NewOrleansCenterforCreativeArts

Grace

IntegratedHumanitiesIII
Dr.KokontisandDr.Michna
PortfolioProject

Iamablackteenagegirl.Itiscurrently2016andIstillhavetoprovethatthelivesof
myselfandtheotherslikemematter.Withtheriseofpeopleeducatingthemselves(usingsocial
media,popculture,andselfteachings)andotherpeopleonwhatitmeanstobeblackin
Americacomparedtotheracistideologies,Ihavelearnedalotaboutmyselfandmyhistory.
Eventhemeaningofmynamehashadlightshedonitsdefinitionanditsrelationtohistoryand
myeverydaylife.Itisobviousthatsystematicracismisahugeproblemandalotofitsroots
startedinslavery.Buttherearealotofothersocialsystemsthathavestemmedfromslavery
likeparentingandraceanditsrelationstoreligion.Gracegivesusthechancetocontinueto
repeathistorywhenwearesupposedtobelearningfromthesethings.Butsoonwewillbe
actuallybemakingchangesandgracewillstopshieldingourmistakes.
Part1.
Gracehassomanydefinitionsandmeanings.Frombeingelegant,tobeingprotected
fromsomething,evenkindofbeingcleansed.Graceisatermthatisusuallyignoredinadaily
sense.Ithinkitspresencesinksintothecrevicesoftheatmosphere.Atleastformeandmy
experiencesitfollowsbehindmetryingtohelpthecarrytheburdenofthebaggageIwasgiven
atbirth.ToniMorrisonseemstohaveanobsessionwithgracetoo.Asareader,Iunderstood
gracetobeamainthemeinherbookBelovedwhichwasbasedaroundtheCivilWar.Justlike
gracecreepsaroundmylife,itseemstobeafriendtothecharacters.
Beloved
hasastrongtietochristianity.Page105BabySuggsquestionsifgraceisareal
thing.ShedescribesitasimaginaryandkindofhasthissensethatGodhaslefther.Allofher
doubtcomesfromafterSethe,herdaughterinlaw,triedtokillherchildren.Ifeellikeallthe
charactersresentGodforleavingthemandlettingtheseterriblethingshappen.Butaftertheir
hardshipscomesagraceperiod.Inchristianitygraceandmercyisalwaysofferedtoyouifyou
confessyoursins.Buteachcharacterin
Beloved
movesaroundthepastanddoesnotspeakof

rememoryuntilBelovedforcesitoutofthem.Graceisnotaneasyride.Theburdenthatislifted
offthecharactersshouldersafteropeningthescarsbringsthestorytoawholenewlevel.
RemovingBelovedwasoneofthemostimportantscenesinthebook.Thewomenfromthe
communitycametopraythespiritaway.Butfrommyperspective,thewomenhadtoprayto
Godandconfesstheirwrongdoings.Thosemayhaveincludedgossip,judgingSethe,
preventingfriendship,etc.Butwiththepraises,prayers,andsongGodcleansedthem,124,
Sethe,Denver,allofit.Beingabletodiscusswhatactuallyhappenedandfeelingthediscomfort
allowsspaceforacleanslateandnewgrowth(lolpunforblackgirls).
Onpages103105ofBelovedMorrisonintroducesBabySuggs,thefreedmotherin
law,inawaythatshowedhereffectonhercommunityasareligiousfigure.Intheblack
community,religionisaveryseriousandimportantpartofsomeoneslife.InFreedoms
UnfinishedRevolution,itspeaksabouttheimportanceofthechurchintheAfricanAmerican
community.Preachersheldapowernotonlyrelatedtoreligion,butalsoinpolitics.Itwasthe
epicenterofthecommunity,especiallyin
Beloved.
BabySuggssermoncontainedelementsof
howimportantitistoloveeverypartofyourself,becausewhitepeoplehateallofit.Thisis
somethingthathithomewithmeandothersthatliveinthe21stcenturyanddealwiththe
repercussionsofslaveryanditsaftermath.Thereisalwaysthissenseofselfhatethatthe
AfricanAmericancommunitydealswith.Thereisaconstantbattlebetweenlightskinanddark
skin,goodhairvsnappyhair,lighteyesvsbasicbrown,eventhickvsskinny.Thecloserto
lookingwhitethemoreexoticandbetteryouare.Eveninmoderntime,mybodyisnotmineto
love.Itbelongstothepeoplethatlovetofetishsizeit.Frommycoilyhairtomycaramelmocha
latteskin.Itisanoddfeelingtonotbeabletocelebrateyou.Itisevenmoreoddforpeopleto
trytotakethethingsthatmakeyou.ButthelessonsthroughwhatBabySuggswassayingis

thateverypartofourbodyisgracefulanddeserveslove,becauseitisamazing.AsNina
Simone,oneofthegreatestjazzartists,saysTobeyoung,gifted,andblackiswhereitsat.
Throughoutthispastyeartherehavebeenmanyinstanceswheregracehascreptupon
usandwashedawaysomeevents.ButattheendofAprilgracedemandedtobeheard.There
weretimeswhenwesatbackandsacrificedourcomforttopreventanuprising.Foralong
periodoftimemycolleaguesandIhavebeensilent.Whetherwedoittoourselves,orsomeone
elseisthreateningthatwedonotspeakaboutthepast,therememoryhasbeenhauntingus..
Therememoryaddsextraweighttooutoverfilledbookbags.Ourworkcarriesit.Ourhearts
carryit.Thescariestpartisthatitisinvisibletotherestoftheclass,andessentiallytheworld.
Ourtiredisnotjustfromtheexcessiveamountsofwork.Itisfromhavingtoworkfivetimes
hardertobehalfasgood.Ourtiredisdealingwiththesnickersandcomments.Ourtiredis
learningthatwewereonlygoodenoughforbluecollarjobsandignoringourpartinnotonly
Americanhistorybutinworldhistoryaswell.Butforaday,theygottofeeltheunbearable
weight.Theygotatasteofthehorridfatigue.Andforamomenttherewasabitof
understanding.Honestly,itwasgraceful.Realisticallytheywillneverreallyunderstandtheir
effects,butGodsgracewillgivethemthechancetocontinuetolearn.
Part2.
Iamtheoldestofmyfathers4children.Hehasalwayssaidthathechangedhisname
tocreateanewtribeofblackkidsthatwouldruletheworldandhistorywouldleadbacktohim.
Whatsfunnyisheonlyhadgirls,sohisnamewillmostlikelynotbegoingfar.ThoughIdo
appreciatehis23chromosomecontributiontomybeing,hefailedtoteachmehowtonavigate
theworldIwasbroughtin.Thathasgreatlytodowithhimleavingandmymotherraisingme.
Theseparationoftheblackfamilyanditsrelationtoslaveryisawholeotherstory.Butnonethe
lessIhaveseenhimgetbetteratpartakingintheactivityofparentingashecreatesmore

offspring.Parentingisaspecialresponsibilityandlatelyhashadalotofdiscussion.Ofcourse
parentingskillsandethicsvarydependingonrace,gender,class,etc.Inrecentyearstherehas
beenalotofdiscussionaboutblackparenting.Belovedgivesgoodinsightonwhatblack
parentinghasbecomeintodaystime.
Ithinkit'sreallyimportanttolookatblackparentingmorebroadlyandincludeitshistory.
Amongmyfriendswejokeaboutthedifferenceinourupbringingcomparedtootherraces,
especiallywhite.Welearntorespectpeople.Welearnhowtobehaveinplacesawayfrom
home.Andit'snottosaythattheydon'tlearnthesethings,butthereisalotmoreroomfor
mistakecomparedtoblackkids.Wewitnessitonadailybasis.
InBeloved,Sethe,amotheroffourchildren,isfacedwithanextremelyterrifying
situation.Afterescapingslavery,thewhitemanwhoownedhercamebacktotakesheandher
childrenbacktotheplantation.InthatmomentSethedecidedtotakeherkidslives.Theideaof
amothertakingthelifeofherchildrenishorrific.Yetwestillhavetounderstandthereasoning
behindtheactions.MorrisondescribesSethesthoughtprocessofafastcommotionand
wantingtotakeallherpreciousbelongingstoasafeplacewherenoonecouldhurtthem
(Morrison,192).Sethebelievedthatherchildrenwouldbebetterdeadthantogothroughthe
hardshipsofslavery.Evenwiththeurgetoprotectherchildrenfromthosesituationstherewas
alsoasenseofwantingtokeepallthepartsofherthatwerepreciousandfineandbeautiful
(Morrison,192).AftertheabolishmentofinternationalslavetradeinAmericain1808
slaveholdersweredependentonblackwomentoreproducechildrenandcontinuetoprofittheir
owners.Butthesewomenschildrenwerenottheirs,accordingtothelaw.Husband,wives,and
childrencouldbesoldandseparatedfromtheirfamilyatanypoint.Femaleslaveswereseenas
breedersand/orsuckerstocontinuetomakeprofitforfree(Davis).Sethenotonlywas
protectingherchildrenfromslaverybutwasensuringthattheywouldbefreetoownthemselves

andnotbethepropertyofawhiteman,whichissomethingmodernblackparentsstilllongfor.
Sethesfourchildrenwerehergracetomakesureshehadanotherchance,justasIwastomy
mother.
Inmanyblackhouseholdsthepracticeofspankingorwhippingchildrenisverypopular.
Itslookedatasphysicalabuse,andIdonotcondonethoseactions,butthemeaningofwhat
whippingsdoareimportant.Afterconversationsfrommanydifferentblackparentsitseemsthat
thereisacommonthread.IbroughtyouintothisworldandIlltakeyouout.Thedesireto
teachchildrenathomeratherthansomeoneelsetakemattersintotheirownhandsisa
recurringideology.Blackparentswouldratheryoulearnfromthem,thentogooutintheworld,
thinkyougetthesamefreedomasothers,andbeextremelysurprisedwhenyourealizethats
nottrue.EventssuchasthemurderofEmmettTillandmorerecentlyTrayvonMartinaresad
instancesthatblackfamiliesfear.Blackchildrenwerekilledbywhitementhattookmattersinto
theirownhandsinhorridways.Thoughwhippingsmaynotbesomethingyouenjoyitcomesout
oftheloveofwantingyoutonavigateaworldthatwasnotmeantforyou.Gracesometimesis
pickyonwhoitserves,anditssomethingthatmycommunityhastodealwith.
Prettysoontheteenagersandyoungadultswillbetakingoverandrunningtheworld.
Wewillbetheonesdecidingtocontinuethepracticesthatweregiventous.Thereareissues
thatgenerationsbeforehavenotreallysolved.Teensandyoungadultshavecomplexideas
aboutthingslikeracismandgenderrolesjustlikeme.Ihavebeenblessedwithanoutletand
learningexperiencethatnourishesmythoughts.Anyyoungpersoncantellyouhowtiredthey
areofhearingthattheysoonwillbeincharge,yetwhentheyarewillingtostartleadershipno
onewantstohearthemout.AsateenthatwantstobeinvolvedinmycommunityIbelievethat
thereneedsthebesafeplaceforteendiscussiontocomeupwithwaystosolvetheissuesat
hand.Ibelieveateenthinktankisagreatwaytostart.Thethinktankwouldessentiallybe

teensfromalldifferentbackgroundsreadytogivetheirthoughtsontopicssuchasrace,gender,
politics,etc.Justlikeanyotherthinktankorganization,wewouldbecalledintosolveproblems.
Itwouldbethestartofintegratingtheoldwiththenew.Theyouthisthesavinggraceforthis
world,andweneedtostopbeingshielded.Itistimetomakesomemoves.

WorksCited
"BlackParenting."Personalinterview.1May2016.
Davis,AngelaY.
Women,Race&Class
.NewYork:Vintage,1983.Print.
Friedheim,William,andRonaldJackson.
Freedom'sUnfinishedRevolution:AnInquiryintothe
CivilWarandReconstruction
.NewYork:New,1996.Print.
Morrison,Toni.
Beloved:ANovel
.NewYork:Knopf,1987.Print.
Simone,Nina.
BlackGold
.RCARecords,1970.Vinylrecording.