Dark mother - This was a book summary that is required during the course. The same readings PDF

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This was a book summary that is required during the course. The same readings are used each semester...

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AFS 201 29 November 2018 Dark Mother: African Origin & Godmothers As we get into the role of women throughout African civilizations, we learn to understand the process and contribution of the woman to society, and within the African diaspora. The woman stands as the most important central living being to ever be known to man. Throughout the reading of Dark Mother: African Origins & Godmothers b y Lucia Birnbaum, I was able to better understand and analyze the importance and significance of a woman to what has become a very patriotic society. This reading was able to bring a feminist perspective of history, from the creation of a woman, and relay it to archaeological findings. Based off this book, I was able to interpret these findings into our modern day society consisting of a white male interpretation that has been projected onto society. Some concepts and ideas that were brought up in the story were the symbolism of God/Divinity, current concepts that have been present in society such as Misogyny, and different learning styles. The general idea that Birnbaum wanted to get across was that women have always stood as the one who holds the most power, strength, royalty, and it wasn't until recently that those concepts have been misconstrued. Women have been degraded, and devalued because of sexist perspectives and/or lack of knowledge on their true contribution to society. One of the many concepts addressed in Dark Mother was that of God and Divinity. Women were historically and spiritually held to a higher standard than the male, primarily in Egyptian societies, and in religious practices. The woman was held to the highest power because of her

divine essence, and contribution to not only her male counterparts, but other people as well. Before the traditional practice of Christianity, one involving Mary and Jesus, the first religious figures were Isis and her son Horus. Isis was considered the first woman, creation of man (aka Horus) and looked at as the Goddess held above all. Lucia Birnbaum explained that the women started as the ruler, warrior, and power of mankind prior to having a son and creating man. Her main point was that the roles were only reversed recently in the previous couple of hundred years. The origin of women defines the origin of God in ancient Egyptian society, she acted as the most sacred figure to all, and required a tremendous amount of respect. The underlying concept of relaying a woman to God was to recognize her worth not only here on Earth, but universally. It is a value that can be neither decreased or increased by man, and holds as the single-handed most inevitable ideal today. Along with relaying a woman to God and/or Divinity, the book translates on how the underlying issues surrounding our patriotic society has created misogyny toward women. The idea that male dominance outweighs or overpowers that of a woman's feminine aura has presented itself within society through migration, evolution, and slavery. Birnbaum identified the true superiority of women to creation and/or religion. Women have been deemed inferior to men for as long as we can remember, whether it be sexually, figuratively, or academically. Women continue to be overlooked, or compared to their male counterparts which usually results to them losing an unfair battle against others. Male dominance has become a comparison to the divine energy that a woman has to offer because of idealistic concepts created by man. The goal of Dark Mother was to emphasize the matriarch point of view versus the patriarch. Ultimately, the two should work together to balance out, but if they are unable to the patriarch should not outpower the

woman. Misogyny is prevalent in today’s society socially, and economically. Women are constantly being compared to men in the workforce, and within relationships to the point where it has created a biased society where women are always competing with men. Until the feminist side of history is dissected and acknowledged, women will not receive the proper credit for their contribution to society. Due to our educational system, and/or political sphere, our learning styles have become the central ideals that shape our understanding of women. With male dominance comes male based thought and opinion, meaning their own separate interpretation on history which can intersect or conflict with the truth. In the past, justice was limited to certain instances and occasions circling a situation. For the time being, men received a lot of power and recognition in instances of a woman being put into jeopardy of injustice, and some of the causes stemmed from race. Whether  a women is white, African American, Asian, or any other ethnicity, all women are subject to facing the superiority and power of male dominance. Naturally men physically, and mentally have masculine energy that can overpower that of a woman’s feminine energy making it rather dominating. This stands as one of the biggest injustices toward women solely because of the fact that men sometimes misuse, and take advantage of this known fact. In  Dark Mother, the emphasis was put on the idea that women biologically contributed to africans , the first people, because of their everlasting divinity. Within institutions, we are not taught or given explanation to our feminine history that has truly impacted the development of humanity. The power and history behind red ochre is not mentioned, symbolizing a woman’s blood, or pubic V representing the power of fertility. Both concepts are absent within the patriarchal European/American societies, usually in the school system. The Dark Mother stands as the

reference to misunderstanding a woman’s value to society, beliefs, and cultural background. She is her own energy, and her own for of energy, representing the true essence of a woman without the presence of a man. Through tracking stories and rituals of the godmothers, Lucia Birnbaum relinquishes the experience behind how the women stood prior to colonization and western expansion. It was outside sources coming in that have contributed to our misconception of the woman to other people. Genetics and archaeologists have proved time and time again that the first findings known to man were resembled a women. Specifically here in the United States, these type of historical findings are not always acknowledged or held above previous patriotic concepts. Essentially, the biggest part of history that Dark Mother has brought to our attention is that women have been the human creation before man. When it comes to prehistoric memories, they can easily become submerged or forgotten in the past if they are not misconstrued or misinterpreted in the present. Culturally, the practices that women partake in have been based around their own intuition and knowing themselves, not the practices that have been developed overtime within society. Lucia Birnbaum described the true essence of a real women in her own way, and right of passage. The best part of the novel was correcting the information that has been formulated by European colonizers coming into the United States, and even prior to that in BCE. Factors like red ochre, and pubic V are only small symbols of the true womanhood that can be defined through history. Divinity, Misogyny, and manmade concepts have all intruded on the concepts that Dark Mother has once created, that in itself has made it a broader message to value and cherish the history of the woman. In reading this, I was able to better understand that the creation of man ties majorly into religion, and morals/values that one idolizes or practices. For a

woman to be acknowledged as her own source of power, that has become a foreign concept in relation to male dominance. Overall, Dark Mother: African Origins & Godmothers by  Lucia Birnbaum was a novel that helped translate the concepts of our African ancestral history from the woman’s perspective. W  omen will always stand as the central foundation of society and the creation behind mankind, and in regards to their moral values. In a society based around strength, and dominance, it is sometimes harder for women to get the recognition that they deserve. Since our early days of colonization, and migration to America’s, our country has been built around the sense of male dominance and superiority to women. Unfortunately,  certain expectations and limitations put on women will remain forever, specifically those of the physical nature, but we as a society have the power to change any other limitation or standard that has the ability to set women back, or that is simply unfair and too unjust to be present within our society. Women have, and continue to, receive biased judgement based on their abilities as a woman. The challenges that woman face, whether it being in regards to their racial orientation, or gender continues to shed light and glorify men. Due to discrimination, and the structure of our society, women have been limited to specific experiences based off of race, a rise of power and praise toward male dominance, and the lack of educational opportunities. The voice, power, and education of a woman has always been challenged, but it will continue to shine through no matter the limitation or barrier put up against the power of women. rom a feminist standpoint, woman should be open and allowed all of the same opportunities despite of marital status, or the status of their husband. In today’s day and age, some of the same expectations that were point onto women in the past are still being put onto them today. In order to change these

circumstances, we must demand justice and equality, and fight for our women not only just here in America, but throughout the world....