Alexandria Murphy

When deciding on adding a major in Africana Studies it really did have to do with deciding if I was going to understand my history and what it really means to be black. I am so ashamed that I do not know who I am and that it took me this long to realize that. I am, however, grateful that IUPUI offers a fantastic team of resources and professors that have helped not only me but others students of African descent tackle the questions, Who am I?, What is the history of those of African descent? and How do we restore the missing archive (documents, records, facts) of a population that was not considered human for hundreds of years? 

    This program promises to answers these questions in addition to having provoking conversations. This program is committing to showing what it was like for those of African descent to live a life of slavery, as well as allowing me to have the privilege to see the land that my ancestors lived on and how they saw the world. This program provides knowledge on how colonization affected Ghana which will allow me to be able to compare and contrast it to the United States of America's history of colonialization. Unpacking and Understanding what globalization looks like in Africa, and how it affects the world is a great insight into how this program will allow me to see the world differently from the continent of Africa.  As well as, the opportunity to explore my identities by visiting historical sites and learning about how women of color are developing in Ghana is the most rewarding experience that I can gain from this program. 

    As for my academics, this program broadens my knowledge on how African culture is different from American culture and how may that affect how Black Americans and Africans view each other. I am also majoring in political science. Political science courses have briefly explained how colonization has impacted the world in many different ways. Africana studies courses have revealed examples of how affected a certain culture and population of people. Using both of my degrees I will have the knowledge to try to tackle and identify colonization and see if there is resistance in Africa because of the fact that some parts of it are more colonized than others. Extracurricular activities such as, DEAP and MLEP, and being a senator for USG has given me a multitude of options in which I can use my platform to help bring awareness and knowledge that hopefully brings about change on our campus. As a social justice scholar, I facilitate conversations that provoke dialogue and conversation to students in an open space so that we can learning can happen.

    With long-term goals to become a civil rights lawyer, I want to be able to understand the law and advocate for changes if it does not work for all people. This experience will allow me to see through the lens of a different culture other than the united states. Being involved on campus has challenged me to have conversations and to communicate with others in an effective way that creates a learning environment that validates all student’s experiences. I go to events that make me uncomfortable because in order to understand multiculturalism is to be uncomfortable. These extracurricular and courses have prepared me to be willing to go to a different continent to learn and to be uncomfortable with not knowing the culture because once you are willing to go out of your comfort zone into someone else’s that is when change can truly begin.