BlackExpressionT/TH

Mallory Washington Dr. Harris ENGL2017-65125 22 April 2026 Black Women Versus Societal Progression For my visual, I decided to portray a topic that I have discussed for a while. The Feminist Movement was probably one of the worst scams they sold to society. There was a clear difference between what was supposed to be feminism and the mainstream feminism we got. A movement that was supposed to be inclusive to all women. Black women were undermined for the foundations they set for social movements. As they were, the “vanguard” for equality and justice. Despite being the blueprint for societal progression, black women's credibility was suppressed by the historical hatred for women and coloreds. The proverb, “Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, See No Evil,” can be a representation of the repressed contributions of black women. In my painting, I created a graffiti piece with the proverb as the muse. The woman’s expression looks unshakable, but appears to hold some restraint in her presence as...

Sieuna Smith This project looks at how Black expression shows up through humor on social media, especially how creators use tone, storytelling, and everyday relatability to connect with people. The visual is set up like a social media feed because that’s where a lot of this humor actually lives and spreads. Instead of just showing random images, the collage is organized to show a flow from the creator, to the audience reaction, and then to the bigger meaning behind it. The main focus is on black creators like Quen Blackwell and Rakai, who use exaggerated reactions, strong facial expressions, and situations from their life to make their content funny. Their humor isn’t just random or over the top, it comes from real experiences that a lot of people in our community recognize. The captions, expressions, and post style visuals in the collage are meant to show how this type of humor is actually built and presented online. On the audience side, I included comment reactions to show how peop...

Colin Hawkins The visual I constructed was a graphic artwork inspired by one of the excerpts from, " The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales," by Virginia Hamilton. This artwork was specifically influenced by the excerpt of the same name, " The People Could Fly," which contains the myth of the Flying Africans. The myth flying Africans is a powerful African American folklore legend about how enslaved people, refusing to be reduced as product and longing for freedom, gained the ability of flight to fly over the waters back to Africa. This myth specifically originates from anecdotes of resisting such as Igbo Landing, where in 1803 in Dunbar Creek, Georgia, the enslaved Igbo people revolted, taking over the ship they were on and drowning their captors then themselves, refusing to be brutalized in America as slaves. Through this profound act of resistance, many oral folktales were formed that the Igbo people were able to sprout wings, able to fly back to Africa...

Enthograpahic interview Me: Before we get started, I just want to ask, do I have your consent to record this conversation for academic purposes? Your responses may be used in a paper, but your identity can remain anonymous if you prefer. Participant: Yeah, that’s cool. You can record. Me: Thank you, I appreciate that. To start off, can you tell me a little about your relationship with music? Like what role it plays in your everyday life? Participant: Music is a big part of my day, like I’m always listening to something. If I’m driving or just by myself, I got music on. I feel like certain artists really speak for how I’m feeling at the time. Like when I listen to YoungBoy Never Broke Again, it be feeling raw and emotional, like he just saying whatever he going through without holding back. Me: That’s real. Would you say the music you listen to reflects your identity or experiences in any way? Participant: Yeah for sure. Like with Rod Wave, the way he talks about pain, family, a...

Logan Buum This powerpoint examines a case of black representation/imitation in video game media by focusing on the character Sam B from the video game series Dead Island. It features a short summary of the characters background and lore while focusing on the cultural influence and aspects of the character, particularly in concerns of his music, gangsta rap, voodoo, and southern hip hop. Notably the creation of the character and his music had very little if any influence from any Black person, contextualizing the character as more negative than it otherwise would be. Ignoring the nature of the characters creation, Sam B exemplifies stereotypes, especially those related to gangsta rap and the popular culture related to it. In addition to the stereotypical representation of gangsta rap, the voodoo aspects of the character are also a pop culture interpretation, depicting it as dark magic to better fit the zombie infested theme of the game while removing it from its actual meanings. I u...

Lesson Plan/Community Engagement Ava Brown Grades 10th-12th Children Ranging from the 10th-12th Grade are approaching adulthood and are about to enter into the Real world, whether that be the work force, higher education, or even parenthood. Your health is one of the most important things you will have to maintain throughout your life and it is something you should be aware of at a young age ! There is a silent but deadly problem within the Black Community surrounding healthcare. Black People Don’t Trust the American Healthcare System. Black Americans, more specifically Black Men are among the least likely of all demographics to seek medical care despite reportedly having higher rates of chronic conditions, this, however, is due to a number of socioeconomic, pathological and historical reasons that will be explored within this lesson Plan. Course Description : Teaching Students the History of Black Health Care and Medical Practice within America. Objective : Read, un...

Tymira Lewis Lewis 1 April 23, 2026 ENGL2017-65125 Major Project The Struggles of African American Women in Arts The history of African American involvement in the arts includes both remarkable cultural innovation and ongoing structural inequality. African American art is rooted in resilience, storytelling, and resistance, reflecting the lived experiences of a community that navigates both oppression and creativity. Despite their significant impact on global culture, African American artists still face systemic barriers that hinder their recognition and independence in the arts. For African American women, these obstacles are heightened by the combined effects of racism and sexism, which often distort how they are represented and valued. In Dirty South Feminism: The Girlies Got Somethin’ to Say Too! Southern Hip-Hop Women, Fighting Respectability, Talking Mess, and Twerking Up the Dirty South, Adeerya Johnson looks at how Southern hip-hop women deal with these pressures by ...

Serenity Mitchell Jaleesa Harris ENGL2017-65125 4/23/26 Final Project Written Portion My project is a visual PowerPoint on the Digital preservation of African oral traditions is an approach that involves technological innovation, community engagement, and global partnerships. Digital preservation of Black oral traditions is about recording, archiving, and sharing stories, speech, music, and cultural expression that have historically been passed down by word of mouth. These traditions include folktales, sermons, spoken word, family histories, humor, and community narratives rooted in the African American oral tradition. Digital archives allow for video recordings of elders, podcasts, and social media storytelling, ensuring voices are not lost over time. Social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube have also become modern spaces for oral tradition. Black creators use them to share humor, commentary, and lived experiences continuing traditions of satire, signifying, and storytelling i...

Jalaysia Turner Dr. Harris African American Literature 23 April 2026 • Overview - Black films have been used to express the experience of Black lives. The films will be used to discuss the community that is built within these movies and how they are used as storytellers. The films, Boyz N the Hood, Crooklyn, and The Hate U give are going to explore the various concepts of identity, culture, and resilience that goes into portraying the accuracy of Black experiences. • Boyz N the Hood (identity) - The group of boys displayed in this film were all dealing with the paths that their environment impacted them to take; some prevailed and others became products of their environment. Throughout the film, the individuals were trying to figure out who they were or wanted to be given the nature of their situation. There were aspiring football players, college goers, and some boys that wanted to live a street life. They all faced many struggles trying to stay on the right path and not choose an i...

Zaniyah Cooper Dr. Harris English 2017 23 April 2026 Introduction: Laughing Through Pain: The Role of Humor and Seriousness in Coping with Racial Discrimination: The definition of vernacular tradition in my personal dictionary would be how black people have different mannerisms, slangs, and performances that if you understand what it means then you get it, if you don’t you just don’t. When we are put in situations that tend to make us have a side-eye moment or taken aback, we tend to either tense up or make a joke to ease the pain from the situation. My question to the reader is, why are we always laughing through pain or tensing up to trauma? Why are we so easily turning the ball when the ball is something very heavy to pick up? Through my essay, I can explain this hypothesis and break down how vernacular tradition goes hand and hand with my topic as well. The Blend of Laughter and Seriousness: Have you ever hit the placement in your elbow, and it hurts like for a good hot min...

Makailyn Mims Dr. Harris English 2017 04-23-2026 Speaking Inequality: The Role of Language in Shaping Education Opportunities for Black Students in the South In classrooms across the United States, students are often judged not only for what they say but also for how they say it. For several Black students, particularly in the South, this is frequently the case. For them, the use of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) often leads people to judge their intelligence, academic ability, and potential negatively. This linguistic bias is a reflection and continuation of a deeply rooted systemic problem tied to history and power, not just the opinions of others. In his text “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?”, James Baldwin challenges the idea that Black English is inferior. He instead emphasizes its connection to identity and its role in social control. In “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?”, Baldwin criticizes this long-lasting be...

Brook McCoy Topic: Idealistic Change Primary Text: The Beautiful Girl of the Moon Tower I interpreted this folktale as being symbolic of idealistic change, and saw many meaningful connections that led me to this. The main idea I really wanted to get across in the illustration is their being this philosophical battle taking place. One side being the young, simple, passionate, force of change, and the other being the old, bloated, drained, forces of stability. In the first panel in particular I really wanted to get across the idea of young vs old. Which depicts a scene of the princess listening to her father’s last heart beat. Something not explicitly stated in the folktale but something I imagined early on. This is representative of that emotion of wanting the old to die off so that a new better society can be allowed to exist. In the second panel is the part of the tale where Anton, is fighting against the hog in the gardens. Anton is lean and muscular, their is no fat to be tr...

Kyrie Mitchell Lesson Plan

Khyla Johnson Professor Harris African American Lit 22 April 2026 Hidden Messages in Black Performance In Black performance a very important aspect that has always existed is hidden messages. From early spirituals to modern music and even in film, Black artists have used performance to send messages by making people think. These messages often deal with race, power, survival, and identity. As Thomas DeFrantz explains in From Negro Expression to Black Performance, Black performance is not just entertainment. It is a way of communicating culture, resistance, and lived experience. Guthrie Ramsey also shows in his article African American Music that Black music carries many layered meanings that reflect both the past and present struggles of the Black experience. One example of hidden messages in Black performance is the film Sinners. On the surface, it may seem like a story about crime or morality, but deeper analysis shows themes about systemic oppression and survival. Key hidden underl...

Madison Loyd Dr.Harris English 2017 23 April 2026 Why Are Black Vernacular Traditions Often Labeled as Pop Culture? Black vernacular traditions have long influenced the landscape of American society, shaping music, language, fashion and performance. These habits, out of the experiences of Black communities themselves, often emerge as modes of expression associated with survival, identity and resistance. But as acceptance of this cultural space expands, more and more people call these forms “pop culture.” Yet, for all their apparent neutrality, Black vernacular traditions often lose their political meaning and historical significance. Due to their widespread consumption by mainstream audiences, Black vernacular traditions are sometimes classified as popular culture. However, this categorization ultimately minimizes their roots, reduces the value of black expression, and downplays their cultural and political significance. One of the main reasons why Black vernacular traditions are class...

Drew Soileau Dr. Harris ENGL20ENGL2017-6512517-65125 4/22/2026 The Global Impact of Black Vernacular Tradition and African American Vernacular English Oftentimes going unnoticed, black vernacular traditions and language, particularly African American Vernacular English, have had a significant influence on modern cultural practices by shaping music, media, and cultural expression across the globe. Vernacular tradition originates from African traditions and primarily pertains toward Black people , but it is also a tool used by different ethnic groups, religions, and traditions. Black languages influence how communities express emotions, feelings, talents, and many other important aspects of their lives. Vernacular tradition and Black language started as a cultural system rooted in shared experience among enslaved Africans and their following generations. Over the course of many years, it has evolved to have a global effect on cultural style and expression, especially in music and media...

Shantelle Fields Dr. Harris English 2017 19 April 2026 Code-switching and Wish-fulfillment in Ballroom Before starting to go into this discussion on black people in ballroom, there are two things which first need to be defined. Within the black community there is something known as code-switching, which is defined as the practice of alternating between languages, dialects, or styles of speech and behavior depending on social context. While there are other minority communities who participate in code switching, it is most commonly associated with the black community. Secondly, wish-fulfillment is defined as the gratification of a desire, especially symbolically as in things like dreams or daydreams (Merian Webster 2026). Code switching and wish-fulfillment are a part of the black experience within ballroom. When it comes to code-switching for black people it is often so they will not face discrimination from outside of the community, and when it comes to black queer people there hi...

Ambria Jefferson Professor Harris ENGL2050-65125 17 April 2026 Major Project Assignment - The Black Femme as the Caged Bird and the Mule Over the course of this semester, something I’ve tried to always affix to any aspect of the black vernacular tradition is the relation of black gender and black femme existence. In my original proposal for this project, I had a much wider scope of what I aimed to present, and while it made for several drafts, none of them ultimately represented what I wanted to communicate. In the end, I chose to cut some content to do just that, and will delve into the choices made in my digital mixed media collage. Right away, I wanted the base of the body to be various shades of brown to bypass what I’ve come to see often in online queer spaces, even black queer spaces. Darker tones are relegated to the dom, stud/butch, seme, etc., with little regard to their own presentation. Lighter tones are relegated to the sub, femme, uke, etc., in the same way. Crimin...

Jmia Armstrong Dr. Harris ENG 2017-65125 Major Project Using Hip-Hop to Be Heard Hip-hop has been more than just a musical genre for a long time. For the Black community it is a means of conveying a person's thoughts, culture, and hardships. As a Black vernacular tradition, hip-hop is a form of expression that utilizes language and narration derived from actual life experiences. It has gradually transformed into an influential medium for addressing social and political matters. Black women in Southern hip-hop, in particular, are using their voices not only to confront stereotypes but also to speak of issues that concern them. Adeerya Johnson in Dirty South Feminism portrays Southern Black women in hip-hop who, against all odds, rebuff respectability and carve out their own space to be heard. Understanding her work alongside other scholars, one can see that hip-hop is more than just music it is an immense expressive element useful in identity, resistance of stereotypes, and transf...

Caitlyn Griffin 04/23/2006 Dr. Harris ENGL 2017-65125 What is Black Enough? The definition of authenticity is, “the practice of aligning actions with one’s true self, values, and beliefs, fostering deeper connections and improved mental well-being” If this is the definition of being authentic, how can somebody else question another person authenticity? In many Black communities, there appears to be a singular narrative that dictates what it means to be "authentically Black." Some people believe you are not being authentically black when you don't wear your natural hair, when you don't share the fashion, or when you don't listen to black music. Most importantly, people don't believe that you are fully black if you don't have the rags to riches experience. If being authentic is aligning action with one true self, who has the authority to define another person's identity, especially within the context of being Black? Much of black identity is rooted in ...