Big Fish

This year has been full of surprises. One of my favorite experiences from this year has been my time spent in the journalism program at college. When I applied to the program I did not know what to expect. I was nervous about how I was going to make the transition from university to college. I had anxieties about the course work and how I was going to make friends and fit in. It all sounds so silly now that I think about it, but it felt like I was in middle school all over again. Fortunately, I did well and met some great people. As one of my instructors told me:

“It’s better to be a big fish in a small pond, than a small fish in a big pond.”

 I love the sense of community that exists at a small college. The class sizes are smaller so I am not nervous to speak up and participate regularly in class discussions.  I also like the fact that I am able to speak to and see all of my instructors regularly.

One of my favorite subjects in the program is photography. I am so excited to try out some of the new techniques that I learned this summer. Here are some of my favorite pix that I took for my imaging class.

I am Ashanti

Language and Ethnic Group

"Being from Africa is the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I cannot see it any other way. All of my fundamental principles that were instilled in me in my home, from my childhood, are still with me."

                                                                                             Hakeem Olajuwon

Ashanti Symbol
"Gye Nyame"(Trust in God)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9uLcOCkLGw 

Adowa is a traditional Ghanian dance. Every step and 

hand gesture symbolizes a different word in connection 

with the beat of the music. It is usually performed at funerals, 

but its popularity has made it so that it is now performed in other

settings such as this.

 I am Ashanti, Ghanian. This means that my ancestry can be traced back to wealthiest people of Ghana. This tribe is the biggest of all the tribes in Ghana, and most Ashanti's live in Ashanti region which is located in the middle of the Ghanaian. Kumasi is the capital city of Ashanti region. As Ashantis we speak Asante Twi.Twi is a popular language in Ghana, but the dialect can often differ greatly depending on what tribe and region of the country the person speaking it comes from, --there are about 10 different dialects of this language! I speak Twi quite fluently, however, having lived in Canada for so long, I often mispronounce certain words. Regardless of this I am quite comfortable speaking it to other Ghanians. 

One well know Ashanti is former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. Some of the traditional values of the Ashanti people include fairness, wisdom, respect, honesty, integrity, unity, and education. Ashanti's believe in a matriarchal society. This means traditional values are passed down from the mother as a strong symbol of womanhood to the children. I believe that my personal values are very much aligned with those of my cultural group.

Do your personal values contradict or are they aligned with your cultural group? 

I was raised believing that wisdom, hard-work, and education are the most important values for one's personal growth, as well as hold the key to one's success and happiness in life. As a woman, I know that it is my job to ensure these important values are passed down to my children in order to make them excellent citizens in the Ashanti community, as well as the global community. One value I do not agree with is that an Ashanti person must marry either another Ashanti person, or someone from a tribe who the family believe are close enough in hierarchy to the Ashanti tribe. As someone who was raised in a different country, I have seen marriages between people of different tribes, and nationalities prosper despite their differences. As a result, I will teach my children that they may marry anyone of their choosing, as long as the person holds the same values, and morals as they do. One interesting custom of the Ghanaian community I will continue is naming my children according to the day of the week when they are born. There is a separate set of girl names, and boy names. Modern Ghanaian tend to give their children two names, an English name, and a Ghanaian name. This custom can be traced back to the early days of colonialism, where Christian missioners baptized Ghanaian children in English names, but the children were still referred to by their Ghanaian names among their family and friends. In modern society however, many Ghanaian choose to give their children an English name because they believe it is easier for the children to assimilate into western culture with an English name. Below is a chart of Ghanaian names.

DAY OF THE WEEK	BOY	GIRL
SUNDAY	KWASI	AKOSUA
MONDAY	KWADWO	ADWOA
TUESDAY	KWABENA	ABENA
WEDNESDAY	KWAKU	AKUA
THURSDAY	YAW	YAA
FRIDAY	KOFI	AFIA
SATURDAY	KWAME	AMA

http://www.ashanti.com.au/pb/wp_8078438f.html

I am Proud

Race

"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."
                                                                            ---Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

As an African-Canadian woman I do not allow my race to prevent me from fulfilling my goals. I am aware that racism does exist in Canada, but since I believe I cannot control the thoughts, or actions of others all I can do is be true to myself and hope that I am well received by the people around me. If I encounter a situation where I know I may not wanted simply because of my race, then I cam comfortable and confident enough in myself to deal with the matter in such a way that it wont allow the person to have any reason to stereotype me based on my actions. I have been brought up to be proud of who I am, as a result I work hard to achieve the things I want, and I refuse to allow things that I can not change to deter me from achieving my dreams. For example, I know that my chosen profession as a journalist is not one where there is a large percentage of minorities, that is not to say that this is due to racism, but it is certainly something that I am aware of. Regardless of this, I will not stop wanting to be a writer, nor will I choose not to apply for certain jobs simply because a certain newsroom has a low percentage of minorities. I believe if you cannot change the way people look at, then you can alter your attitude towards them to improve the situation.

I am African-Canadian

Nationality, and Age Group

(Canadian opera diva Measha Brueggergosmnan)

Identify ways in which you have been identified by others based on your race, gender or ethnicity, and is this different from how you see yourself? 

When telemarketers call my house they assume that I am a young girl and often ask "Hello, is your mom or dad home?"

One day my friend asked me to say hello to her cousin in Africa. After we finished speaking her cousin said to her "wow, was that one of your white friends?"

Through out middle school, and high school I was often referred to as the "Oreo" (black on the outside, white on the inside).

None of these situations describe how I perceive my self.  I cannot help the way I speak, or the high tone of my voice. Yet whenever people hear my voice over the phone they assume that they are either speaking to a white person, or a very young person. But when I speak, I hear the voice of a young African Canadian woman. I know I do not pronounce certain words the same way some Africans do, but it is unfortunate that having a more accurate grasp of the English language makes it so that I am subject to such mockery. I was not born in Canada, I immigrated here when I was five years old. As a result, I learned to speak English at a very early age. Being perceived as younger than my age does not bother me as much as it does to be considered to belong to a race that is not my own. The worst part about this is these types of statements are often made by black people. This type of stereotyping is a bit of a double edged sword. In one respect I have learned that I tend to get better service because I do not speak with an accent, on the other hand names such as "Oreo" often made me feel alienated from members of my race. Growing up, I tended to not hang out with many children of my race because I did not want to be called an "Oreo" or to be the butt of any one's crude joke. This is a label I have not been able to shed, but I do try to lower the intonation of my speech so that who ever it is on the other side of the phone will take me seriously as an adult.

I am Blessed

Socio-economic Status, Ability, and Education

"Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?"
                                                                                                            ----Frida Khalo

Me, my sister and my cousins in Africa

What aspects of your life give you power, privilege, and prestige? What aspects create a lack of power, privilege, and prestige? 

I feel blessed that I do not suffer from any illness, and have full use of my body. I can only imagine how difficult life can be without such mobility and I feel more powerful because of this. I feel very fortunate to be a member of a loving family, I am also very grateful for my friends and the close relationship I have with both of these socializing agents. I also feel very privileged to know that I do not have to struggle to provide any necessities because my family provides me with everything. Although I work, I know that if I ever need financial support, my family is willing and able to help. One of the most important values my parents instilled in me is a love of knowledge. As a result, I was able to complete my university degree, and I am now pursuing a diploma in journalism. My strong educational background makes me feel like a strong competitor in the workforce.  I don’t think I have a very strong sense of prestige. I know that economically I am able to live more comfortably than some people, but I do not go through my day thinking about what a greater status I have than others.  This is because to me the term prestige has a bit of a negative connotation, I ten to associate it with arrogance, or vanity.  As a result I don’t view myself as “prestigious”. I think I have a positive reputation and am well liked and known to be considerate, respectful, friendly and polite. I don’t think I would be described as “prestigious”--although, I would like to be known for earning something prestigious such as an award, merit, or title. 

I believe my socio-economic status is changeable or fluid depending on where I was in life. For example, when I started working I had very little money and needed to rely on my parents for EVERYTHING. Now, although I still live with my parents, I do so out of custom rather than necessity or reliance. This “custom” of having me stay home until I get married is something that is important to my parents, and because I respect and love them, I honor their wishes. However, it can sometimes make me feel a lack of autonomy because I am not able to have the same level of independence that many people of my age group experience.

I am a Role Model

"As you become more clear about who you really are, you'll be better able to decide what is best for you - the first time around."

                                                                                                              ------Oprah Winfrey

My Sister and I

 

I am a Woman

Gender

 "I am a Woman of Endless Possibilities!!"

Queen Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba

One of my favorite stories is about Queen Nzinga of Ndongo and her negotiations with the Portuguese governor Correira de Sousa. In her meeting with the governor Queen Nzinga was not offered a chair to sit on. The governor wanted to show his superiority to the African queen so instead he placed a mat on the floor for her to sit. Recognizing this degradation, Queen Nzinga ordered one of her servants to kneel down so that she may sit on her back. By doing this she asserted her status as an equal to the governor, and remained seated on the back of her servant through the duration of the negotiations. Her servants willingness to kneel respectfully for her Queen is a strong symbol of female unity and support. It takes a strong woman to support and uphold the status of another woman whether physically, or emotionally. To me there is nothing more rewarding about being a woman than the ability to sustain a strong compassionate relationship with my girlfriends. Only a woman who has complete understanding of her identity including any flaws, or imperfections, can truly love herself. Female empowerment is inspired through stories such as this because they encourage women to support their fellow woman and see themselves as strong, equal, and beautiful.

"It is a truly beautiful thing when a women can love HER body!"

 http://www.dove.ca/en/default.aspx#/cfrb/

 I love this video because it shows women of all ages how false the ideals of beauty that are portrayed in the media. This video takes us through the different stages of preparation before a model is "ready" to be placed on a billboard, or a magazine cover. It is shocking to see an average girl be transformed first through makeup, and then electronically to a person whose features are unnatural, and impossible to achieve. I commend Dove for always using ads such as these that allow women to know how beautiful they are, and encourage them to not only embrace, but be proud of their flaws.                                    

I am Spiritual

Religion

"A women's heart must be buried so deep in Christ that a man must seek Him first, before he finds her."

                                                                                            ---Maya Angelou

Three Little Children Praying in Sunday School by Pam McCabe

 I associate myself as a Christian because I believe in Jesus Christ and was brought up in a Church. Although I believe my God exists, I do not hesitate to learn about other religions as well. I think because of this I am more of a monotheist than simply a Christian. I believe there is only one God, but all the different religions just provide a different path to the one deity. I also believe that since there are so many different religions, many of which conflict one another, and since most secular religions have the same values, and morals it cannot be proven that one holds greater truth over the other. So, I do not have a strong disbelief in other religions, I simply prefer to believe in the religion that I am most familiar with. I do not attend church regularly, but I do pray. I also value all of the traditional Christian values because they are so deeply entrenched in my identity.