“The White Problem in American Studies” was an illuminating experience for me. Before I came to Cornell I had a lot of ideas about why some people were rich and others poor, and I think it’s easiest to dismiss poorness as a consequence of laziness and stupidity. I never realized the role our society and government’s infrastructure played in keeping some people “down.” I liked the way the article started by mentioning Richard Wright’s inversion of the question of the “Negro problem” instead as a “white problem.” I’ve heard this phrase (Negro problem) used so many times before and never really thought about what it means to call a group in our society a problem. By shifting the focus from whites to blacks, white supremacy and power goes largely unnoticed while black poverty is magnified. Until now, I never thought that the best way to help blacks equalize with whites was to reform white society.
I liked how Lipsitz used some historical context to show how Americans came to be somewhat calloused to exploiting people starting back in colonial times with the Indians. This continuing trend unfortunately seems engrained in our national character and persists today⎯especially evident in Bush’s idea to erect a massive wall to remedy the “Mexican problem.” One thing that really surprised me was that Lipsitz points out how some of the New Deal acts excluded workers from coverage and channeled benefits primarily to whites. Learning about the New Deal junior year I always saw it as tremendously positive because this sort of underlying bias is never presented in the text book. Furthermore, the information concerning real estate was really shocking to think that this is going on today. I guess the best way to solve of these bias issues (besides enacting legislation which of course would be most effective) would be simply to bring awareness. In fact after I read this I posted my idea for a show on the Tyra Banks website.
Especially when Lipsitz talks about the issue of seniority in the workplace I can definitely see how blacks have had a really tough time recovering from all the restrictions put on them, not only during slave times but also in the years that followed. I’ve always been in favor of affirmative action. But at the same time one thing I have to mention is the fact that my grandparents were very poor immigrants who were Italian living in Boston and discriminated against. Yet one generation later, my dad was able to be economically much more successful than them without benefiting form any sort of affirmative action programs. But maybe comparing my family to blacks, who obviously suffered a lot more persecution, isn’t fair.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
So this week I finished Black Boy. In class we talked about the second part and some people didn’t really think it connected. I have to admit I didn’t enjoy the Horror and the Glory quite as much as Southern Night probably because it lacked that certain shock quality inherent in the violence and pronounced repression of the first part. But for me I definitely like the book better with the second part included. Had the book ended after Southern Night it would have seemed too hopeful to be realistic. I guess it would be easy to believe that in the North Richard could find what he was looking for and be happy and fulfilled. The second part of the novel demonstrates the imperfection in the world, the need for continuing change, and also personally I found part two more modern and more relatable.
One thing that struck me as interesting was on page 272 in Black Boy when Wright declares, “Culturally the Negro represents a paradox: Though he is an organic part of the nation, he is excluded by the entire tide and direction of American culture.” I never really thought about how strange it is that whites more or less tried to keep a whole group of people who had been part of the nation⎯ before even the massive flood of immigrants⎯ from impacting American culture. This isn’t entirely unique to the Africans though it was probably most pronounced in their case. I’ve read accounts of how ostracized immigrants (especially Chinese and Italians) were by white Protestants. I guess this goes back to the theme of otherness we were discussing. It seems like people are always looking to isolate a group and probably due to the color of their skin blacks were most easily distinguishable and thus most readily isolated.
I liked Wright’s use of parentheses in the second part. Normally parentheses enclose information that is not entirely essential to the reader’s understanding but in this case they were where the core of Wright’s ideas were located. It was as though the autobiography stopped and he stepped in and talked to readers from the perspective of a well educated, experienced adult with an important message to get across.
Another important passage is on page 281 when Richard decides, “ I felt that it was unfair that my lack of a few pounds of flesh should deprive me of a chance at a good job, but I had long ago emotionally rejected the world in which I lived and my reaction was: Well, this is the system by which people want the world to run…” So Richard realizes the cold, mechanical world and accepts it for what it is rather than wanting to change it. I think that though this seems like such a hopeless realization, readers may actually be inspired to want to change this element of our world. To some extent, I think the change is already occurring. For instance, I know when my parents applied to college their wasn’t emphasis on an essay instead it was grades and test scores that counted most. Now however activities and experiences factor into admission. Sadly, I think a lot of people feel as though they must accept the world for what it is. I don’t know if this is unique to my generation but I think its really important to chose some issue to be passionate about because if everyone did then the world would be always progressing but not radically, or chaotically.
Richard also talks about when he worked in the institute and saw the students getting instruction in mathematics and chemistry and felt as though he was looking into the world of another race. The image of the starched white nurses and the old, fat black girls walking behind them reminds me of some weird futuristic society where people would be separated in such a distinct and arbitrary manner and then I remember that this was actually and almost unfathomably in our past. I can’t begin to comprehend how enraging it must have been to be forced to live in a world not your own.
For me, the most memorable image of this book is of the white doctor slitting the vocal cords of the dog and then the dog looking up at the moon in a silent wail. This silent suffering so closely mirrors the blacks that are silenced violently by the whites who barely give any thought to what they’re doing. Finally, when the animals get loose in the lab Richard wants to tell the whites but fears the repercussions. Thus, the whites treat the workers like children and in doing so only harm themselves because it means they can’t really on the
One thing that struck me as interesting was on page 272 in Black Boy when Wright declares, “Culturally the Negro represents a paradox: Though he is an organic part of the nation, he is excluded by the entire tide and direction of American culture.” I never really thought about how strange it is that whites more or less tried to keep a whole group of people who had been part of the nation⎯ before even the massive flood of immigrants⎯ from impacting American culture. This isn’t entirely unique to the Africans though it was probably most pronounced in their case. I’ve read accounts of how ostracized immigrants (especially Chinese and Italians) were by white Protestants. I guess this goes back to the theme of otherness we were discussing. It seems like people are always looking to isolate a group and probably due to the color of their skin blacks were most easily distinguishable and thus most readily isolated.
I liked Wright’s use of parentheses in the second part. Normally parentheses enclose information that is not entirely essential to the reader’s understanding but in this case they were where the core of Wright’s ideas were located. It was as though the autobiography stopped and he stepped in and talked to readers from the perspective of a well educated, experienced adult with an important message to get across.
Another important passage is on page 281 when Richard decides, “ I felt that it was unfair that my lack of a few pounds of flesh should deprive me of a chance at a good job, but I had long ago emotionally rejected the world in which I lived and my reaction was: Well, this is the system by which people want the world to run…” So Richard realizes the cold, mechanical world and accepts it for what it is rather than wanting to change it. I think that though this seems like such a hopeless realization, readers may actually be inspired to want to change this element of our world. To some extent, I think the change is already occurring. For instance, I know when my parents applied to college their wasn’t emphasis on an essay instead it was grades and test scores that counted most. Now however activities and experiences factor into admission. Sadly, I think a lot of people feel as though they must accept the world for what it is. I don’t know if this is unique to my generation but I think its really important to chose some issue to be passionate about because if everyone did then the world would be always progressing but not radically, or chaotically.
Richard also talks about when he worked in the institute and saw the students getting instruction in mathematics and chemistry and felt as though he was looking into the world of another race. The image of the starched white nurses and the old, fat black girls walking behind them reminds me of some weird futuristic society where people would be separated in such a distinct and arbitrary manner and then I remember that this was actually and almost unfathomably in our past. I can’t begin to comprehend how enraging it must have been to be forced to live in a world not your own.
For me, the most memorable image of this book is of the white doctor slitting the vocal cords of the dog and then the dog looking up at the moon in a silent wail. This silent suffering so closely mirrors the blacks that are silenced violently by the whites who barely give any thought to what they’re doing. Finally, when the animals get loose in the lab Richard wants to tell the whites but fears the repercussions. Thus, the whites treat the workers like children and in doing so only harm themselves because it means they can’t really on the
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Post # 3
What really struck me about this week’s readings was the question of black humanity. On page 184 in Black Boy Richard talks about the problem of acting human around whites “I would remember to dissemble for short periods, then I would forget and act straight and human again, not with the desire to harm anybody, but merely forgetting the artificial status of race and class.” So basically Richard concludes that in order to stay out of trouble he must act inhuman, like an object. Whites hate independence in blacks and probably hate indications of humanity (laughter, sadness, etc.) because the only way they could continue to treat blacks as less than human would be to juvenilize and trivialize the humanity of the blacks. And eventually they seem to succeed at suppressing the emotions that make Richard human. Richard decides he had “developed, slowly, and painfully, a capacity to contain it within myself without betraying it to any” (he’s talking about his tension, his nervousness around the whites). The self-discipline the blacks had was astounding. But I looked up online the average life expectancy for blacks and whites and discovered that whites have always lived longer on average than blacks (at least in this country). I’m sure there are economical reasons for this but I suspect that bottling up emotions to an insane degree must create such a terrible stress on a person that they can’t possibly be as healthy as a person who can live more freely.
When I first was reading Black Boy I hated Richard’s family for the way they beat him almost without reason (similar to how the whites threw a glass bottle at Richard because he didn’t use the word “sir”). I felt like there was something lacking in these adults⎯it seems almost inhuman to beat a mere child and chastise him for just existing (such as when his mother slaps him for asking so many questions). But the I remembered that I had seen on T.V this housing development a very wealthy black man was putting together in New York City. He allowed poor black families to rent brownstones for really low rates and provided them with a community center and some other useful services. What he found was that these parents had no idea how to raise their children so gave new parents counseling when their children were first born and realized this was the only way to break the cycle of physical abuse handed down from one generation to the next. So I guess I look at the adults with pity rather than contempt because they really didn’t know any better⎯a sense of morality has to be learned from some place.
When I first was reading Black Boy I hated Richard’s family for the way they beat him almost without reason (similar to how the whites threw a glass bottle at Richard because he didn’t use the word “sir”). I felt like there was something lacking in these adults⎯it seems almost inhuman to beat a mere child and chastise him for just existing (such as when his mother slaps him for asking so many questions). But the I remembered that I had seen on T.V this housing development a very wealthy black man was putting together in New York City. He allowed poor black families to rent brownstones for really low rates and provided them with a community center and some other useful services. What he found was that these parents had no idea how to raise their children so gave new parents counseling when their children were first born and realized this was the only way to break the cycle of physical abuse handed down from one generation to the next. So I guess I look at the adults with pity rather than contempt because they really didn’t know any better⎯a sense of morality has to be learned from some place.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Post #2
I’ve often thought about the tragedies and struggles of past generations and how unfortunate it would be to live in a time when you can’t even be in charge of your own happiness. I guess I kind of think our generation takes for granted the rights we have and the chance to shape our own destiny. I can’t even begin to imagine how it would have been to be black back in the times of Du Bois. “Of the Coming of John” spoke to me because it highlighted the cost of this repression on individuals whose identities were shaped not by their personal choices but more so by the restrictions that society placed on them. John’s once carefree outlook is abruptly transformed as he begins to realize the true nature of the world he lives in. He becomes cold and methodical perhaps because he realizes this is the only way he can bring about desperately needed change. Though he is obviously unhappy and living a life of duty to others, John remarks to his sister that he is still glad he gained a more realistic impression of the world prompting her to wish she too was "unhappy". Maybe it's part of human nature to be self-sacrificing but I can’t help but feel bad that John has to struggle so hard against people like the Judge who were born with the rights and opportunities he seeks and yet still take them or granted enough to dismiss John’s desire for a better life.
Making Whiteness reminded me of a show Tyra Banks did called “Focus on Race”. She examined what is considered beautiful by Asians, Hispanics, blacks, and whites. Despite some discrepancies in each race’s image of ideal beauty, most of the guests seemed to find the same characteristics extolled by the media as beautiful. I think our idea of attractiveness is being constantly molded and impacted by the images we encounter in daily life. For instance, my grandma would never think Beyonce was beautiful because she grew up trained to believe white small features were attractive.
Making Whiteness draws much needed attention to the “culture of segregation”⎯the manipulation of images and subsequently of mind-sets. And it asks the interesting question of what would America be without its black component. I’m interested to see how Hale addresses this issue. I feel like part of our national character was almost defined in the early part of the 20th century by hating blacks and using them as a way to define white virtues.
Making Whiteness reminded me of a show Tyra Banks did called “Focus on Race”. She examined what is considered beautiful by Asians, Hispanics, blacks, and whites. Despite some discrepancies in each race’s image of ideal beauty, most of the guests seemed to find the same characteristics extolled by the media as beautiful. I think our idea of attractiveness is being constantly molded and impacted by the images we encounter in daily life. For instance, my grandma would never think Beyonce was beautiful because she grew up trained to believe white small features were attractive.
Making Whiteness draws much needed attention to the “culture of segregation”⎯the manipulation of images and subsequently of mind-sets. And it asks the interesting question of what would America be without its black component. I’m interested to see how Hale addresses this issue. I feel like part of our national character was almost defined in the early part of the 20th century by hating blacks and using them as a way to define white virtues.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Entry #1
I’m currently undecided in the college of Arts and Sciences. In high school most of the classes I took were humanities courses such as international relations, history, government etc. Senior year I ended up taking AP Chemistry really only because I liked the teacher and a number of my friends were in the class. Even though I had never thought I liked science, I didn’t mind chemistry nearly as much as I thought I would and actually even enjoyed it at times. Consequently, I decided to take a science class my first semester at Cornell. I decided on Introduction to Botany since I’m into gardening and I figured it would be good to know more about the mechanics of plant life. My other classes are Introduction to American Studies, and Plagues and People.
I grew up in Cohasset Massachusetts, which is a small, coastal, almost entirely white town. Most people in Cohasset are upper middle-class Republicans who like the beach and the Red Sox. There was almost no diversity at my high school; the two or three blacks students in each grade were part of this METCO program where inner city students were given the chance to attend a suburban school. I liked Cohasset and I liked growing up there but at the same time there wasn’t very much to do there so I guess I’m happy to have gone someplace bigger.
In terms of interests and hobbies, I ran track throughout high school and even though I’m not on any sports teams here, I still like to run for leisure. I also like to shop, see movies, go to the beach, and hang out with friends.
Writing well means being concise but still making a point. I hate it when I have to read a book or an essay for a class that is convoluted and confusing. One of my favorite books is Brave New World because it just as such a natural flow to it⎯it bothers me when I have to keep re-reading a page just to understand it. Also, good writing makes some argument so when you come to the end of it you feel like there was some value in what you just read. Even though I’d like to think that I value what an author has to say the most, I’m still really impressed by sophisticated language and clever witticisms. It was my experience in high school that sometimes (even though I don’t necessarily think this is right) even if an author doesn’t make a really good point if he writes really well people can be just as impressed.
For the paper about one sentence, I chose my sentence because I thought it mirrored the overall structure and theme of Du Bois’s first essay. I struggled with whether or not to focus narrowly on the sentence or to incorporate more of Du Bois’s overall message in my essay. Also, I think I could have improved on how I structured my paragraphs⎯I’m not sure if I made my conclusions as clear as they could have been.
In my hometown there’s this service project called ASP (Appalachia Service Project) where we go to poor areas in Appalachia and help fix up people’s houses. This first got me interested in the South because before I went there I never realized how different it was from the North. So I guess I want to learn about what makes Mississippi unique in its ideas, ways of life, industry, and history. I think there are misconceptions and certainly a lot of stereotypes about Southerners and I want to shed these and instead gain an understanding of how Mississippi transformed from a slave state to its present state. Finally, I want to become familiar with the people who helped shape Mississippi’s history. If Mississippi is truly a microcosm then by gaining an understanding of this one state we’ll also be able to understand our nation.
I grew up in Cohasset Massachusetts, which is a small, coastal, almost entirely white town. Most people in Cohasset are upper middle-class Republicans who like the beach and the Red Sox. There was almost no diversity at my high school; the two or three blacks students in each grade were part of this METCO program where inner city students were given the chance to attend a suburban school. I liked Cohasset and I liked growing up there but at the same time there wasn’t very much to do there so I guess I’m happy to have gone someplace bigger.
In terms of interests and hobbies, I ran track throughout high school and even though I’m not on any sports teams here, I still like to run for leisure. I also like to shop, see movies, go to the beach, and hang out with friends.
Writing well means being concise but still making a point. I hate it when I have to read a book or an essay for a class that is convoluted and confusing. One of my favorite books is Brave New World because it just as such a natural flow to it⎯it bothers me when I have to keep re-reading a page just to understand it. Also, good writing makes some argument so when you come to the end of it you feel like there was some value in what you just read. Even though I’d like to think that I value what an author has to say the most, I’m still really impressed by sophisticated language and clever witticisms. It was my experience in high school that sometimes (even though I don’t necessarily think this is right) even if an author doesn’t make a really good point if he writes really well people can be just as impressed.
For the paper about one sentence, I chose my sentence because I thought it mirrored the overall structure and theme of Du Bois’s first essay. I struggled with whether or not to focus narrowly on the sentence or to incorporate more of Du Bois’s overall message in my essay. Also, I think I could have improved on how I structured my paragraphs⎯I’m not sure if I made my conclusions as clear as they could have been.
In my hometown there’s this service project called ASP (Appalachia Service Project) where we go to poor areas in Appalachia and help fix up people’s houses. This first got me interested in the South because before I went there I never realized how different it was from the North. So I guess I want to learn about what makes Mississippi unique in its ideas, ways of life, industry, and history. I think there are misconceptions and certainly a lot of stereotypes about Southerners and I want to shed these and instead gain an understanding of how Mississippi transformed from a slave state to its present state. Finally, I want to become familiar with the people who helped shape Mississippi’s history. If Mississippi is truly a microcosm then by gaining an understanding of this one state we’ll also be able to understand our nation.
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