Observation #3: Black Families in Therapy

Today I read parts of Black Families in Therapy: Understanding the African American Experience, specifically parts of Chapter 2, "Racism, Racial Identity, and Skin Color Issues," and Chapter 5, "African American Men and Women: Socialization and Relationships" (Boyd-Franklin, 2003). One of the most notable parts that I read were the experiences of black children feeling left out and ignored, or even discriminated against, at school. I know the experience of school-age children is not necessarily the voice that I am supposed to learn about, but this experience can really feed into the experience of African Americans once they get to college. Depending on how these situations were handled in childhood can determine how future incidents, that I know occur on college campuses, are handled. Regardless of this however, it is important to know that this is a common experience among African Americans in general, and that racism is something they have to deal with on a daily basis in one way or another.

I also read a section about African American women and their hair. I had heard a little bit about the struggle between wanting "white women hair" and going natural just from conversations I had been a part of at work, but I did not realize how important the issue is overall. For many African American women, the attention given to their hair when they were young helps determine whether they felt cared for or neglected by their mother. Additionally, there are serious self-esteem issues related to a black woman's hair. Knowing this helps me better understand some of the conversations I've overheard between students or students and staff members at my current apprenticeship. To me, hair is not that big of an issue, but now I know the deeper implications behind some of those conversations. I think knowing this will help me be more sensitive in the future, as well as help me realize the deeper implications of commenting on or complimenting an African American woman's hair in the future.

Finally, I read a section that touched on the stereotypes faced by African American women that draw their legacy from slavery and are now perpetuated in the media and throughout society. One stereotype, that of the "mammy" figure, I had heard about. The other stereotype however, that of the independent, assertive, almost domineering woman, I did not realize was there. Reading about it, I could immediately think of examples in the media, but I never made the connection that this was a result of negative stereotype about African American women. This stereotype involves the belief that African American women are not feminine and therefore not capable of romantic relationships. Now that I know this is a stereotype, I will watch for it on campus and in the media as I continue with this project. I am particularly drawn to this stereotype because it seems like it is probably more often having to be combated by educated black women who have decided to pursue a career and possibly a more independent lifestyle. This means that many of the students I work with will or possibly have already encountered this stereotype.

One of the things I find interesting about this second stereotype is the idea that, for white women, to an extent, being independent and career-minded is a positive thing. Obviously there are extreme stereotypes about feminist women who are not interested in relationships with men, but for the most part, being assertive and independent is encouraged. I think it is extremely unfortunate, and somewhat of a double-standard, that this stereotype is frowned upon when it is applied to African American women. It must be frustrating to see similar behavior being treated differently because the other person is of a different race.

Boyd-Franklin, N. (2003). Black families in therapy: Understanding the African-American experience. New York, New York: Guilford Publications, Inc.

Observation #2: Black in America

Before I talk about Black in America, I want to mention some other developments with this project. I talked to my supervisor Kelley and she gave me a list of books and movies from pop culture that I can use to see the media portrayal of African American women. I will also be attending church with her on Sunday at Carver Park Baptist Church, so I'm excited to get some actual experience within the African American culture. I will also be sitting down with Kelley next Wednesday to talk to her about her experience and experiences that she has observed in the African American, female community as a student affairs professional.

Now, back to Black in America. Yesterday, Ramona gave me a large bag of books, magazines, and movies for me to use for my project. Last night, I watched the Women and Families episode of Black in America. I was surprised to learn some of the statistics about African American women, like the disproportionate number of females that attend college versus males, or that there is an AIDS epidemic within the female community.

One of the most interesting things I learned however, was about the pressures of dating and maintaining a social life once an African American female makes the decision to go to college and have a successful career. Several of them feel like the number of black men that they can date is vastly diminished because of their education, and some of them feel like they have to relax their expectations and be open to other races if they want to end up in a marriage. I'm interested to learn more about these pressures and how they affect women in college. For example, I'd like to know if they have this realization while they are in college or if it only occurs later after they have entered the real world.

Plans to Meet with Ramona

I talked to my old supervisor, Ramona, last night on the phone about my project. She was extremely excited about the fact that I would be studying African American women! She is bringing me the latest copies of her three favorite magazines, as well as some helpful books, to read for my project. I'm looking forward to meeting with her and learning about her perspective through her recommended reading materials.

Observation Experience #1: Reading about African American Spiritual Development

For my first observation experience, I read an article entitled, "Impact of College Environments on the Spiritual Development of African American Students," by Weddle-West, Hagan, and Norwood (2013). I chose this article because I have been under the impression from previous experience that spirituality plays a major role in the lives of many African Americans and I hoped that this article would shed some light on that part of the culture. While I found it interesting that African American women had higher levels of spirituality in general, I was disappointed that the article focused mainly on the implications for males. I was unable to learn much about the female experience, other than the fact that they tend to have a high level of spirituality and that, for the African American community in general, spirituality has served as a way to cope with stressors in life, such as the stress that comes with being a minority at college and in society in general.

I have found several other articles that I would like to read, so hopefully those offer more information on what it is like to be an African American female.

My Choice: The African American Woman

I've decided to complete my Voices Project from the perspective of an African American woman. I chose this for several reasons. First, my position in the Department of Multicultural Affairs involves close interaction with students and staff from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds. I think it would be excellent practice for me to truly consider what it is like to be a minority student on a predominantly white campus since I work so closely with these students on a regular basis.

Second, my current supervisor and one of my previous supervisors have both been African American women. From working with these two women I have learned a lot about what it means to be a member of an NPHC sorority after one's undergraduate career, and have noticed a pattern of deep involvement in the community. My current supervisor is a member of the graduate chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., volunteers with the Girl Scouts, and is an active member in her church. Her supervisor is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., is an active participant in the choir at her church, and is the founder and operator of Portraits, an after school program for pre-school through high school aged children. My previous supervisor served as President of the graduate chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., was a supporter of Jack and Jill, a debutante society of African American children, is a member of the Community Race Relations Coalition, is a leader in her church, and speaks at numerous Diversity Training workshops throughout the year. I want to explore why all three of these women are so active in the community and if that drive comes from their undergraduate experience.

Finally, through the course of my life, I have been most intimidated by African American women (which is ironic to me considering my work history, which has not ever been uncomfortable for me). I hope this process helps me discover why that is and help me do what I can to eliminate that feeling.