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.