Learning,Wisdom,and the African World Experience: An Mbongi

First and foremost, I must say that this lecture exceeded my expectations to the fullest. Dr. Carr is a very powerful speaker and just in this one lecture alone, opened my eyes and mind to want to explore my culture in a more deeper and serious manner. Dr. Carr explained to us how everything we are ever taught traces back to our African roots. Many people place ideals in the hands of the British or the Greek when in actuality they start in Africa.

Dr. Carr stressed the ideal of the Mbongi. In our introduction to Freshman Seminar, Dr. Williams explained that " Mbongi" meant a house with no rooms, meaning that we are to be open with our surroundings and our people. Dr. Carr opened this definition to a more deeper explanation. Mbongi is not solely about being open with the people around you, but it is a force. It is a force that can not be broken nor challenged. When a group of people are gathered in a mbongi they are one, no matter the number. At that particular time, no matter where they have come from they all share one common bond and mind. Mbongi doesn't have to always be a spoken gathering. Body language can also be included in a mbongi.

I really enjoyed how Dr. Carr spoke about intelligence in the African American community. We as blacks must be proud to be intelligent individuals in a society that expects us to be uneducated, not wealthy, and quite frankly unidentified as human beings.

This lecture has me pumped for the lectures to come. I want to study more on my culture and make an impact on the world as an African American woman.

Jesseca Farr