Journal Entry 1- Dr. Joy DeGruy: Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome: Our class watched a Jubilee video on Dr. Joy DeGruy Leary talking about Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome. This video 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. The thing that 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. This exercise helped me think more deeply about how trauma, environment, and identity are connected to Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome. 

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Journal Entry 2- Debate on Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome: Our class held a debate on whether black people today are affected by Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome. Our teacher split us into two groups, each presenting a thesis and supporting it with examples and real life evidence. The debate helped me understand both sides: one focusing on generational trauma, and the other on how the environment can break the cycle. This activity strengthened my ability to, respond to opposing views, and think critically about identity, history, and personal experience. 

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​Journal Entry 3- We discussed Tony Medina’s I Am Alfonso Jones, a novel about police brutality, grief, resilience and remembrance. We examined how the story uses rememory—bringing the past into the present—to honor victims whose lives were lost. The discussion taught me 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 movement. 

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Journal Entry 4- Compare and Contrast Essay Edits: We worked on editing one of our classmates compare/contrast essays. I practiced organizing ideas, critiquing grammar errors, and making sure the person stays on topic. I also incorporated choosing strong points of connection, and using evidence to support my edits. Editing this paper helped me understand how to explain similarities and differences in a meaningful way. This exercise  strengthened my writing, critical thinking skills, and editing skills. 

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Journal Entry 5-  Brainstorming the Argument Paper:  We brainstormed ideas for our argument paper. We focused on forming a strong thesis statement and thinking about what evidence we could use to back up our thesis. 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.

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