Portuguese Lessons: Yasmin (upper left corner), Kenetia (left corner) Ms. Saldana (upper right corner) and Karima (right corner)
In Culture Keepers we have the
amazing opportunity to learn Portuguese. This is an amazing opportunity because
Portuguese is not offered Suitland High School, the school we attend. We have
been studying Portuguese for about 3 months. I think it is important that we
learn Portuguese because when we go to visit the Ambassadors in Brazil we can
fully experience their culture as well as their language.
Learning Portuguese has been difficult for me because it is unlike any
language I have learned. I have taken Spanish in school since the sixth grade,
but comparing Portuguese and Spanish does not help, as I have figured out.
Portuguese does not have the same pronunciation as Spanish or English, which
makes it even more difficult. However, learning Portuguese is pretty fun
because it is different and we can see our other club members learning the language[T1].
Having
someone who knows Portuguese fluently helps a lot when learning it. Ms. Saldana
is our Portuguese teacher and she speaks the language. This helps me because
when I need to know a word I can ask Ms. Saldana and she can give me an answer.
She also helps us with pronunciation, so we don’t look crazy trying to speak
Portuguese.
I
think learning Portuguese can be very educational and it is a skill that we can
use in the future. For example, if we were ever to go back to Brazil without
our Portuguese teacher we will be able to communicate with the people and have
a good time. I am excited to learning more the rest of the year and go to
Brazil to test out all the Portuguese I
learned in Culture Keepers.
Culture Keepers watched first episode of a two part PBS series called Reconstruction: The Second Civil War . Keepers took notes and examined the nation post-Civil War (A brutal four year war over the annulment of slavery). Reconstruction was a twelve year period in which the people of United States were left to unite and relieve tensions between the northern states and the southern states. The southern states that had taken to Confederacy were to renounce their political title and rejoin the United States Union. Some southern states would not give up their place without a fight. Now emancipated, slaves we free to wander the nation as they please. However, white supremacists began to terrorize thriving black communities. Terrorist organizations, such as the Ku Klux Klan, would brutally slaughter any African American that attempted to voice their opinion and/or receive an education.
*Watch the film above*
Written by: Naima Shaw; 11th Grade
The African Diaspora is the movement, scattering and dispersal of
people (either forced or voluntary) from an ancestral homeland. The
literal meaning of "diaspora" come from the Jewish people referring to their removal from their homeland. PG Country was officially established in 1696. Most people might have thought that people coming
from Africa to Colonial Maryland were slaves but most of the people
coming were Indentured servants. An indentured servant is sort of like a
slave but they work for there freedom from there masters.
"What happened after Emancipation?"
After slaves were free the first thing they would do was try to
build communities of African American people. The major things these
communities needed to thrive were church, education (schools), and recreation. There were times when hate crimes tore down thriving black communities. Crimes
like burning down houses and schools where black people were, lynching also took place.
Dr. Arvenita Washington Cherry talks about the Freedman Settlements
Bryanna Rather, Suitland High School, Forestville, MD. USA
10/ 13/13
"For the past two years and some months, I have been
a proud participant of Culture Keepers.I have enjoyed learning about African American
art, and I have gained increased awareness about the settlement of people of
African descent all across the Americas, not just here in the United
States.When attending cultural events
and visiting the different museums, I have grasped a deeper understanding of
African history and a new respect for the influence and accomplishments by
persons of African descent in their ‘new homes’ throughout the Americas".
“Blacks in Latin America” is a four-part documentary
by Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. that discusses the history of the African
Diaspora in Latin American countries. To perform research, Professor Gates,
traveled to the island of Hispaniola to look into the vast contrast between
Dominicans and Haitians.He also
traveled to Mexico, Peru, Cuba and Brazil in search of Afro Latin Americans so
that he could explore the history of their African ancestors. By doing so he
wished to document history so that his work could educate those who are either
unaware of their African heritage or choose to ignore it".
"Professor Gates pointed out vast comparisons and
shocking contrasts not only between the different Latin American countries but
also between those countries and the United States. His goal was not to
belittle these countries and make them seem as though they were harsh people.
As an African American himself, Gates goal was simply to learn what life would
have been like for him if he was born in one of these other countries. Gates
wanted to see what life was like for people that were of African descent, like
him, in Latin America.He used his own
knowledge and experience as an African American in the United States to guide
his research.He used his understanding
of the history of slavery and Jim Crow laws here in America, to research how laws
in Latin America were used to treat persons of African descent in Latin
America".
"For example, a common derogatory term that the U.S.
used to describe Blacks is “nigga” or “nigger.”Yet in places like Brazil, there is little public display of racism,
including the public use of words to belittle people. In addition, within Black Latin American culture,
there is little differentiation by complexion.Basically, all persons of African descent consider themselves to be
black or “morenos.” But I learned that in Latin America, there are other words
used to refer to persons of African descent, including persons of mixed
descent.With many friends and close
family friends, I have heard the terms “morenas” and “mulato,” but I did not
know of words like “negrito” or “indio” which are also used to refer to Black
people".
"What amazes me the most is that out of all the
countries covered in this segment and even the U.S., Peru was the only one to make
a public announcement apologizing to the Africans who were enslaved and
mistreated. Yet, the U.S. was the only country to offer program s to return
African s to their homeland. Nonetheless, slaves working on both tobacco farms and
sugar plantations and for the most part in general where all morally mistreated
and were subjected to harsh abuse and torn apart from their family. Treatment
of the African American race as a whole in the different countries has changed
and progressed over the years. For some countries it has taken longer to see
improvement and for others the history was simply erased and replaced by a
layer of denial as a cover up".
Niama, Bryanna, and Kenetia are looking at a photo exhibit at the National Gallery of Art
Students visited took a Saturday trip to view the Kerry James Marshall Exhibit at the National Gallery of Art. The exhibit featured drawings and large scale mixed media paintings. Marshall's work "confronts the idea of the American dream from a black
perspective," exhibition curator James Meyer explained during a preview.
Subject matter ranges from the Middle Passage and African mythology to public-private housing and depictions of real-life African-American figures.
Culture Keepers examined an original manuscript signed by U.S. president James Madison, which was a report of expenses incurred in Washington DC and Maryland after the war of 1812. Students examined Prince George's County's line items of property including land, assets, and the number and property value of enslaved African Americans after the War of 1812. Students also learned more about the War of 1812 and how African Americans impacted the war.
About the War of 1812: The War of 1812 was a 32 month war fought between the U.S. and England. Thousands of African Americans including entire families escaped to
British ships to escape Slavery, but many enslaved and freed African
Americans fought on the side of the U.S. for opportunity of economic and
social advancement.
Students are examining an original manuscript signed by James Madison in 1816, the manuscript accounts for property lost in the War of 1812. In 1813 there were 9,898 enslaved people in Prince George's County, which was a little over 1/3 of the population in the county.
Alvin, Darlin, David and Ms. Compton are in the photo. The manuscript gives the amount of enslaved people in 1813 and 1816 in every county in Maryland.
Thousands of enslaved African Americans escaped during the War of 1812 which was a precursor to the Civil War which officially ended Slavery.
