Briaunna Savage's Review of Dr. Benjamin's Lecture

Dr. Benjamin discussed “Eloquence of the Scribes.” She also discussed initiation, expectations, and mastery of the scribes in order to continue the legacy of Howard University. A scribe is defined as a person who writes books or documents by hand as a profession. The ancestral meaning of a scribe is the representation of someone in the art of writing. Each royal estate had its own scribe. For example, there were scribes of the fields, scribes of cattle, and scribes of the warehouse. These scribes were very important because they were responsible for keeping up with the history of the royal estate. By studying history, we learn what to do and what not to do. We also learn the importance of our estate.
Howard University attempts to institutionalize its memory. The scribes of Howard University recorded not only the history of Howard, but also the history of black people. Because of these scribes we know the importance of our estate, and we know how to continue the legacy of Howard. Dr. Benjamin discussed the many important scribes, for which some of the university’s buildings are named.
Howard itself is named after General Otis Howard. The Administration building is named after the extremely important Mordecai Wyatt Johnson, who was the first black president of Howard. Some other important scribes include the following: Alain L. Locke, Isabel Burns, Jesse Mooreland, Arthur Spinjarn, Zora Neale Hurston, Lulu Vere Childers, Frederick Douglass, Ira Aldridge, Louis C. Cramton, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Prudence Crandall, etc. By bringing these very important people to my attention, Dr. Benjamin helped me to see the importance of Howard’s legacy. Because of all of these eloquent scribes, Howard University has a rich legacy that must be continued.