"I Am Not Your Negro"
Film: I Am Not Your Negro
Filmmaker: Raoul Peck
This film is the vision of an unfinished book by James Baldwin, in which he accounts the lives and assassinations of Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr. It illustrates the continued racism that is alive in America.
"I was not a member of the NAACP because in the North where I grew up the NAACP was fatally entangled with black class distinctions or illusions of the same, which repelled the shoe shine boy like me."
This was the first sentence that struck me as I watched "I Am Not Your Negro." The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is supposed to ensure equality of rights for Black Americans. As you can see in this quote, James Baldwin did not see that vision in play. The word that pops out the most for me is "illusions." An illusion is something that is wrongly perceived. Even though the NAACP was supposed to fight for black rights, they did not fight as hard for the poor blacks. Even though Black Americans were supposedly "free," they were treated in inhumane ways. For example, segregation was deemed unconstitutional in 1954. However, if a person who knew nothing of the world were to go to Birmingham in the 1960's, they would never know that black and white people were equal. Alleged equality was filled with illusions and still may be even today.
"They have become in themselves moral monsters." James Baldwin
In this quote, White Americans who were treating Black Americans with cruelty have been called moral monsters. I cannot help but think that this is the perfect description. The images and descriptions used in this film are heart wrenching. It is hard to believe that anybody could treat a human being the way that Black Americans have been treated historically. The struggle still exists in our world today. There are plenty examples of inequitable treatment of African Americans in the United States in the past few years. A Harvard research study found that a number of African Americans still experience unfair treatment. This also reminds me of the Prison Policy Initiative site that we looked at a couple of weeks ago. Just looking at Rhode Island, it is clear that Black Americans and White Americans are not treated equally. The state's black population is 6%, yet the black population in prison is 30%. In contrast, the state's white population is 76% versus the white population in prison, which is 45%. It is clear that African Americans are over represented in our prisons. I am sure that this inequity is a result of the inequitable treatment of Black Americans. "Moral Monsters" are still alive today.
"In America I was free only in battle never free to rest and he who finds no way to rest will not long survive the battle."
This took me back to the concept of an illusion. When segregation was unconstitutional in 1954, Black Americans still did not have much to look forward to other than a fight. A fight for actual freedom. The abolision of segregation did not make Black Americans free. It made White Americans fight harder against them. Blacks could not enjoy desegregation. It was a fight, whether you were in the limelight or another person in the crowd. Cruelty and mistreatment were the norm. Although equality and rights seem to have improved, there are still many struggles for African Americans in the United States. I found a video titled, "5 Ways Black People are Mistreated in the U.S. Although this video is eye-opening and depicts real problems in the United States, the comment below the video was even more eye-opening for me. " They are mistreated by being thought human. Negroes are incapable of obeying the rules of a civilized society. Negroes are far more criminal and violent than humans. Negroes need their own society where they can be left alone. Therefore
segregation is required. It is practical and kind." This is from only 10 months ago! Talk about "Moral Monsters." There is racism in the world and this YouTube comment is a perfect example. There is still a fight to fight. Unfortunately, Black Americans have never been able to rest in this country.
Filmmaker: Raoul Peck
This film is the vision of an unfinished book by James Baldwin, in which he accounts the lives and assassinations of Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr. It illustrates the continued racism that is alive in America.
"I was not a member of the NAACP because in the North where I grew up the NAACP was fatally entangled with black class distinctions or illusions of the same, which repelled the shoe shine boy like me."
This was the first sentence that struck me as I watched "I Am Not Your Negro." The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is supposed to ensure equality of rights for Black Americans. As you can see in this quote, James Baldwin did not see that vision in play. The word that pops out the most for me is "illusions." An illusion is something that is wrongly perceived. Even though the NAACP was supposed to fight for black rights, they did not fight as hard for the poor blacks. Even though Black Americans were supposedly "free," they were treated in inhumane ways. For example, segregation was deemed unconstitutional in 1954. However, if a person who knew nothing of the world were to go to Birmingham in the 1960's, they would never know that black and white people were equal. Alleged equality was filled with illusions and still may be even today.
"They have become in themselves moral monsters." James Baldwin
In this quote, White Americans who were treating Black Americans with cruelty have been called moral monsters. I cannot help but think that this is the perfect description. The images and descriptions used in this film are heart wrenching. It is hard to believe that anybody could treat a human being the way that Black Americans have been treated historically. The struggle still exists in our world today. There are plenty examples of inequitable treatment of African Americans in the United States in the past few years. A Harvard research study found that a number of African Americans still experience unfair treatment. This also reminds me of the Prison Policy Initiative site that we looked at a couple of weeks ago. Just looking at Rhode Island, it is clear that Black Americans and White Americans are not treated equally. The state's black population is 6%, yet the black population in prison is 30%. In contrast, the state's white population is 76% versus the white population in prison, which is 45%. It is clear that African Americans are over represented in our prisons. I am sure that this inequity is a result of the inequitable treatment of Black Americans. "Moral Monsters" are still alive today.
"In America I was free only in battle never free to rest and he who finds no way to rest will not long survive the battle."
This took me back to the concept of an illusion. When segregation was unconstitutional in 1954, Black Americans still did not have much to look forward to other than a fight. A fight for actual freedom. The abolision of segregation did not make Black Americans free. It made White Americans fight harder against them. Blacks could not enjoy desegregation. It was a fight, whether you were in the limelight or another person in the crowd. Cruelty and mistreatment were the norm. Although equality and rights seem to have improved, there are still many struggles for African Americans in the United States. I found a video titled, "5 Ways Black People are Mistreated in the U.S. Although this video is eye-opening and depicts real problems in the United States, the comment below the video was even more eye-opening for me. " They are mistreated by being thought human. Negroes are incapable of obeying the rules of a civilized society. Negroes are far more criminal and violent than humans. Negroes need their own society where they can be left alone. Therefore
segregation is required. It is practical and kind." This is from only 10 months ago! Talk about "Moral Monsters." There is racism in the world and this YouTube comment is a perfect example. There is still a fight to fight. Unfortunately, Black Americans have never been able to rest in this country.
Hi Jill,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post. Many of those quotes stood out to me as well. The quote about moral monsters was one that struck me as well. It is evident that this still exists today. It relates to the past readings we have done about the prison statistics. I think you are right in saying that these staggering statistics are a result of the inequitable treatment of Black Americans and that "Moral Monsters" are still alive today. This seems like obvious proof of it existing today.
The term "moral monsters" really struck me too! I think "moral monsters" is a true description of who White Americans were many years ago, as well as who many White Americans still are today. The term "monster" is quite suiting due to it's meaning as a creature who is ugly and frightening. It seems as if Blacks were the ones who were feared as "monsters," however it is the Whites who are the "monsters" creating horrific acts against the Blacks. Every time you watch the news there are "moral monsters" engaging in acts of racism.
ReplyDeleteThe first line of the movie stuck out for me as well. Even the people who are supposedly fighting against oppression have lines that they draw as to who is worthy of fighting for. It is evident that although he is fighting for racial equality, he recognizes that not all people on either side are inherently good or bad. He talked very positively about his white teacher even saying that she was the same as them, treated the same by the people, police, and landlords.
ReplyDeleteI like the focus here in this post and the comments about white folks as "moral monsters." I think it's important to not only recognize the outspoken bigot, but also the more subtle or nuanced ways this "monstrosity" lodges itself in the consciousness of even progressive white people who may not see themselves as racist and may in fact see themselves as being against racism. I think we (white people) have a lot of work to do - for, as Tatum points out, racism is in the air we breathe. How do we get it out of the air, so to speak, but also, how to we identify and address the ways that breathing this air has affected us? This is such important and challenging identity work to do, but it's so crucial especially for educators!
ReplyDelete