Dr. Carr Presentation

Hello, My name is Shareef and I am a Freshman at Howard University, majoring in International Business with a minor in Arabic. I am a part of the Johnson group. On August 31, 2010 Dr. Carr gave an exciting presentation that uplifted the spirits and reassured the student’s motivation to research their history. Dr. Carr covered different vocabulary words of the ancient Egyptian language that used symbols to explain an idea or thought, i.e. Sedjem which means to Listen, Ma'at stating "truth", Medew Nefer "good speech", Seba or Sebayt "teach" or "teachings, and Sedi "educate." By the end of His speech he left the students with a very empowering statement that I feel should not be forgotten, "1.) Be present, on time and attentive, 2.) Read and write 3.) Do what you do so well that those who will come behind you will speak your name. I can remember Dr. Carr speaking Sankofa, which is a word that seemed to stand out to me. It is an Akan term that literally means, "To go back and get it." I believe, without ever seeing the picture, that it is a mythical bird flying forward with its head turned backward. The egg in its mouth represents the "gems" or knowledge of the past upon which wisdom is based; it also signifies the generation to come that would benefit from that wisdom. To break down this phrase, Dr.Carr said that "San" mean to return and "Fa" means to look back.As he describes it, the bird is looking back while holding its egg I believe. This egg symbolizes the "gems" or knowledge of the past upon which wisdom is based; it also signifies the generation to come that would benefit from that wisdom.