Avalon Doherty Professor Lamborn ENGL-1BH-6475 26 April 2024 Outline: Novel Analysis African American Criticism A. Method of getting reader’s attention: The world is not black-and-white, but the black ink and white paper of The Marrow of Tradition by Charles Waddell Chesnutt portrays a world segregated by black and white. B. Thesis Statement: The Marrow of Tradition exposes how racial ideology in the post-Reconstruction era of the South segregates the fictional city of Wellington, fostering social and systemic racialism, and creating intra-racial divisions and internalized racism within the black community. I. Supporting evidence/term 1: Term definition: “Racialism, a word we don’t often hear in everyday speech, refers to the belief in racial …show more content…
Supporting evidence/term 2: Term definition: “Institutionalized racism refers to the incorporation of racist policies and practices in the institutions by which a society operates.” (Tyson 361). A. Example 1: When the lawyer, Watson, explains how his appeal to Judge Everton went, he describes a system that upholds white supremacy through laws and violence. The judge claims that even though lynching is “as a rule, unjustifiable,” he argues that lynching is acceptable when a higher court calls for it (Chesnutt 193). The exception to this rule in the legal system only applies when someone from the black community commits a crime against the white, justifying the racial motivated crime and the lack of equal protection under the law for black people. The judge also refers to the “sovereign people,” asserting the white race as the superior one with the power to flagrantly disregard the legal system and maintain their control over the black race (193). The conversation reflects institutionalized racism by providing a justification for extralegal violence and suggesting that the full protection of the law does not apply to black people. He even redirects the blame to the victims of racism by implying they are responsible for their treatment by society, “If a negro wants the protection of the law, let him obey the law,” rather than address the racial bias and unequal treatment (Chesnutt 1993). B. Example 2: When Chesnutt exposés in the beginning of Chapter VIII, the passage …show more content…
Supporting evidence/term 3: Term definition: “Internalized racism results from the psychological programming by which a racist society indoctrinates people of color to believe in white superiority” (Tyson 362). Example 1: Jerry, a black servant, after seeing Captain McBane, a poor white man, sitting amongst the Southern aristocracy remarks, “’Pears ter me de bottom rail is gittin’ mighty close ter de top,” as McBane became wealthy by exploiting the convict lease system (Chesnutt 36). However, Jerry attributes McBane’s success to “bein’ w’ite” rather than on the racist system that arose to take the place of slavery and allow white people to profit from free black labor (Chesnutt 36). This leads Jerry to believe that if he were white, he too would be wealthy and successful like McBane, “’I wush ter Gawd I wuz w’ite!’” because whiteness is associated with higher social status (Chesnutt 36). B. Example 2: Further on in the novel, Jerry concludes there is “a distinct advantage to being white,” which suggests that being black limits his opportunities (Chesnutt 245). Jerry’s internalized racism believes that white people are inherent superior due to their race and that their whiteness is “an advantage which white people have utilized to secure all the best things in the world” (245). Jerry attempts to lighten his hair and skin color to match the appearance of naturally blond, white men, which is why he hoped that by “changing his complexion he might share this prerogative”
Christopher Paul Curtis wrote The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 throughout the course of 1995. The novel follows the Watsons, a black family living in Flint, Michigan during the Civil Rights Era. In a historical context, 1963 and the early 1990s have far more in common than one would expect. The Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964 following the church bombing in Birmingham, and yet race-based discrimination remains a problem even in our modern society via passive racism. This paper will analyze the ways in which Curtis’ The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 draws parallels between the time in which his is writing during and the time in which he is writing about. This analysis will also shed light on what can be called the “white standard,” wherein all things white are “good” or “better” and anything not-white is “bad.”
constant comparison and view of blacks vs. whites in the novel. “ To show too much intelligence
Before entering into the main body of his writing, Allen describes to readers the nature of the “semicolony”, domestic colonialism, and neocolonialism ideas to which he refers to throughout the bulk of his book. Priming the reader for his coming argument, Allen introduces these concepts and how they fit into the white imperialist regime, and how the very nature of this system is designed to exploit the native population (in this case, transplanted native population). He also describes the “illusion” of black political influence, and the ineffectiveness (or for the purposes of the white power structure, extreme effectiveness) of a black “elite”, composed of middle and upper class black Americans.
African Americans history has been one of the most difficult yet grandiose parts of the human evolution. Their journey was long to reach the freedom they have today in America. One of the most important part of the afro American story is the Reconstruction period who took part from 1865 to 1877. Black literature also grew during that time and became more inspirational for future generations yet mostly descriptive of the shifts from slavery to some kind of freedom. Charles W. Chesnutt, an Afro-American writer, who lived during the American Civil War, was the first black American to publish fiction stories. Through many of his literary work, such as, his journal or The Wife of His Youth, Chesnutt left his mark on the modern society who still discusses his writing. Charles W. Chesnutt’ use of characters and themes and mainly trough the use of rhetorical devices such as examples and comparisons in his fictional stories or in his journals address the societal issues of the Reconstruction Period for the African American.
Institutional racism, maintains the unequal outcomes in the criminal justice system result from the practice, resides in the policies, procedures, operations and culture of public or private institutions – reinforcing individual prejudices and being reinforced by them in turn’(Sveinsson, n.d.). This approach was generated by the Macpherson report, Stephen Lawrence, a young black
What began as a movement in the mid-1970s, is a theory that deals with the interconnectedness of racism and the legal system. Critical Race Theory is a concept created in law schools in the United States during a time when “heady advances of the civil rights era of the 1960s had stalled and, in many respects, were being rolled back” (Delgado et al. 4). The theory now encompasses its ideals into three main “features:”
Emancipation was a persistent issue in the twentieth century as was the problem of the color line. Many writers like DuBois argue that in both a conscious and sub conscious way the color line denotes limitations but also sets standards for African American people during this time. Through the use of the main characters and secondary characters as well as foreshadowing Chestnut in his book The Marrow of Tradition depicts the color line in Wilmington, North Carolina. The theory of the color-line refers fundamentally to the role of race and racism in history and civilization. Through the analysis of The Marrow of Tradition readers can recognize and understand the connection of race and class as both a type of supremacy and as an approach of confrontation on a domestic level during the twentieth century for African Americans.
Staples’ claim is made clear through the series of chronological anecdotes that make up his essay. The snippets of his life range from a short story about crossing a street at night in Chicago to being mistaken for a burglar while rushing into his office to turn in a deadline story - all because of the color of his skin. The anecdotes in his essay are meant to show the reader what to believe instead of merely telling them. Staples has a clear reason for writing and has strong beliefs about racism, however the stylistic devices he uses are meant to guide the reader into developing their own opinion on racism, which Staples in turn knows will persuade. Instead of stating his biased opinion from the start, he invites the reader in through his stories, even though the images themselves are hard to stomach. Staples wisely avoids a...
Next, Institutional or systemic racism refers to the laws, policies, practices, rules and procedures that operate within organisations, societal structures and the broader community to the advantage of the dominant group or groups and to the detriment and disadvantage of other groups. Institutional racism may be intentional or unintentional. Jim Crowe is a great example of institutional racism. Jim Crow laws were the name of the racist caste system put in place to segregate African Americans, Hispanics and any ethnic minority. Theses laws made it so non whites could not integrate with minorities. These laws applied to hospitals, buses, toilets and drinking fountains and restaurants. For example Buses: All passenger stations in this state operated
Institutional Racism- consists of established laws, customs, and practices that systematically reflect and produce racial inequalities in a society, whether or not individuals who maintain those policies and practices
Institutional racism is defined in the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) as “the manifestation of racism in social systems and institutions. It is the social, economic, educational, and political forces or policies that operate to foster discriminatory outcomes. It is the combination of policies, practices, or procedures embedded in bureaucratic structure that systematically lead to unequal outcomes for groups of people”(2007). In other words, policy and practices intentionally or unintentionally favor one group or put a racial group at a
Because institutionalized racism is a factor that affects how individuals engage with race, Packer’s “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere Stories” proves that institutional racism aids in causing segregation. In the article “Disguised Racism in Public Schools,” Samuel Brodbelt goes into great detail about how institutionalized racism is seen in many public schools today. He also further explains how the effects of institutionalized racism may cause segregation between the races. Brodbelt states “today, the public schools serve as an example of the extent of institutional racism” (Brodbelt 699).
Randall, Vernellia. “What is Institutional Racism?” Dying While Black. 9 Jan. 2008. Web. 16 Nov 2013.
The novel is loaded with a plethora of imageries of a hostile white world. Wright shows how white racism affects the behavior, feelings, and thoughts of Bigger.
Racist and racism are provocative words in American society. To some, they become curse words. They are descriptive words of reality that cannot be denied. Some people believe that race is the primary determinant of human abilities and capacities and behave as if racial differences produce inherent superiorities. People of color are often injured by these judgements and actions whether they are directly or indirectly racist. Just as individuals can act in racist ways, so can institutions. Institutions can be overtly or inherently racist. Institutions can also injure people. The outcome is nonetheless racist, if not intentional (Randall).