The union between an American Revolutionary War Colonel of German decent and the last surviving member of the Ossippee Indian Tribe from Orange County North Carolina gave way to a family line that was ultimately able to choose their paths in life. Interestingly enough, the children of this unlawful blending, had options. Some chose to live as members of the white race while others decided to become a part of the black race (Faucette, 2005). While I will always be curious to how one decided between a life of restriction and limits and a life of freedom and limitless potential in the 1800s, I value the traditions, norms, and beliefs that have transcended generations.
Thanks to the untiring work of a family genealogists, my maternal ancestry is pretty well documented. While my heritage is composed of diverse races (African American, European, Native American, and quite honestly, who knows what else), the cultural aspect of my heritage, that which Ford and colleagues (2004) describe as …show more content…
Although occasionally asked “what exactly are you?” and more often than not, replying “human”, I view myself as an African American female working in a field that has been long dominated by white males. Viewing myself in this way definitely provides a lens when approaching my current work in mathematics teaching and my future work in teacher education and research. This lens is dominated by the idea that hard work is vital for goal achievement. This view is can be linked to my ancestors’ prosperity through farming, which is understood to be hard work, and my owner personal experiences (for example, have to overcome a college professors opinion that “people of your type typically don’t do mathematics”), which are understood to shape one’s beliefs and actions (Gay, 2010; Gutierrez & Rogoff,
Thanks to the untiring work of a family genealogists, my maternal ancestry is pretty well documented. While my heritage is composed of diverse races (African American, European, Native American, and quite honestly, who knows what else), the cultural aspect of my heritage, that which Ford and colleagues (2004) describe as …show more content…
Although occasionally asked “what exactly are you?” and more often than not, replying “human”, I view myself as an African American female working in a field that has been long dominated by white males. Viewing myself in this way definitely provides a lens when approaching my current work in mathematics teaching and my future work in teacher education and research. This lens is dominated by the idea that hard work is vital for goal achievement. This view is can be linked to my ancestors’ prosperity through farming, which is understood to be hard work, and my owner personal experiences (for example, have to overcome a college professors opinion that “people of your type typically don’t do mathematics”), which are understood to shape one’s beliefs and actions (Gay, 2010; Gutierrez & Rogoff,