Reflection

I recently read an article called "Never Ending Story: Conversation About Race Has Not Brought About Cultural Consensus". What particularly struck me was the observation regarding how the American people use film in order to have the conversation of race. From what I was able to gather, the author suggests that Americans use films which cover race in a particularly sensitive way in order to "have a conversation" about race but be able to conclude that conversation with a certain sense of satisfaction.

It is not as though movies which talk about race are not popular. Tarantino's "Django" was a hugely successful film which although artistic and sensationalized, did speak to the violence of slavery in the South. However, when considering how this film contributed to the conversation of race in America, it did very little.  Isolated in time and space, the film only spoke to mid 19th century racism in the deep American South. Additionally, while the main character Django is a gun wielding black man seeking great revenge, he is still led to his position by a white man.

This "white savior" complex seems to be a major problem in film. Conversations about race are accessible to white people because they're toned down. In these films, there are the white people who are evil villains with extremist thoughts and then there are the white people with a moral code that everyone reveres. The latter are the kind of white people that today's audience can look at and be like "Well if I lived back then, I'd be that guy!" It lessens any sort of white guilt. It lets white people talk about just how terrible things like slavery were but then feel a sense of relief due to distance from the actual situation and solace in the white savior that they "would be if they could."

I wonder about how commercially successful a film would be that didn't have a white savior. One that really highlighted the abuses of the white majority against blacks without any forgiveness. Forgiveness softens the racial conversation that films could potentially have.

White Denial

"It's not like I made black people slaves, racism isn't my fault."

"I didn't ask for white privilege, I don't feel bad for having it."

"I am NOT a racist but...."

When it comes to the conversation of race, white people really like to avoid it. If they're forced to talk about race, they'll deny it. They'll deny that they see color and deny that they've ever had an even remotely racist thought cross their mind Yet we live in a society clearly differentiated by color lines where racism is rampant and a system of white supremacy is in control. To say that you are not a racist is reasonable, but people often use that statement to suggest that they see a society of equality which is entirely unfounded. 

I wonder why many white people are like this and it seems as though the most reasonable explanation is that denying racial issues is the easiest path towards non-action. To acknowledge that there is a problem suggests that there should be a solution. However, solutions towards equality oftentimes involve having to overthrow the system of white supremacy which seems counter intuitive for those who reap the benefits of it. 

But perhaps the reasoning for white denial is simpler and much more passive. Many whites are extremely uneducated when it comes to the realities of racial issues. And is that their fault? Not necessarily. The education system perpetuates biased curriculum which teaches the history of white men and not necessarily the whole of human experience. Additionally, considering that the majority of the white population grows up in areas heavily dominated by whites with little to no minority influence, there seems to be relatively few opportunities for whites to even stumble across the realities of racism unless they seek the knowledge for themselves.

The whole issue of denial is a major obstacle in progressing towards a more just society, but how is it to be solved? I'm personally a major proponent of revamping the educational system and ridding old curriculum in order to replace it with a history that expresses the plight of minorities and the wrongdoings of the majority much more in depth. But I am not convinced that such an effort would fully alleviate the issue at hand. 

Race is an issue that no one wants to talk about. Why? Because it is awkward. Having an open conversation about race means ridding yourself of your preconceived notions and attempting to have an honest conversation while pushing away the fear of offending others or seeming uninformed. Ultimately though, if there is to be forward motion in the fight for equality, this is a conversation that needs to be brought to the masses and even put in the national spotlight so white denial can be remedied. 

I wonder who could do such a thing?

....... Obama? Hello?

"What is a white bitch like you doing listening to music like this?"

I come from a rather conservative area. The population is mostly white middle class suburbanites with a heavy sprinkling of rural folk. While I like to believe I keep a group of close friends back at home who are more liberal in their ideologies, my extended network of acquaintances isn't necessarily full of the most open minded individuals.

I get put in charge of the music at parties a lot, mostly because I'm the only one who cares enough to make a playlist. However one time this summer, my taste in hip hop and rap apparently perturbed a few guests. So much so, that one just easily shouted, "What is a white bitch like you doing listening to music like this?"

This isn't the first time I've been questioned about my taste in music. But it was the first time someone blatantly attacked me based on race and gender, suggesting that those factors should somehow determine a lifestyle choice so simple as what music I listen to. It irked me, and still irks me. And what irks me even more is that I was too stunned by ignorance to even give this man a response.

I listen to rap music because I grew up on it. While a lot of people my age had parents who listened to the Beatles or Bruce Springsteen while they were kids, my mother would play Eve, Missy Elliot and Timberland & Magoo. My love of the genre only developed over time as I started to explore early rappers and underground artists. Layered beats, poetic verses, often aggressive deliverance of heavy messages... it's just what I like. I understand when some are surprised that I listen to a lot of rap, but this man's statement arose from pure confusion which I suppose angered him enough to call me a "white bitch".

What I can't seem to wrap my head around is why my personal choice to listen to music more often identified with a race other than my own would bother somebody else. Something about this encounter seems to suggest that by embracing black culture to an extent, I am disturbing those who would like to see whiteness maintained. Perhaps I am not adhering to the cultural expectations of whiteness. But why would that bother anybody? I can only venture to guess that being an anomaly disrupts the white supremacy status quo in some respect (however minimal that may be) which bothers people who do not wish to see the status quo questioned. If I stick to what society expects of me as a white female, no one has a problem. If I formulate my own identity disregarding race or even gender expectations, I rock the boat.

Another issue that this incident really makes me think about is if the statement against me was at all racist. I have always been hesitant to use that word in regards to white people. This is mostly because when most white people cry "racism", it's really only minorities reaching for equality and identity. However according to Taylor's definition revolving around "disregard", I wonder if this was some form of white on white racism. Racism is a heavy word for a quite petty interaction, but I do feel as though I was shown at least a mild level of disregard because of a race-based opinion.

To conclude this blog post, I have to establish that I still have not quite come to terms with everything. I'm unsure if my encounter was even relatively "racist" but as this class goes on, I hope to clarify that answer for myself. I also wonder if there is a conflict some may perceive between being white in a system of white supremacy yet embracing something culturally black. Or is it beneficial to evade these racial expectations and suggest that maybe racial barriers need not be so distinct? I'm hoping that as I come to learn more about the philosophy of race, I'll be better equipped to answer these complex questions for myself.

Color Blindness

An issue raised in the last class that was particularly interesting to me was the issue of color blindness. While many in the general population seem to believe that negating the presence of racial differences is a clear path towards the notion of equality, I feel as though color blindness is dangerous and potentially harmful.

As individuals, each human being is characterized by their life experiences. Socioeconomic class, geographical location, human interaction, and other such concepts shape people. Arguably, race is also one of these concepts which shapes the experiences one has which influence their individual identity. We live in a society where visual perception of race changes the way others treat you and one's racial identity may culturally influence the way one interacts with their environment. The way one perceives their own race and races unlike themselves influences one's interaction with the world around them and thus marks their identity.

Promoting color blindness seems to be an easy way out. It's a concept of convenience where the dominant race can rid themselves of the guilt they have living in a previously established system which benefits themselves while minority races still suffer. But just because color blindness ignores racial differences doesn't mean they aren't there. To deny the presence and influence of race on people is to deny one's individual identity and the historical actions which have led to racial differences in society. It is not fair nor does it work towards equality in any way. Color blindness is no solution, but rather a convenient ignorance.

Race?

One of the first topics Taylor touches on in Race: A Philosophical Introduction is language. He establishes how we utilize the words in our arsenal in an attempt to familiarize the unfamiliar, give description to what is initially indescribable.

Sometimes the struggle to give explanation to certain terms is met with much more difficulty though.

Happiness? Truth?

I could give you a dictionary definition. I could tell you what it means to me. But I in no way feel qualified enough to weave the words together that would properly and wholly tell you what either of the aforementioned terms actually mean. I'm familiar with the words themselves, but unfamiliar with having to grapple with their conceptual nature.

Race?

It came up in the first Philosophy of Race class discussion. "What's our definition of race?" I didn't raise my hand because I didn't know what to say. The complexities of such a broad term force me to consider personal experience, media, history, and an array of other factors. Race is not conceptually simple, rather a term that calls for great consideration of human history and experience.

From my minimal exposure to the study of philosophy, I feel as though this is what philosophy is for. To drive past what is apparent and question an idea from all angles in a quest for "truth". Right? Wrong? Good? Bad? I've been aware of these words for a majority of my life but rarely have been forced to question them in an effort to truly understand what they can and do mean.

I hope that as the semester progresses and I consider and question the philosophy of race, I may be able to reach a new level of awareness. Will I be able to give a direct definition of race by the end of this course? Not sure. But perhaps that isn't the point to understanding something so universally unique.