Nature of Blood as a novel that exemplifies Michael Rothberg’s theory of “multidirectional memory.” Rothberg’s theory, which argues against the dominant competitive model of memory in the United States, asserts that memory is a “productive, intercultural dynamic” (Rothberg 3). In other words, memories of different groups of people, specifically African-Americans and Holocaust survivors in his essay, are intertwined and inform each other in a modern setting. Phillips’s novel depicts a relationship between the Holocaust and colonization through the use of multiple narratives interwoven throughout the novel. Those narratives begin with …
Amjambo Africa! (June 2020), Kathreen Harrison
Amjambo Africa! (June 2020), Kathreen Harrison
Amjambo Africa!
In This Issue...
Ramadan 2020.............................p. 2
Introducing Africa News editor.p. 5
Pious Ali .......................................p. 6
Banyamulenge .............................p. 8
L/A Food needs ...........................p. 9
Islamic And Middle East Area Studies Librarianship, Walid Ghali, Waseem Farooq, Paul Auchterlonie, Arnoud Vrolijk
Islamic And Middle East Area Studies Librarianship, Walid Ghali, Waseem Farooq, Paul Auchterlonie, Arnoud Vrolijk
Abdou Filali-Ansary Occasional Paper Series
The three papers collected here are based on a seminar on Islamic Studies Librarianship held on 31 January 2019 at the Aga Khan Library (AKL), in conjunction with the Aga Khan University Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations (AKU-ISMC). Curators, area studies directors, and collection librarians, who are currently involved in this field, gathered to discuss common challenges and to identify strategic areas for collaboration.
The Guinea-Bissau Constitutional Reform Debate, Watson Aila Gomes
The Guinea-Bissau Constitutional Reform Debate, Watson Aila Gomes
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
The enactment of law is not to be confused with the rule of law, and simply having a constitution does not guarantee political order. In Guinea-Bissau there have been calls to write a new constitution, but whether that helps Guinea-Bissau become a more stable country is questionable. Currently, there is a gap in the research of social science, history and political science examining how the processes of instability have unfolded in Guinea-Bissau. Few studies attempt to examine the correlation between a country’s stability and its constitution. A paradoxical situation exists in many countries in Africa where the political system is …
Positioning And Repositioning: Transnational Identity (Re) Construction And (Re) Negotiation By American-Senegalese Children, Aminata Diop
Positioning And Repositioning: Transnational Identity (Re) Construction And (Re) Negotiation By American-Senegalese Children, Aminata Diop
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
The main aim of this dissertation is to study the ways American-Senegalese children position and reposition themselves as they (re) construct and (re) negotiate their transnational identity upon returning to the U.S. from Senegal. This project explores the following questions: 1) why do US-residing Senegalese parents send their children back to their homeland to be raised by relatives? 2) how do these American-Senegalese children (re) construct and (re) negotiate their multiple layers of identities upon returning home after being raised by extended family members for more than a decade?3) and how do the American-Senegalese children (re) story their racial, class, …
The Right Path: Pandit Mami '14 And Friends Make School Possible Once Again For Children In Freetown, Sierra Leone, Laura Meader
The Right Path: Pandit Mami '14 And Friends Make School Possible Once Again For Children In Freetown, Sierra Leone, Laura Meader
Colby Magazine
"You have to explain to them that in the long run this kid is going to be more helpful to you if they're in school than they are selling food in the streets of Freetown." -Pandit Mami '14
Pleasure Is All Mine, Lola Ogbara
Pleasure Is All Mine, Lola Ogbara
Graduate School of Art Theses
One’s identity is shaped by many factors such as race, culture, physical appearance, nationality, and religion—amongst many more. As an artist, the subjugation of identity in the context of race, gender, and sexuality is a world I examine closely. Subverting myths of sexual deviancy and racial inferiority that perpetually pathologizes Black feminine sexuality, I often use and reference my own body to create avenues of power through physical and intellectual pleasure. Through material use of clay, metal, photography, and installation, I emphasize on how contemporary Black social cultures are able to write their own narratives in order to further progressions …
Amjambo Africa! (May 2020), Kathreen Harrison
Amjambo Africa! (May 2020), Kathreen Harrison
Amjambo Africa!
In This Issue...
Legacy of artist & scholar David Driskell...........................p. 2
Navigating COVID-19.................p. 3
US/Canada Border Crossing.......p. 5
Evictions & Rental Assistance.....p. 6
Virtual commemoration .............p. 8
COVID-19 and youth..................p. 9
Unemployment Insurance..........p. 9
Legislation: Stimulus.................p. 11
Preventing a second spike .......p. 19
Food resource listing...........p. 20/21
Scrivere Di Islam. Raccontare La Diaspora, Simone Brioni Dr., Shirin Ramzanali Fazel
Scrivere Di Islam. Raccontare La Diaspora, Simone Brioni Dr., Shirin Ramzanali Fazel
Department of English Faculty Publications
Scrivere di Islam. Raccontare la diaspora (Writing About Islam. Narrating a Diaspora) is a meditation on our multireligious, multicultural, and multilingual reality. It is the result of a personal and collaborative exploration of the necessity to rethink national culture and identity in a more diverse, inclusive, and anti-racist way. The central part of this volume – both symbolically and physically – includes Shirin Ramzanali Fazel’s reflections on the discrimination of Muslims, and especially Muslim women, in Italy and the UK. Looking at school textbooks, newspapers, TV programs, and sharing her own personal experience, this section invites us to change the …
Their American Dream, Danne Davis
Their American Dream, Danne Davis
Department of Teaching and Learning Scholarship and Creative Works
Centuries before W.E.B. DuBois named the colorline—i.e., racism—as the problem of the 20th century, skin color stratification was a persistent phenomenon. In 1983 Black feminist, scholar, and Pulitzer Prize winning author Alice Walker termed “colorism” as “prejudicial or preferential treatment of same-race people based solely on their [skin] color”. Using the tools of genealogy, I conducted a critical family history of my parents, Lem and Mae’s, pursuit of their American Dream. Such exploration digs deep to decipher the nexuses of a family’s evolution. Dr. Maya Angelou routinely shared stories about her past to impart the importance of embracing one’s history. …