Noliwe Rooks and Black Studies

by Iesha Jones

The Book “White Money Black Power” is rather interesting. Noliwe M. Rooks does a great job as far as pointing out the facts and even inserting situations that were or had happened to her. This makes the reading very eye catching. It made me think of individuals such as my great grandmother and my grandmother and wonder if they experienced any of the same types of experiences such as Noliwe Rooks. My great grandmother and my grandmothers never talked about how life was during the time of segregation, although at the same time I never asked. I feel that if people do not willing engage you in on historical events of their past it is a possibility that they either do not want to talk about it or that they are waiting for you to ask them. But considering the fact that I know how my great-grandmother and grandmothers are I am quite sure as much as they talk about all kinds of other stuff if they wanted to talk about it they would have been told me plenty of stories. Mainly because I have always been that type of person that sat around old folks and listen to them gossip! When Noliwe Rooks spoke about how a lot of students did boycotting from schools that really interested me. I really do not feel that I would have been able to participate in those boycotts. I have always been the type of person to avoid drama or confusion and I am pretty sure those boycotts stirred up a lot of confusion. I do not like pain so being threatened physically or verbally would not sit well with me. I would be afraid of the office “sticking the dog” on me. If I was living back in the 50’s and 60’s I would most likely be one of those individuals who were for doing things to make or help out African American equality but I would rarely participate.

I feel that for whites to only accept a certain amount of black teachers in to schools to lessen drama tells a lot about them. I know that even know there are jobs that are predominantly white and that is completely by choice. And these jobs only have a few black just to so call “prove” that they do accept other ethnicities. I know growing up I was always told if I am applying for a job against a white individual and I am over qualified or have more experience and is a better fit for the company’s bettering being as far as work goes, 9 times out of 10 I will either get the job and be paid less than any other white employee or I will not get the job just because of the color of my skin. When I was young I really did not understand that concept completely but know that I am older I do understand it and I really feel that that is not fair. But if I was to be talking to my grandmother she would tell me “sweetie life isn’t fair so don’t expect things to be, you have to fight for what you want”. The words fight brings chills through my body. Just to know that early African American really did fight to get where we are today and many us of take for granted all the opportunity we have in this world. And then there are individuals who still see the inequality that yet exist among African Americans and whites and we choose not to continue to fight for our rights.