Alex

The Project

I found this to be one of the most difficult projects that I have done at NEIU.  Manipulating the website application was frustrating, not only because it was new to me but because it seemed incapable of performing some of the functions that I had in mind.   In addition, the nature of group work is something that I have a difficult time adjusting to, for as an English major I most often do work alone, writing papers and the like.  That said, I found the project an intriguing one, with its share of epiphanies and satisfaction as well as difficulties.  Most of all, I really enjoyed working with everyone in the group; we had a great time laughing and chatting, as well as getting everything done.  I especially enjoyed having the opportunity to contact the author of our book, Dr. Sherick A. Hughes, to ask him questions specifically pertaining to our project.  That is not something I will forget.  Also, the irritation at the website application was somewhat enjoyable to work through, and every time I figured out how to fix a problem I felt that I had truly accomplished something.  Overall I think the project was definitely worthwhile because it gave us an opportunity to apply what we have learned in class to a specific, related text, and then conceptualize it in a project using our ideas.

The Book

Black Hands in the Biscuits Not in the Classrooms is at times a dense, academic read, but I was fascinated by the way Hughes wove the narratives of the Northeastern Albemarle residents into a cohesive work that really said something hopeful and insightful.  I learned a lot about Brown v. Board of Education, and how it really affected the lives of people in both negative and positive ways.  I expected the book to be a lot more one-sided in its tone, either for or against Brown and its implications.  What I was surprised to find is that Hughes and his subjects had a variety of reasons for liking and disliking both segregated and integrated schools; their experience was much more ambivalent than I expected.  Coming into the book, I had thought that Brown was simply a great victory for African-Americans.  After reading it, I think that it was a step in the right direction, but that it has had a lot of negative effects, and has not been carried out in a manner conducive to making everyone’s educational opportunities adequate.