“Brownies” is a short story written by author, ZZ Packer, which takes place at Camp Crescendo, a summer camp near the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. The story surrounds a group of African American Brownie girls, in the fourth grade, who journey to this campsite for a camping experience. On the trip, they encounter another brownie group comprised of white girls, all of who are mentally handicapped. “Brownies” is told from a first person involved point of view, through a fellow Brownie member from the African American troop, named Laurel. Because the story takes place in the 1960’s, ZZ Packer explores issues that are prevalent in that time period, such as racial segregation, prejudice and ignorance.
Racism is defined as the “systematic oppression of African-Americans and other people of color and the related ideology of white supremacy and black inferiority” (Bohmer 95). “It assumes an inherent superiority or inferiority on the basis of perceived group attributes” (Pachter et al. 61). Racial segregation exists everywhere in the United States during the 1960’s, especially in the south where it was required by law. “When you [live] in the south suburbs of Atlanta, it [is] easy to forget about whites. Whites [are] like those baby pigeons: real and existing, but rarely seen or thought about” (Packer 179). Packer conveys the reality of the times extremely well by creating the all-black girl scouts and the all-white girl scouts, but there is no mixing of the races in either group. Additionally, the two troops remain separated throughout the story and the tension created between them is a reminder of the struggles that black people experienced.
African Americans and white people do not share the same public facilities, including schools...
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....” Are We Born Racist. Psychology Today. 10 Nov. 2010. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.
Packer, ZZ. “Brownies.” Backpack Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Ed. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 4th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2006. 177-94. Print.
Pachter, Lee M, et al. “Perceived Racism And Discrimination In Children And Youths: An Exploratory Study.” Health & Social Work 35.1 (2010): 61. MEDLINE with Full Text. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.
Ponterotto, Joseph G., Jerlym S. Porter, and Shawn O. Utsey. “Prejudice and Racism, Year 2008--Still Going Strong: Research On Reducing Prejudice With Recommended Methodological Advances.” Journal of Counseling and Development 86.3 (2008): 339+. Academic OneFile. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.
Racism. Anti-Defamation League, New York, 2001. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.
“The New Racism.” Time 88.1 (1966): 19. MasterFILE Complete. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.
"Brownies," by ZZ Packer, is a story about a Brownie troop of African American fourth-grade girls from Atlanta, Georgia, who go to Camp Crescendo. At the camp, they encounter a troop of white girls, Troop 909, and believe that one of the white girls used a racially offensive comment when she spoke of them. The African American girls decide they need to get revenge on Troop 909 and resolve to beat them up in a bathroom. Before they started beating Troop 909, the African American girls realized that Troop 909 is a troop with mentally challenged, and handicapped girls. Later, the African American girls discovered that Troop 909 was falsely accused of making the racially offensive comment. The climax of the story is when Arnette,
Boyle, T. Coraghessan. "Greasy Lake." X. J. Kennedy, Dana Gioia. Backpack Literature An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Ed. Joe Terry. Pearson, 2012. Text. 28 January 2014.
Many of the stereotypes we encounter and hold today were formed because of events in the past, which were formed to rationalize and justify past social and political agendas. Many of the stereotypes that we now hold today were learned long ago and have been passed from one generation to the next. This book has forever inspired me to believe in the value of each child and discourage racist attitudes wherever I encounter them. Gregory Howard Williams encountered many hurdles growing up and successfully defeated them all. He could have easily confirmed the expectations of his negative peers and developed into a self-fulfilling prophecy, but instead he chose to shun his stereotypes and triumph over incredible odds.
In the short story “Brownies” by Z. Z. Packer a young girl that goes by the name of Snot realizes that the world is a harsh place. Not only does Snot have a realization about the world, but she also realizes that everyone around her is contributing to the harshness and meanness and Snot cannot do anything about it. The harshness and meanness in the world that Snot cannot do anything about is racism. All throughout the story, racism is a huge factor, but the main character realizes that racism comes in all different ways including age and color.
Kennedy, X. J., and Dana Gioia. Backpack Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2012. Print.
Racism has been a huge problem throughout the United States and every individual struggles with the unproductive messages of racism that is being passed on through from larger societies. Many people suffered from this in silence and it is what hits the hardest on children and youth who lack the life experience to understa...
Willie, Charles V., Bernard M. Kramer, and Bertram S. Brown, eds. Racism Racism Racism and Mental Health. N.p.: Univerity of Pittsburgurgh Press, 1973. Print. Contemporary Community Health Series.
The Civil Rights Movement marked a crucial moment in United States history. African Americans fought for their right to be treated equally and to put an end to discrimination and segregation. Toni Morrison’s short story “Recitatif” features two girls of the opposite race and how their friendship was affected during this time period. The United States has come a long way since the days of slavery, but African Americans’ rights were still not being fully recognized. As a result of this the Civil Rights Movement developed to peacefully protest for equality. Toni Morrison’s short story, “Recitatif”, takes place during the Civil Rights era of the United States to show the reader how stereotyping, discrimination, and segregation affected two girls,
In 1995, the Carnegie Corporation commissioned a number of papers to summarize research that could be used to improve race relations in schools and youth organizations. One way to fight against racism is to “start teaching the importance of and strategies for positive intergroup relations when children are young”(Teaching Tolerance,). Bias is learned at an early age, often at home, so schools should offer lessons of tolerance and
Brownies is a story by Z. Z. Packer, a young African American writer. This story appears in Packer’s short stories collection, Drinking Coffee Elsewhere. The story is about a Brownie troop of fourth-grade African American girls from suburban Atlanta, Georgia, who go to summer camp. At camp, they encounter a troop of white girls and believe that one of the white girls addressed them with a derogatory racial slur. The African American girls resolve to beat up the white girls. This story is about racism and racial segregation as it is experienced by young black girls. Ironically, the story has a twist. Packer shows the reader about racial segregation and prejudice in the world through this short story. Prejudice among groups as well as within
...r own unique ways.; however, the authors focus on different aspects of prejudice and racism, resulting in them communicating different ideas and thoughts that range from racial discrimination to stereotypical attitudes. The range of ideas attempt to engage the readers about the reality of their issues. The reality about a world where prejudice and racism still prevail in modern times. But when will prejudice and racism ever cease to exist? And if they were ever to cease from existence, what does that mean about humankind?
Katz, Phyllis A. and Dalmas A. Taylor, eds. Eliminating Racism. New York: Plenum Press, 1988.
In the short story “Brownies,” author ZZ Packer uses the narrator, Laurel, to explore the tensions that exist between belonging to a community and maintaining individuality. While away at camp with her brownie troop, she finds herself torn between achieving group inclusion and sustaining her own individualism. Although the events of the short story occur at Camp Crescendo, Packer is able to expand (and parallel) this struggle for identity beyond the camp’s walls and into the racially segregated society that both the girls and their families come from. Packer is exploring how an individual’s inherent need for group inclusion consequently fuels segregation and prejudice against those outside the group across various social and societal stratums.
Racism and prejudice has been present in almost every civilization and society throughout history. Even though the world has progressed greatly in the last couple of decades, both socially and technologically, racism, hatred and prejudice still exists today, deeply embedded in old-fashioned, narrow-minded traditions and values.
Racism is a strong message in the story “Brownies.” There are two troops of brownies camping in the same area. One of the troops is black girls, and the other is all white girls.