A scribe is a person who writes books by hand as a profession. In history scribes were usually employed by the government to help draft important documents. Although there were many scribes who had government oriented jobs, there were those who specialized in other specific fields. In today's lecture Dr. Benjamin discussed prominent scribes that Howard University has named their buildings after. She presented the information so that students could fully understand the richness and caliber of history that Howard University has.
One of the early scribes discussed was Oliver Otis Howard. He was a United States General and founder of Howard University. Howard was known for encouraging the education of former slaves and blacks in general. The school was incorporated by congress in 1867 and today Howard's home still remains on the University's campus.
The Harriet Tubman Quadrangle houses many Howard University female freshmen. The buildings are named after Prudence Crandall, Phillis Wheatley, Lucy Diggs Slowe, and Julia S. Caldwell-Frazier. Before the lecture I did not know that Crandall was a woman who opened a school for young ladies that welcomed girls of color in the 1830s'. Unfortunately the school was closed due to great controversy. It is women like Crandall who continuously inspire Howard students and especially Howard women to value education and the lengths that people had to go for us to receive an education today.
The Administration Building is named after the eloquent scribe Mordecai Johnson. He is well-known for being the 11th President of Howard University and more importantly the first African American one. Johnson was responsible for getting the college annual funding from congress.
There are other buildings on Howard's campus that are named after profound scribes that I did not mention. The one's that I did describe are only used to give a general idea of the history here on our campus. These historic scribes continue to motivate students with their great accomplishments.
-Kaylynn Webb
A scribe is a person who writes books or documents by hand as a profession, and helps the city keep track of its records. The work would involve copying books, including sacred texts, or secretarial and administrative duties such as taking dictation, along with judicial and historical records for kings, nobility, temples, and cities. Though the status of this profession is not as important in today’s era with electronic technology, scribes remain forever present. In this week’s lecture, Dr. Benjamin discussed Howard University and the scribes who impacted its growth. She presented the information as a way for students to understand the rich history they are exposed to on a daily basis while attending the University.
ReplyDeleteBenjamin examined the various buildings on Howard’s campus and detailed the works of those whom she considered to be quintessential examples of eloquent scribes. Douglass Hall was named after Frederick Douglass. Douglass was considered to be one of the most prominent African American writer and speaker of his time. He was also one of the foremost leaders of the abolitionist movement. The publishing of his autobiography won him world fame, and two years later he began publishing an antislavery paper called the North Star.
The biology building was named after Ernest Everett Just. Just was a pioneering African American biologist and science writer. His legacy was his recognition of the fundamental role of the cell surface in the development of organisms. Because of this, he advocated for the study of whole cells under normal conditions, rather than in a laboratory setting. Just was also one of the founding members of Omega Psi Phi.
There are many more buildings and eloquent scribes that have not been mentioned, but the few who were are just a taste of the overall distinction of Howard University. The history of our campus is diverse and plentiful, and we can thank the scribes before us for creating an environment where students are continually motivated by their legacy.
In this week’s lecture, entitled “The Eloquence of the Scribes (Initiation, Expectations and Mystery – Continuing the Legacy of Howard University)” Dr. Tritobia H. Benjamin shed light on a number of great scribes that continue to influence us today through their work. A scribe is a person who writes or copies books as well as keeps records. The art was generally practiced before the invention of the printing press and was key factor in the distribution of literature and in turn, knowledge. In areas like Egypt and Europe, these were very important and prestigious positions, however now the position has taken on a new meaning: Describing those that have left a legacy and opportunity of learning.
ReplyDeleteThe first of many scribes and scholars that Dr. Benjamin discussed in this week’s lecture was General Oliver Otis Howard. He was one the founders of Howard University and is the man after which it is named. He promoted the education of slaves and started this University for the education of all races. She also detailed the accomplishments of Mordecai Wyatt Johnson, the first African American president of Howard University, and why the administration building is named after him. She then proceeded to list all of the scribes that the buildings are named after and detail their work as scribes. This list included but was not limited to Inabel Burns Lindsay, Alaine Leroy Locke, Lulu Vere Childers, Charles R. Drew, Frederick Douglass, and Sojourner Truth. This lecture showed me that those scribes before us, whether it was literature, science, or freedom they fought for, all left behind opportunity.