"I am Not Your Negro"
Documentary: “I Am Not Your Negro”
Author: James Baldwin
Filmmaker: Raoul Peck
In the documentary titled “I am Not Your Negro,” the author James Baldwin argues that racism, which was once a part of American society, is still widespread in American life today. Bladwin explains the reality of racism in America by using leaders such as Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King Jr, and Malcom X who became victims of racism and lost their lives due to having a voice. The film was directed by filmmaker Raoul Peck. Peck illuminates the racist acts of violence by showcasing historical scenes where African Americans were beaten to death by police. Right after these horrific scenes were displayed from years ago, the very next clip was a scene from Ferguson in 2014, showing the same police brutality. White police officers in power shooting innocent African Americans. Honestly, unless you watch closely to the captions at the bottom of the screen that indicate the location and year, the heinous acts against African Americans are one in the same. How can it be that racism existed so long ago yet it is still very prevalent and visible today in our society? We have had so many advances in America that have helped make our lives easier than before (such as technology), yet having compassion and a sense of decency for human beings still remains a significant problem in this country.
Baldwin talks about being home in Harlem. To paraphrase Baldwin, he says for African Americans, America is your country and place of birth to which you owe your identity but yet there is no place for you. He also states, “my countrymen were my enemy.” He explains how African Americans are born in America with no choice in the matter, however it is as if they don’t even have a choice to live or an identity to hold onto. This reminds me of the article we read earlier about identity called Identities and Social Locations: Who Am I? Who Are My People? The article states, “Identity formation is the result of a complex interplay among individual decisions and choices, particular life events, community recognition and expectations, and societal categorization, classification, and socialization.” Using this definition I can only imagine the negative sense of identity that African Americans had years ago and may still have today due to different events in their lives. Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King Jr, and Malcom X may have had more positive identities, however those in power identified them negatively and ultimately ended their lives.
This film certainly connects with another article we read called Deculturalization and the Claims of Racial and Cultural Superiority by Anglo-Americans. Both platforms illustrate a deep focus on how people in power create an overwhelming sense of hate towards those who have less or no power. The author Spring defines racism as “prejudice plus power.” In the documentary, the separate entrances for blacks and whites as well as signs saying “Won’t go to school with Negroes” are just a few examples of white people showing prejudice against the blacks and because the whites had the power to create the policies, these hateful acts are the product of racism.
Throughout the film, images of hate towards African Americans kept bombarding the screen. One image that really made me stop and think was the sign that read “Stop the race mixing.” The race mixing was related to schools but also relationships. The film talked about how a black man and a white woman would have to take different routes to get to the same place for fear of someone seeing them together. In my efforts not to get distracted by my own personal connection, however my boyfriend and I are definitely a part of “race mixing.” He is an African from Ghana, West Africa. I feel lucky that I have never had a situation where our presence as a black and white couple was seen as an issue. People might look at us with a little more curiosity, but nothing more.
Towards the last few minutes of the film, Samuel L. Jackson so powerfully narrates, “Most people who say they care, don’t really care. What they care about is their safety and their profits.” This is such a strong message that is associated with so many of those in power today. Too often we hear people in power pretend to care, but obviously they don’t really care because if they did I don’t think we would still have some of the same hateful racists acts of violence happening today that we did many years ago. “History is not the past, it is the present.” “Nothing can be changed until it is faced.” Unless there is direct action, our future will never be any different than our past and present. As Baldwin says, “It is up the the American people.”
During an interview on the Dick Cavett show Baldwin states, “The real question is what is going to happen to this country? It makes me sad and also frustrated to have a question like that asked years ago, yet the answer still remains unknown today. I still wonder the same thing, what is going to happen to this country and the people that call this country home? When will there be equality for all minorities in this country?
This Ted Talk called “Racism Makes Us Sick” discusses racism and the way in which racism affects health. Higher levels of discrimination are directly related to death in our society. This talk reminded me a lot of the film “Unnatural Causes.”
Author: James Baldwin
Filmmaker: Raoul Peck
In the documentary titled “I am Not Your Negro,” the author James Baldwin argues that racism, which was once a part of American society, is still widespread in American life today. Bladwin explains the reality of racism in America by using leaders such as Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King Jr, and Malcom X who became victims of racism and lost their lives due to having a voice. The film was directed by filmmaker Raoul Peck. Peck illuminates the racist acts of violence by showcasing historical scenes where African Americans were beaten to death by police. Right after these horrific scenes were displayed from years ago, the very next clip was a scene from Ferguson in 2014, showing the same police brutality. White police officers in power shooting innocent African Americans. Honestly, unless you watch closely to the captions at the bottom of the screen that indicate the location and year, the heinous acts against African Americans are one in the same. How can it be that racism existed so long ago yet it is still very prevalent and visible today in our society? We have had so many advances in America that have helped make our lives easier than before (such as technology), yet having compassion and a sense of decency for human beings still remains a significant problem in this country.
Baldwin talks about being home in Harlem. To paraphrase Baldwin, he says for African Americans, America is your country and place of birth to which you owe your identity but yet there is no place for you. He also states, “my countrymen were my enemy.” He explains how African Americans are born in America with no choice in the matter, however it is as if they don’t even have a choice to live or an identity to hold onto. This reminds me of the article we read earlier about identity called Identities and Social Locations: Who Am I? Who Are My People? The article states, “Identity formation is the result of a complex interplay among individual decisions and choices, particular life events, community recognition and expectations, and societal categorization, classification, and socialization.” Using this definition I can only imagine the negative sense of identity that African Americans had years ago and may still have today due to different events in their lives. Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King Jr, and Malcom X may have had more positive identities, however those in power identified them negatively and ultimately ended their lives.
This film certainly connects with another article we read called Deculturalization and the Claims of Racial and Cultural Superiority by Anglo-Americans. Both platforms illustrate a deep focus on how people in power create an overwhelming sense of hate towards those who have less or no power. The author Spring defines racism as “prejudice plus power.” In the documentary, the separate entrances for blacks and whites as well as signs saying “Won’t go to school with Negroes” are just a few examples of white people showing prejudice against the blacks and because the whites had the power to create the policies, these hateful acts are the product of racism.
Throughout the film, images of hate towards African Americans kept bombarding the screen. One image that really made me stop and think was the sign that read “Stop the race mixing.” The race mixing was related to schools but also relationships. The film talked about how a black man and a white woman would have to take different routes to get to the same place for fear of someone seeing them together. In my efforts not to get distracted by my own personal connection, however my boyfriend and I are definitely a part of “race mixing.” He is an African from Ghana, West Africa. I feel lucky that I have never had a situation where our presence as a black and white couple was seen as an issue. People might look at us with a little more curiosity, but nothing more.
Towards the last few minutes of the film, Samuel L. Jackson so powerfully narrates, “Most people who say they care, don’t really care. What they care about is their safety and their profits.” This is such a strong message that is associated with so many of those in power today. Too often we hear people in power pretend to care, but obviously they don’t really care because if they did I don’t think we would still have some of the same hateful racists acts of violence happening today that we did many years ago. “History is not the past, it is the present.” “Nothing can be changed until it is faced.” Unless there is direct action, our future will never be any different than our past and present. As Baldwin says, “It is up the the American people.”
During an interview on the Dick Cavett show Baldwin states, “The real question is what is going to happen to this country? It makes me sad and also frustrated to have a question like that asked years ago, yet the answer still remains unknown today. I still wonder the same thing, what is going to happen to this country and the people that call this country home? When will there be equality for all minorities in this country?
This Ted Talk called “Racism Makes Us Sick” discusses racism and the way in which racism affects health. Higher levels of discrimination are directly related to death in our society. This talk reminded me a lot of the film “Unnatural Causes.”
It is easy to see that racism is still a part of America. Your reference to Ferguson 2014 is a perfect example of the racism that is alive today. I feel as though we often think of racism as a piece of our past. All you have to do is take a quick scan of the news and media and you will see how wrong that is. Your quote from Baldwin, "When will there be equality for all minorities in this country?" is a question I wish we could answer!
ReplyDeleteJill, this is so interesting -- How/Why do we (white folks) come to think of racism as part of the past? Who benefits from this kind of thinking?
DeleteA thoughtful and provocative post, Lauren. It reminds me that we educators must be diligent and attentive to the ways racism changes over time, and that we can't think of things like colonization and slavery as "events" so much as they are processes and ways of thinking that are still shaping US society even after slavery has been abolished, after the Civil Rights Movement, etc.
ReplyDeleteWe must look closely at our classrooms and schools...