DOCSLIB.ORG

A Womanist Answer to Addressing the Lived Experience of African American Women and Their Bodies—A Gumbo of Liberation and Healing

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Womanist Answer to Addressing the Lived Experience of African American Women and Their Bodies—A Gumbo of Liberation and Healing Antioch University AURA - Antioch University Repository and Archive Student & Alumni Scholarship, including Dissertations & Theses Dissertations & Theses 2020 In Pictures and Words: A Womanist Answer to Addressing the Lived Experience of African American Women and Their Bodies—A Gumbo of Liberation and Healing Yolandé Aileen Ifalami Devoe Antioch University - PhD Program in Leadership and Change Follow this and additional works at: https://aura.antioch.edu/etds Part of the African American Studies Commons, Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, Gender and Sexuality Commons, Leadership Studies Commons, and the Race and Ethnicity Commons Recommended Citation Devoe, Y. A. (2020). In Pictures and Words: A Womanist Answer to Addressing the Lived Experience of African American Women and Their Bodies—A Gumbo of Liberation and Healing. https://aura.antioch.edu/etds/611 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student & Alumni Scholarship, including Dissertations & Theses at AURA - Antioch University Repository and Archive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations & Theses by an authorized administrator of AURA - Antioch University Repository and Archive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. IN PICTURES AND WORDS: A WOMANIST ANSWER TO ADDRESSING THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN AND THEIR BODIES—A GUMBO OF LIBERATION AND HEALING A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of Graduate School of Leadership & Change Antioch University In partial fulfillment for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY by Yolandé Aileen Ifalami Devoe ORCID Scholar No. #0000-0002-2230-8140 August 2020 IN PICTURES AND WORDS: A WOMANIST ANSWER TO ADDRESSING THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN AND THEIR BODIES—A GUMBO OF LIBERATION AND HEALING This dissertation, by Yolandé Aileen Ifalami Devoe, has been approved by the committee members signed below who recommend that it be accepted by the faculty of the Graduate School in Leadership & Change Antioch University in partial fulfillment for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Dissertation Committee: Philomena Essed, PhD, Committee Chair Elizabeth Holloway, PhD, Committee Member Jameta N. Barlow, PhD, MPH, Committee Member ii Copyright 2020 Yolandé Aileen Ifalami Devoe All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT IN PICTURES AND WORDS: A WOMANIST ANSWER TO ADDRESSING THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN AND THEIR BODIES—A GUMBO OF LIBERATION AND HEALING Yolandé Aileen Ifalami Devoe Graduate School of Leadership & Change Antioch University Yellow Springs, OH Whether it is claiming a radical self-love for one’s body or dissatisfaction of one’s body, the experiences of African American women and their bodies cannot be divergent from the sociocultural contexts in which they live. Seeking to reveal how gender, race, and sexual orientation impact the lived experiences of African American women and their bodies, this study will bring attention to and provide a more nuanced understanding of the historical and sociocultural ramifications of the Black female body. Historically, inadequate attention has been given to an intersectional approach to understanding the experiences of the Black female body. It is understood that Black women are a marginalized population. This marginalization is rooted in race, gender, age, sexual orientation, and class. What influence do these interlocking oppressive forces have on the way African American women live and view their bodies? Utilizing a participatory research model, participants chronicled their experiences with their bodies in pictures and words through interviews, narratives, and photographs. Addressing body image from an intersectional approach, this research adds to existing literature and gives womanist breadth and depth to this discussion of body experience framed within the sociocultural context. iv The women, “sisters,” in this study shared stories of liberation, healing and resistance challenging assumptions of Black womanhood. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA: Antioch University Repository and Archive, http://aura.antioch.edu/ and OhioLINK ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu/ Keywords: Womanism, Narrative Photovoice, Poetic Inquiry, African American Women, Intersectionality, Racism, Body Experiences, Beauty Standards, Liberation, Sister Circles, Healing, Agency v Dedication This is dedicated to my granddaughters, Brielle Aileen Brooklynn Lei-LaJoyce Mariah Arletta-Justine Kennedy Azéron-Michelle And the granddaughters, grandsons, great granddaughters, great grandsons and those that follow. vi Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge those that look from above yet who walk with me each day. From the names I do not know and the names of those beloved ancestors I do know, I give thanks. In gratitude to the ancestors who led me to and through this journey. A special acknowledgement to my mother, Dr. Edna LaJoyce Devoe Neal, whose last request before she transitioned to Orun (Heaven) was that I finish this degree. With her doctorate degree and picture on my desk, moving through grief, anger, frustration and loss, I kept her promise. In gratitude, I give thanks to the Neal, Devoe, Dixon, Jackson clans and the all the ancestors that made a way out of no way. Mojuba (Thank you). I extend deepest appreciation to my dissertation committee: Dr. Philomena Essed, thank you for guiding me gently, yet pushing me firmly through this process. Thank you for connecting with me on a deeper level; at times it was spiritual. Thank you for embodying and believing in my work and my worth. You were my source of calm when I was in a whirlwind. It was as if you were channeling my mother. You taught me to trust and see the value of my voice. I am so grateful that you were my chair. Dr. Elizabeth Holloway and Dr. Jameta N. Barlow, thank you both for your wonderful contributions, energy, and excitement about my study and my future. To my adviser throughout the course of the program, Dr. Laurien Alexandre. I appreciate your unyielding support and care. I give my complete gratitude to Dr. “Uncle” Charlie and Aunt Jeanetta Nelms, you kept your promise to my mother. Thank you for seeding into me, believing in me, encouraging me, sharing words of wisdom with me, and your generous financial support. I love you so much. vii To my beautiful, talented, educated, supportive, gifted, compassionate, caring children; Bryttani LaJoyce Debro, Shawn-Christopher Boykin, Kayela LaVonne McDade, Tabetha Michelle Barker, Ifatade Louis Arthur Tyson, and Ifakoredé Irédelé Oladelé Riggins, thank you for love and faith in me. To my wife, G. Funmilayo “Funmi” Tyson-Devoe. From our favorite coffee spot Brioso to our favorite Bexley library, our residency travels, to late night chats about the ways in which our work intersects, to the tears that fell when I received the news of my mother’s diagnosis and to the tender way you held me when I arrived from laying her to rest, you are my rock, that steady beat, that Oludumare knew I needed to move with and through this journey. I love you to the core of my being and look forward to you completing this journey and people will say “Dr’s Funmi and Falami”. To my WEOTTE, Dr. Nicola “Nikki” Smith-Kea and Dr. Angela Quitadamo. It felt damn good just typing your “Dr” in front of your names. We did it. We made a promise to ourselves to stay in this until each of us was done. The universe heard and conspired with us and made it possible for us to defend our dissertations within a week and a day of each other. Such a beautiful way to end this part of our journey together. I am here because of you both and for that I give a million thanks. We will forever be WEOTTE. I love you. Thanks to my sister-friends, mentors, spiritual sisters and cheerleaders, Dr. Moira Vera, America Henson, Dr. Greer Stanford-Randle, Dawn Jackson, Shantelle Hill, Jennifer Hargreave, Dr. Chris Taylor, Vanya Francis, Dr. Kenja McCray, Dr. Deborah Wilcox, Dr. Judy A. Alston, Dr. Cynthia Tyson and Mata Edali. Your light, your encouragement, your prayers, your wisdom, your advice, and support meant the world to me. I appreciate Dr. Norman Dale, for his editing skills and wit. viii Special thanks go out to all my co-researchers, my sisters who shared their stories with me. The sharing of your experiences is just the beginning of healing and liberation. I send love and light to you. ix Table of Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... iii Dedication ...................................................................................................................................... vi Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ vi List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. xiv Prologue: The Budding Womanist................................................................................................ xv Chapter I: Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 Historical Roots .......................................................................................................................... 2 One Standard of Beauty .............................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Female Homosociality Refers to All Kinds of Female Bonding And
    Durham E-Theses Hostility and Solidarity: Female Homosociality in the Fiction of Toni Morrison ZANGANEH, MOTAHHAREH How to cite: ZANGANEH, MOTAHHAREH (2015) Hostility and Solidarity: Female Homosociality in the Fiction of Toni Morrison, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/11031/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 Hostility and Solidarity: Female Homosociality in the Fiction of Toni Morrison Motahhareh Zanganeh Doctor of Philosophy Department of English Studies Durham University 2014 Table of Contents Statement of Copyright ii Acknowledgment iii Introduction 1 Chapter One Friendship and Age: Homosociality in Toni Morrison’s Sula and Jazz 49 Chapter Two Revolving Around Men: Patriarchy and Women’s Identity in Song of Solomon 114 and Love Chapter Three Female Homosociality and the Impact of Slavery in Beloved and A Mercy 169 Chapter Four Collective Female Bonding in Paradise: Reviving Hurt Women 222 Conclusion 261 Bibliography 265 i Statement of Copyright “The copyright of this thesis rests with the author.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 1 Introduction African American Writing Has Become an Integral Part of American Literature Over the Twentieth Century. Apparen
    1 Introduction African American writing has become an integral part of American literature over the twentieth century. Apparently, the world of African American women writers with their immensely rich culture and history had been neglected and undervalued by many people and literary critics. As Bell Hooks points out the “writing […] [has] been virtually the sole terrain of men” (30). The works of Langston Hughes or Ralph Ellison, African American male writers, were highly acknowledged and discussed for their depiction of the hard lives of African Americans. Yet it was a portrayal from a male perspective and for many years, it served as the only one the reader was exposed to because of the missing female viewpoint. Nevertheless, there has been a significant change in this phenomenon. Angels Carabi in an interview with Gloria Naylor notices the explosion of African American women’s writing in the last three decades caused by the Civil Rights and Women’s Movements in the roaring and rebellious late 1960s (Interview with Carabi 112-13). Female authors such as Toni Morrison, Alice Walker and Gloria Naylor represent this growing literary tradition. What these authors have in common is that they were among the first ones to describe in their novels the real world and harsh conditions of African American women. The women have been portrayed in various situations and roles that have been typical for the African American culture and society. Moreover, the writers have uncovered many taboos and social issues that had been blindly overlooked by American society. These authors, by writing about African the American women’s experience, have helped to open the eyes of many people and, more importantly, 1 prepared the ground for discussions about the rights, possibilities and the future of African American people.
    [Show full text]
  • Language, Intertextuality, and Subjectivity in the Poetry of Diane
    Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2005 Sites of resistance: language, intertextuality, and subjectivity in the poetry of Diane Wakoski Cordelia Maxwell Hanemann Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the English Language and Literature Commons Recommended Citation Hanemann, Cordelia Maxwell, "Sites of resistance: language, intertextuality, and subjectivity in the poetry of Diane Wakoski" (2005). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 1092. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/1092 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. SITES OF RESISTANCE: LANGUAGE, INTERTEXTUALITY, AND SUBJECTIVITY IN THE POETRY OF DIANE WAKOSKI A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of English by Cordelia Maxwell Hanemann B.A., University of Southwestern Louisiana, 1970 M.A., University of Southwestern Louisiana, 1975 May 2005 © Copyright 2005 Cordelia Maxwell Hanemann All rights reserved ii Acknowledgements The completion of this dissertation owes much to the impetus and efforts of many people. Without the support of my family, my colleagues, and my friends, I would not have persevered: I especially thank my partner, William Birmingham; my children, Louis, Benjamin, and Craig; and my good friend, Lisa Gibbs.
    [Show full text]
  • Filming Feminist Frontiers/Frontier Feminisms 1979-1993
    FILMING FEMINIST FRONTIERS/FRONTIER FEMINISMS 1979-1993 KATHLEEN CUMMINS A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN WOMEN’S, FEMINIST AND GENDER STUDIES YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, ONTARIO November 2014 © Kathleen Cummins, 2014 ii ABSTRACT Filming Feminist Frontiers/Frontier Feminisms is a transnational qualitative study that examines ten landmark feature films directed by women that re-imagined the frontiers of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S through a feminist lens. As feminist feature films they countered Eurocentric and masculinist myths of white settlement and expansionism in the grand narrative tradition. Produced between 1979 and 1993, these films reflect many of the key debates that animated feminist scholarship between 1970 and 1990. Frontier spaces are re-imagined as places where feminist identities can be forged outside white settler patriarchal constructs, debunking frontier myths embedded in frontier historiography and the Western. A central way these filmmakers debunked frontier myths was to push the boundaries of what constitutes a frontier. Despite their common aim to demystify dominant frontier myths, these films do not collectively form a coherent or monolithic feminist revisionist frontier. Instead, this body of work reflects and is marked by difference, although not in regard to nation or time periods. Rather the differences that emerge across this body of work reflect the differences within feminism itself. As a means of understanding these differences, this study examines these films through four central themes that were at the centre of feminist debates during the 1970s, 80s, and 90s.
    [Show full text]
  • Black Feminist Thought
    Praise for the first edition of Black Feminist Thought “The book argues convincingly that black feminists be given, in the words immor- talized by Aretha Franklin, a little more R-E-S-P-E-C-T....Those with an appetite for scholarese will find the book delicious.” —Black Enterprise “With the publication of Black Feminist Thought, black feminism has moved to a new level. Collins’ work sets a standard for the discussion of black women’s lives, experiences, and thought that demands rigorous attention to the complexity of these experiences and an exploration of a multiplicity of responses.” —Women’s Review of Books “Patricia Hill Collins’ new work [is] a marvelous and engaging account of the social construction of black feminist thought. Historically grounded, making excellent use of oral history, interviews, music, poetry, fiction, and scholarly literature, Hill pro- poses to illuminate black women’s standpoint. .Those already familiar with black women’s history and literature will find this book a rich and satisfying analysis. Those who are not well acquainted with this body of work will find Collins’ book an accessible and absorbing first encounter with excerpts from many works, inviting fuller engagement. As an overview, this book would make an excellent text in women’s studies, ethnic studies, and African-American studies courses, especially at the upper-division and graduate levels. As a meditation on the deeper implications of feminist epistemology and sociological practice, Patricia Hill Collins has given us a particular gift.” —Signs “Patricia Hill Collins has done the impossible. She has written a book on black feminist thought that combines the theory with the most immediate in feminist practice.
    [Show full text]
  • Womanism to Indigenism: Identities and Experiences
    Womanism to Indigenism: Identities and Experiences Kathryn D. Manuelito Introduction American Indian women have often been difficult to locate within the discourse of U. S. feminisms. Although several Asian American and African American women, as well as Latina and Chicana scholars have reframed feminism within the intersections of race, gender, and class, American Indian women are still conspicuously silent. This article explores this silence through the lens of Alice Walker's definition of “womanism.“ Womanism is a movement that embraces African American women not as separate or in oppo- sition to African American men, but as partners who work together from the location of shared communtiy and the shared experiences of countering racist, economic, and cultural oppressions. Understanding American Indian women’s roles is complex because of the diversity of gender systems among the diverse American Indian nations. This article will discuss a “radical indigenous womanism“ by drawing upon the examples of Eva Marie Garroutte’s notion of “radical indigeneity“ as its own epistemology that converges with Patricia Hill Collins’ insistence that black women’s experience is an epistemology in and of itself. Specifically, this article will: 1) exemplify how Alice Walker’s notion of womanism provides connectivity for understanding indigenous womanism; 2) illustrate how indigenous womanism is constructed as an epistemology in and of itself; 3) discuss the stakes or risks that distinguish a radical indigenous womanism. The development of this paper will begin with context which provides socio-historical information regarding similarities and differences between African American and American Indian women’s experiences over the last 250 years.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Download
    AURÉLIE LACASSAGNE Othermothering and Othermothers in the Harry Potter Series The Harry Potter series quickly became a classic of children’s literature and remains to date the most read work in the history of literature. That is certainly a good reason to examine more closely its representations of mothers and motherhood. In this paper, I argue that maternal practices and representations, particularly of othermother figures and othermothering practices, are central to the Harry Potter series and that they have specific psychological and social functions. I propose a typology of othermothers portrayed in this literary work. I then explore the psychological functions of other- mothers for readers. Lastly, I show the paramount role played by othermothers in social and political mobilization. The world of Harry Potter is replete with othermothers and othermother- ing practices. Cast in overtly sacrificial terms, Harry’s story begins with the death of his mother, who sacrifices herself in order to save her infant son’s life. Despite the death of his biological mother, Harry grows up surrounded by numerous othermother figures: his aunt Petunia, Professor McGonagall, and Molly Weasley. Othermothering is still a largely underresearched area of exploration. It has mainly been used in the literature dealing with Black mothering (Collins). Stanlie James traces the othermothering practice from West Africa where communities were interrelated and communal life pivotal in people’s lives (144-154). Njoki Nathani Wane defines othermothers in the following way: othermothers look after children to whom they have no blood rela- tions or legal obligation. There is usually a mutual agreement between mothers, aunts, uncles, or fathers who play the role of othermothers JOURNAL OF THE MOTHERHOOD INITIATIVE 111 AURÉLIE LACASSAGNE in a given community.
    [Show full text]
  • The Teaching Approach of a Notable African-American Music Teacher: an Intrinsic Case Study By
    ISSN: 1968-2065 The Teaching Approach of a Notable African-American Music Teacher: An Intrinsic Case Study By C. Michael Palmer Ball State University Abstract This intrinsic case study examined the teaching philosophy and practice of Victoria Miller, a notable African-American music educator in Detroit. Utilizing the theoretical frameworks of social constructivism and Black feminism, I sought to answer the following research questions: (a) How does the teacher describe her teaching? (b) How do her students describe her teaching? and (c) How does her cultural background as an African American woman teacher influence her teaching? Data collected for this study consisted of field notes, teacher interviews, student interviews, and artifacts. Analysis of the data yielded four dominant themes: (a) Religious influence on teaching practice, (b) an ethic of caring, (c) identity as an “othermother,” and (d) use of music as a vehicle for empowering students. Keywords: Social constructivism, Black feminism, othermother, African American teachers Palmer, C. M. (2018). The teaching approach of a notable African-American music teacher: An intrinsic case study. Visions of Research in Music Education, 31. Retrieved from http://www.rider.edu/~vrme 2 Introduction The study of P-12 urban music education has become an important topic among music educators and researchers in recent years (Doyle, 2014; Frierson-Campbell, 2006a/2006b). Researchers have explored themes such as access to music education (Costa-Giomi & Chappell, 2007; DeLorenzo, 2012), predicting enrollment and persistence in music education (Kinney, 2010), motivating urban music students (McAnally, 2006), the effects of music education and mentoring on under-resourced urban adolescents (Shields, 2001), underrepresented minority groups in music education (DeLorenzo & Silverman, 2016), as well as how urban teachers negotiate the complexities of urban education (Abril, 2006; Fitzpatrick, 2008; Smith, 2006).
    [Show full text]
  • “Literary Milk: Breastfeeding Across Race, Class, and Species in Contemporary U.S
    Journal of Ecocriticism 5(1) January 2013 “Literary Milk: Breastfeeding Across Race, Class, and Species in Contemporary U.S. Fiction” Greta Gaard (University of Wisconsin)1 Abstract Although all infant mammals require mothers' milk, very little breastfeeding appears in U.S. literature. Why is this ecological and foundational part of early life so frequently backgrounded or made invisible? and why would this topic be significant for feminist ecocritics? To explore these questions, this essay discusses the few texts in 20th century U.S. literature that depict breastfeeding, pairing them by era--John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath (1939) and Meridel LeSueur's The Girl (1939), followed by Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon (1977) and Beloved (1987)--and concludes with a contemporary novel, Emma Donoghue's Room (2010). All of these texts depict breastfeeding in conditions of captivity and restricted freedoms. Under such conditions, breastfeeding and breastmilk take on added urgency as food, as emotional and psychological nurturance, and often as self-worth for the nursing mother, whose milk seems to be the only material she can control. Narrative texts providing examples of free mothers, from diverse races, classes, and species, able to choose whether, where, and how long to breastfeed their own offspring, do not yet appear in U.S. literature, possibly because the conditions for such cultural and economic freedoms have yet to exist. In Chinese-American author Maxine Hong Kingston’s short story, “No Name Woman” (1975), the narrator-daughter receives the cautionary tale of her paternal aunt’s suicide from her mother, who retells the aunt’s story to warn her daughter about the dangers of sexual excess.
    [Show full text]
  • Mothers, Daughters and Othermothers
    Running head: MOTHERS, DAUGHTERS AND OTHERMOTHERS Mothers, Daughters and Othermothers: The Significance of Storytelling in Shaping my Identity as an African Woman By Abimbola S. Shoboiki A Thesis Submitted to Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Degree of Master of Arts in Women and Gender Studies April 2019, Halifax Nova Scotia Copyright 2019 Abimbola S. Shoboiki MOTHERS, DAUGHTER AND OTHERMOTHERS i Table of Contents Dedication.......................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgement ............................................................................................................... v Abstract ............................................................................................................................. vii CHAPTER I ....................................................................................................................... 1 Sunlight in dark waters ...................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER II ...................................................................................................................... 9 Statement of Purpose ......................................................................................................... 9 Alone ..........................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Black Women Activist Teachers for Social Change
    ROOTED PEDAGOGIES: BLACK WOMEN ACTIVIST TEACHERS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Yvette Pierre, B.A., M.S., MHS Graduate Program in Education College of Education and Human Ecology The Ohio State University 2010 Dissertation Committee: Dr. Cynthia B. Dillard, Advisor Dr. Cynthia A. Tyson Dr. Barbara Seidl Copyright by Yvette Pierre 2010 ABSTRACT The history of activism on the part of African American women has laid the foundation on which contemporary African American women activists and scholars have developed theories, critiques and cultural frameworks that challenge pre-established paradigms and epistemologies (Beauboeuf-LaFontant, 1999). This study seeks to extend the research begun on African American teacher activists to include the ways in which their life experiences as activists have informed how they define and carry out their roles as educators, given current educational disparities. This study is informed by Black feminist epistemology and employs portraiture as its research methodology. Data analysis yielded several findings. First, the life experiences considered most significant were those that contributed to the teachers, developing critical consciousness as children. Secondly, each teacher pointed to the need to teach critical thinking skills so that students of color will be able to establish their places in the world as productive citizens. Thirdly, each teacher evoked a maternal and caring approach in enacting her role as teacher. Finally, what emerged from my conversations with the teachers is that their work as teacher activists is spiritually grounded and that their sense of spirituality is politically based.
    [Show full text]
  • 'She Shall Not Be Moved': Black Women's Spiritual Practice in Toni Morrison's the Bluest Eye, Beloved, Paradise
    University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School January 2015 'She Shall Not Be Moved': Black Women's Spiritual Practice in Toni Morrison's The luesB t Eye, Beloved, Paradise, and Home Rondrea Danielle Mathis University of South Florida, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the African American Studies Commons, American Literature Commons, and the Women's Studies Commons Scholar Commons Citation Mathis, Rondrea Danielle, "'She Shall Not Be Moved': Black Women's Spiritual Practice in Toni Morrison's The lueB st Eye, Beloved, Paradise, and Home" (2015). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/5737 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ‘She Shall Not Be Moved’: Black Women’s Spiritual Practice in Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, Beloved, Paradise, and Home by Rondrea Danielle Mathis A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of English College of Arts and Sciences University of South Florida Major Professor: Diane Price-Herndl, Ph.D. Gurleen Grewal, Ph.D. Nicole Discenza, Ph.D. Clarissa West-White, Ph.D. Date of Approval July 15, 2015 Keywords: African American literature, spirituality, African Diaspora Copyright © 2015, Rondrea Danielle Mathis Dedication To Him who sits on the throne, and unto the Lamb, be all glory and honor and wisdom and power forever.
    [Show full text]