By: Sunny-Marie Birney
I have a strong connection to Birney’s educational experiences. She relates her educational career to her African American heritage and the importance of having dedicated professors. Initially, she discusses this sense of isolationism which is relative to her upbringing. Birney was raised by two Caucasian parents, which made her feel isolated. She describes her upbringing as, “a long way from home. My adopted parents, two people of Euro-American descent, were wonderful people, but I always felt that a piece of me was missing (49).” Although I wasn’t raised by Caucasian parents, I can relate to this “missing piece” that she describes. Growing up in a predominantly white setting caused me to appreciate my African American heritage even more. I felt driven to attend an institution which uplifted me and the people around me. Birney noted that although she had excellent teachers in high school, she felt more uplifted when she took Black Studies in college. She also makes reference to the “problem-posing method of education,” which is a term that we studied in ADW last semester. Problem-posing discusses the relationship between students and their teachers. In effect, the teachers respect their students. The students respect their teachers while appreciating their learning experience. She describes her professors when she says, “My professors modeled not just exemplary teaching, but also a commitment that uplifted and helped transform myself and, in turn, the African American community (50).”
After introducing her upbringing and relating her experiences to college, she emphasizes the importance of Black women in history. There is a strong parallelism between Birney’s efforts in improving education amongst African American students. She shows that through her Black Studies education, she can help future generations become literate in different ways.
-Lauren T.
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