Going Against the Grain

During the section called "Schools of Their Own" in the piece of literature Going Against the Grain, the history of how literacy was perceived was defined.  The article explains parts of the background of Sophia B. Packard and Harriet E. Giles and major contributions to Spelman College.  This part of the article then goes into detail about the successes of many of the first graduates of Spelman College.  It is interesting to know that even though the early graduates, after college, entered a world where the expectations were much lower than those of now, they succeeded in many ways.  Clara Howard was sent to Spelman College by her father, graduated from the college in 1887, and began her missionary work in Africa.  She excelled greatly in this way, but had to put her work on hold because of the scare of disease.  

As a young, black woman of the 21st century, I would love to experience even simply visiting Africa in some way or another.  There are a number of opportunities to do so, but Ms. Howard was brave enough to go against the bounds of her time and spread the word through her religious works.  

Another section called "Coming to Voice: Maria W. Stewart," explained the struggles of a widowed woman who toils with the loss of her husband, lacking financial stability, and discrimination of her time.  This section explains the inner-workings of a few of the well known abolitionists of the 1800s.  Ms. Steward attempts to stand alone while presenting issues of race and gender discrimination, but soon gets shunned.  The society around her did not see it place for a woman to be speaking out on the issues in absence of a man's help.
The compilation of all the different readings in this section provides a certain insight about different aspects of the time that sometimes gets overlooked.  It is necessary to see as many aspects as possible in order to get a more accurate view.  


-Jessica Robinson