In our African American Literature class today, we discussed the Introduction and first chapter of Melissa Harris-Perry's text Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America. Harris-Perry connects literature to experiences, sociological theories to identities, and damaging myths to their problematic origins. It's quite a text. Students provided their responses to a few prompts related to Harris-Perry's work:
When asked to discuss Harris-Perry's notion of the "crooked room" -
- "Black women expected to be a certain type of way to fit into society's standards, instead of achieving their own personal way of life." - Jaylon A.
- "She is speaking on how things around black women make them have to bend, turn, or flip to overcome them (metaphorically speaking)." - Cameka B.
When asked about what Harris-Perry does in connecting the devastation of Hurricane Katrina to Zora Neale Hurston's novel Their Eyes Were Watching God -
- "Harris-Perry connected issues related to Hurricane Katrina like slavery. The whites were able to evacuate before Katrina made landfall, while the blacks were stuck in low-poverty..." - Tenea L.
- "She said that the stories from New Orleans in the first days of the flood echoed this plot element as well. Despite the silence of the government & the unanswered cries for help, initial media coverage focused on criminal activity rather than the people suffering..." - Iriana C.
- "Victims of Katrina were forced to leave their safe homes and thrust into the unknown. Janie's new love, Tea Cake, was bitten by a rabid dog and she was forced to kill him for her own safety. Just as the Katrina victims were forced to 'steal' food and medical supplies for their own good." - Dana R.
- "Hurston has political lessons in her story. How politics of race and gender come into play. All of these issues come together to create a storm both figuratively and literally in her story Their Eyes Were Watching God." - Mario P
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