Writing Artifacts
Below are the major written assignments that represent my growth as a writer this semester.
Artifact 1 — Ability to Make an Argument
Title: Am I Affected?
Assignment Description:
For this assignment, I wrote an argumentative essay responding to Dr. Joy DeGruy Leary’s Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome (PTSS) theory. I needed to take a position and defend it with reasoning and evidence.
Summary:
This essay argues that I am not affected by PTSS because of my multicultural upbringing, my experience competing in tennis, and the legal protections that exist today.
Why This Fits:
This artifact shows my ability to form a strong thesis and support it with evidence, personal reflection, and quotes from Dr. Leary.
Full Essay:
Many African Americans are impacted by the long history of slavery, whether psychologically or culturally. In her video Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome Disorder (2008), Dr. Joy DeGruy Leary explains how generational trauma can be passed down through families. While this may affect many people, whether or not someone experiences PTSS heavily depends on the environment they grew up in. My upbringing in a white and Ecuadorian household did not involve this kind of generational trauma. My experience competing in tennis without feeling out of place, despite the sport being mostly white, also shows that I am not affected by PTSS. Finally, the fact that today’s laws protect people of all races from discrimination further supports my argument. For these reasons, I am not affected by Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome because of my upbringing, my experiences in tennis, and the legal protections I have today.
Growing up as the only adopted child in a diverse, well-off family shaped me in positive ways. I was raised with both white and Ecuadorian influences, surrounded by different cultures, traditions, and values. My family never made me feel different for being adopted from Ethiopia; instead, they encouraged me to be myself. Dr. Leary says, “What happens in your environment… you’re learning from broken people, and you’re normalizing that behavior” (14:06). Because I was raised in a healthy, loving environment, I did not inherit trauma. Instead, I learned acceptance, confidence, and open-mindedness.
My experience in tennis also shows that I do not carry the trauma Dr. Leary describes. Even though tennis is a mostly white sport, I never felt judged or out of place because of my race. What mattered was my skill and determination. Dr. Leary states that African-descended people are “extremely resilient” (11:47), and my accomplishments reflect that—not because I am Black, but because I pushed myself to succeed. Becoming a two-time State Champion, a four-time Conference Player of the Year, and now a Division I athlete at Howard University has taught me that effort matters more than background.
Lastly, the world today gives me opportunities that previous generations did not have. Laws now prevent racial segregation and discrimination, giving everyone a fair chance in education, sports, and employment. Dr. Leary mentions the idea that people now say, “The playing field is leveled” (1:00:08), which reflects how society has shifted. While racism still exists in attitudes and subtle biases, it is no longer supported by the law. Growing up in a society where I am judged for my actions, not my skin color, has strengthened my belief that I can achieve my goals.
In conclusion, my upbringing, athletic experiences, and the legal protections of today show that I am not affected by Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome. I was raised in a loving multicultural family, found belonging in a predominantly white sport, and grew up in a society that gives me opportunities to succeed. My story is one of acceptance, resilience, and confidence—not trauma passed down from the past.
Artifact 2 — Making Connections Between Readings
Title: Was Headeye Lynched?
Assignment Description:
I analyzed Henry Dumas’s Ark of Bones using the African American narrative strategy of rememory and connected class concepts to the text.
Summary:
The essay argues that Headeye represents someone who was lynched and returns as a ghostly figure tied to ancestral memory.
Why This Fits:
This artifact demonstrates my ability to connect theories from class to the readings and show how rememory functions across ideas, history, and literature.
Full Essay:
Every generation inherits something from the one before it, whether they are prepared for it or not. Henry Dumas’s Ark of Bones (1974) explores this idea by using African American narrative strategies rooted in history, trauma, and cultural memory. Growing up in the South during the 1930s and 1940s, Dumas used his own experiences to shape the story. African American narrative strategies have long functioned as tools for Black people to preserve history, resist oppression, and express identity. In Ark of Bones, the narrative strategy of rememory shows how Headeye represents someone who was lynched, leaving behind a ghostly presence that guides the living and connects them to the past.
Throughout the story, Headeye is portrayed like a ghost, representing how memories of the lynched continue to haunt and shape the present. He says, “And the hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit to the valley of dry bones,” which makes him sound more spiritual than alive. Fish-hound describes him “droopin long like he had ten tons of cotton on his back,” giving him a heavy, spectral presence. This description makes it seem as though Headeye is no longer part of the physical world but has returned as a spirit carrying the weight of racial violence. His ghostly behavior suggests that he died—most likely through lynching—and now exists in the story as a guide shaped by memory.
The Ark itself is a powerful symbol of rememory. It does not simply store bones; it stores histories, stories, and ancestral trauma. The Old Man tells Fish-hound, “Every African who lives in America has a part of his soul in this ark,” showing that the Ark represents the collective memory of Black suffering and survival. Headeye’s presence on the Ark ties his death to the larger pattern of racial violence in American history. The Ark ensures that stories like his are not forgotten, connecting individual trauma to a much larger community of memory.
Headeye also acts as a guide for the living, especially for Fish-hound. He follows him, calls to him, and encourages him to continue the journey despite his fear. When Headeye asks, “Fish-hound, you ready?” he is inviting him into a deeper understanding of their shared history. By naming the boat “The Ark,” he teaches Fish-hound the meaning behind their journey. Even if Headeye is dead, his presence remains through memory, guiding not only Fish-hound but also readers.
In conclusion, Ark of Bones uses the strategy of rememory to show that Headeye is more than a character—he represents a victim of racial violence whose spirit lives on. His ghostly presence reveals how trauma is carried across generations. By placing Headeye on the Ark, Dumas connects him to the larger story of African American survival and identity. Even after death, Headeye’s memory and lessons guide the living, demonstrating how the past continues to shape the present.
Artifact 3 — Who I Am as a Writer and Thinker
Title: The Power of Rememory and Resistance
Assignment Description:
For this assignment, I compared Henry Dumas’s Ark of Bones and Tony Medina’s I Am Alfonso Jones, focusing on how both authors use the concept of rememory to tell their stories.
Summary:
This essay explains how Dumas and Medina use rememory to confront trauma, preserve history, resist injustice, and build unity within the African American community. The paper shows how both authors connect past and present experiences through memory, storytelling, and cultural identity.
Why This Fits:
This artifact demonstrates my analytical thinking, my ability to compare texts, and my growth as a writer. It shows how I connect readings, understand deeper meanings, and express my ideas clearly.
Full Essay:
Everyone has memories they wish they could forget, but sometimes remembering is the only way to heal. Henry Dumas, author of Ark of Bones, explores rememory, history, and spiritual connection in the Black community. Tony Medina, author of I Am Alfonso Jones, uses stories and poetry to speak about police violence and justice. Rememory is important in the African American community because it preserves stories, struggles, and triumphs. It allows people to honor ancestors, confront trauma, and build unity. Both Dumas and Medina use rememory to articulate past and traumatic events, showing how it can unite and guide communities and how remembering the past is necessary for healing.
In both Ark of Bones and I Am Alfonso Jones, rememory is a form of resistance. Dumas uses the Ark as a space that preserves ancestral history, showing that every African American carries the past within them. The old man says, “Every African who lives in America has a part of his soul in this ark,” meaning that history cannot be erased. Medina’s text also resists erasure by giving voice to victims of police violence. After Alfonso is killed, he says, “I didn’t get to be a man, but I’m not gone,” proving that his story continues. The repeated phrase “Say their names” keeps memory alive as protest. Both authors use rememory to push back against injustice—Dumas through ancestral remembrance and Medina through testimony.
Rememory also creates spiritual and emotional healing. In Ark of Bones, Headeye explains that the Ark holds “the bones of our people,” suggesting that spirits and stories still live inside their descendants. This sacred space helps characters find balance between the living and the dead. Similarly, in I Am Alfonso Jones, Alfonso meets other victims like Sean Bell and Amadou Diallo, realizing that “Their stories are my story too.” This moment connects generations through shared trauma and remembrance. Healing comes from acknowledging the pain of the past. Dumas shows spiritual healing, while Medina shows healing through storytelling and solidarity.
Finally, rememory expresses Black pride. In Ark of Bones, Fish-hound sees men carefully handling the bones, treating them as precious pieces of history. This honors ancestors and builds identity. Headeye becomes a guide who shows that pride comes from understanding your roots. In I Am Alfonso Jones, pride appears through community action—marching, protesting, and refusing to be silenced. Medina writes, “We are still here, still rising,” showing that pride survives even after tragedy. Both authors turn grief into strength, proving that remembering who you are is powerful.
Dumas and Medina show that rememory is not just about pain—it is about survival, unity, and pride. Both authors prove that healing begins with facing the past and honoring those who came before. Through shared rememory, the community keeps its history alive, resists oppression, and grows stronger together. To remember is to resist, to heal, and to rise.