A Black Woman's Journey to the Promised Land
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Georgia Southern University Digital Commons@Georgia Southern Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies, Jack N. Averitt College of Spring 2011 Purgatory's Place in The South: A Black Woman's Journey to the Promised Land Consuela Jean Ward Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd Recommended Citation Ward, Consuela Jean, "Purgatory's Place in The South: A Black Woman's Journey to the Promised Land" (2011). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 552. https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/552 This dissertation (open access) is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies, Jack N. Averitt College of at Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. For more information, please contact [email protected]. PURGATORY‟S PLACE IN THE SOUTH: A BLACK WOMAN‟S JOURNEY TO THE PROMISED LAND by CONSUELA JEAN WARD (Under the Direction of Ming Fang He) ABSTRACT Using critical race theory (Delgado & Stefancic, 2001; Ladson-Billings, 2003; Stovall, 2005), Black feminist thought (Collins, 2000), and identity theory of oppression (Hardiman & Jackson, 1997) as the theoretical framework and autobiographical narrative inquiry (He, 2003; Moody,1968; Angleou, 1969; Hurston, 1965; hooks,1996; Jacobs, 1861) as the methodology, I explored the formal and informal educational experiences I received and reciprocated in Black church ideology and white schools and how they shaped my identity and lived experience as a Black woman in the South. I chronicled paradigm shifts in my thinking along my journey from Black Christian fundamentalism and poverty to a socially mobile agnostic college administrator and diversity educator. I used titles of songs from Black church music for chapters and stories which provide a bibliography of gospel music that connected the Black community in the shared need to survive the impact of slavery and its residual effects. Although I was moved by their soulful rhythms and warm feelings from nostalgia, my mind was often bifurcated as many of these songs also served to justify a protestant work ethic (Weber, 1920/2002) that limited the cultural capital of Blacks and especially Black women. My study used the term Black with a capital B instead of African American or Afro- American to identify the descendants of African slaves in the United States. The term white with a lowercase w is used to describe the descendants of immigrants from European countries who 1 intentionally melted into North American society. The capitalized B in Black juxtaposed with the lowercase w in white serves to equalize the cultural capital among Blacks and other people of color with that of the white dominate experience in the United States. In addition to leveraging the power of white supremacy, I also use a lowercase c in christian to leverage oppression from christian privilege. My dissertation adds to several bodies of literature. First, it explores Black Theology Liberation and lifts its monopoly of emancipation particularly for Black women. It also carries the torch and makes meaningful connections from the foremothers of the Black Freedom Movement generation who wrote about their lives and gives strength to today‟s Black girls. Within the context of multicultural education, it shows dialectical perspectives on how Black women in the South learn. It also challenges educators, teachers, administrators, parents, and education policy makers to consider their own epistemology and validate that lived experience is neither static nor canonically realistic but has the power to impact how one receives, interprets, values and (re)produces education. Exploring the developing critical conciousness of how I see the world, whether intentionally or inadvertently, impacts how I influence the life of my Black sons and the life of the students I interact with as an educator in the increasingly diversified, complicated, and contested world. INDEX WORDS: Narrative inquiry, Autobiography, Identity, Black theology liberation, Race, Place, Culture, Class, Black feminist thought, Critical race theory 2 PURGATORY‟S PLACE IN THE SOUTH: A BLACK WOMAN‟S JOURNEY TO THE PROMISED LAND by CONSUELA JEAN WARD B.A., Florida State University, 1994 M.S., Indiana State University, 1996 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Georgia Southern University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF EDUCATION STATESBORO, GEORGIA 2011 3 © 2011 CONSUELA J. WARD 4 All Rights Reserved PURGATORY‟S PLACE IN THE SOUTH: A BLACK WOMAN‟S JOURNEY TO THE PROMISED LAND by CONSUELA JEAN WARD Major Professor: Ming Fang He, Chair Committee: Daniel Chapman F. Erik Brooks Wynnetta Scott-Simmons Electronic Version Approved May 2011 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would first like to thank my committee chair, Dr. Ming Fang He. Your contributions to narrative inquiry are both timeless and immeasurable. The seeds you have planted in students will no doubt change the world. Your continued support made a difference along my scholarly journey but most of all, thank you for encouraging me to write my story. I would also like to thank my committee, Dr. Daniel Chapman, Dr. Wynnetta Scott- Simmons, and Dr. F. Erik Brooks. To all of you, in a time when faculty are overloaded with students, you said yes to me. I appreciate your time and willingness to assist in guiding me through this process. You insight has been a tremendous help and you are great assets to academia. I want to thank all of my free babysitters who cared for my children while I was in class or needed time to write. To the Pender‟s, Dr. Jodi Caldwell and Wayne, Lydia Richardson, MacKenize Cary, and Dr. Laura Shelton, thank you. To Tabitha Irvin, Maryann Lyke, Charlene Jefferson, Tonya Farquarson, Dr. Vivan Jones, Derrick Roberson, Dr. Walter Ellis, Caleb Daley, Ephriam Muhamed, Dr. Michel Mitchell, Dr. Sonia Carlye, Bj and the Atlanta crew, you have all been my family and my friends. Thank you all for listening to me and encouraging me along the way. Your concern and your laughter is what kept me balanced throughout this process. Lastly, to my network of family at Georgia Southern University who always showed concern throughout my process, I say thank you to Dr. Leon Spencer, Dr. Fayth Parks, Dr. Saba Jallow, Dr. Joyya Smith, Colonel Warren Riles, and my supportive staff and students for your intentional encouragement. 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .......................................................................................................... 6 CHAPTER 1 HOW I GOT OVER ..................................................................................................... 9 We Shall Overcome: Context of Study ............................................................. 10 God Is Tryin To Tell You Somethin: Purpose of Study…………….…………16 Take Me Back: Autobiographical Roots ........................................................... 18 There Is A Balm in Gilead: Liberation in the Literature .................................... 21 1) Go Down Moses: The Theoretical Framework of Emancipation .......... 21 2) The Gospel Train is Coming: Black Theology Liberation ..................... 27 3) Swing Low Sweet Chariot: Multicultural Education ............................. 36 4) Steal Away: Education of Blacks in the U.S. ......................................... 41 Pressing My Way: Method of Writing Toward Liberation ............................... 45 1) A Motherless Child: Black Women Writing About Their Lives ........... 45 2) Melodies from Heaven: Exemplary Works ............................................ 47 3) Follow the Drinking Gourd: Chapter Outlines ....................................... 51 Revolution: Significance of Study ..................................................................... 55 2 PRECIOUS MEMORIES ......................................................................................... 58 Now Behold the Lamb: An Intro Into the World .............................................. 59 The Reason Why I Sing ..................................................................................... 62 Still Waters ........................................................................................................ 66 His Eye Is On the Sparrow ................................................................................ 68 Perilous Times ................................................................................................... 80 Trouble Won‟t Last Always .............................................................................. 85 Precious Memories Unpacked ........................................................................... 93 3 MILLIONS DIDN‟T MAKE IT .............................................................................. 101 Gotta Keep Movin ........................................................................................... 102 Be Encouraged: Adjusting to College Life...................................................... 108 The Battle Is Not Yours: The Co-Curricular Experience ............................... 111 The Question Is: The Academic Experience ................................................... 121 We‟ve Come This Far by Faith: Graduate School .......................................... 126 7 Millions Didn‟t Make It Unpacked ................................................................. 133 4 BE GRATEFUL.......................................................................................................