English 212
2002 Second Paper
On Serendip

In creating a sex-ed curriculum for my group I think it would be ideal to use all the languages that are available. As discussed in previous conversations in class it seems as if using one language to try to carry across the full impact of a fully developed sexual being, would somehow fall short of the desired goal due to the restrictions of any individual language. Because of this my sources range from different time periods and focus. The sex-ed curriculum that I would use for my group starts with accepting ones self as a sexual being and realizing that like everything else sex has been around for thousands of years and is nothing new. With this ideal firmly in place it seems as if it would then be easier to talk about sex in a safe and open environment. Where people would be comfortable with their own individual sexuality and in turn, feel more comfortable with asking questions and making suggestions.
The books I picked for my curriculum were ""Sisters, Sexperts , Queers" : Beyond the Lesbian Nation" which was edited by Arlene Stein, "The Sexual Politics of Black Womanhood" an essay found in Patrica Hill Collins's "Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Conscience and the Politics of Empowerment", and "Stolen Women: Reclaiming Our Sexuality, Taking Back Our Lives" by Gail Elizabeth Wyatt .
These books and the essay deal with the problems facing women of color when it comes to their sexuality. "The Sexual Politics" and "Stolen Women" have the same general theme though the approach their points differently. While "Sexual Politics" digs through the historical foundations for perceptions and stereo types surrounding women of color through pornography and slavery, "Stolen Women" traces the foundation of how women of color in America view their bodies and their sexuality through behavioral trends and historical myths. Trough these books it is hoped that my group will gain a better prospective on how history affects our daily lives, our thought and how we seen or choose to be seen by others in society. In hopes of avoiding some of the damaging behaviors that have plagued us through the generations.
"Sisters, Sexperts, Queers", deals with an invisible community, the lesbian women of color. It brings a complex and usually underrepresented group to the foreground. The book shows the immense diverse community within another .Through the same lines that flow from "sexual Politics" and "Stolen Women", lesbian women of color are a practically inviable community. Patricia Hill Collins mentions in the essay I've chosen for my curriculum. It seems in a society that is generally homophobic and where women of color are seen as sexual objects rather that sexual beings the worst thing for a woman of color to be is a lesbian woman of color. This puts her in a compromising position, what little power she might have held is questioned. Collins goes on further to develop her theory on this constant power struggle that is bases in years of history.
The web sites I choose for the curriculum were mostly geared toward general health issues as well as sexual well being. They ranged from those who advertised as being mostly for teenagers to those who were aimed at an older audience. They were :

http://www.mysistahs.org/features/hiphop.htm

Mysistahs is aimed more towards the teenager , but it had very interesting and though provoking articles on todays culture. One that caught my attention was on the exploitation of women in todays popular Hip-Hop music.

http://www.blackwomenshealth.com/

This web-site is geared more toward women in their late twenties and older. It has a variety of forums available for health questions . Their topics range from alcoholism to breast cancer. This is be a resource for women of any age.

http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Health/TeenHealth/HSex/hsex.html

This site covers all the things that are found in Judith Levine's "Harmful to Minors" and then some. They take each of the topics such as outer course and take them a step further with examples.


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