Saturday, April 23, 2016
Slave Grandchildren Remember Project
Summary and Video of Constance Chapman (1932-)
Interviewer: Project historian Anntrell Sylvia-Brown
Recorded March 16, 2016
Remembering her great grandmother, Addie Bell (ca. 1889-1960)
Introduction
Dr. Constance Chapman is a professor at Atlanta Metropolitan State College. She originates from Detroit, Michigan. Her educational background includes Michigan State University, where she attended and received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education. After graduation, she taught at a numerous amount of elementary schools for 10+ years. Eventually, she went back to school to pursue her Masters at Columbia State. She loved the surrounding area so much that she moved permanently. Right after receiving her Masters, she went on to complete a doctorate program with her alma mater (Columbia State). She left New York City in 1990 after receiving her doctorate looking for a change of environment (due to weather and opportunities). She looked for a more “cosmopolitan” way of living which led her to Atlanta, Georgia by a recommendation from her group of friends. Immediately after she settled into her new environment, she begin to look for job opportunities in the surrounding area. A job offer, as a professor, at Georgia State started her collegiate experience. She worked for 7+ years and applied for tenure at the school but was denied. She eventually left and taught at Clark Atlantafor a few more years and applied for tenure. She mentions her determination and sassy attitude may have prevented her with tenure opportunities at previous schools. She was denied and it led her to Atlanta Metropolitan State College where she now has tenure.
Transcript
“Of course I wasn’t a slave—my mother wasn’t a slave nor my father. But my grandmother’s mother, I think she said, was a slave. She said that the slave master was so very mean and one day he [slave master] put them on the back board of a truck. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen an old pickup truck but it was only a plank across. The slaves had to sit on the floor and my mother’s mother said that she was so angry that he treated them so badly. So she grabbed him by the balls, not letting go, and squeezed as hard as she could. She said that he never was any nicer then. There was another incident where her great-great grandfather went to town to the market to pick up supplies. She begged to come along with him and was finally allowed to go. She knew that something was going on because he would go into market to get tools and be gone all day and night so she believed she was up to no good. She tagged along one Saturday and got all the groceries needed. On the way home, the mule stopped in front of a particular house. Mules are very stubborn and if they do a certain routine they’ll do it all the time. Her mother got so upset that she beat him over the head. She didn’t understand why her mother was attacking her father.
Crowd Sourcing on Social Media
1.
Solomon
Northup, aka “Platt” – I chose this character from 12 Years A Slave because he is the
protagonist. He was originally a freedman and was kidnapped
back into slavery. This shows his struggle to freedom and creates a wonderful
success story.
2.
Abdulrahman Ibrahim Ibn Sori- a prince from West Africa
who was enslaved until President Adams freed him.
(1)
1. Anna j. Cooper: Anna Julia Cooper was
born in 1858 into slavery and went on to become a celebrated American author
educator and scholar. She also became
for African-American women in history to taint a doctoral degree in 1924.
2. Toussaint Louvreture: Born as a slave
in a plantation of Breda at Haut de
Cap in Saint Domingue.
Freed at age 33 he continue to work on the plantation as an employee. He was
also the leader of the Haitian Revolution, his military
prowess helped in the independence in Haiti and also set an example for the
rest of the New World slaves.
3. Robert Smalls: Mr.Smalls guided his family
and fellow escapees to the north from South Carolina where he was a wheel man
aboard the confederate
steamer CSS Planter in Charleston, South Carolina. When arrived to
the north him and the escapees where hailed as heroes in the north, and their
courage and cunning were held up as evidence that blacks could make good
soldiers.
4. Sojourner Truth: considered as one of
the great abolitionists, activities,
speakers, and thinkers of all time. Born in the slavery in 1797 she possessed
the gift of public
speaking
and fervently about abolishing slavery and about the needs of women's rights
5. Denmark Vesey: was an African American
slave, and later a freeman from South Carolina. After gaining his freedom, he
planned what would have been one of the largest slave
rebellions
in the United States. But details of
rebellion were leaked and he was executed.
(2)
2. Patsy from 12 years a slave for her
strength and work ethic picking 500 pounds of
cotton
every day.
5. Gasper Yanga from Veracruz, Mexico who
fought the Spanish colonist and in 1618 who a small settlement (Town Yanga) where he ruled.
(3)
1.) Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf: she is the 24th
and current president of Liberia...
many people have praised her for bringing stability back to Liberia after many
years of civil war, and was awarded the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize..
2.)
Patrice Lumumba: he founded the mainstream Movement National Congolais (MVC) party... he
played a major role in campaigning for independence from Belgium...
3.)
Julius Nyerere: In 1964 he successfully negotiated the union of Zanzibar
and Taganyika
which is today's Tanzania...
4.)
Kwame Nkrumah: the leader of Ghana while known as the Gold Coast...the first prime
minister of Ghana, he was one of the founding members of the organization which
later became African Union...
5.)
Nelson Mandela: known best for his anti-apartheid
movement.. inspired by Ghandi.. he directed a peaceful.. non-violent
defiance against South African government and its racist policies.
(4)
(5)
1. Harriet Tubman: I chose Harriet Tubman
because she was a very strong woman, she did what nobody else would do. She
risked her life rescuing her family and
other living in slavery.
2. Toni Morrison: I chose her because of
her novel “Beloved” the book was
about a woman named Sethe, who was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but
eighteen years later she is still not free.
3. Dred Scott: Dred Scott was a slave who
attempted to sue for his freedom in the court case Scott v. Sandford (1857).
4. Toby Waller: Toby Waller also known as Kunta Kinte is a character in
the novel/movie Roots. I like him because he never lost his connection within
his African American heritage.
5. Madam C.J Walker: Madam C.J. Walker,
who was born as Sarah Breedlove, created specialized hair
products
for African-American hair and was one of the first American women to become a
self-made millionaire.
(6)
2. Margaret Garner. I like her because she
killed her 2 year
old daughter
with a butcher knife, rather than see her returned to slavery.
3. Abram
Petrovich Gannibal. I like him because he was a slave, then he became a
general and a governor.
5. Saint
Patrick. I like him because six years after he was captured as a slave he
escaped and became a monk.
(7)
1.
Frederick
Douglass: Frederick
Douglass
was an African-American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and
statesman. Douglass was born into slavery sometime around 1818 in Talbot County,
Maryland.
He became one of the most famous intellectuals of his time, advising presidents
and lecturing to thousands on a range of causes, including women’s rights and
Irish home rule.
2.
Booker
T. Washington: Born a slave on a small farm in western Virginia. Growing up
during Reconstruction and imbued with moral as opposed to intellectual
training, he came to believe that postwar social uplift had begun at the wrong
end: the acquisition of political and civil rights rather than economic self-determination.
Washington was a pragmatist who engaged in
deliberate ambiguity in order to sustain white recognition of his leadership.
3.
Nat
Turner, born into slavery on October 2, 1800, on a Southampton County
plantation,
became a preacher who claimed he had been chosen by God to lead slaves from
bondage. Turner He recruited several other slaves to join him in his rebellion.
On August 21, 1831, Turner and his supporters began their revolt against white
slave owners with the killing the Travis family. About 55 white men, women and
children died during Turner's rebellion.
4.
Kunta
Kinte: Kunta Kinte was one of 98 slaves brought to Annapolis, Maryland aboard
the ship Lord Ligonier in 1767. Kunta Kinte's experience symbolizes the
struggle of all ethnic groups to preserve their cultural heritage. He is well
known from the book called "Roots"
5.
Toussaint
L’Ouverture: Born into slavery on May 20, 1743 in the French colony of Saint
Dominque, L’Ouverture was the eldest son of Gaou Guinon, an African prince who
was captured by slavers. Inspired by French Revolutionary ideology and angered
by generations of abuse at the hands of white planters, the initial slave
uprising was quelled within several days, but ongoing fighting between the
slaves, free blacks, and planters continued.
(8)
1.) Margaret Garner- Margaret showed great
sacrifice by choosing to take the life of her 2 year old daughter to prevent
her from being re enslaved.
2.)
Abraham Gannibal- General Gannibal was able to reach great heights as a slave.
After being brought to Great Britain by
Peter the Great
he became major general, military engineer, and governor of Reval.
3.)
Nat Turner- Mr. Turner is very courageous in that he led a successful slave
rebellion
even when outnumbered by white opposing forces.
4.)
Frederick Douglas- Worked very hard to become proficient in English through
bible reading and classic orations and listening to sermons of antislavery
pastors. After he escaped enslavement he moved to New York and founded an
abolition journal known as The North Star.
5.)
York- York is the 1st
African-American to travel from the Atlantic to the Pacific across the North
America continent.
Our history books don't mention this but, he was actually the slave of William Clark.
On the Lewis and Clark expedition he was a major factor to their survival in
that he provided in medical services, and traded with Native American tribes
for goods along the way.
(9)
1. Marcus Garvey, he was
a proponent of the black
nationalism and Pan-
African movement inspiring the Nation of Islam
and the Rastafarian
movement I like the fact that he was self-educated and he was
activist for his people.
2. Angela
Davis, she was an American political right activist and
academic scholar I like the fact that she advocates for the oppressed!
3. Arthur Ash, I like that he
used his platform in the world of his own personal struggles to raise awareness
of AIDS via blood infusions
4.Elizabeth Jennings Graham, she won a
lawsuit against New York's _Third Avenue
Railway Company
she was ejected from a street car because of the color of her skin she
challenged segregation on public transportation!
5. Wole Soyinta, he was a
Nigerian playwright, poet, author, teacher and political activist who the
recipient of the Nobel Prize for literature in 1986 I like that her dedicated
his Nobel acceptance speech to Nelson Mandela!
(10)
2. Dosia
Harris (South Carolina) - cotton
plantation; 60 year old woman; cares for numerous infants while
their mothers and older siblings work in the fields.
Trailblazers React to Cancelation of Trump Rally in Chicago
By Anntrell Sylvia-Brown
Photo Courtesy Jan. 2014
Students
from Atlanta Metropolitan State College are shocked and disappointed in the
prevention of violence and fights towards protesters that attend events at
Donald Trump rallies.
Thousands
of Trump supporters and protesters flocked to the event, at University of
Illinois, to witness the candidate’s position on dire issues, such as
Immigration. After going MIA (missing in action), chaos began to erupt and
started fights that continued long into the night within the venue. Trump
believes that although there is an abundance of violence that happens at these
locations, he believes that he unifies the community and those that are a part
of his events. The crowd that was packed into the venue begin to get rowdy once
word spread that the event was cancelled. Previous rallies have shown that this
is an everyday occurrence, even where the political candidate himself have
encouraged the abuse. He allegedly requested that his supporters attack all
protesters in exchange to pay for their fees.
“You
are running to become the President of our country but if you instigate and
spew hate from your mouth, how do manage to get in office then how will other
nations take you seriously?” said Brandon Emory, a sophomore mass
communications major at Atlanta Metro from Atlanta, Ga.
Many students at Atlanta Metro are terrified at the idea
of having a leader that would jeopardize the people’s well-being. The lack of political experience, like his
counterparts, make him least likely to run a society ethically and safely.
His
economic background also shows that he once had gambling problems which
resulted in him filing for bankruptcy. American people are wary of someone
incapable of handling his own finances.
“The
American government has no room to add to the deficit because of someone else’s
recklessness” said Brinquavious Crawford, a sophomore general studies major at
Atlanta Metro from Atlanta, Ga.
Supporters
of the candidate feel that the rallies give them a chance to express how they
feel. Some supporters say that he talks and speaks on issues that most people
would be afraid of talking about without offending people.
Trump
is a known for his businesses such as Trump Organization and popular television
shows such as The Apprentice. People feel that he is charming and leaves a
lasting impression with the general public.
“I
feel that some people are voting for him because he is a popular household name
and are some people are not looking at who he represents, Chicago is not one of
those places where you can waltz in with hatred and ignorance” said Jay Craft,
a sophomore mass communication major from Atlanta Metro from Chicago, Ill.
Originally,
these protesters were involved to spread their thoughts peacefully but some
people believe that is it useless.
The
environment was already made to be chaotic and rowdy. The only reason someone
has attended would be to start trouble or fight for what you believe in.
“When
you go out into an unsafe environment where you are unwanted then you should
notice the consequences that follow after” said Christopher Ruffin, card
services director at Atlanta Metro from Baton Rouge, La.
Others
believe that we have freedom of speech in our First Amendment. One should not
be hurt or attacked because of their words.
Others
believe that while it is your choice to speak out, it is also another person’s
choice to eliminate or kick out people who create problems.
“I
feel as someone who is trying to be a leader should be able to handle it
properly and come together to answer all questions.” said Jamaal Smoot, a
sophomore mass communication major at Atlanta Metro from Atlanta, Ga. “How will
you control the people not on your side if you can’t control the main advocates
of your philosophy?”
A
video appeared on the Internet when President Obama ran back in 2007. He did
everything he could to hear what the American people wanted and made it his
mission to answer and resolve any doubts.
Candidates
play an important role in politics and if applying for any position of the
land, there are a multitude of responsibilities.
“Do
what you believe in!” said Nancy Hernandez, nursing major at Atlanta Metro from
Mexico City, Mexico “He says these rude things because the public allows it and
what else will we allow him to do if we don’t speak up?”
#
Graduation Rate Improvements
By Anntrell Sylvia-Brown
Courtesy of Aquantis Williams
Aquantis
Williams (cq), holding degree from Atlanta Metro
Atlanta
Metropolitan State College graduation rates are significantly
lower versus other schools in the University System of Georgia but are working
to achieve their yearly goals; these goals are based on factors such as retention
rate, course success rate, and graduation rate.
Atlanta
Metro updates student achievements yearly (semester to semester). This
information is provided to the public so they are able to choose a school that
fits their academic needs.
“I
didn’t feel prepared when going to other universities here in Georgia,” said
Tierra Sims, a sophomore computer science major from Atlanta. “Our school makes
you feel welcome and provides amazing programs that make me want to stay to
pursue more degrees here.”
The retention rates (the
percentage or likeliness that freshman return for their sophomore year) are
observed from the cohort group of 2012 versus the cohort group of 2013. This shows that Atlanta Metro retention rates
will equal or exceed those of the USG State College average.
To
indicate whether or not your rates are good, you must look at whether 85
percent or more students came back for their sophomore year or second term.
This shows that they were academically stable and happy.
“I’ve
been here since 2013 completing my three-year degree and will be graduating
soon,” said Benny Jones, a junior business major from Atlanta. “I feel pretty
happy here and there are a load of activities to do on the campus so that
doesn’t hurt.”
Progression
rates or course success rates express how many credit hours will be completed
during a student’s academic career at a school. Atlanta Metro says, “Students
will earn at least 90 percent of credit hours attempted.”
Earning
at least 90 percent of their credits makes sure that students have enough
credits to graduate or transfer to other schools that offer advanced programs. Part-time
students earn around 80.9 percent while full-time 83.7 percent in the fall 2014
group Part-time students earn 83.1 percent while full-time students 84.3
percent in the fall 2015 group. The school is making progress towards the goal
of getting students to earn their credits for a degree.
“We
have a database that shows how well our students are doing and we are around
the 80 or better percentile,” said Michael Ringfield, data entry clerk from
registrar’s office.
The
2010 cohort and 2011 cohort were compared in graduation rates versus other
universities in Georgia. Students will have achieved graduation rates equal to
or higher than those for the state college average. So far, Atlanta Metro has
exceeded other universities schools by 10.2 percent versus the college average
of 8.8 percent in 2011. The following year, it decreased by 0.9 percent but
still exceeded the college average by 0.8 percent. In comparison to Georgia
“Georgia
State has boosted its graduation rate by 22 points over the past decade, even
though state spending per student has shrunk and the student population has
grown poorer and more diverse,” said Risa Palm, vice president of Academic
Affairs from Georgia State.
Georgia
State is a popular choice by demand in the university system among Georgia
college students in part to the fact it is in the center of the city. There are
multiple spots for students to hang out.
Although
it is a common choice, students feel as if there weren’t a lot of options to
help stay on top of class work. A student from Georgia State mentions how she
felt about the situation and what she was doing to resolve it.
“I
haven’t been doing well in my classes because I wasn’t staying focus,” said Elizabeth Giron,
a sophomore accounting major at Georgia State from Cartersville. “I will be
transferring to Atlanta Metro to build up my GPA and graduate from there.”
The
university has now found affordable ways to give students more one-on-one
attention through tutoring programs in the cooperative learning
laboratory. They are offering language and writing, math, and
economic tutor locations to help.
“I wish that we had more programs like other
schools to help us stay on top of our work,” said Giron from Georgia State.
Atlanta
Metro’s school motto is to Believe, Begin, and Become. They have done just that
by including academic programs such as TRIO,
Upward Bound,
and Dual
Enrollment.
Now
schools are working to satisfy student’s needs by including academic programs
to succeed along with tutors. The improvements after using these tools may be
able to increase the school’s rates in the long run and keep students happy.
“No matter where you intend to apply, whether
it be from a traditional school or community school, look into factors that may
determine if you are able to graduate and be successful,” said Gabrielle
Cartwright, a sophomore nursing major from Atlanta.
#
Technological Distractions Affect Student’s Grades
By Anntrell Sylvia-Brown
Photo
Courtesy of Anntrell Sylvia-Brown
A
student’s message inbox during class at Atlanta Metropolitan State College
Students
at Atlanta Metropolitan
State College are noticing that the use of technology
and texting and prolonged Internet use affects their grades significantly and
are causing them to lose focus in class lectures.
On
an average day, you see students commuting to classes with friends and meeting
up to eat before lectures. You also see student’s texting before getting to
their designated locations and it also continues into their class times. There
are rules and regulations to restrict texting in classrooms. On the syllabi for
every class on campus it states, “All cell phones must be turned on silent (alarms
and calendar notifications). Vibrating phones are not accepted in class, all
phones must be out of the site of the instructor. No phones on your desk at any
time. No IPods, video games, or other video or devices are allowed in class.
Participations points will be deducted f instances of rule violations regarding
cell phones and electronics.”
“I
don’t appreciate the rules on the restrictions of phones in a college setting,”
said Tierra Sims, a sophomore computer science major from Atlanta. “What if I
have an emergency to attend to or have to pick up my children?”
Some
students connect to the school Wi-Fi which allows them to complete assignments
or access social media accounts like Facebook. Students often feel bored in
some classes which lead them to be on their phone during unauthorized times.
Those
who are distracted in courses also affect those around them. Students who are
in the vicinity of others texting will most likely be focusing on what that
person is doing. “I get really bored in class because the content is not
interesting to me,” said Larmetria Trammell, a sophomore mass communication
major from Atlanta. “We are in 2016 and we should not be limited to traditional
teaching methods”
According
to Harvard
University it states, “Broadly, we are not wired to multitask
well (e.g. Mayer and Moreno), and using cell phones during class is no
exception. Several studies have compared students who texted during a lecture
versus those who did not. Those who
texted frequently took lower quality notes, retained less information, and did
worse on tests about the material (e.g. see Kuznekoff and Titsworth, and Rosen
et al). Students themselves realize that cell phone usage does not promote
learning; in one survey, 80 percent of students agreed that using a mobile
phone in class decreases their ability to pay attention.”
Some
students believe that they are old enough and will know when to pay attention
in class. They have done it numerous times and are still balancing classes
without failing.
“I
am 30 years old and have children of my own,” said Kayla Gresham, a junior
education major from Savannah. “I don’t like how I have to put up my phone and if
I really want to focus in class then I will do so at my own discretion.”
Some
students refuse to stop from disruptions from their phones no matter what the
rules state. Some will get suspended or kicked out of class for the lack of
attention in class on Atlanta Metro’s campus
Research
proves that students who did less texting during class also tended to be those
who had more self-control and reported paying more attention to the instructor.
The kids with more self-control and who paid attention got better grades and
felt they learned more in the class than those with less self-control (Health
Day 2012)
Along
with the cons are some pros to using your cell phone in class when it is used
appropriately. This includes the use of interactive games, like Kahoot, in the
classroom which help make lesson easier to learn and make it fun in the
process.
More
students would be willing to do better if they were not forced to use mediums
like regular books and regular note-taking methods. With eBooks,
it offers a more efficient and easier way to learn in class in relation to the
student preference.
“We
played a Kahoot
game on psychological disorders in my psychology class,” said Earnita Jones, a
sophomore education major from Atlanta. “I was able to comprehend the
information being taught and made it really awesome to show how much I know.”
#
Make-up Artist Aims to Beautify Campus
By Anntrell Sylvia-Brown
Photo
Courtesy of Laamajthegod
Jamaal
Smoot, aka Laamajthegod, sporting a makeup style with MAC cosmetics
Jamaal
Smoot, also known as Laamajthegod, is one of the most innovative make-up
artists and aspiring radio personalities on the Atlanta Metropolitan State
College campus and since arriving to the school, he has made women and men
across the campus feel beautiful.
Smoot,
a first-generation college student, attends school for mass communication and
has plans of running his own radio station similar to the Rickey Smiley Morning
Show or like the Breakfast Club. He has attended Atlanta Metro since he was a
sophomore in high school through Dual Enrollment and Upward Bound programs and
has progressed to finishing up his degree there. Our school mentions that the
Dual Enrollment program at Atlanta Metro allows students to take college course
credits which can applied toward both satisfying high school credits and
towards a college degree. Along with
that, the school references Upward Bound as a tool to strengthen science and
mathematical techniques to aid in the excelling of in college. The program
serves those who are low-income families and who are first-generation college
students. Those academic programs gave him the necessary drive to go above and
beyond the norm.
“I
feel like, Jamaal Smoot or as I know him, Laamaj is such a wonder person,”
Chandria Freeman, Smoot’s classmate and friend who is a sophomore mass
communication major from Atlanta. “He keeps me laughing and smiling even when
he says a simple hello.”
Smoot
is an extroverted person and loves for everyone to be happy and be a better
version of their selves. He sets out a goal and achieves it academically and
throughout his personal life. Our mass communication teacher coined the name
“on the ball Jamaal” because of his strive for success. His stage name gives
him the drive to be a powerhouse in the community of friends and throughout the
night club scene.
He
originates from Queens, N.Y., and is the youngest of five children on his
parent’s side. While being the youngest of the family, he is also the most
artistic on his family. During his school years, he actively participated in
art clubs and several fashion clubs which developed his deep love of doing
makeup
“He’s
a go-getter that’s for sure,” said Tierra Sims, a friend of Smoot who is a
sophomore computer science major from Atlanta. “If he doesn’t get it done then
something is wrong.”
Smoot
mentions that he never imagined doing makeup for a living but he has come to
love it. As a child, he played with G.I. Joes and cut and design the toy’s
clothing to mimic what he saw on TV or in fashion magazines such as Vogue. His
deep curiosity for fashion aided him to become poised in his craft.
Two
years ago in February he began to do his own makeup and tested what made him
feel confident. He still had a lot to learn but his friends ran to him with the
request of doing their very own makeup. The funniest highlights of his makeup
journey included a night where he went to a night club and experimented with
different shades and eyeshadows from his norm. He partied and went home with a
hangover. The next day, his friends sent tweets and messages saying that he was
on the popular gossip website MediaTakeOut where they dissed his makeup but
said he had a wonderful personality. During that time, he shrugged off the hate
and used that as a motivator to improve his techniques and step his game up in
the nightclub scene. Every time his friends mention they want to learn how to
do makeup, he lets them know that you have to try and if it’s bad then that’s
fine. It has to be bad first to even get better and learn from your mistakes.
“You
know how they say you never really master until you mess it up,” said Smoot who
is a sophomore mass communication major from Queens, N.Y. “Well I remember I
did my makeup and went out thinking I was slaying.”
He
gets inspiration from 90’s high fashion and gathers makeup looks from Chanel
98. He feels that era is beautiful and had a variety of unique looks.
Along
with makeup, Smoot plans on starting his own radio broadcasting station that
will be entertaining and filled with humor. He wants to set himself apart from
other radio personalities by being relatable and highly credible so he may
build trust and gain fans in the process. He has been looking into internships
that may give him the experience he needs and the upper hand in his job field.
“I
have big plans for the future and I hope that you guys will never forget
Lamaaj,”
#
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