Learning and Being Black

Throughout the chapter Leonie C. R. Smith describes how learning to black in America was and still is a struggle for not only foreigners but also blacks born in America. Born and raised in Antigua she lived for education and exceeded in every class. Her migration to the United States was a drastic change from majority of blacks to being surrounded by whites. Native Son by Richard Wright vividly describes the oppressive factors that the white community has placed on African Americans in relation to social status and education. He relates to Smith by having his main character alienated from his peers just like she was in the classroom setting. Smith tells how the education system in the United States does not expect for children to be able to read and write but instead to be able to retain dates for a test. After she learned the method of “learning” in the United States she easily graduated at the top of her class and went to college. At college she begin to realize that the standards set for African American women was low; “it seemed that a grade of D was what was expected of Black students, and anything above that was suspect.” (193) Smith tells her audience that the work involved with school was not the hard part, the hard part was being strong enough not to fall victim of the standards held for blacks.


All in all, Smith transition to the United States depicts the racism in the U.S. Personally I paid more attention the education difference she explained. As a minority in the southern states I believe that we are deprived of the learning experience. This is because we are not taught how to think, we are taught what to think. Instead of “writing essays and giving detailed explanations of my thought processes” (187) I too was graded off how well I retained information regarding dates and other pieces of information which I do not remember now. This chapter not only says how African Americans are victim to stereotypes and unnecessary challenges but also explains the way that education plays a huge role in being a “free thinking woman”.