African American Studies: Notes

Collector Stories: The Deep River
King, 3 wives 5 sons.
Cheating? Whose the line of succession? A women?
The king falls in love with a women, Kings name is Sebembele, and he falls in love with Rankwana.
The kings sons are fighting- for the right of succession, power

The Sacred Saint:
Mma Mapointe
Has one son, and husband
Husband leaves her with younger women
Visits the sick and prays for the dead
Considered a saint in the town
Is mean to her daughter in law
Takes from her sons paycheck to get her nice things
Banishes her daughter in law from the water well
Basically the demise of the publics view of her sainthood
Her son Mapointe runs a shop- good intentions and morals
Supports his mother, yet his mother exploits him
The Prophet
Jacob
Very rich at the beginning of his life, dad was a german and they had a cattle ranch
Very well off, parents die, uncle steps in and “takes care of them”
Because they were mixed races, the uncle fucks up their inheritance
Jacobs brother dies, but not alone- heres voice of god
Notes from 9/10 Relationships
Rights, duties, responsibilities
Supposed to care and not harm
Abuse, Neglect? No

Jacob vs Lebojang
Jacob is a positive example of how to practice Christianity
Lebojang is not a positive example of how to practice
Both are Christians
Jacob- sees the marginalized- just as Jesus did
Children
Strangers
Needy
Johannah- his future wife
She had children outside of marriage
Men promise her marriage but then leave
“illegitimate” children

The story of Life women who lived in Johhanesburg
Life is sent back to her original village
She brings a city mentality to her village
She makes the men pay for sex (prostitiution)
Men had never seen sex as a business transaction
Some people are for it, and some are against it
She hooks up with Lesego, because he reminds her of the gangsters In Johannesburg
They eventually get married
Life continues to sell herself, marriage still go through
Friends are opposed to this marriage.
She is a “fuck about” a women for everybody
Sianana says that. Lesegos best friend
Lesego says “ if you go with those men again, I will Kill you”
Life becomes bored with the marriage
Lesego takes away any possible communication with the outside world from life
He restricts her money, no longer has financial freedom
Life goes back to the life of prostitution
Tells lesego that she needs to buy sugar
But she actually fucks
His friends tell Lesego to go to a certain place where life is banging so he can see it for himself
Lesego stabs Life to death, while the man (who she was banging) watches

The Wind and the Boy
Boy ( Friedman)
Grandmother Sejesonye
The mother gives the child to grandmother because she has work in a far off village. Grandmother accepts.
Names the boy Friedman because of the doctor who is nice to the grandmother
Human solidarity ( blacks/Africans and whites/Europeans)
Doctor was white and was very nice to her
He his named after FRIENDSHIP
Grandmother learned ABC letters,