'White Self/'Brown' Self

As we prepare for the second part of our 'Black, 'Brown' and 'White' in the Chocolate City: Being an Adolescent in the Nation's Capitol, students in our program were asked to imagine themselves as someone of a different race/ethnicity. They were specifically asked to describe their White Self and Brown Self. This exercise was designed to created the intellectual space for students and staff to confront, reflect, and consider how they see others in this transforming Capitol city.

As I listen to the students share their descriptions, I was struck by two contradictory thoughts about how adolescents in our program are thinking about identity in this post-racial world. The first is a mantra I often use: "history is an image-making process." What I mean by this is that too often our first impressions of others who have a different language, 'race', culture-history shapes what we come to believe about an entire group. The second thought is that the old binary notions of racial identity which set the tone for an earlier generation who only saw Black/White sound and feel absurd to this generation of adolescents. Still, the controlling ideas of who 'White people and Latino/Latina people are remain in many instances, deeply troubling.

As the following descriptions make plain I am still wondering does it matter if you are 'Black,' 'White', or 'Brown'?

?????? If I was a white person I would be seen as a smart and preppy school girl that go to a Catholic or private school. I would have a rich family and I would be spoiled rotten. I would be the nicest person you ever met, but at the same time I would be a brat. Of course I would be a lovely brunette! !!!!? I would have one little sister and one older brother who was also smart. My brother would be at an Ivy League school and I would be on my way to the same school.?

??????? If I was a latina I would be smart but I would be more caring towards people, especially those who are in need. I would work to help my family out at home but I will also do my best in school. ?

Anonymous

White Self
My hair is long, brown, and full of tight curls that bounce when I walk. My
round eyes are chocolate browns and shaded with dark heavy eyelashes. My
slim frame is elongated with long limbs and my skin is lightly kissed by the
sun, giving me a healthy glow. My friends and I talk on our iphones, and
drive our cars to school, the mall, and parties. My parents work at big law
firms and give me an allowance that is spent on starbucks, Urban Outfitters,
Hollister, PacSUn, Old Navy, ballet flats, and uggs. I am also very fashion
foward and immense myself in vogue magazine, posting magazine clippings on
my walls. The Fallout Boysm Avril Lavene, Rihanna, Beyonce, and Justin
Timberlake rock my world. My private School is pretty big, and my good
grades allow me to participate in the school pom squad, dance ballet and
Jazz, and experiment in hip hop with my cool black friends.

Latina Self
5'4, with golden skinned, heavy, dark, wavy hear, my small stature is
framed by curvy hips with a speech that is colored by the rolling accents of
my latino heritage. My big family is extremely close, and we always seem to
welcome a long lost relative or a newborn baby. My parents support me and my
siblings by working several jobs, and as the oldestm it is my responsibility
to care for my younger siblings. They also stress education because they
want me to have better opportunities for higher paying jobs. I decide to
further my education so my high paying job would soon supprt my family.
Howver, my friends and i always ride the metro and chill at the mall or a
park. A lot of my peers fall victim to gang relations so I avoid it by
working. But anyways, i love reggaeton and all my favorite dances have a
"salsa" attitude.

Miya B.


i would describe myself as a white emo person and i would be a motocross rider amd listen to rock pop metal and techno i would sound tough and would date emo chicks.

Anonymous


White self:I am smart, because I focus on reading. I am intelligent, because
I think hard on everything. I am hardworking,because I am always working. I
am short-fused, because I get aggrivated fast. I am kind,I will always help
those in need.

Latino self: I am nice,my hand is always outstreched to others. I am fast,
waiting inpatienly for others to catch up to my speed. I am cool, cold in
emotion, but soft in words. I am smart, always focused on my studies. I am
amazing, awing others with my skill of reading and writing.I am creative,
wondering about strange and new ideas.

Ashton


If I was white or latina, I would act like I'm black because black people are fun. I would have all black friends and I would do the things black people do. I would hate the way rich white girls would act. I would love to meet new friends.

K. S.

If I were white I would be the same preppy outgoing person. My eyes would be
a deep aqua and my hair a light brown and flowing, straight, and soft. I
would not be so self-conscious of myself and how I look. I would be the same
only my features would change.


Me Latino would be no different than I am now. Outgoing, funny, nice, and
different. My skin lighter, my eyes a hazel brown. I would be bilingual
meaning I would have more secrets but the same amount of friends.

ZZ don't forget

If I were white I would have bright blue eyes with nice soft brown hair. I would also go to a private school and live in a big boring neighborhood in the suburbs. I would be busy with a lot of programs and activites. I


If I were latino I would have nice hair with a lot of grease.

J.G.


If i were a white girl a would have long black hair. I would have freakles on my hands. I would be taller than iam now. I would play basketball and have a squeaky voice. I would write all day and night.

If i were a latina girl my hair would have brown hair and red in it. I would be a cheerleader and play games when i get home.I would do really good in school and have great grades. I would be a great drawer and maybe go to art school.

C. Flowers

If i were white i think i would be a shy girl.My hair would be curly and long.I would be rich having whatever i want and being famous for anything.I think i would have good friends some for good reason and some for bad.

If i were a latino girli think i would act the same as myself but with long hair and like lighter eyes. I would still be shy/funny and have a lot of friends. I think I would just be the same.

I would be the same person if I were Brown or White. This being that i'm mixed with all of these races.

A.Jones

More BBW Part I Photos

Black Brown, and White: Photos

Math with Martin on my Mind

So often when young people are asked to discussed their views, feelings and ideas about Dr. Martin Luther King, jr. they are stumped. What do say about someone who rose to fame before the internet, before CNN and in many cases even before some of their parents were born. So get students beyond the boundaries of the "I Have A Dream" speech, I asked them to describe what they think about MLK as a math equation. This is how they responded we would love to know which equation you think is the best.


Malcolm X + MLK+ President Obama (Alexis Jones)

Peace X Freedom+ MLK ((Dionni Michaels)

Freedom + Justice+ MLK (Richard Short)

MLK+ Speech X Freedom X Justice (Andre Johnson)

Freedom X Freedom= MLK (Jeremiah Grier)

Peace/Justice + Happiness/Freedom X Power+ MLK (Kheilah)

Speech + Freedom + Obama=MLK (Shaniqua Baker)

Unity x Equality x=MLK (Erica Buckhanan)

Nonviolence x Justice/Freedom of Speech x Unity x Peace = MLK (China Flowers)

Racism + Freedom/Hatred-Anger+ Freedom Riders x Love + Human Rights-Segreation= MLK (Ashton Saunders)

Justice/Injustice=MLK (Anonomous)

Non-violence x Marching + Freedom= MLK

Black, Brown and White in the Chocolate City: Part I

“Black, Brown and White in the Chocolate City:
Being an Adolescent in the Nation’s Capital.”
Part I
Local and national discussions about education have long underscored the need for
improved literacy. More recently, visual literacy has been highlighted as one of the forms
of literacy that students must master to ensure their academic success. In a society
flooded with images from the mass media, it’s critical that youth build their
understanding of how images ‘work.’ Likewise, because images are so appealing and
pervasive, it makes sense to use visual literacy to build traditional literacies—reading,
writing, speaking, and listening. The A.B.L.E. Program has taken up the cause of visual
literacy with an ambitious year-long examination of youth: “Black, Brown and White in
the ‘Chocolate City’: Being an Adolescent in the Nation’s Capitol”.
Black, Brown, and White (BBW) is modeled along the lines of the Literacy through
Photography curriculum developed first by award-winning photographer Wendy Ewald.
Ewald designed her curriculum originally for elementary school children in Durham,
North Carolina. Kristian Whipple and I have elected to draw on the LTP method to work
with the middle school and high school students that participate in A.B.L.E. Our program
is designed to enhance students’ visual literacy by creating the opportunity for them to
translate words into images. To guide the students we gave assigned them several themes
to explore: family, community, dreams, symbols, and self.
This method is powerful because it turns up the volume on students’ voices. Throughout
the first half of the year, students heard the mantra from us: everything you say, do or
think matters. We want you to express yourself fully and completely.
It is our hope that this first BBW show allows the audience to better appreciate the
incredible work of a group of young and developing photographers/writers/artists.
Students have come to a broader understanding of how visual literacy can be a valuable
learning experience. Most importantly, they have created amazing photographs that
reveal as much about the subject as they do about the photographer.

The Meaning of Freedom

The Meaning of Freedom
Curated by Kheilah Short (age 12)

Freedom is letting people do what they want to do. It is not forcing them to do what they don’t want to do. Freedom is the right to say what you want, and do what you want, and be what you want.
Slaves were forced to be slaves and couldn’t do what they wanted to do. They weren’t treated like they were supposed to be-- with respect, with kindness, and fairness. They had to do work and care for other people and they had to care for themselves too.
Now we’re free. We can care for ourselves. We can be who we want to be, say what we want to say, and do what we want to do as long as we make the right decisions.

In the summer and fall of 2008, some of us from ABLE took some pictures in Cincinnati and Washington, DC. The purpose was to teach them about our history and how hard it was for slaves. They learned more than they thought they would. They are very grateful because people took time out of their lives to set slaves free. Your life would be so hard if you had to work for other people for the rest of your life.
I hope that through these photos, you will learn more about slaves and how they used to live, and how you should be grateful for what you have now, like not wanting more expensive things. I want you to know that we teens actually care about our history.
I chose these photos because I think they represent freedom and unity. I got the quotes from other pictures that students took. How I matched them to the photos is because the pictures seem to represent what the quotes

Citizen King

As the country turned it attention to the inauguration of Barack Obama, ABLE students pay some respect to the legacy and memory of the last person of African descent that inspired America to hope anew: Dr. Martin Luther King, jr. Students were asked a simple question: when you think of Dr. King what are the thoughts and ideas that come to mind? Using their own words, students then created a (non) poem that captured King's memory and legacy. Below are a sample of what students wrote The (non) poems together are entitled "Citizen KIng".

Non-violence,
Peace,
Justice, Freedom
Think Why
Change
Do Something
Life

Kheilah Short


Think:
Freedom
Dream
Speech
Think:
Blacks
Whites
Think
Think
Trust

Ayanna Coard


Think Change
Man
Towards history
Everyone thinking
Loved
Cared
Perserverance

Ashton L. Sauders and James Stewart

Think freedom
Peace
Equailty
Think enemies
Think everybody
Coming together
Staying apart
Think everybody
Judged
Same color

Andre Johnson