CULTURAL BIOGRAPHY
Cultural Biography
Deadrea J. Miller
Karen Watkins, Ph.D., LMSW
Georgia State University
CULTURAL BIOGRAPHY
Abstract
This cultural biography is a snippet of the personal life experiences of Deadrea Miller and how
she structured in positionality, family culture, culture awareness, and intersectionality. The
journey releases own principles, values, morals and beliefs and how they shape her perception. It
also reveals her social surrounding, upbringing and ways of life as best and yet limited regarding
diversity.
Positionality
As the offspring of a Pentecostal Pastor and Bishop, I was "positioned and privileged" with
power and to receive preferential treatment, favors or conditions by the Church, Community,
School and from external families. By the nature of my dads position, it stabilized his children
placing, and created social networking often active. There were drawbacks as well; the
stereotyping had an impact both internally and externally throughout adolescent years.
Positionality can result in individuals not seen in capabilities of their measures and causing
invisible identities. While the favoritism was high, the privilege or power granted with being a
preachers daughter never abused or used to take advantage or manipulated others. Often the
opportunities were used to help the others who was less fortunate. Author Peggy McKintosh
describes positioning and privilege as an invisible, weightless backpack of special provisions,
roadmaps, passport, codebook, visa, clothes, tools and blank checks. From a young age,
learning the recognition of ones power and authority had an impact on people self-worth.
Family Culture
As part of an African-American middle-class family that prides itself with rich culture, history,
and heritage, we can sustain the legacy from one generation to the next. Reared through the civil
-right era, generational prejudices, biases, religious beliefs and social class indifferences towards
other groups, there is a clear understanding of the five faces of oppression. In1960, the entire
Nation undergoes a metamorphosis. My father, a Pastor, and mother, a Cosmetologist, moved
into a White, middle-class neighborhood around 1964. Our maternal grandparents, activists, were
the dominant imagery for our family. Grandfather would bring my grandmother to our home in
the early hours of the morning, and she would prepare breakfast and walk my siblings and me to
grammar school. Grandmother was a very strict disciplinarian, loving, and parabolic. My
grandfather, a handsome man, was a great voice of power, Tuskegee airmen and civic leader, a
lover of baseball and the family's pillar of strength, the glue that held everyone together. He was
the person that outer family members came to for wisdom, advice or help because he mastered
oppression. Our paternal grandparents, were domestic engineers, always working odd jobs.
Both maternal and paternal grandparents belong to several Black organizations, lodges, and
social clubs. The family culture is full of activism, military, religion, and educational
experiences. The beliefs and practices of my parents and grandparents had a significant impact
on me as an individual. Grandfather, father, and mother were the sole source and impartation to
my self-perception and worldview. Throughout life, dad echoed: your identity comes with a
purpose and with purpose comes change.- Make a difference in life.
CULTURAL BIOGRAPHY
Cultural Awareness Inventory
Joining the military was the greatest decision made for cultural awareness. This decision opened
new a world from one that was embedded black or white. It gave a new set of lens to view
people differently. The tours of duties, centered around foreign countries and customs. Years of
seeing and hearing the shades of black or white, it was refreshing to embrace diverse groups of
people and cultures. Traveling and experiencing various cultures heighten social and cultural
awareness and giving a greater appreciation for other backgrounds, belief systems and way of
life.
Intersectionality
First culture awareness and intersectionality took place in the military from the start of boot
camp and moving forward 20 years. Always placed in unique roles as the first black, the first
black female, the first black female high ranking, the first black female high ranking paratrooper
in an all-male unit, yet, made invisible within the premises. The placing lead to periodic sexual
harassment encounters, gender slurs, mission discrimination, the respect for the authority of the
rank and position from male counterparts. At times, it was unbearable to report in for duty.
Intersectionality affects all vulnerable populations and groups with racism, sexism, heterosexism,
classism, and ableism.
The stabilized upbringing and unique life experiences have developed and shaped the patterns of
behaviors and attitudes about life, people and culture. This journey has also strengthened the
compassion and admiration of others outside the circle of influence. As a social worker, the client
can feel at ease knowing a mutual understanding his or her culture is respected and received. The
various travel left an imprint for cultural awareness, and without fail, future social work practice
can cross-over ethnic, cultural and denominational boundaries effectively.
CULTURAL BIOGRAPHY
References Cited:
McKintosh, P. (n.d.). Peggy McKintosh. Retrieved from
http://quoteaddicts.com/author/peggy-mcintosh:
http://quoteaddicts.com/author/peggy-mcintosh
