Afritics: week 7

This week we read DeLany and Roger’s (2004) article, “Black women's leadership and learning:  From politics to afritics in the context of community.”  Although I never heard of the term afritics I readily identified with the term as I felt that it was an accurate description of how not just black women, but the black community in large.  One concept in particular that stood out to me was “that the leadership level and educational advancement they earned were not end goals… but a means to fulfilling their advocacy responsibilities” (103).  I’ve heard many of black peers wanting to get into their respective fields as a route to give back to the community, whether it was related to their field or not.  The article made the connection of how the family upbringing fosters black women to give back to the community.  My family taught me to give back by giving me money to tithe in church and advising that I should share.   A common thing my family taught me was if I was cooking for myself was to ask if anyone wanted something to eat.  So from the time I started cooking I cooked for my brother who is five years older than me because he rarely cooked.  Although it annoyed me from time to time, I understood the importance of looking out for others, because someone would look out for me.  Through the years I learned that in some way or form what I do has long lasting effects on others and myself.  Although I may not be able to trace how I became how I am, everything that I do has an effect on me in ways that I’m not aware of.