This last class with Dr. Carr brought some interesting subject matter to my attention. One of the main points of the lecture that I noticed was the lack of appreciation towards African contributions to society. I found no comfort in the thought of a fully eurocentric society which was shown in the presentation. It's interesting because this lesson is one I have seen in my other classes as well, my Intro to Research in Political Science class in particular. As a result of this, I found Dr. Carr's repeated use of African terms to be refreshing.
The concept of Mbongi is an interesting one that I found rather complex upon first hearing of it. It was admittedly difficult to connect something that is a part of African culture to my own life mostly because of the eurocentric society I live in. Howard University is an mbongi that I hope to fully participate in. With this mbongi I hope to gain an extensive amount of both knowledge and wisdom. I noticed there was a subtle difference in Dr. Carr's lecture between knowledge and wisdom. Sandra Carey once said, "Never mistake knowledge for wisdom. One helps you make a living; the other helps you make a life."
Another point that I found appealing was the section called "Education: The Great Equalizer". Dr. Carr spent an extensive amount of time talking about wisdom and implied how ignorance is a danger to African Americans. Although many have pointed out the need for education in our community, few have taken the steps to achieve it, for various reasons. I want to attend Howard to help gain that level playing field, not only for myself, but for everyone who will come after me.
~Princess Jenkins-Simlin
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