Abstract
Presently, an insurgence is taking place in which Blacks are reclaiming Black bodies, Black community history, and Black responsibility. I employed the theoretical concepts of Cultural Community Capital and the conceptualization of two vectors-the vector of similarity and continuity, and the vector of difference and rupture. I positioned genealogy as a collective familial history that is integrated and aligned through ancestral roots and development as—“We as one, a village, are one.” Using narrative inquiry, I collected the stories of four Elders and showed how they positioned their bodies, their communal spaces, and their histories as an ancestral community family in relation to the city of Trenton, New Jersey. I define Elders as those 65 and older who serve as present-day sites of wisdom and historical knowledge and chose them as a sign of respect and honor. This paper provides a unique positioning as it gives voice to Elders (ages 68–99) and provides insight into the intricacies and dehumanizing components of enslavement coupled with a determination to thrive. These are stories that one will never experience through White-washed, indoctrinated, and sanitized history books.
Highlights
My aim in this project was to obtain the oral histories of four Elders from Trenton in an attempt to analyze the tenets of cultural and community wealth (Yosso 2005) in regard to how the four Elders viewed their city
MEmorials begin by recognizing this abject loss that exists within racialized spaces that refused to accept a community’s loss and sacrifice due to its own whitestream value structures, beliefs, and ideologies. This MEmorial will serve as the counternarrative to all of the stagnant, White cultured storytelling that occurs in this city
The study was conducted in the capital of the state of New Jersey (NJ), Trenton
Summary
My aim in this project was to obtain the oral histories of four Elders from Trenton in an attempt to analyze the tenets of cultural and community wealth (Yosso 2005) in regard to how the four Elders viewed their city Writing their stories, framed from how they positioned them, allowed me to both see and hear how they positioned themselves, their history, identities, and that of their community. MEmorials begin by recognizing this abject loss that exists within racialized spaces that refused to accept a community’s loss and sacrifice due to its own whitestream value structures, beliefs, and ideologies This MEmorial will serve as the counternarrative to all of the stagnant, White cultured storytelling that occurs in this city. Board of Education (Bell 2004) (the landmark case in legalizing desegregation), and a school, Hedgepath-Williams, stands tall as a commemoration of the struggle for equality and equity in education
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
