After reading this twitter thread, I immediately went back to when I was younger and wished I was a different race. I went to a predominately white school, and I mostly saw white kids who hung out with other white kids. I thought back then “what if I was white?” Even in high school, the black kids did not want to hang out with me, because I acted too white; I was too bourgie. When I drew pictures of myself, I used a lighter shade of brown, gave myself straight hair, and a “white” name. I thought it was the only way to fit in. But as I grew older, I really appreciated my race. When movies like Black Panther and Black is King came out, I saw how beautiful, powerful, and blessed us black people are. There are going to be moments where I think “would my life be easier if I was white”, but I could not be more proud to be black.
August 2020
Elbow Reflection
| Title of Article + Proper MLA Citation for Works Cited page | Inviting the Mother Tongue: Beyond “Mistakes,” “Bad English,” and “Wrong Language”
Elbow, Peter. “Inviting the Mother Tongue: Beyond “Mistakes,” “Bad English,” and “Wrong Language”. Article. 359-365. Print. |
| Summarize the article — include your reaction, thoughts, anything to help you remember its claims. 100 to 150 words | This is article is about how students feel they have to conform to Standard Written English (SWE) in order to achieve in their writing class even though it is not their mother tongue. I was really into reading this article, because it was honestly reading every thought I had in my head when it came to writing. I do not have “perfect English”, and I remember from African-American people I would receive the comment: “I speak well for a black girl”. I would also receive comments like: “You go to a predominately white school; you have to speak like them.” Comments like this or critiques from your English really tears down your self-confidence as far as your language. It makes you feel like you are stupid if you do not speak “correct” English. |
| Define new terms and concepts by quoting or paraphrasing the original author.
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Acquiesce- “to give in”
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| How does this reading connect to other articles from class and/or your own research?
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This article connects to my own research. I have seen articles of scholarship winners and their essays and compared them to black applicants of the scholarship. The essay of the winner sounds more politically correct, has correct grammar, and sounds more polished. More benefits are given to those who sound “educated” or who follows SWE. |
| Based on the reading, craft one question to act as a springboard for class discussion. | Has your mother tongue taken away benefits and opportunities for you? |
“FASTrack/Writ 101 Round Table”
A piece of advice I would prove useful is to ask questions. It is okay to ask a million questions until you understand the material you’re given. I understand that as young adults we have huge egos and pride, and we do not have to ask for help. But it is okay to ask for help, because if you don’t, you’ll be stuck behind. Which leads me to my next piece of advice which is to go at your own pace. I believe a pro of online courses is that you are not pressured to “keep up with the class” or have a feeling you are three steps behind everyone else. You are able to go at your own pace so you can really grasp the concept of the material.
I am most excited to meet new people. From where I am from, everyone is generally the same or act the same way, so I am excited to just meet different people. I am least excited about online courses just because I am a visual learner. However, I took online courses before, so I can adapt to this and still come out on top.
Advice I would give to seniors is that senior-itis is a real thing. It is very easy to get distracted during this time, because you are on a high for graduation and prom and any other senior perks. But it is very important to stay focused while still enjoying your senior year otherwise you will get behind.