Overt and Covert Racism and Black Identity

Covert Racism displayed in a popular TV show.

Over the past century, the United States has slowly reduced the amount of racism focused on African Americans.  However we have moved from a time period of overt racism, to a time where covert racism still exists in our modern society.  The former as well as the latter affect both the perceived and experienced black identity.

Before understanding what exactly covert racism is, it is easier to look at overt racism.  This is when an act is carried out intended to harm someone in some way because of their race. Overt racism is a much easier concept to understand than covert racism because we can see it and pinpoint why it is damaging to another human being.

Overt Racism: A group of people mock civil rights marchers.

This can be seen in this image where white protesters are holding up signs and yelling at civil rights marchers, who were marching for equal rights in Chicago in 1966.  Their message and feelings are clear.  Combating this overt racism was the Black Power Movement. This was not the movement’s only goal, but was certainly of extreme importance.  This movement started in the late 60’s, emphasizing racial pride which combats the treatment given to those like the protagonist in Invisible Man.

Overt racism is abundant in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man.  The protagonist is subjected to various persecution and ultimately realizes that his identity has been defined by the way that others view him. An example of this overt racism comes right at the beginning of the novel, when a random man calls the protagonist “an insulting name” (Ellison 4) for no reason at all except that the protagonist is African American. Dr. Bledsloe as well partakes in overt racist behavior towards the protagonist writing in his “recommendation” to “To Whom It May Concern….Keep This Nigger –Boy Running” (Ellison 33).   Ellson encapsulates how this racism and stereotypes have affected the protagonist’s identity:

“And my problem was that I always tried to go in everyone’s way but my own. I have also been called one thing and then another while no one really wished to hear what I called myself. So after years of trying to adopt the opinions of others I finally rebelled. I am an invisible man” (579).

Sadly, the narrator has realized that because of the racist views that others have of him, he has not been able to create his own identity and instead has been trying to act in the way that others view him.  Covert racism as well as overt racism can affect a person’s identity.

An article titled: Covert Racism in the USA and globally, describes covert racism:

“Whereas overt racism assumed blatant and insidious forms, covert racism hides behind the façade of ‘politeness’, political correctness and expediency. Racially coded words and calls for racial blindness obfuscate the reality of this subtle, subversive, and often hidden form of racism. Covert racism, just like its twin overt racism, is neither innocent nor harmless. The scars of covert racism, often seen in terms of increased levels of disease, negative sanctions, inadequate information, and lost opportunities – serve to continually victimize racial nonelites” (Coates 2008).

Covert racism comes from internal stereotypes and prejudices that people may not even realize that they have. They can be expressed through jokes, comments, actions.  The article goes on to describe how covert racism effects identity by point out,  “From infancy to the fourth year, children typically are unaware of their racial identity. After this period, they seem preoccupied with it as evidenced by their ability to label themselves and significant others by virtue of physically identifiable learned racial classifications” (Coates 2008).  This sums up how being exposed to certain racial stereotypes and prejudices can affect how a person views themselves and also how they act.

“Successful Black Guy” is a popular meme in internet culture

This image is an example of a popular meme called “Successful Black Guy”. This is an example of covert racism, as the joke is meant to be funny because the audience expects the statement to be the top negative statement and should apparently be surprised by the positive spin the bottom half of the statement provides.  This perpetuates negative stereotypes about African Americans in away that disguises itself as a funny pop culture joke.

Covert racism can be connected to the Post-Soul aesthetic. They are both much more fluid and difficult to understand than their counterparts. While covert racism can not necessarily be nailed down, the post-black aesthetic looks at what exactly is blackness and how does that speak to Africa Americans?  This desire for individuality without having a specific identity forced upon an entire group of people is what defines the post-soul aesthetic.

Both protagonists in Danzy Senna’s Caucasia and Paul Beatty’s The White Boy Shuffle experience various forms of covert racism throughout the novel.

When Birdee is watching African American teenagers dance after she wanders from where her mother told her to stay put, Jim remarks, “Jesus, it’s like some ancient African instinct that gets these kids dancing” (Senna 261).  This affects Birdee’s identity by causing her to feel extremely confused as to who she really is because she must change her actions and personality in order to “pass”.  This presents an aspect of the Post-Soul movement, of realizing that society can force an identity upon you because of racial stereotypes.

“It was sad to watch us troll through the halls, a conga line of burlesque self-parody, all of us affecting our white-society persona of the day” (Beatty 155). Gunnar is aware of the fact that the white kids at his school have a specific expectation of him as an African American.  He alters his personality and actions when he is around them in order to live up to those expectations.

In looking at these three novels, as well as the attitudes behind the Black Power movement and the Post Soul aesthetic, we can see how covert racism affects the black identity.

References

Beatty, Paul. The White Boy Shuffle. Houghton Mifflin, 1996.

Coates, R.D. (2008). Covert racism in the usa and globally. Sociology Compass, 2(1): 208-231.

Ellison, Ralph Waldo. Invisible Man. New York: Random House, 1952.

Gilmer, Marcus. (2012). Chicago’s deep history of racism gets a brief national spotlight [article], Retrieved May 12th, 2013, from:

http://www.wbez.org/blogs/marcus-gilmer/2012-10/chicagos-deep-history-racism-gets-brief-national-spotlight-10292

Racial Meme’s. [blog post]. Retrieved May 12th, 2013, from: http://meanmemes.wordpress.com/categories/racial-memes/

Senna, Danzy. Caucasia. New York: Riverhead, 1999.

32 successful black guy memes [article], Retrieved May 12th, 2013, from:

http://www.bannedinhollywood.com/32-successful-black-guy-meme-moments/

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

Harlem Hopscotch, Pride in our Trials

A portrait of Maya Angelou, best known as an American author and poet.

Maya Angelou’s poem, Harlem Hopscotch speaks to the struggles that African Americans face living in Harlem while expressing pride in being black.

Harlem Hopscotch is the last poem within Angelou’s Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ‘Fore I Diiie.  Maya Angelou was very well known during the black arts movement, which is the backdrop for the characters in The Cotillion. Harlem Hopscotch is a short poem with an AABB rhyme scheme and uses a description of  a hopscotch game to move it forward. Angelou intersperses a description of hopscotch with statements that describe barriers that people face.  An example of this comes from the lines: “Food is gone, the rent is due,/Curse and cry and then jump two” (“Harlem” 7-8).

Angelou uses vernacular that was common for African Americans in Harlem during the time of the Black Arts Movement.  These can be seen in the lines, “Good thing for the ones that’s got./Another jump, now to the left. Everybody for hisself” (Harlem 4).  Killens also uses the Harlem dialect in his novel, especially with the character Lumumba.

My take on this poem is that Angelou is making a comment on how many barriers African Americans face living in Harlem. The hopscotch game is made increasingly more difficult when the “food is gone, the rent is due” and “all the people out of work” (Harlem 7,9).  Dealing with these problems is made even more difficult when they come right after the other. Angelou writes, “In the air, now both feet down./Since you black, don’t stick around” (Harlem 5-6).  These lines tell the reader that once one problem occurs, another one will follow if you do not keep moving forward if you are black.

Although she describes many setbacks that African Americans face, Maya Angelou also expresses pride in her race. Harlem Hopscotch’s concluding line is, “They think I lost. I think I won” (14). Even after struggling and being at a disadvantage because of their skin color, the African American community should believe that they have won, and have pride in their identity.

Maya Angelou wrote Harlem Hopscotch around the time of the Black Arts Movement, which was the time period in Killens’ The Cotillion, and also uses vernacular similar to the characters in this novel. Harlem Hopscotch presents the many hardships that African Americans face, and also expresses pride in her black identity.

“Harlem Hopscotch by Maya Angelou.” Black Christian News. WordPress. Web. 19 March 2013.

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Dancing Sambo: Obedient Enertainment

Dancing Sambo Puppet

This image of a Sambo puppet reinforces negative stereotypes forced upon African-Americans until only recently in US history.  This toy portrays African-Americans as controlled entertainment.

The image contains both a puppet and poster or booklet describing its use.  The doll has dark skin and exaggerated  large, red lips. He has a white-painted nose set above a wide grin. His pants are brightly striped and around the puppet’s neck is a large polka dot bow-tie.  A top hat sits on his grinning face. The doll’s knees are hinged, giving the viewer the illusion that he is moving, or most likely dancing. Many aspects of the doll are over-sized and bright. From the white gloves, to the clownish mouth, this is not an image that a viewer would take very seriously.

The paper to the right of the doll looks as though it is a poster or booklet. It has a picture of the Sambo puppet dancing, looking exactly like the physical puppet. The text makes the statements that the puppet is: “Easy to work” and, “Fun at your parties”. The words “Dancing Sambo” are in block letters above the image, playfully tilted and seem mirroring the dancing figure of the puppet.

The fact that this character is a puppet on strings on its own implies that African-Americans are to be controlled. When the protagonist in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man encounters a previous brother selling Sambo dolls, he is outraged.  He knows that he has been played like a puppet his entire life, always letting someone control his actions. Sambo is kept in line by doing and moving as others would like him to.  Its limbs are hinged, which give the illusion that the puppet is dancing.  This further disrespects African-Americans by presenting them as tools of entertainment. This idea of entertainment can also be seen in the phrases on the booklet.  They claim that Sambo is easy to work and fun at parties.  This fits into the identity that was forced upon African-Americans to be obedient and put on a show when needed.

This form of dehumanizing disrespect is evident in  Invisible Man.  The protagonist is first made to give his graduation speech to a group of white men after being forced to fight other African-Americans and provide comedy by getting shocked while trying to pick up money.  These men were only using the protagonist for their enjoyment; to laugh at him. In another instance, the protagonist is asked by a drunken member of the Brotherhood to do a dance because of his skin color.  This character desires entertainment from the African-American man who would of course be good at dancing. The Sambo puppet only increases these stereotypes in its character’s clownish appearance and reliable movements that his owner can have control over.

This Sambo doll does not only serve as a toy to be played with.  It is a representation of negative identities imposed on African-Americans.  The fact that it is to be controlled on a string and made to dance by its owner, along with its bright and silly appearance reinforce the identity of an obedient entertainer on African-Americans.

Source:

http://www.glogster.com

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