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Bildungsroman
Awakening to My Voice
Lessons in Self-Discovery from Childhood to Now
Finding My Voice
The Bible emphasizes honoring and respecting parents, and for most of my life, I took that very seriously. Verses like Ephesians 6:1 resonated with me: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” It fostered a sense of order and respect in our household.
However, in my Child Development class this semester, Professor Spicer, an African American woman like myself, opened my eyes to a different perspective. Her lectures, particularly the one on Kohlberg’s stages of moral development, struck a chord.
Kohlberg’s pre-conventional stage, observed between ages 2 and 7, is about following rules set by authority figures. We learn right from wrong but also begin asserting our individuality. This resonated with my childhood. While I understood respect, there wasn’t much room for open dialogue in my household. “Mama and Daddy’s word was law,” as the saying goes.
Unlike my classmates who laughed at anecdotes of childhood rebellion, a pang of sadness hit me. Growing up, expressing my own opinions or questioning decisions felt like a transgression. My voice, it seemed, held little weight.
