Dr. Georgia Dunston Lecture

Dr. Georgia Dunston is a Howard University professor who has specialized in several fields of academia. She has study organ transplanting, health care options for lower class communities, the human genome and much more. Her recent research has also contributed to the healthy people 2010 project. Some distinctive characteristics of her research are why certain diseases have a higher frequency in certain communities. In the black community diseases such as diabetes, depression, and high blood pressure plague the community. One of her explanations for this was the Atlantic Slave Trade. During the middle passage only Africans who could retain higher levels of sodium were able to survive with limited water. Thus, African Americans have a tendency to hold sodium which results in high blood pressure. Dunston explains that through her research on the DNA sequencing and the Genome you can learn a lot about different communities and humans in general. This led to her main topic of the lecture which was the Human Genome.

The genome was defined by Dunston as the ordering of genes in a haploid set of chromosomes of a particular organism. It is basically the combination of the 23 chromosomes from the female and the complimentary chromosomes from the sperm. It actually contains all the DNA encoding of a human. Each genome is unique to that individual. Even identical twins have different genomes. An interesting fact about the genome is that less than 2% of it is needed to create your physical makeup. It’s stated that the Genome is the universal code for life. Moreover, we are told that the study of the genome is important because the genome story is the history of human kind.

In her lecture Dunston goes on to explain that the genome and human story is rooted in Africa. This is why we need to practice learning in the African methodology that we learn for wisdom. Wisdom for the African was defined as the accumulation of knowledge and how that knowledge can be used to solve the problems of our time. That sentiment is summed up by the statement “know yourself because you’re the foundation humanity”. Moreover, in a more philosophical portion of the lecture Dunston began to discuss that the genome defines your “energy field”. She continues her ambiguity by discussing how everyone has their own unique energy force that affects those around them. The genome gives access to the Heavens which are the same sentiment the Ancient Egyptians possessed. Her speech moved to discuss the cultural implications of genome research.

Dunston’s most memorable quote was that the study of the genome attempts to eliminate the crime of humanity. Humanity’s crime is described by Dunston as the competition for the kiddy pool of life. Furthermore, it is the battle of “What we are versus what we are meant to be”. That quote has great meaning to me because we live in the age of the Knowledge Revolution. The modern war is the war over the mind and thought patterns. By understanding the genome and its importance in understanding human society and evolution it can aid you through this modern world.

Written By: Stanford Fraser

Dr. Carr Lecture

The lecture Dr. Carr gave focused on ancient khemet symbols that represented knowledge and wisdom. These symbols include mahat, the sankofa bird and many others. These symbols served as proof that Africa was the origin of language. In addition, the topic of language in the black community was discussed. Phrases that are distinctly African that isn’t understood outside the community were broken down and analyzed. These include “Doing Me”, “I be chillen”, etc. Even though those who think from a Eurocentric perspective consider this “improper” English these phrases speak much more than what’s in between the lines. Furthermore, this correlates with Ebonics; a sub group of language that is present in all areas that the black Diaspora is located.

Carr’s lecture continued moving from Egyptian symbols to the Egyptian society in general. The most surprising fact from this section of the lecture is where the Egyptians were originally from. Most media sources make Egypt seem un-African and more of a cluster of different ethnic groups. However, modern research proves convincingly that Egypt was mostly inhabited and founded by inner Africans who migrated when the Sahara dried up. Another aspect of the lecture that was interesting was how Egypt was so successful. It was one of the first great civilizations because of the food production system which allowed numerous new jobs to be developed and eliminated the need for a nomadic lifestyle. What is most important about this information is that we (African Americans) are the originators of all human interactions but we continue to live from the paradigm of slavery. A wise man once said “If you start your history from slavery then everything looks like progress”.

Written by: Stanford Fraser

Dr. Carr's first lecture

Dr. Carr's first lecture was Learning, Wisdom and the African World Experience. I loved the lecture! Learning about the root of my heritage was something i do not get in MA. I went to a prep school in MA and was the only black girl in my class. We went over black history, but it always started at the part where my people were enslaved. I liked how Dr. Carr started from the VERY beginning and demonstrated how black people began. One aspect of this i REALLY loved learning about was the hyroglifics and the African words. The words we met were so powerful and inspirational. Learning these words reminded me of the Boston Celtics (my favorite team!) When in Rome before the 2007-08 season (they won the championship that year) they were visited by an old African man who taught them the word "ubuntu". This word is east African and it means: to face adversity. Lastly, learning about Jahooty and Seshat was very intriguing. I liked what they stood for and how historic they were.