African American Families
The SW 595 course focused on African American Families and how their lives are impacted due to educational gaps and other extenuating circumstances. This course gave students an opportunity to learn about social development, black history, and social advocacy for the African American race. One of the primary assignments allowed students to address how symbolic racism affects African Americans on a daily basis and how those perceptions can negatively impact their futures. Select the “Primary Artifact” button below to view the project for this course. A summary of the course and a reflection on the artifact is below as well.
Author: Lee Brimmage
Date: July 5, 2019
SW 595 | Summer 2020
Hyde County 4-H Livestock Show and Sale
Summary
There is this saying that has always stuck with me - “You don’t know what you don’t know.” I am an African American male living in the United States of America and though I have numerous experiences to pull from to help mold my knowledge and awareness of black history, there was still tons of awesome information that I learned in this course. This course was very informative and the readings really stuck with me. I enjoyed how the course materials were able to take broad ranging subjects such as racial discrimination and social justice and dissect it into smaller bits that were easily digestible. A key concept that really resonated with me during this course, was the various ways to promote social justice. As an African American, I am often asked by other races about how they can be an ally to African Americans in their fight for equality and justice. This course helped to clearly outline ways that social advocacy can be most effective. I applaud Professor Kim Stansbury for assigning some thought-provoking assignments that challenged my thinking and increased my knowledge of major issues. I walked away from this class more informed and empowered! I am so glad that I chose this as one of my electives and I highly recommend every student to consider taking this course!
Northeast District Teen Retreat | Beach Cleanup Service Project
Reflection
Social justice has been pushed to the forefront of our world the past couple of years and African Americans have been actively engaged in the fight for equality. The SW 595 was very timely and needed during this current climate infused with escalating social tension. The assignment outlining symbolic racism in our communities helped address many issues and misconceptions that are wrongfully attached to African Americans. It helped me to understand the mindsets of others and how to properly challenge these negative theories with education in mind. While researching this topic and perusing through our readings, I learned that these negative perceptions were much more prevalent in various social arenas than I had anticipated. Writing this paper reminded me that “you never really stop learning.” I was also challenged to address the issue of lack of healthy foods being accessible in African American communities. This concept was something that I have had some experience in researching due to my current job of working with North Carolina Cooperative Extension. I had the opportunity to present real-world experiences and reputable research in this assignment and it really complimented the theories presented in our course materials. I truly enjoyed all of the assignments and information presented in this class.
