Black Women/Black Literature

Reading "Black Women/Black Literature" was very uplifting as a black literate woman, but it also had its low points throughout the conversation. It felt good to find out that there are other ethnicities in the world that place value in the black language and culture. This reading was a interview between Christina McVay, a white teacher of Pan-African Literature among many other black literacy classes, and Joanne Kilgour Dowdy. The interview mainly centered around how McVay became interested in black literature, how her classes have an effect on her students as well as herself, and how black women and black literature have influence her life both personally and academically. 

After being asked how she came to be involved with black women and literacy in the Pan-African Department, McVay answered by stating "...one of the communities that has the greatest oral dexterity is the Black community. I believe that comes from that long oral tradition from Africa right through slavery and Jim Crow in this country" (89). Reading this statement the first, I regarded it as a complement to black people, but when I reread it, I only saw it as a one-sided comment only complementing the African Americans that endured slavery and the racism of Jim Crow laws. It seemed as though McVay thought that the dexterity of the black community was only passed down from the older generation, and the younger generation only used the language that they learned from their parents or someone from earlier generations. But the reality is that black language is not only comprised of the oral traditions of the older generation, and would not get the attention for its diversity if it were not for contributions made by both the old and new generations. 

When asked how black women and black culture have influenced her life, McVay explained that she appreciates black literature because of the knowledge and morals and values that black women are able to provide throughout their stories. She went on to talk about how black literature helped to shape her belief system, and that it helped her more than going to Sunday school or church. Although I do believe that black literature includes knowledge and morals and values, I had trouble understanding how McVay believed that reading a book written by a black woman could or would equip her with the knowledge and values needed to make it through life. My take on black literature it that most black writers get their philosophies from the Bible or some type of spiritual teaching or experience anyways, so to put black literature above the Bible or any type of spiritual teaching does not make sense.