Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Haley Scholars (Group 5) Benefits & Challenges reading short stories

[Haley Reading Groups Spring 2022]

This semester, we read five stories -- "The Finkelstein 5," "The Era," "Zimmer Land," "Friday Black," "In Retail" -- by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah from his collection Friday Black

The stories gave us a wide range of situations and circumstances to consider. A scenario where black folks seek brutal vengeance. A future society where humans removed emotions. An amusement park where people role play racist, deadly acts. And more.  
 
We're interested in getting a sense of the benefits and challenges from reading stories or participating in a program like this. 

1. What did you view as one main benefit of reading the stories -- the subject matter, the kinds of stories, the opportunity to read comments about stories from peers, something else? 
 
2. What did you find most challenging about reading the stories -- the subject matter, understanding what was happening in the stories, the length of the stories, finding the time to read with your busy schedule, something else? 

44 comments:

Anonymous said...

The most rewarding and beneficial part of reading stories like this is see others experiences. We are not all the same we all experience different situations good and bad. The challenging part of reading stories like these was that even though the stories were exaggerated, things like these happen in reality.

-Anozha Singletary

Gabriel Scott said...

the main benefit from these stories was the kind of stories I was able to read, it was interesting to see what kind of stories people could make . the most challenging part about the stories was finding the time to read them since sometimes the stories would be long.
-Gabriel Scott

Anjel Vela said...

The main benefit from reading the stories was finding different perspectives through the blog posts. It was very insightful to see how other people branched their ideas beyond what we had read on the pages assigned. Seeing a lot of connections and symbolism into the real world

ArTerrious Thorpe said...

I found the Beni fit of reading stories expressed in a different manner. Considering they were different some stories were hard to understand and required additional reading.

Ayanna Townsend said...

1. The main benefit that I gained after reading each of those stories was getting numerous perspectives of the various ways that people might encounter discrimination or racism in our society. Another thing that I liked was the creativity of each of the stories that the author created for his audience, each story was something different and had a very interesting plot for the characters within the story.

2. However, the most challenging part about reading each of these stories was reading the traumatic incidences that each of the characters endured.

-Ayanna T.

A’nya Wilkes said...

1. The main benefit I gained from reading these stories is enjoying the overall social commentary of our society. I feel like the stories were so unique and out the box, but still had their own story to tell.

2. I feel like the most difficult part of reading these stories were how they ended. A lot of them left me feeling unsatisfied. I feel like a lot of the stories in themselves could have been books. Sometimes I just wanted more from the stories.

Sarai WB said...

The main benefit I gained from reading these stories is it can relate to real life, people go through some of the similar situations. Getting many perspective really makes you think that while many go through things, perspective really can make a difference in a story.
The most difficult part of reading is really trying to find time to read, i work out of the 4 days that I have classes, and on the day I don't work I have class pretty much all day. By the time I want to read I'm burnt out from the day.
-Sarai WB

Kailiah W. said...

The main benefit of reading a story like this is to read and dissect the authors' thought process as they write. I think this story showcases how everyone endures their own unique experiences. The challenging part of reading a story like this is knowing that these situations actually happen frequently in real life.

Kailiah Williams said...

The main benefit of reading a story like this is to read and dissect the authors' thought process as they write. I think this story showcases how everyone endures their own unique experiences. The challenging part of reading a story like this is knowing that these situations actually happen frequently in real life.

Aerin T. said...

The m9ost beneficial thing for me was being able to read other perspectives on these exaggerated but also very real stories. The most challenging thing for me was trying to understand what was going on in the stories at first. It always felt like I was starting in the middle of the story.

Jayla Walker said...

1. I think the main benefit I gained from reading these stories was the kinds of stories because I found that the stores were all unique. They interested me in ways of their own and kept me intrigued. Also, they were extremely eye opening and some were even relatable. I enjoyed not only the creativity put into the stories but also the plots of each. I also enjoyed being able to share this experience with my peers.

2. Honestly, the thing I found most challenging was the time to complete some of the readings. But other than that, the only challenge I had with the stories alone is the fact that the incidents written into the stories happen in the real life.

Damien W said...

1. One of the main benefits of reading these stories were being able to read the comments of my pears and getting their input on the readings.

2. They wasnt any difficulties reading these stories. Sometime when I submitted the answers to the questions it wouldn’t go through and I would have to re-submit it.

Starteese.S said...

The most beneficial part about reading these stories were reading about different life experiences and scenario's that I could learn from. I found it challenging to read every single story all the way through just because of how much time I had which was not much.

Me-Na S. said...

1) one main benefit of reading the stories is the storytelling if other people's experience and them sharing their personal thoughts, solutions and they handle these situations in their life.

2)what I found most challenging about reading the stories would be the flow of some of the stories didn't quite connect until you kept reading but at some point, you would be confused the moments of reading for example reading "Friday black" there were moments I didn't quite understand so I was lost a little until I kept reading as appose to not understanding some stories "in retail" had a well put together story and it flowed smoothly.

Madison Wilkins said...

1. The one main benefit of reading these short stories is that I got the opportunity to open my horizon for different types of readings and it was interesting reading my peers' opinions about these stories as well.

2. What I found to be most challenging is my time management reading these stories. My work load in my classes increased and I found little time to read these stories fully to get a better understanding of the true meanings.

Sandy Stokes said...

One main benefit for me was it came me different perspectives to think about and what I found most challenging was how real some of these stories are or can be because of how the world is set up.

Deaunzze T said...

The main benefit for me was that I got to see other experiences and see other students' thoughts. The challenge for me was remembering to read the stories and doing the assignments. I often forgot about them and did them late.

Madisen Wilkins said...

1. The main benefit for me from reading these stories was just being able to read the different types of stories that were presented. Normally in many stories I have read none that ever really revolved around what these stories present which is what helped me enjoy reading the story.
2. What I found most challenging about these stories on the other hand was the subject matter of the stories. Even though the stories I read kept me interested, they were still a bit disturbing to me, especially the ones that revolved around a black person such as The Finkelstein or the one with the amusement part. They remind me that even though it is presented as a story, there is still a good chance, unless it already had, that it can occur in reality.
Madisen Wilkins

Damen Ward said...

The main benefit I’ve received while reading these stories, is the information and interest. Each tale gave me a new perspective to look at and each provided ethical situations. The kinds of stories has interested me as well, some pertaining to African American culture and history. Something I found challenging about the readings was sometimes forgetting to read material on time and sometimes rushing to finish the assignment at the last minute. -Damen Ward

Kehajana Tallie said...

The main benefit from reading the stories are reading everyone's comments. I loved reading about what other people have to say. Something that I found most challenging was that some of the readings were so short. I wanted to read more about some stories but they ended so quickly.

Sealaya Washington said...

I think something that was both beneficial and challenging would be how similar to reality the stories are. There are some traumatic events that take place in the stories or saddening situations that we live through every day as Black Americans and there is something to learn or take in every story.

Niobe Young said...


1.One main benefit I got from reading the stories were how funny some of them were especially the Friday black story where the customers are depicted as zombie like and the retail associates not really caring or having empathy for what happens and who dies.

2. I think what I found most challenging was that since some of the stories are a bit shorter it was easier to keep pushing back the date to personally turning it in but besides that I enjoyed reading the stories they were interesting and seemed pretty relevant to our culture now.

DeAndre W. said...

The benefit of these stories is exposing people to realistic situations from different perspective and getting them to think about instances in their lives that may relate or expose them to situations they may have never experienced

There weren’t really any challenges for me

Brandon Wiles said...

1. The most beneficial part of reading these stories was seeing the brutal creativity of this author. Reading these stories provided an interesting look at how people in society are and how far they will go for their own selfish reasons.  
2. The challenging part of these stories was understanding them at times. The creativity that the stories were written with was at times confusing and had me thinking one thing was something it wasn’t. For instance when I was reading “Friday Black” I thought the stories were about a zombie apocalypse or some monster fantasy. Just to then realize it's actually talking about crazy ravenous people trailing others to get what they wanted on Black Friday.

Devin Willis said...

1. I found reading my peer's comments interesting for this assignment, and the different kinds of stories I read in this book.

2. The most challenging part of this assignment was staying consistent with the reading and finding time for it with all the classes and work I have.

Unknown said...


I think one of the main benefits of reading these stories was the realism that each one of them had as the they opened my eye to many scenarios that has or will happen.


I think the most challenging part of these stories for me was finding enough time to read them as I was caught up between schoolwork and sports.

-Jonah Wolfe

DeMarco Smith said...

I would say the most beneficial part of reading these stories was seeing others perspectives of the story because sometimes people would say something about a certain part of the story and I hadn't looked at it from that angle.

I think the most challenging part part of these stories is to find time to read it on top of other things going on with school.

-DeMarco Smith

Erin Myers said...

Britney Wallace said...
One main benefit I found from reading the stories was seeing how closely the plots of the stories aligned to many situations and events in everyday society; it helped draw closer awareness to specific racial issues. The most challenging aspect of reading these stories was seeing how some events such as the ones in "The Finkelstein 5”, could one day become a reality.
- Britney Wallace

April 28, 2022 at 3:49 PM
(originally posted to https://www.culturalfront.org/2022/04/haley-scholars-group-4-challenge.html)

Erin Myers said...

Leea S. said...
I found "In Retail" the most enjoyable and interesting because I could really relate to a lot of it. I think what was challenging about it was how real and true it was.

April 29, 2022 at 11:39 AM
(Originally posted to https://www.culturalfront.org/2022/04/haley-scholars-group-4-challenge.html)

Erin Myers said...

Jordan W. said...
1. In a sentence, which story did you most enjoy and why?

I would say that I enjoyed the retail story the most because it gave me a perspective of what it really is like to work in retail for people. I have been in food services since I started working so I never knew anything about retail as much.

2. What did you view as one main challenge in reading the stories?

I view one of the most challenges is the way that the author made some of the stories because I'm not used to reading this kind of genre.

April 29, 2022 at 12:12 PM
(Originally posted to https://www.culturalfront.org/2022/04/haley-scholars-group-4-challenge.html)

Erin Myers said...

Unknown said...
The story I found the most interesting was "Friday Black" because of how relatable it was to the real world. On Black Friday it does seem like we are in an apocalypse because everyone is going crazy and acting like it's the end of the world if they didn't what they wanted. My challenge was reading the stories and seeing African American people going through struggles worse than others and having to deal with it daily in many different ways.

-Sydney Witherspoon

April 30, 2022 at 12:08 AM
(Originally posted to https://www.culturalfront.org/2022/04/haley-scholars-group-4-challenge.html)

Erin Myers said...

Nikiyah T.:

1. one main benefit from reading the stories is I gained insight into other people's experiences when it comes to being a person of color. a lot of the stories shocked me.

2. one of the things I found most challenging about the stories was the lengths and some of the topics in the stories.

Calviana S. said...

What I found most difficult about the book is how deep everything was written. It almost seemed as if it was graphic while reading. Although this would be a tough book for some I feel like everyone should read it. The beneficial aspect would be the eye opening I feel like this book was to me as it would be to others.

Unknown said...

One main benefit of reading the stories was the subject matter. Often times, black literature can be overlooked for being unapologetically black. These are the kinds of stories that don't get read in english class too much in high school. I appreciate being able to expand my knowledge. What I found most challenging is the same as most beneficial- the subject matter. It is really heavy, and can take a toll on your psyche.

- Jaisha Sims

Erin Myers said...

Zaria W.:

I think the main benefit of reading these stories was simply being able to read short stories and to be able to read about experiences from the black point of view. It's not often anymore in this generation where we get to read books that are truly interesting and that aren't nonfiction and describe the black experience. At a certain age, it seems like recreational reading stops or becomes completely digital.
The obstacles that I faced most were finding the motivation to actually pick up the book and start reading, as well as the actual plots of the stories. Some of the storylines were quite triggering. The author is extremely talented and the stories were very well put together and unique, however it was hard to read because it was so depressing.

Erin Myers said...

Heaven W.:

1. The main benefit I got from these stories are that I was able to read them, and understand the author. The stories was real life situations and each story had interesting plots.
2. The most challenging part about reading the book is knowing that the author is realating to real life. Most of these situations are happening in real life. Which is very sad to me.

Erin Myers said...

Preston W.:

The most rewarding and beneficial part of this entire reading was to see the realism and connection between the real world and his stories. It seemed as if there was a direct correlation, from his inspiration from worldy topics to his stories and it made them easier to relate to them.

But the most challenging part however was to really think outside the boxafter you read it to read between the lines and to dig further into what he is trying to say.

Janelle W said...

I feel the most benifical part of how relatible most of the stories were. I really gave me a chance to connect on a deeper lever with the reading and get a god understnading of whats ging on and emotions perterated in these short stories

the most challenging was just tryin to find time to read and make a blog posts because i was dealing with so much at the time i couldn't really make this a prority.

Erin Myers said...

Shaniah R.:

One of the main benefits that I viewed from reading the stories was being able to see through the writer's eyes and see how it felt to be there in that moment. Also, I love reading stories that I can relate to and the last one about the high school girl was very fascinated and an interesting read. It felt good to see other comments from my peers and see if the same thing stood out to them too or if they found the same thing interesting that I did. Sometimes it was challenging to find the time to read during the week but I would always take out about 30 minutes of my day usually before I start my homework to read and leave comments.

Erin Myers said...

Xavier S.:

1. I would say the main benefit I had reading these stories was that they helped broadened my view on certain topics. Whether that be some of the horrifying concepts of the era or the unfortunate reality of Zimmerland.
2. The biggest challenges I had with reading the stories were grasping a few concepts, I occasionally had to reread a few stories to fully understand them. Also, finding the time to read some of the stories since that towards the latter half of this semester classes required more of my time and some scheduling conflicts happened.

Erin Myers said...

Xavier S.:

1. I would say the main benefit I had reading these stories was that they helped broadened my view on certain topics. Whether that be some of the horrifying concepts of the era or the unfortunate reality of Zimmerland.
2. The biggest challenges I had with reading the stories were grasping a few concepts, I occasionally had to reread a few stories to fully understand them. Also, finding the time to read some of the stories since that towards the latter half of this semester classes required more of my time and some scheduling conflicts happened.

Caleb W. said...

1. I feel like the main benefit of reading these stories were the subject matter.
2.The thing I felt that was challenging about the stories was understanding what was going on.

Anonymous said...


I feel like the main benefit of reading these stories were to educate us on the matter
And The thing I felt that was challenging about the stories was understanding fully what was going on in the situations and what’s the proper reaction

Erin Myers said...

Ty'Ria R.:

The most rewarding part of the story was learning about other peoples expirences. I think that It was intresting to see that stories that were made. The most challenging thing for me was finding time to read the different stories and anyalzing the stories.