Weekly Journal Entries
These journal entries reflect what I learned and accomplished throughout the semester.
Week 1 — Dr. Joy DeGruy: Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome
This week, our class focused on Dr. Joy DeGruy Leary’s video on Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome. Watching this helped me understand how generational trauma can be passed down through families and communities even long after slavery ended. Dr. Leary explained how environment, upbringing, and learned behaviors all shape how people respond to trauma over time. What stood out to me the most was her point that people often normalize behaviors they grow up around, even when those behaviors come from pain. This helped me see how history affects people differently depending on their background and support system. Week 1 helped me think more deeply about how trauma, environment, and identity are connected.
Week 2 — Debate on Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome
This week, our class held a debate on whether individuals today are affected by Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome. We split into two groups, each presenting a thesis and supporting it with examples and reasoning. The debate helped me understand both sides: one focusing on generational trauma, the other on how the environment can break the cycle. This activity strengthened my ability to use rhetorical strategies, respond to opposing views, and think critically about identity, history, and personal experience.
Week 6 — Discussion of I Am Alfonso Jones
This week, we discussed Tony Medina’s I Am Alfonso Jones, a graphic novel about police violence, grief, and remembrance. We examined how the story uses rememory, bringing the past into the present, to honor victims whose lives were lost. The discussion showed how literature can bring awareness to social issues and give voice to those who can’t speak for themselves. It helped me appreciate how storytelling can educate, inspire, and spark social reflection.
Week 7 — Compare/Contrast Paper
This week, we worked on drafting our compare/contrast paper. I organized my ideas, chose strong points of connection, and used evidence to support my comparisons. Writing this paper helped me understand how to explain similarities and differences meaningfully and how deeper analysis can reveal broader themes. Week 7 strengthened my writing and critical thinking skills.
Week 10 — Brainstorming the Argument Paper
This week, we brainstormed ideas for our argument paper. We focused on forming a strong thesis and thinking about what evidence we could use. This helped me reflect on earlier class discussions and choose a topic I felt confident about. Brainstorming made it clear how important planning is to create a focused, well-supported essay.