 Hi, I’m Professor Janice Marie Collins of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign…Welcome to a Taste of Gullah, A Web Series from Down South….I’m so glad you could join me. There is a wonderful somewhat hidden treasure right here in America that I’d like to tell you about…. It’s believed to be hundreds and hundreds of years old and in some way, shape or form, you’re probably connected to it…I’m speaking of the Gullah culture. What’s Gullah, you may ask? Well, you may not think you know anything about the Gullah culture, but if you’ve ever eaten chocolate covered peanuts called “Goobers”- perhaps at the movies….or if you’ve ever dipped into a pot of Gumbo… maybe heard the story of the tortoise and the hare … or how about the Disney character Uncle Remus? Have you ever heard of him? Ok, wait…I have one for you…have you ever sung a verse or two or ten of “Michael Row Your Boat Ashore,” or everyone’s campfire favorite, “Kumbaya”? Well, If you have, I’m pleased to inform you that you, indeed, have at least experienced, indirectly perhaps, a little Gullah Culture by way of Africa. (more…) |
A Taste of Gullah: A Web Series from Down South
Returning to My Mother’s Land
A Sierra Leonean Woman
African Beauty
December 22 or 21st , I’m not sure but it’s a Sunday…I think..
After traveling for 27 hours by car, plane, shuttle, shuttle again, plane, boat, then car…we finally made it to Ishmil’s house, Kadia’s brother. It is really nice…with security, security walls, and security doors. He made us African chicken and rice, which means free-range and the meat can be a bit tougher but it was spicy and delicious. We had refreshing water as well. One of Kadia’s bags, an important one was left behind by accident by the flight crew and my makeup bag with all of my makeup was left somewhere as well,,. The good kind of makeup bag where you have all of the “trusties” that have been working for YEARS…you simply keep replacing the…so, I thought, well there’s a blessing in everything. But, I was also thinking, I know God may have wanted me to get back to my roots but with NO MASCARA! A little EYELINER? No? I don’t think he wanted me to go THIS native! Not cute…But, I handled it…smiling… (more…)
And so another day….
And so another day has come and is now heading out the backdoor to make room for tomorrow…Friday..
Yes, I was impassioned the last time I wrote, yes, I told the truth the last time I wrote and yes, I wrote how I felt….yes…yes…yes…
And so what did I learn today? I learned, once again, that no matter how impassioned I am, no matter how much truth I tell, and no matter how I feel at any given moment, I am always amazed at the blessings that surprise me, when I least expect it … but ones that are so welcoming and moving. (more…)
Another Day of being Black in the White Public World
So, here I am again…asking anyone who wants to hear, do you want to know what it is like to be black in the public white world? I say public white world because the experiences I have had in this world are not the experiences that I had in the military world growing up as a military brat. In the military, there was one common goal…to secure the safety of America and everyone who lives here. Rank also mattered more than color…at times….But any way, that’s another blog for another time… Right now, I want to share with you what happened to ME last night… (more…)
Come walk with me…
To my dear Non-black brothers and sisters,
The old saying is that you never know what it’s like to be someone or understand their consequences until you walk a mile in their shoes…Well, would you like to know what it’s like to be Black in America? Come with me and walk 3 miles in my shoes…
I got up this morning as usual, feeling refreshed and happy to be alive, put on my workout clothes and headed outdoors…into the fresh air, a little sunshine and the freedom that I see symbolized in my feathered friend who was the first one to greet me on my front lawn… (more…)
Beauty AND Slavery found in the Eyes of the Beholder?
So the debate about the statements made by Bryant Gumbel (concerning David Stern) are racist or aren’t they? Is that the question that should be asked?
The fact is is that a large number of the Black population here in America has some connection to slavery, direct or indirect. In a lot of situations, just having the skin color of “black” gives way to a perception that someone, somewhere, in your family was probably a slave and you are therefore an “outsider,” whether it’s true or not is invalid in most arguments… (more…)
New Study Finds Whites Feel Racism More?
Michael Norton
Sam Sommers
A new study finds that white people feel that racism against white people has
progressively worsened since 1950. I think you should read this article and contemplate the issue itself without getting offended and ask yourself these questions…
Is this an illustration of white people feeling what it is like to be a “minority” or “marginalized”? (more…)
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