Education Unveiled

Thousands of talented, aspiring focused black women come to Spelman College to make their dreams to change the world come true. The sisterhood and teachings of identity in African Diaspora classes offered at Spelman are available to everyone which are rare at other colleges. These are the reasons I would think Leonie Smith author of To Be Black, Female, and Literate: A Personal Journey in Education and Alienation would have liked to attend. Smith was one out of 11 children born in Antigua to two talented, gifted parents. She later decided to pursue education in America but being faced with rascism, identity, and accusations of her being illiterate not only alienated her but made her a stronger black woman.
Most Historically Black Colleges are overlooked as institutions to earn quality education. Colleges like Spelman College and Morehouse School of Medicine are the few Black colleges that taught in the fields science, medicine, and technology. For Smith, she was determined to graduate from a majority white college to earn a leg up in the world. Regardless of the rascism the young Antiguan faced at Hamilton College, she did not want to fail her intelletual father and talented mother. Before Smith went to America, she was instilled with the importance of an education. She described "her father was an intelligent boy who had to drop out of school...to help his family..."(183). She was definitely isolated because of her skin color at the college. She described, "Professors did not to hold the same high expectations of Black students," (194). During that time, she felt sectioned off from herself and the college which was something she would have not gone through at a HBCU.
One concept that was taught in African Diaspora class offered at Spelman College is there are alternatives to knowledge. When Smith explained, "[she] had never seen a multiple-choice test before...and was subsequently labeled illiterate,"(187-188) described the American school system as a culturally bias system. Even after she eventually she became accustomed to the American English system she had difficulty with fitting into society. Again, Black colleges try to instill in their students a sense of identity as well as education. Personally, it is an alternative form of education to black students who have been previously been brainwashed with negative images of black people. Unfortunately halve of Smith's life, who faced rascism was not equiped with the knowledge and support black colleges give to their students so she could confidently face the world.
Moreover it was informing to hear about the world's negative view of Black people from a black Antiguan woman who pursued education in America. Smith exposed the false assumption of education that it is obtained, free from rascism, discrimination, and oppression. Unlike the white students who got the most out of college which includes fun, she was isolated in her dorm. Her story compelled me to say we need to draw a line through sectionalism in the world. If the educational system was not culturally bias smart intellectual immigrants who are literate could pursue their dreams to be intellitually challenged. In addition black colleges offer quality and equal education compared to any college. Overall I enjoyed the book.