White Power Language Analysis

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This essay will be discussing the subject of race and how it has been used in the politics of visual culture. There are thousands of examples of: adverts, posters, articles and extracts that show how we have divided people based on the colour of their skin during history - an extract that stands out is a cover of “White Power” magazine from January 1972. The magazine was created by George Lincoln Rockwell, the first leader of the American Nazi Party. The title ‘White Power’ was used as a response to Rockwell hearing Stokely Carmichael (representing the Black Panther party) use the words ‘black power’ in a debate. The magazine was used as the American Nazi Party’s magazine to its followers. At the time of the publication of this extremely right-wing magazine, many left-wing movements were moving forward, and it is interesting to see such an extremist magazine exist. The first thing in the image that stands out is the title and the immediate noticeable Swastika in the middle of the two words ‘White Power’. The Swastika is a ancient spiritual symbol used in Buddhism, Hinduism and …show more content…

Then you’re a ‘Nazi!’”. It’s referring to those select right-wing white people that have supposedly ‘had enough’ of black people. The word Nazi is in apostrophes, it shows that the publishers are almost joking that people are referring to them as Nazis - this may not be the case. If it is, it’s quite hypocritical as they have used the Swastika symbol. Again, Sturken and Cartwright have said “When people think of ideologies, they often think in terms of propaganda - the crude process of using false representations to lure people into holding beliefs that may compromise their own interests.” This phrase on the cover is a very good example of this as it pushes their propaganda, almost brainwashing people into believing their right-wing views are correct and encouraging them to identify themselves as a

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