Jeannie K. Holmes November 30, 2007 EH 486 Essay #7
The Trickster and the Antihero
Focusing question:
Does the trickster spirit, as depicted in folklore, lend itself to the rise of the modern day antihero?
Douglas Kearney summary:
Anansi Meets Peter Parker at the Taco Bell on Lexington is a very short speculative fictional account of a meeting between Peter Parker, “the secret identity of the American superhero Spiderman,” (Kearney 89) and Anansi, “the major trickster figure of the Ashanti and Akan. He alternatively takes the form of a man or spider.” (Kearney 89) Anansi is eating bean burritos when Peter Parker begins snapping pictures of the trickster. After a brief confrontation, Anansi grants an interview and allows Parker to take more photos for Parker’s work at The Daily Bugle, the newspaper for which Parker works when not playing Spiderman. A few weeks pass and Anansi notices “some jackass in red & blue spandex swingin down Lexington with some half-ass spider moves.” (Kearney 90) The trickster simply walks away from the spectacle because “crazy ain’t [his] way.” (Kearney 90)
Carroll Article Summary:
The trickster spirit in folklore is not isolated to any one culture but is a global presence. However, this global cultural hero often receives different treatment in the scholarly community. “Scholars tend to use an extremely broad definition of the term trickster itself, in that they tend to apply this term to any character who makes extensive use of deceit. Although such a broad definition does lead to the conclusion that tricksters are ubiquitous, it does so at the expense of blurring together at least two character-types that are actually quite distinct.” (Carroll 105-106)
The first character-type is that of the “clever hero” such as Davy Crockett, Robin Hood, and Homer’s Ulysses. Other examples of this clever trickster are “Afro-American folk heroes like Brer Rabbit, to the Chinese folk hero Wen-chang, to the Thai folk hero Sug” (Carroll 106). Clever tricksters are not as prevalent as the second character-type – the selfish buffoon, “’selfish’ because so much of the trickster's activity is oriented toward the gratification of his enormous appetites for food and sex, and "buffoon" because the elaborate deceits that the trickster devises in order to satisfy these appetites so often backfire and leave the trickster looking incredibly foolish.” (Carroll 106)
One of the best-known examples of this second character-type is the West African trickster Anansi. Carroll describes Anansi’s nature thusly:
Anansi often acts the role of the greedy and lecherous buffoon. Anansi's lechery, for instance, is evident in those Ashanti myths wherein Anansi marries a whole village of women, describes his penis as being longer than 77 long poles fastened together, and uses trickery in order to seduce another man's wife on nine different occasions during the course of a single night. Generally, however, Anansi's drives seems more gustatory than sexual. In several different myths, Anansi learns of a magical procedure that allows him to obtain all the food he needs. Not content with this, Anansi's greed leads him to abuse the procedure in some way in order to obtain more food than he really needs, with the inevitable result that he ends up in some embarrassing position. Anansi's greed is so great that he will often withhold food, of which he has plenty, from starving blood relatives. Finally, there are some myths in which Anansi ends up embarrassing himself simply because he cannot control his hunger. Thus, for instance, in one story Anansi wants to fast in honor of his just-deceased mother-in-law. His hunger overwhelms him, however, and so he steals some beans from a cooking pot. Not wanting the theft, or his inability to keep the fast, to be discovered, he hides the beans under his hat. The beans are extremely hot, and the end result is that his head is severely burned (which is why Anansi is subsequently bald). (Carroll 119-120)
Even though Anansi is often depicted in folklore as the selfish buffoon, he is viewed as a cultural hero because “he is seen as the person who inadvertently brought wisdom into the world.” (Carroll 120)
Surprising New Idea:
Tricksters have long been part of the collective global storybook. While Anansi and his brethren “selfish buffoons” have transformed over the years with the introduction of African culture to the western world, the cultural hero who uses deception and works outside of established societal norms remains.
Comic book heroes such as Spiderman, Superman, and the X-Men are examples which have delighted generations with their ability to cleverly outwit their enemies. However, modern city has given rise to a new cultural hero – the antihero. The antihero is someone who, like superheroes and tricksters of the past, works outside of society norms – usually for the greater good – but shows a distinct selfish streak and most often lacks the characteristics of the buffoon. Examples of this new cultural hero are Dirty Harry (a cop who plays by his own rules but still maintains a high level of moral character by working for the greater societal good), Rambo (a Vietnam vet who unleashes his own form of justice when he falls victim to the ignorance of others), Lestat (Anne Rice’s vampire antihero who embodies the hedonistic lifestyle but retains a high respect for the mortals he preys upon), Blade (an African American half-breed vampire – known as the “daywalker” - who must fight against his vampiric nature to hunt humans in order to protect them from the “full-blood” vampires), and the Terminator (not the killer cyborg of the first film but the “kinder, gentler” protector of the second and third films in which the futuristic machine shows restraint in minimizing the number of innocent bystander deaths).
The trickster, regardless of its cultural origins or modern forms, is above all a teaching character. Morals and wisdom are found within the tales. Society has moved away from the oral storytelling traditions and has become more visually oriented, which is why the new antihero is most often found in literature, film, or comic books. Despite having changed over time, the trickster is still a valuable part of our global cultural language and heritage, whether he recognize him or not.
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The Trickster and the Antihero
Anansi Meets Peter Parker at the Taco Bell on Lexington is a very short speculative fictional account of a meeting between Peter Parker, “the secret identity of the American superhero Spiderman,” (Kearney 89) and Anansi, “the major trickster figure of the Ashanti and Akan. He alternatively takes the form of a man or spider.” (Kearney 89) Anansi is eating bean burritos when Peter Parker begins snapping pictures of the trickster. After a brief confrontation, Anansi grants an interview and allows Parker to take more photos for Parker’s work at The Daily Bugle, the newspaper for which Parker works when not playing Spiderman. A few weeks pass and Anansi notices “some jackass in red & blue spandex swingin down Lexington with some half-ass spider moves.” (Kearney 90) The trickster simply walks away from the spectacle because “crazy ain’t [his] way.” (Kearney 90)
Spiderman, as found in the comic books, certainly show an influence from the trickster myths. He routinely uses his webs, “spidey sense,” and intellect to outwit his enemies. The trickster spirit in folklore is not isolated to any one culture but is a global presence. However, this global cultural hero often receives different treatment in the scholarly community. “Scholars tend to use an extremely broad definition of the term trickster itself, in that they tend to apply this term to any character who makes extensive use of deceit. Although such a broad definition does lead to the conclusion that tricksters are ubiquitous, it does so at the expense of blurring together at least two character-types that are actually quite distinct.” (Carroll 105-106)
The first character-type is that of the “clever hero” such as Davy Crockett, Robin Hood, and Homer’s Ulysses. Other examples of this clever trickster are “Afro-American folk heroes like Brer Rabbit, to the Chinese folk hero Wen-chang, to the Thai folk hero Sug” (Carroll 106). Clever tricksters are not as prevalent as the second character-type – the selfish buffoon, “’selfish’ because so much of the trickster's activity is oriented toward the gratification of his enormous appetites for food and sex, and "buffoon" because the elaborate deceits that the trickster devises in order to satisfy these appetites so often backfire and leave the trickster looking incredibly foolish.” (Carroll 106)
One of the best-known examples of this second character-type is the West African trickster Anansi. Carroll describes Anansi’s nature thusly:
Anansi often acts the role of the greedy and lecherous buffoon. Anansi's lechery, for instance, is evident in those Ashanti myths wherein Anansi marries a whole village of women, describes his penis as being longer than 77 long poles fastened together, and uses trickery in order to seduce another man's wife on nine different occasions during the course of a single night. Generally, however, Anansi's drives seems more gustatory than sexual. In several different myths, Anansi learns of a magical procedure that allows him to obtain all the food he needs. Not content with this, Anansi's greed leads him to abuse the procedure in some way in order to obtain more food than he really needs, with the inevitable result that he ends up in some embarrassing position. Anansi's greed is so great that he will often withhold food, of which he has plenty, from starving blood relatives. Finally, there are some myths in which Anansi ends up embarrassing himself simply because he cannot control his hunger. Thus, for instance, in one story Anansi wants to fast in honor of his just-deceased mother-in-law. His hunger overwhelms him, however, and so he steals some beans from a cooking pot. Not wanting the theft, or his inability to keep the fast, to be discovered, he hides the beans under his hat. The beans are extremely hot, and the end result is that his head is severely burned (which is why Anansi is subsequently bald). (Carroll 119-120)
Even though Anansi is often depicted in folklore as the selfish buffoon, he is viewed as a cultural hero because “he is seen as the person who inadvertently brought wisdom into the world.” (Carroll 120)
Tricksters have long been part of the collective global storybook. While Anansi and his brethren “selfish buffoons” have transformed over the years with the introduction of African culture to the western world, the cultural hero who uses deception and works outside of established societal norms remains.
Comic book heroes such as Spiderman, Superman, and the X-Men are examples that have delighted generations with their ability to cleverly outwit their enemies. However, modern society has given rise to a new cultural hero – the antihero. The antihero is someone who, like superheroes and tricksters of the past, works outside of society norms – usually for the greater good – but shows a distinct selfish streak and most often lacks the characteristics of the buffoon. Examples of this new cultural hero are Dirty Harry (a cop who plays by his own rules but still maintains a high level of moral character by working for the greater societal good), Rambo (a Vietnam vet who unleashes his own form of justice when he falls victim to the ignorance of others), Lestat (Anne Rice’s vampire antihero who embodies the hedonistic lifestyle but retains a high respect for the mortals he preys upon), Blade (an African American half-breed vampire – known as the “daywalker” - who must fight against his vampiric nature to hunt humans in order to protect them from the “full-blood” vampires), and the Terminator (not the killer cyborg of the first film but the “kinder, gentler” protector of the second and third films in which the futuristic machine shows restraint in minimizing the number of innocent bystander deaths).
The trickster, regardless of its cultural origins or modern forms, is above all a teaching character. Morals and wisdom are found within the tales. Society has moved away from the oral storytelling traditions and has become more visually oriented, which is why the new antihero is most often found in literature, film, or comic books. Despite having changed over time, the trickster is still a valuable part of our global cultural language and heritage, whether he recognize him or not.
Works Cited
Carroll, Michael P. “The Trickster as Self-Buffoon and Culture Hero.” Ethos, Vol. 12, No. 2. Summer 1984.
Kearney, Douglas. “Anansi Meets Peter Parker at the Taco Bell on Lexington.” Dark Matter: Reading the Bones. Sheree R. Thomas, Ed. Warner: New York. 2004.
Lauren Broussard J00418074 7th paper Black Fictional Writing
In reading the short story “Nancy Meets Peter Parker”, I was very unsure of what the author was intending to signify. It was very short and somewhat disturbing while describing a male African American’s ideas about the life he was currently leading. He described how he felt cheated considering he had the true idea for spider man but was never recognized for his ideas. The idea was stolen from him and processed into this huge money making role model for children with out paying or even signifying it was his idea in the first place. As we discussed further about the true meaning, I was amazed to learn the types of roles African American characters held through comic books. African American characters held very evil roles through the upcoming comic books of the 1970’s and 1980’s. The characters were usually thought of as black, dark creatures that killed many white people and brought harm to others. This thought was never bluntly applied. But rather addressed through characters of dark shapes and evil appearances through men and women of color. In The Magical Negro, this idea was very apparent. The main character, being white, was seen fighting the black creatures that were described to be filthy and leaving evil blackness behind every where they were seen. It was really a shocker to see the African American character at the end stand up for his rights and say “NO” when put in the position of taking the bullet for the white man. He speaks up against this thought and says, “The same things always happening”. Not only were black men targeted at, but also women as well. In the comic book we discussed in class, we see the female character as a young pregnant lady. She is alone and has to work very hard to support her and her child. Even though she is seen as a positive character, it is implied that all young, black women are pregnant ant alone in the world. It was a positive thought used to cover up the idea they were presenting. The thought crosses my mind in learning of this aspect that sure times have changed. But do we still address this idea in the minds of our youth? In today’s society, such characters as “Storm” from the well known X-men series hold this character portrayal. Although she is seen for a few scenes in the first two movies, she is in control and ends up dying in the end. This thought seams to never die through Hollywood. So, when will it all end? We have to keep a positive idea in the minds of little ones. They are the future of this world. If we keep unity in their perception, we can help our entertainment culture be more equal rites in the future.
2)Children learn the concept of race and racism from the things around them.
3) The online article “Young Children and Racism” talks about the way children as young as six months can identify difference. Researcher Phyllis A. Katz has been conducting studies on children's development of racial attitudes for the past two decades. In a recent study, she showed 6-month-old infants several pictures of African Americans and then showed the infants a picture of a white American. The babies looked at the last picture for a significantly longer time, suggesting they were aware of the difference.” Children being able to identify the difference between them and another classmate develops this “outsider” tendency where they only socialize with children similar to themselves. This does not mean the child is prejudice. The child develops a curiosity that makes them uncomfortable of another race. The article contains advice and information from various scholars who give parents tip on how to approach the issue of race with a young child. They inform that talking to a child when they are young is the best thing. You can read children’s books of other cultures, attend multi-cultural activities together, or become part of a group where different ethnicities come together and talk about their views on race. The article concludes that children do pick up on things from society and home, but talking to a child rather than ignoring the issue is good for the development of the child. In the article “How Do Young Children See Race?“ Dr. Marguerite A. Wright says that children are not as affected about difference the way adults are. The article starts off with a story of an ex Klansman named Johnny Lee who says that his hatred of different races started when he saw a black man for the first time “…when he was five and saw a black man for the first time. Johnny said to his father, "Look, Daddy, there's a chocolate-covered man." Daddy replied, "No, son, that's a nigger." Lee said that it was at that moment that "the seeds of hatred" were planted…” He later quit the klan. Dr. Wright also tells the story of her stay in Australia and her encounter with a white family while she was there. The child was more comfortable with a black person in the house more than the parents were. Dr. Wright uses this story to show the reader that children do not pay as much attention to ace as their parents and other adults do. Young children do not put a huge thought about race, they just play with individuals. It is when their parents and society talk about their views on race that the child then sees that there is indeed a difference between themselves and others. The parents should have talked about race instead of keeping it a taboo secret from their daughter. Ignoring an issue solves nothing. It is when you let the child express their views that you are able to talk to them on a level that they will understand. Difference does exist, but the way a parent and society approach the subject is very important to the racial development of a child.
4) I was really touched by the part in “Jesus Christ in Texas” where the little girl is not aware of the race of the stranger the way her parents are. She becomes so intrigued by the stranger that she gets up from bed just to see him again. It is not until the stranger himself puts her to bed that she leaves. Even after her mother and her nurse tell her to go. In class we talked about the parts in the bible where children are intrigued and seen as innocent and pure in the bible. We later learn that the stranger is Jesus and W.E.B. Du Bois uses that thought to show why the young girl was so attached to the stranger. I used the two articles below for my paper because I wanted to see what other’s views about children and the concept of racism were. I was very surprised about the different thoughts centering around the subject. The article “Young Children and Racism” stated that children do see a difference as early as six months old and provide evidence for this thought. There are many scholars who back up the claim that children are able not only to see difference between themselves and others, they act on it as well. The article also says that parents and society do play a role in this development but not in the way to show children difference, they see it for themselves. Dr. Marguerite A. Wright in her article “How Do Children See Race?” says that children do not see the difference when they are young until society and parents show it to them. They may ask curious questions about skin color and other things but it does not really matter that much. Johnny Lee, the ex Klansman even says to his father “There is a chocolate cover man” his father however says, “no son that is a nigger” Johnny Lee says this is when the seed of hatred was planted. Both articles say that parents should not ignore or keep quite about the idea of race and let children talk about their views on the subject. Parents should teach their children to respect other races and people by understanding difference first. Children are curious by nature and ask questions not to hurt but to get an understanding about why the person next to them is different from themselves. Doing this brought back a lot of memories about me and my old best friend Brittney who was my neighbor when we were young and the way our friendship turned out because we did not understand each other.
5) Children need to learn to understand and accept the differences of others in order for mixed raced friendships and relationships to have a chance to survive the thoughts and actions of society.
paper:
Reading W.E.B. Du Bois’s short story “Jesus Christ in Texas” made me think of the time when my childhood innocence was still intact. The little girl in the story was the only one in her family who looked past color and saw the stranger for who he really was “…but there in the hall, clad in her night clothes, was the little girl. She had stolen down the stairs to see the stranger again, and the nurse above was calling in vain…but the stranger had stretched out his arms and with a glad cry the child nestled in them“ (Du Bois, 98). When I was five I was attached to the hip to a little Caucasian girl named Brittney that lived next door to me. We were best friends and did everything together. It did not matter that we were different colors, all that mattered was that my best friends was playing with me everyday. As we grew older we both started doing different things. I was in choir because a couple of friends talked me in to it and she was a cheerleader. Time passed and before we knew it, our friendship was basically none existent. Attending high school the majority of my friends were black and the majority of Brittney’s friends were white. We still lived next door to each other, but after a while we only greeted each other when we saw each other. Children do not really look at color the way adults do when they are young. The innocence is still untouched by society, family, and peers. “Children are not color blind; they recognize differences. Children develop racial attitudes based on their observations of their parents and society in general“ (Adoption.com). In the article “Young Children and Racism” it states that children as young as sin months are able to identify difference. The article goes on to say that as children get older they develop an “outsider” approach to people different from themselves. The avoid contact with someone who looks different from themselves. The articles says that against popular belief children do not become prejudice just because their parents might be prejudice. The outsider approach that they take stays with them and they look at stereotypes to tell them what they know about the other race. Angela Neal-Barnett, a researcher at Kent State University states that parents should teach their children about different races at an early age. Talk about the difference with your children and see how they feel about people that are different from themselves. Barnett also says that some parents think that ignoring racial difference and focusing on a person’s personality does not help the child in the long run. The child could develop anxiety issues with people no matter what race those people may be. “Neal-Barnett interviewed African American children who had been socialized in one of the three ways and found that children whose parents chose to ignore race and focus on personal qualities had the highest levels of anxiety in their social interactions, regardless of the race of the people with whom they were interacting (Adoption.com).The article goes on to say that a way parents could teach their children about race is to read children’s books of other cultures. Books making reference to a difference such as hair and the way the character feels about themselves. This could make a child aware that other cultures also go through things themselves may experience. That they are more alike than they actually think. “…these early years are an optimum time for children of different races to get to know each other, before they become aware of the stereotypes that in time will rob them of their racial innocence“ (Wright). Dr. Marguerite A. Wright agrees that children need to be taught about racial difference at an early age, however she states that young children to do not see color but the individual. Dr. Wright says that children develop ideas of race from society and their parents at home. She tells a story of a visit to Australia while doing research and an encounter with a white family. While the parents were indeed a little anxious about a black person being in their; the daughter was not at all uncomfortable. Dr. Wright spent the day playing with the little girl and when they were back together with the adults was when the child started asking her about her skin color and big lips. The parents tried anxiously to stop the curious child from asking questions. They soo became so upset that they took the child from the room. The child was curious about the difference and did not see a reason why it would upset her parents. Young children do not put a huge thought about race, they just play with individuals. It is when their parents and society talk about their views on race that the child then sees that there is indeed a difference between themselves and others. The parents should have talked about race instead of keeping it a taboo secret from their daughter. Ignoring an issue solves nothing. It is when you let the child express their views that you are able to talk to them on a level that they will understand. Difference does exist, but the way a parent and society approach the subject is very important to the racial development of a child. After reading the articles and thinking about things maybe Brittney and I were just not taught about race enough to keep our friendship intact. There were many times when we asked each other questions about the other but we ourselves did not know the answer. I think in order for a friendship or relationship of mixed races to develop in healthy way there should be a level of understanding about the other person. Maybe if our parents would have taught us to respect and learn from the other’s culture we would still be the best of friends like we were such a long time ago.
Work Cited
Du Bois, W.E.B. “Jesus Christ in Texas.” Dark Matter: Reading the Bones. Ed. Sheree R. Thomas. New York: Warner Books., 2004. 98.
Young Children and Racism. Adoption.com. 2006 (http://library.adoption.com/Cultural-Diversity-and-Racism/Young-Children-and- Racism/article/3207/1.html)
Wright, Dr. Marguerite A. How Do Children See Race?. Hand in hand. (http://www.handinhandparenting.org/csArticles/ articles/000000/000017.htm)
Focusing Question: Why do Black Americans make positive contributions to society and not receive recognition for their discoveries and achievements, but the dominant race does?
Thesis: Anansis is a term for an African spider and is the true “Spider Man”, but the trickster Peter Parker learns of Anansis ways and then takes his role from him.
200-250 wd summary: Douglas Kearney wrote “Anansi Meets Peter Parker At The Taco Bell in Lexington”, a science fiction short story. The story is written in first person from the real spider man’s point of view or the Anansi, which is another word for an African spider. He is standing at the Taco Bell, eating a bean burrito (Because times is hard) and he sees a man by the name of Peter Parker approaching him wanting to take his picture. Anansi figures why not, because times is hard, and so he poses for a few pictures. The next day Anansi is back at Taco Bell ordering more bean burritos when he spots a White man(the trickster and Peter Parker) in red and blue spandex swinging around the city looking like a jackass. They call him “Spider Man”, and he is on the front page of the newspaper, with commercials, toys, television, book, and everything else. He becomes a super hero, who really stole his idea and identity from Anansi., but Anansi stated that couldn’t be me because “Crazy ain’t my way.”
My Understanding: The deeper meaning and message of this brief story is that African Americans do wonderful, positive things for society and get over looked and also get their ideas stolen from the dominant race. For instance, in this story the African Spider was noticed by only one man, the trickster, Peter Parker, and the comic book character was noticed by everyone because he was White. Other examples include Elvis Presley and the rapper Eminem. Each of these artists derived their sounds and styles from African Americans and each of these artists are now known internationally for their innovative music. Black Americans are not receiving recognition or credit for the things they are doing, and White people are stealing their ideas and then making large amounts of money with them. Society does not take their race as seriously as they should and are not as willing to give leadership or power to African American’s even though they are the ones with the good ideas and positive contributions.
Risky or Surprising View: After reading this brief story my eyes were opened. I realized that African Americans really do not receive the credit and recognition that they deserve. Society needs to stop practicing Cultural Appropriation, which the dominant race needs to realize they are doing, and start giving credit where it is deserved. There is nothing wrong with blending and incorporating several cultures, but each culture should be appreciated, tolerated, and respected.
Works Cited: Kearney, Douglas. “Anansi Meets Peter Parker at the Taco Bell on Lexington.” Dark Matter: Reading the Bones. Sheree R. Thomas, Ed. Warner: New York. 2004.
Focusing Question: Should reparations be made to African Americans of slave descent?
Thesis: It would be a huge task in order to enact any sort of reparations program.
Summary of Darity’s Article: William Darity’s article was published in “The American Economic Review”. It focuses on the 2001 World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) where the transatlantic slave trade was declared a crime against humanity. He makes the point that although the United State’s government has enacted many reparations payments to Native Americans, black Americans have never seen any sort of group reparations for the crimes of slavery. Darity claims that while slavery in and of itself is reason enough for reparations, the ‘self-sanctioned apartheid’ of the Jim Crow laws should also be taken into consideration. He also notes that these atrocities equal a ‘white destruction of black wealth’ and claims that this is the direct cause of the current disparity between the black-white per capita income ratio (which is in the 50 percent range.) After giving his reasons for a reparations bill to be passed, Darity outlines how much money is appropriate and how the money should be divided. He has estimated that the present value worth of reparations should be around $5 - $10 trillion for the debt for slavery. How should this money be dolled out? Individuals would have to meet the following eligibility: provide reasonable documentation that they had at least one ancestor who was enslaved in the United States, and demonstrate that at least 10 years before the onset of the reparations program they self-identified as black or African-American on a legal document. Darity concludes by asserting that these reparations should be financed by paying additional taxes, dissaving, or lowering their spending.
Summary of Harris’ Article: Lee Harris’ article was published in the University of Memphis Law Review. He begins by suggesting that the public overwhelmingly opposes monetary slavery reparations. He also claims that while supporting slavery reparations is legally permissible, it is socially unthinkable. Harris’ demonstrated that most Americans are currently individualists. Individualists emphasize self-reliance, and that each person is an independent being should be judged on their own score of talents and shortcomings. Directly because of this, Harris claims, ‘Americans are routinely opposed to increases in the welfare state, perceiving public assistance as counter to self-sufficiency.’ In an individualist’s mind, slavery reparations are even more unthinkable because it is a ‘group-oriented’ claim. This is in direct opposition to an individualist’s beliefs. Harris claims that, most importantly, Americans equate justice (on which our country is said to be founded) with the assurance that every individual has equal opportunity, though not necessarily equality of outcome. In other words, no matter the circumstances, through hard work and determination any person can succeed. Harris concludes with the following statement: “As a result of the anti-reparations norm, there will probably be very little discussion on reparations in politics, the academy, or the typical American home.”
Analysis of Texts: Clearly these two authors are in direct opposition to each other. Darity seems to think that the idea of reparations is generally accepted because American people realize that the atrocities of the past need to be amended through money grants to the people affected. Harris claims that the American people, individualists, ultimately reject the idea of slavery reparations because it is in opposition to the core beliefs of Americans. It seems as though Harris would almost laugh at Darity’s idea that the money for slavery reparations would come directly out of the pocket of non-blacks. It seems to me that these two articles are a very good representation of the ideas held by Americans: you either agree with the idea of slavery reparations, or you don’t. Clearly, each author has taken considerable time and thought regarding the issue. Darity has composed a fairly detailed plan for the enactment of a reparations bill that includes qualifying procedures and a funding scheme. Harris, a sociologist, has taken the time to research the general, or normative, beliefs of Americans. By identifying this ideology and applying it specifically to the reparations argument, he has concluded that the norm in America is anti-reparations. The tone of Darity’s article is hopeful, while Harris’ is not. So, how should we respond in the face of these conflicting articles?
It is universally agreed that America’s past in slavery was an atrocity. Through the Civil Rights Movement, the past few decades have brought loads of change to the United State’s policies and Americans’ lives. I believe that many of the institutional problems regarding race have been eliminated. Many white people quickly tire of hearing about slavery reparations, because it brings up feelings of white guilt. In Robinson’s story, the reparations bill was named “The Guilt Bill.” It is my opinion that the awarding of slavery reparations would be a slippery slope. I believe that it would cause nearly irreparable damage to current relationships between the black culture and every other culture within the United States.
Surprising New View: Education, not reparations, is the answer.
Completed Essay
Essay 7 Reparations
The subject of reparations in our country is a debate that has raged for many years. This issue is very polarizing and can be quite controversial amongst people. Jill Robinson addressed this issue in her short story “BLACKout.” In this fictional world, a bill was passed that called for reparations to be paid to African Americans of slave descent. This world was filled with chaos and hate as people fought over what constituted enough ‘blackness’ in order to qualify for the reparations money. After reading this, I began to think about the issue of reparations and if it was an appropriate and feasible solution to the wrongs of this country’s past. I often come to the same conclusion (which really isn’t a conclusion at all): It would be a huge task in order to enact any sort of reparations program. I found two articles that deal directly with this tricky issue: William Darity’s “The Economics of Reparations: and Lee Harris’ “Reparations as a Dirty Word.” Let us now look at each author’s view concerning reparations.
William Darity’s article was published in “The American Economic Review.” It focuses on the 2001 World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) where the transatlantic slave trade was declared a crime against humanity. He makes the point that although the United State’s government has enacted many reparations payments to Native Americans, black Americans have never seen any sort of group reparations for the crimes of slavery. Darity claims that while slavery in and of itself is reason enough for reparations, the ‘self-sanctioned apartheid’ of the Jim Crow laws should also be taken into consideration. He also notes that these atrocities equal a ‘white destruction of black wealth’ and claims that this is the direct cause of the current disparity between the black-white per capita income ratio (which is in the 50 percent range.) After giving his reasons for a reparations bill to be passed, Darity outlines how much money is appropriate and how the money should be divided. He has estimated that the present value worth of reparations should be around $5 - $10 trillion for the debt for slavery. How should this money be dolled out? Individuals would have to meet the following eligibility: provide reasonable documentation that they had at least one ancestor who was enslaved in the United States, and demonstrate that at least 10 years before the onset of the reparations program they self-identified as black or African-American on a legal document. Darity concludes by asserting that these reparations should be financed by paying additional taxes, dissaving, or lowering their spending. Let us now look at Harris’ article.
Lee Harris’ article was published in the University of Memphis Law Review. He begins by suggesting that the public overwhelmingly opposes monetary slavery reparations. He also claims that while supporting slavery reparations is legally permissible, it is socially unthinkable. Harris’ demonstrated that most Americans are currently individualists. Individualists emphasize self-reliance, and that each person is an independent being should be judged on their own score of talents and shortcomings. Directly because of this, Harris claims, ‘Americans are routinely opposed to increases in the welfare state, perceiving public assistance as counter to self-sufficiency.’ In an individualist’s mind, slavery reparations are even more unthinkable because it is a ‘group-oriented’ claim. This is in direct opposition to an individualist’s beliefs. Harris claims that, most importantly, Americans equate justice (on which our country is said to be founded) with the assurance that every individual has equal opportunity, though not necessarily equality of outcome. In other words, no matter the circumstances, through hard work and determination any person can succeed. Harris concludes with the following statement: “As a result of the anti-reparations norm, there will probably be very little discussion on reparations in politics, the academy, or the typical American home.” Let us now consider these two articles.
Clearly these two authors are in direct opposition to each other. Darity seems to think that the idea of reparations is generally accepted because American people realize that the atrocities of the past need to be amended through money grants to the people affected. Harris claims that the American people, individualists, ultimately reject the idea of slavery reparations because it is in opposition to the core beliefs of Americans. It seems as though Harris would almost laugh at Darity’s idea that the money for slavery reparations would come directly out of the pocket of non-blacks. It seems to me that these two articles are a very good representation of the ideas held by Americans: you either agree with the idea of slavery reparations, or you don’t. Clearly, each author has taken considerable time and thought regarding the issue. Darity has composed a fairly detailed plan for the enactment of a reparations bill that includes qualifying procedures and a funding scheme. Harris, a sociologist, has taken the time to research the general, or normative, beliefs of Americans. By identifying this ideology and applying it specifically to the reparations argument, he has concluded that the norm in America is anti-reparations. The tone of Darity’s article is hopeful, while Harris’ is not. So, how should we respond in the face of these conflicting articles?
It is universally agreed that America’s past in slavery was an atrocity. Through the Civil Rights Movement, the past few decades have brought loads of change to the United State’s policies and Americans’ lives. I believe that many of the institutional problems regarding race have been eliminated. Many white people quickly tire of hearing about slavery reparations, because it brings up feelings of white guilt. In Robinson’s story, the reparations bill was named “The Guilt Bill.” It is my opinion that the awarding of slavery reparations would be a slippery slope. I believe that it would cause nearly irreparable damage to current relationships between the black culture and every other culture within the United States.
So, what is an acceptable way to deal with our past? I believe education is the answer. We need to encourage a climate of openness regarding the black slaves in America. The dialog that ensues should not be hostile or accusing, but rather straightforward in an attempt to recognize how horrible the situation was. The dialog should also include the attitudes of both the slaves and the slave owners. Through education, the next generation of Americans can be well-informed of the past without feeling guilty (whites) or as if they’re owed something (blacks). Also, with this education, Americans can open up other discourse to make sure this standardized inequality is completely eradicated and does not occur in the future.
Works Cited
“BLACKout.” Charles Johnson. Dark Matter: Reading the Bones. Sheree R. Thomas.Time Warner Book Group, New York. 2005. 232-242.
“Reparations as a Dirty Word.” BNET Research Center. January 2003. University of Memphis Law Review. December 1, 2007.
“The Economics of Reparations.” Darity, William. The American Economic Review: Papers and Proceedings of the One Hundred Fifteenth Annual Meeting of the American Economic Association. Vol. 93, No. 2. May 2003, Washington, DC.
What are the Effects of Cultural Appropriation on America?
Thesis:
The effects of cultural appropriation have benefited the dominant culture, however left the minority quaint and obscure.
Summary of Kearney’s article:
Kearney’s essay, Anansi, the African spider who is obscure and quaint has a sense of frustration. This sense of frustration comes from Peter Parker who takes pictures of him (Anansi) and becomes famous by becoming the white Spiderman. This is an example of cultural appropriation, taking something from a minority and using it for the dominant race. Anansi complains because he is broke and has to eat Taco Bell, whereas, the white Spiderman is making money from replica, movies, TV shoes, and books. He feels since he is an African-American character that he has been ignored. Many other individuals in America feel that way also. Elvis Pressley learned from a black man how to dance, took the steps, and adopted them as his own. These issues provoke problems between the Black and White America. Anansi also feels that since he cannot promote himself like Spiderman he will not be as big as the White Spiderman. He complains about Spiderman being egotistical because he takes pictures of himself and puts them in the newspaper. All of these issues affect America as a whole today.
Summary of Mbachu’s Article:
In Mbachu’s essay, The Magical Negro, we must ask ourselves why do white characters become huge and black characters die off first in the movies? Is it just marketing or is it a face thing? For example, pg. 92, the African took the bullet for Thor. The Black person takes the bullet and is killed first in every story read that is either a comic book or science fiction. This shows how unimportant the figure is that represents the “sidekick” in each story. No matter how important their role, when it comes to them dying or living I believe it is a marketing strategy. Books and movies depend on their audience in order to sale. Although some are based on race, this whole world runs on politics and marketing.
Analysis of Texts:
In Kearney’s essay, Anansi, the African spider who is obscure and quaint has a sense of frustration. This sense of frustration comes from Peter Parker who takes pictures of him (Anansi) and becomes famous by becoming the white Spiderman. This is an example of cultural appropriation, taking something from a minority and using it for the dominant race. Anansi complains because he is broke and has to eat Taco Bell, whereas, the white Spiderman is making money from replica, movies, TV shoes, and books. He feels since he is an African-American character that he has been ignored. Many other individuals in America feel that way also. Elvis Pressley learned from a black man how to dance, took the steps, and adopted them as his own. These issues provoke problems between the Black and White America. Anansi also feels that since he cannot promote himself like Spiderman he will not be as big as the White Spiderman. He complains about Spiderman being egotistical because he takes pictures of himself and puts them in the newspaper. All of these issues affect America as a whole today. In Mbachu’s essay, The Magical Negro, we must ask ourselves why do white characters become huge and black characters die off first in the movies? Is it just marketing or is it a face thing? For example, pg. 92, the African took the bullet for Thor. The Black person takes the bullet and is killed first in every story read that is either a comic book or science fiction. This shows how unimportant the figure is that represents the “sidekick” in each story. No matter how important their role, when it comes to them dying or living I believe it is a marketing strategy. Books and movies depend on their audience in order to sale. Although some are based on race, this whole world runs on politics and marketing.
Surprising New View: Cultural appropriation has a negative connotation in society today. Although, there are some very good things about the idea I believe the bad outweighs the good. At times credit is not given when it is due and even worse cultures are erased, however, individuals that live in America need to realize they live in America. This is what living in a “melting pot” is about.
Completed Essay
Kirsten Altice EH 468 Essay 7
What are the Effects of Cultural Appropriation on America? When a dominant culture takes something from a minority and uses it for their own it not only sparks hatred and jealousy, but it sparks wonder. Often we find the minority asking themselves, “Why does this dominant culture appreciate our culture?” The answer is simple. There is usually some benefit to the dominant culture appropriating these ways of life, whether it is through marketing or self-gratification. For years, this has always been an issue tied in with race, therefore a lot of hostility lies within this problem. So what are the effects of cultural appropriation on individuals in America? One example of cultural appropriation is sports. The Atlanta Braves used the hatchet move with their hands in order to symbolize their mascot the Indian. Indians took offense to it and made them stop the movement. Racism and prejudices are two effects of appropriation. The effects of cultural appropriation have benefited the dominant culture, however left the minority quaint and obscure. In Kearney’s essay, Anansi, the African spider who is obscure and quaint has a sense of frustration. This sense of frustration comes from Peter Parker who takes pictures of him (Anansi) and becomes famous by becoming the white Spiderman. This is an example of cultural appropriation, taking something from a minority and using it for the dominant race. Anansi complains because he is broke and has to eat Taco Bell, whereas, the white Spiderman is making money from replica, movies, TV shoes, and books. He feels since he is an African-American character that he has been ignored. Many other individuals in America feel that way also. Elvis Pressley learned from a black man how to dance, took the steps, and adopted them as his own. These issues provoke problems between the Black and White America. Anansi also feels that since he cannot promote himself like Spiderman he will not be as big as the White Spiderman. He complains about Spiderman being egotistical because he takes pictures of himself and puts them in the newspaper. All of these issues affect America as a whole today. In Mbachu’s essay, The Magical Negro, we must ask ourselves why do white characters become huge and black characters die off first in the movies? Is it just marketing or is it a face thing? For example, (Mbachu,92) the African took the bullet for Thor. The Black person takes the bullet and is killed first in every story read that is either a comic book or science fiction. This shows how unimportant the figure is that represents the “sidekick” in each story. No matter how important their role, when it comes to them dying or living I believe it is a marketing strategy. Books and movies depend on their audience in order to sale. Although some are based on race, this whole world runs on politics and marketing. Cultural appropriation has a negative connotation in society today. Although, there are some very good things about the idea I believe the bad outweighs the good. At times credit is not given when it is due and even worse cultures are erased, however, individuals that live in America need to realize they live in America. This is what living in a “melting pot” is about.
Kearney, Douglas. “Anansi Meets Peter Parker at the Taco Bell on Lexington.” Dark Matter: Reading the Bones. Sheree R. Thomas, Ed. Warner: New York. 2004.
Mbachu, N. "The Magical Negro." Dark Matter: Reading the Bones. Sheree R. Thomas, Ed. Warner: New York. 2004.
Focusing Question: Does color really make a difference when it comes to recognition titles?
Thesis: Anansi is the first “Spiderman”, but because Anansi is Black, Peter Parker “steals” Anansi’s role as “Spiderman” from him.
Summary of text: “Anansi Meets Peter Parker at the Taco Bell on Lexington” written by Douglas Kearney in 2000 was a wake up call for Whites and Blacks. Peter Parker works for the daily bugle and was taking pictures and doing “research on quaint and obscure local characters.” He interviewed Anansi, which means African spider, because of his “style.” Peter Parker offers to pay him, and he accepts because times are hard. The next day, when he is back at Taco Bell, he sees a White man in a red and blue suit swinging around Lexington. The White man is on the front page of daily bugle and he is called “Spiderman.” He now has his own books, TV show, movie, and toys. He is a White man who made his living and fame by stealing the idea and identity from Anansi.
My understanding: Many great ideas and inventions come from African Americans, but this story stirs the idea that nothing is noticed until a White person does it. An example provided in class was Elvis Presley. He learned all of his music and guitar moves from Blacks, but only Elvis Presley was recognized for this type of music.
Risky or Surprising new idea: People that read this story should learn that African Americans have positive attributions to make in this society, and they should be recognized for them. If someone cures Cancer, it should not matter if the doctor is White or Black, all that should matter is that a cure is found.
Completed Essay
Whitney Hubbert
EH 468
Professor Alford
Paper 7
Does color really make a difference when it comes to recognition titles? Anansi is the first “Spiderman”, but because Anansi is Black, Peter Parker “steals” Anansi’s role as “Spiderman” from him.
“Anansi Meets Peter Parker at the Taco Bell on Lexington” written by Douglas Kearney in 2000 was a wake up call for Whites and Blacks. Peter Parker works for the daily bugle and was taking pictures and doing “research on quaint and obscure local characters.” He interviewed Anansi, which means African spider, because of his “style.” Peter Parker offers to pay him, and he accepts because times are hard. The next day, when he is back at Taco Bell, he sees a White man in a red and blue suit swinging around Lexington. The White man is on the front page of daily bugle and he is called “Spiderman.” He now has his own books, TV show, movie, and toys. He is a White man who made his living and fame by stealing the idea and identity from Anansi.
Many great ideas and inventions come from African Americans, but this story stirs the idea that nothing is noticed until a White person does it. An example provided in class was Elvis Presley. He learned all of his music and guitar moves from Blacks, but only Elvis Presley was recognized for this type of music.
People that read this story should learn that African Americans have positive attributions to make in this society, and they should be recognized for them. If someone cures Cancer, it should not matter if the doctor is White or Black, all that should matter is that a cure is found.
Works Cited
Kearney, Douglas. “Anansi Meets Peter Parker at the Taco Bell on Lexington.” Dark Matter: Reading the Bones. Sheree R. Thomas, Ed. Warner: New York. 2004.
The featured story of Blackout tackles many issues. These issues include guilt by association, self-hate, differences in culture, and immigration. In the reading we encounter Nigel who feels that he deserves reparations. Reparations are defined as payment of damages that have occurred to make amends and have satisfaction. Nigel believes that his family deserves compensation for years of unpaid slave labor. Nigel is at a standstill when Alana reminds him that his parents are from Jamaica, so reparations would not count towards him. (Dark Matter 2004) The notion of reparations for slavery is not new. On Jan. 16, 1865, Gen. William T. Sherman issued Special Field Order No. 15, which awarded all the Sea Islands, south of Charleston, S.C., and a significant portion of coastal lands to newly freed slaves to homestead. Each freedman was eligible for 40 acres of "tillable ground." The order became known as the "40 Acres and a Mule Proclamation." The order was transformed into Senate Bill No. 60 and although it passed both houses on Feb. 10, 1866, President Andrew Johnson vetoed it. Since that time, U.S culture has formed a formidable scab of denial over the angry wound of slavery and Jim Crow apartheid. So impenetrable is this scab, many white Americans either are mystified by blacks' disproportionate miseries or they attribute them to some intrinsic quality (be it genetic or cultural). Blacks often are urged to "get over" race; that is, accept racial inequities as a state of nature and shut up about it. African-Americans were created in the crucible of slavery and socialized for centuries by white supremacy. And although most Americans may have had little to do with the cause of that problem, all of us have a stake in its solution.(Chicago Tribune 2001) In principle, we believe that the descendants of a victim of human rights abuse should also be able to pursue claims of reparations. That is, the right to reparations should not be extinguished with the death of the victim but can be pursued by his or her heirs. We can begin with the premise that slavery, the slave trade, the most severe forms of racism associated with colonialism, and subsequent official racist practices such as apartheid in South Africa or the Jim Crow laws in the United States are extraordinarily serious human rights violations. If committed today, these would be crimes against humanity. Under traditional and straightforward human rights law and policy, each living victim of these practices is entitled individually to seek and receive reparations from those who committed or permitted these wrongs. By "reparations" we mean not only compensation but also acknowledgment of past abuses, an end to ongoing abuses, and, as much as possible, restoration of the state of affairs that would have prevailed had there been no abuses.( http://hrw.org/english/docs/2001/07/19/global285.htm) Many believe that they deserve whatever is coming to them. Whether it is monetary value, pride, apologizes, or words of encouragement. Slavery was not a beautiful thing, nor is it a justified occurrence. People were treated as animals as if they had no rights or feelings. When are we going to wake up and realize that even though we may be different on the outside, we are all human? We want to reach something in our lives and to make something of ourselves. When are we going to take the blinders off and realize that we are human beings put on the earth for a purpose?
Focusing question: Is appropration racial? Whose fault is it?
Douglas Kearney summary: "Anansi Meets Peter Parker at the Taco Bell on Lexington" is about appropriation. It is told from the perspective of Anansi, who was a spider god, and was the original spiderman before the blue tights. I think it is done in such a waythat it perfectly captures the attitude of someone who has been ripped off, and the context in which Kearney places these characters is perfect. It was much more comical written this way, where there were no real people involved. I wondered how much different the story would have been if it was Elvis. The characters really make the story.
Surprising new idea: Yes, most appropriation might be marketing to different demographics, but the different demographics are made mostly of races. So it is our own fault for seeing each other as different, just for being different colors.
paper:
Appropriation, Racial?
“Anansi Meets Peter Parker at the Taco Bell on Lexington”, by Douglas Kearney, was a very interesting read for me. Anansi literally gets taken advantage of by spider-man and it is great. I thought Douglas Kearney covered appropriation perfectly throughout the story. It led me to thinking a lot of the subject of appropriation . When talking about it in class, we first approached it from a racial standpoint. I agree that it is often true that many of the things made popular in mainstream white American culture have already existed in other cultures. But what other factors are involved in this equation? Is it wrong? Is it wrong when it is racial appropriation? My initial reaction was in thinking of the market. Many times, businesses will plan to market to a certain demographic. With the media the way it is today, everyone is marketable in different ways. They aren’t going to run beer commercials in between cartoons or Hooters commercials during televangelist hour. They’re not going to waste any money trying to sell a product to a group of people they don’t think will buy it. So I started thinking well, maybe its not racial at all, maybe they’re just taking an idea, and changing it so that it is marketable to the largest demographic. Maybe partially true. The main problem I have with this being a marketing issue is that the largest demographic would be mainstream white America. What kills me is that this group encompasses so many different kinds of people who associate themselves with this group for being white. The color white. Only. Every other part of their lives is different socially, economically, and civilly. They all might even worship different gods and go to different churches, but they consider themselves alike racially. It’s the same with every race. There are rich, poor, smart, dumb, large, small, people of every race. Every race. Why do we base so much on such a tiny thing as color? So what other factors are involved? None. Is racial appropriation wrong? Yes. In the great marketing scheme, I think that anything could be kept in its original form and marketed to people of all types, all at once. In the modern market, anything with enough advertising money pushed behind it will sell. The diversity of ideas might help America to become more open to such miniscule differences. I think that as a country, one thing we need to do is to utilize our technology and communication abilities. That paired with education can really make a difference in our children’s future. I really think that many of the people that make up the largest demographics in our society went through some really bad times in the past, and will never change. But teaching the same hateful ideas to our kids gets us nowhere. And teaching that differences in tastes are differences of colors will also get us nowhere. And not teaching them at all is embarrassing.
Focusing Question: What kind of life should we be leading? Thesis Statement: People should live their lives with more of the ideals of God.
Summary of Du Bois’s text: Jesus Christ in Texas is a story written by W.E.B. Du Bois. This story is full of God and Christian references and is truly magnificent. The story centers on a family living in the earlier part of the 19th century. The family consists of a father who is a colonel, a mother and a child. They are obviously well off because in their home they have a maid and a butler who both are African American. While the Colonel is at the prison discussing a deal to hire the convicts to build a railroad, he meets a man that is referred to as “the stranger” for the rest of the story. At first he reacts oddly to this peculiar stranger but is taken in by his charm. He invites the stranger to ride with him into town. Upon meeting the Colonel’s family in the car, the child is immediately enamored with the stranger and is found sitting in his lap with the two engaged in conversation. The wife and Colonel are throwing a dinner party that evening and invite the stranger to stay. Right before the guests arrive the light finally hits the stranger the correct way and both the Colonel and the wife discover that he in a Mulatto. They are both horrified but do not know how to get rid of him. Soon the guests arrive and are all taken with the stranger. Before the stranger leaves the house, both the maid and the butler recognize that he is Christ and both fall to their knees at his feet. Later on in the story a black escaped convict who had come to be employed at the white family’s house. The black man has met the stranger and has been given a second chance. Later on in the story the black man accidentally runs into and knocks down the white woman. The husband claims that he attacked her and he in lynched. The woman later stares at the hanging body and it is as if the body represents the crucified body of Christ. The woman is felt feeling guilty and ashamed.
Summary of Michael Morrison’s text: Morrison has written an article that speaks of the ways in which people are supposed to imitate God in their daily lives. He lists a number of ways that we can liove good lives and the benefits that we receive from doing so. First Morrison states that in order to live a Christ like life people must not be judgmental and should love everyone as Christ does. He says that we should uplift our neighbors and be willing to help them when they need help. He says we must even love the people who are hard to love and to get along with everyone with causing them pain. Morrison also states that it is important to not try and have authority over people but to serve. He says that Jesus was sent to the Earth to serve and that God’s people should do the same. Other than loving people and serving he states that we should also practice forgiveness and give people second chances as God gives us numerous chances to redeem ourselves. At the end Morrison writes that we may not all like these responsibilities but we must do it if we want to be closer to God. Morrison’s last sentence sums up his entire article. He states, God has the most fulfilled, most satisfying life possible—and he wants us to enjoy eternal life, too. He wants us to be like he is. God is "compassionate and gracious ... slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” Morrison says that our reward for practicing a Christ-like life is to spend eternity in Heaven.
Synthesis of both texts: The reason that I chose to write about this topic is because in reading the story the main things that I could see were the comparisons being made between the stranger and the other people in the story. Obviously Christianity was going to be the main theme in a story called “Jesus Christ in Texas” but the way in which Du Bois did it is amazing. First off, he made the Christ character a Mulatto, which shows that Christ can take any form. He is not judgmental and does not care if he appears as a black man. Also this was the best way to bring out a white family’s true colors back in that time. As far as the comparisons in the story go there are many. First the stranger in the story is not judgmental, he accepts everyone in the story for who they are and gives every single one of them a chance. The white family in the story, both the mother and the Colonel, are accepting of the stranger when they think he is a white man, but as soon as they find out that he is a Mulatto they are just as appalled by him, as they are all African Americans. They do not judge him based upon his obvious intelligence and good manners; seeing he is black is all that it takes. At the house where the convict is employed, the white woman reacts the same way. She speaks to him and is disgusted and frightened when she learns that she has been speaking to a black man. This certainly does not go along with the love thy neighbor as thyself line. The African American characters in the story and the innocent child all recognize Christ in the stranger and succumb to his will. This is because the African Americans are not filled with the same type of hate and disgust that the white people are, they are more willing to forgive and see the good in people regardless of skin color. Also, it is a coincidence that two of the African Americans in the story are in positions of serving, like Jesus was. Since these characters are willing to accept the stranger and see Christ in him, they are relieved of their burdens and are set free to live life anew. It is assumed that they will be happy and live a wonderful life from here on out. The white family, for their judgmental ways, are made to feel tormented by the stranger and can not wait for him to leave. This shows that they are not comfortable with Christ and can not stand to be in his presence. The last example of the benefits of leading a Christ-like life is being given a second chance. The escaped convict meets the stranger he admits his sin of stealing and repents. His prison stripes are wiped away, representing the clean slate you are given when you repent of your sins to God; they are wiped away. He does make a mistake and steals a watch, but recognizes this and puts it back. He has truly made a change in his life, and if not for the quickness to judge and opposition to forgiveness by the white family, he would have made a good life for himself under his new ideals. After the lynching of the convict, the white woman sees his figure and it looks just like the crucifixion scene. She is left feeling guilty and has now realized what she has caused to happen because she did not speak up for the convict.
New Idea: This white families in this story go against everything in Morrison’s text. They do not love everyone as themselves. They are not patient and willing to forgive. They are quick to pass judgment and decide someone’s fate. They are not living a Christ-like life and therefore are not given the benefits. Christ has walked out on their lives, possibly forever. If you are patient and kind to people and you give them a chance without judging them then it could possibly be one of the biggest blessings you could ever have. Even if you are not a Christian and you do not believe in God, you should still live life based on some of the Christian ideals. If you do so, perhaps good things will come to you.
Works Cited
Du Bois, W.E.B. “Jesus Christ in Texas.” Dark Matter: Reading the Bones. Ed. Sheree Thomas. New York: Warner Books. 2004. 95-104.
Morrison, Michael. "The Family of God." Learning to be like Christ. 2003. The WorldWide Church of God. 7 Dec 2007
COMPLETED ESSAY
Jesus Christ in Texas is a story written by W.E.B. Du Bois. This story is full of God and Christian references and is truly magnificent. The story centers on a family living in the earlier part of the 19th century. The family consists of a father who is a colonel, a mother and a child. They are obviously well off because in their home they have a maid and a butler who both are African American. While the Colonel is at the prison discussing a deal to hire the convicts to build a railroad, he meets a man that is referred to as “the stranger” for the rest of the story. At first he reacts oddly to this peculiar stranger but is taken in by his charm. He invites the stranger to ride with him into town. Upon meeting the Colonel’s family in the car, the child is immediately enamored with the stranger and is found sitting in his lap with the two engaged in conversation. The wife and Colonel are throwing a dinner party that evening and invite the stranger to stay. Right before the guests arrive the light finally hits the stranger the correct way and both the Colonel and the wife discover that he in a Mulatto. They are both horrified but do not know how to get rid of him. Soon the guests arrive and are all taken with the stranger. Before the stranger leaves the house, both the maid and the butler recognize that he is Christ and both fall to their knees at his feet. Later on in the story a black escaped convict who had come to be employed at the white family’s house. The black man has met the stranger and has been given a second chance. Later on in the story the black man accidentally runs into and knocks down the white woman. The husband claims that he attacked her and he in lynched. The woman later stares at the hanging body and it is as if the body represents the crucified body of Christ. The woman is felt feeling guilty and ashamed. Morrison has written an article that speaks of the ways in which people are supposed to imitate God in their daily lives. He lists a number of ways that we can liove good lives and the benefits that we receive from doing so. First Morrison states that in order to live a Christ like life people must not be judgmental and should love everyone as Christ does. He says that we should uplift our neighbors and be willing to help them when they need help. He says we must even love the people who are hard to love and to get along with everyone with causing them pain. Morrison also states that it is important to not try and have authority over people but to serve. He says that Jesus was sent to the Earth to serve and that God’s people should do the same. Other than loving people and serving he states that we should also practice forgiveness and give people second chances as God gives us numerous chances to redeem ourselves. At the end Morrison writes that we may not all like these responsibilities but we must do it if we want to be closer to God. Morrison’s last sentence sums up his entire article. He states, God has the most fulfilled, most satisfying life possible—and he wants us to enjoy eternal life, too. He wants us to be like he is. God is "compassionate and gracious ... slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” Morrison says that our reward for practicing a Christ-like life is to spend eternity in Heaven. The reason that I chose to write about this topic is because in reading the story the main things that I could see were the comparisons being made between the stranger and the other people in the story. Obviously Christianity was going to be the main theme in a story called “Jesus Christ in Texas” but the way in which Du Bois did it is amazing. First off, he made the Christ character a Mulatto, which shows that Christ can take any form. He is not judgmental and does not care if he appears as a black man. Also this was the best way to bring out a white family’s true colors back in that time. As far as the comparisons in the story go there are many. First the stranger in the story is not judgmental, he accepts everyone in the story for who they are and gives every single one of them a chance. The white family in the story, both the mother and the Colonel, are accepting of the stranger when they think he is a white man, but as soon as they find out that he is a Mulatto they are just as appalled by him, as they are all African Americans. They do not judge him based upon his obvious intelligence and good manners; seeing he is black is all that it takes. At the house where the convict is employed, the white woman reacts the same way. She speaks to him and is disgusted and frightened when she learns that she has been speaking to a black man. This certainly does not go along with the love thy neighbor as thyself line. The African American characters in the story and the innocent child all recognize Christ in the stranger and succumb to his will. This is because the African Americans are not filled with the same type of hate and disgust that the white people are, they are more willing to forgive and see the good in people regardless of skin color. Also, it is a coincidence that two of the African Americans in the story are in positions of serving, like Jesus was. Since these characters are willing to accept the stranger and see Christ in him, they are relieved of their burdens and are set free to live life anew. It is assumed that they will be happy and live a wonderful life from here on out. The white family, for their judgmental ways, are made to feel tormented by the stranger and can not wait for him to leave. This shows that they are not comfortable with Christ and can not stand to be in his presence. The last example of the benefits of leading a Christ-like life is being given a second chance. The escaped convict meets the stranger he admits his sin of stealing and repents. His prison stripes are wiped away, representing the clean slate you are given when you repent of your sins to God; they are wiped away. He does make a mistake and steals a watch, but recognizes this and puts it back. He has truly made a change in his life, and if not for the quickness to judge and opposition to forgiveness by the white family, he would have made a good life for himself under his new ideals. After the lynching of the convict, the white woman sees his figure and it looks just like the crucifixion scene. She is left feeling guilty and has now realized what she has caused to happen because she did not speak up for the convict.
This white families in this story go against everything in Morrison’s text. They do not love everyone as themselves. They are not patient and willing to forgive. They are quick to pass judgment and decide someone’s fate. They are not living a Christ-like life and therefore are not given the benefits. Christ has walked out on their lives, possibly forever. If you are patient and kind to people and you give them a chance without judging them then it could possibly be one of the biggest blessings you could ever have. Even if you are not a Christian and you do not believe in God, you should still live life based on some of the Christian ideals. If you do so, perhaps good things will come to you.
Works Cited
Du Bois, W.E.B. “Jesus Christ in Texas.” Dark Matter: Reading the Bones. Ed. Sheree Thomas. New York: Warner Books. 2004. 95-104.
Morrison, Michael. "The Family of God." Learning to be like Christ. 2003. The WorldWide Church of God. 7 Dec 2007
The synthesis question for this essay is: How come things Black people have accomplished does not get recognition until a White person does it? The essay this question was formed from is called “Anansi Meets Peter Parker at the Taco Bell on Lexington” by Douglas Kearney. I then read a book called “Race, Rock, and Elvis” by Michael T. Betrand to form a synthesized essay and answer the synthesis question. “Anansi Meets Peter Parker at the Taco Bell on Lexington” by Kearney is about Blacks not being recognized for something, but a White person comes along and gets everything for the same thing. The essay was about the original spider man who was Black and was frustrated that he did not get toys, comic books, movies, money, and publicity that the new spider man ,who was White, received. “Race, Rock, and Elvis” by Betrand further explored cultural appropriation- which is when a dominant culture takes from a minority culture and makes it their own. The book goes into the fact that Elvis took from Black musicians and made it his own and became very famous. The book talked about how Black historians criticized Elvis for stealing and appropriating African American music and dance. In the book Bo Diddley said “R&B was for Blacks and when White people did the same song it was Rock -n- Roll….the main difference between the two was Rock-n-Roll carried a bigger paycheck than R&B.” Blacks felt like White artist were stealing Black people thunder. The song below shows how Black culture inspired this Elvis song. What does Elvis know about the Ghetto? Songs like this gave Blacks reason to believe Elvis was stealing from them.
Tile :Elvis Presley - In The Ghetto This is lyrics from www.lyrics007.com As the snow flies On a cold and gray Chicago mornin' A poor little baby child is born In the ghetto And his mama cries 'cause if there's one thing that she don't need it's another hungry mouth to feed In the ghetto People, don't you understand the child needs a helping hand or he'll grow to be an angry young man some day Take a look at you and me, are we too blind to see, do we simply turn our heads and look the other way
Well the world turns and a hungry little boy with a runny nose plays in the street as the cold wind blows In the ghetto And his hunger burns so he starts to roam the streets at night and he learns how to steal and he learns how to fight In the ghetto Then one night in desperation a young man breaks away He buys a gun, steals a car, tries to run, but he don't get far And his mama cries As a crowd gathers 'round an angry young man face down on the street with a gun in his hand In the ghetto As her young man dies, on a cold and gray Chicago mornin', another little baby child is born In the ghetto
To answer the synthesis question I have concluded that Blacks were not recognized due to the era they lived in. During the 50’s it was a lot of racism and discrimination. So artist like Little Richard did not get the pay and recognition like Elvis due to him being Black. Blacks were telling a story about the Black experience in a society not built for them, and Whites like Elvis came around and got glory and fame from a Black mans pain.
12 comments:
Jeannie K. Holmes
November 30, 2007
EH 486
Essay #7
The Trickster and the Antihero
Focusing question:
Does the trickster spirit, as depicted in folklore, lend itself to the rise of the modern day antihero?
Douglas Kearney summary:
Anansi Meets Peter Parker at the Taco Bell on Lexington is a very short speculative fictional account of a meeting between Peter Parker, “the secret identity of the American superhero Spiderman,” (Kearney 89) and Anansi, “the major trickster figure of the Ashanti and Akan. He alternatively takes the form of a man or spider.” (Kearney 89) Anansi is eating bean burritos when Peter Parker begins snapping pictures of the trickster. After a brief confrontation, Anansi grants an interview and allows Parker to take more photos for Parker’s work at The Daily Bugle, the newspaper for which Parker works when not playing Spiderman. A few weeks pass and Anansi notices “some jackass in red & blue spandex swingin down Lexington with some half-ass spider moves.” (Kearney 90) The trickster simply walks away from the spectacle because “crazy ain’t [his] way.” (Kearney 90)
Carroll Article Summary:
The trickster spirit in folklore is not isolated to any one culture but is a global presence. However, this global cultural hero often receives different treatment in the scholarly community. “Scholars tend to use an extremely broad definition of the term trickster itself, in that they tend to apply this term to any character who makes extensive use of deceit. Although such a broad definition does lead to the conclusion that tricksters are ubiquitous, it does so at the expense of blurring together at least two character-types that are actually quite distinct.” (Carroll 105-106)
The first character-type is that of the “clever hero” such as Davy Crockett, Robin Hood, and Homer’s Ulysses. Other examples of this clever trickster are “Afro-American folk heroes like Brer Rabbit, to the Chinese folk hero Wen-chang, to the Thai folk hero Sug” (Carroll 106). Clever tricksters are not as prevalent as the second character-type – the selfish buffoon, “’selfish’ because so much of the trickster's activity is oriented toward the gratification of his enormous appetites for food and sex, and "buffoon" because the elaborate deceits that the trickster devises in order to satisfy these appetites so often backfire and leave the trickster looking incredibly foolish.” (Carroll 106)
One of the best-known examples of this second character-type is the West African trickster Anansi. Carroll describes Anansi’s nature thusly:
Anansi often acts the role of the greedy and lecherous buffoon. Anansi's lechery, for instance, is evident in those Ashanti myths wherein Anansi marries a whole village of women, describes his penis as being longer than 77 long poles fastened together, and uses trickery in order to seduce another man's wife on nine different occasions during the course of a single night. Generally, however, Anansi's drives seems more gustatory than sexual. In several different myths, Anansi learns of a magical procedure that allows him to obtain all the food he needs. Not content with this, Anansi's greed leads him to abuse the procedure in some way in order to obtain more food than he really needs, with the inevitable result that he ends up in some embarrassing position. Anansi's greed is so great that he will often withhold food, of which he has plenty, from starving blood relatives. Finally, there are some myths in which Anansi ends up embarrassing himself simply because he cannot control his hunger. Thus, for instance, in one story Anansi wants to fast in honor of his just-deceased mother-in-law. His hunger overwhelms him, however, and so he steals some beans from a cooking pot. Not wanting the theft, or his inability to keep the fast, to be discovered, he hides the beans under his hat. The beans are extremely hot, and the end result is that his head is severely burned (which is why Anansi is subsequently bald). (Carroll 119-120)
Even though Anansi is often depicted in folklore as the selfish buffoon, he is viewed as a cultural hero because “he is seen as the person who inadvertently brought wisdom into the world.” (Carroll 120)
Surprising New Idea:
Tricksters have long been part of the collective global storybook. While Anansi and his brethren “selfish buffoons” have transformed over the years with the introduction of African culture to the western world, the cultural hero who uses deception and works outside of established societal norms remains.
Comic book heroes such as Spiderman, Superman, and the X-Men are examples which have delighted generations with their ability to cleverly outwit their enemies. However, modern city has given rise to a new cultural hero – the antihero. The antihero is someone who, like superheroes and tricksters of the past, works outside of society norms – usually for the greater good – but shows a distinct selfish streak and most often lacks the characteristics of the buffoon. Examples of this new cultural hero are Dirty Harry (a cop who plays by his own rules but still maintains a high level of moral character by working for the greater societal good), Rambo (a Vietnam vet who unleashes his own form of justice when he falls victim to the ignorance of others), Lestat (Anne Rice’s vampire antihero who embodies the hedonistic lifestyle but retains a high respect for the mortals he preys upon), Blade (an African American half-breed vampire – known as the “daywalker” - who must fight against his vampiric nature to hunt humans in order to protect them from the “full-blood” vampires), and the Terminator (not the killer cyborg of the first film but the “kinder, gentler” protector of the second and third films in which the futuristic machine shows restraint in minimizing the number of innocent bystander deaths).
The trickster, regardless of its cultural origins or modern forms, is above all a teaching character. Morals and wisdom are found within the tales. Society has moved away from the oral storytelling traditions and has become more visually oriented, which is why the new antihero is most often found in literature, film, or comic books. Despite having changed over time, the trickster is still a valuable part of our global cultural language and heritage, whether he recognize him or not.
---------
The Trickster and the Antihero
Anansi Meets Peter Parker at the Taco Bell on Lexington is a very short speculative fictional account of a meeting between Peter Parker, “the secret identity of the American superhero Spiderman,” (Kearney 89) and Anansi, “the major trickster figure of the Ashanti and Akan. He alternatively takes the form of a man or spider.” (Kearney 89) Anansi is eating bean burritos when Peter Parker begins snapping pictures of the trickster. After a brief confrontation, Anansi grants an interview and allows Parker to take more photos for Parker’s work at The Daily Bugle, the newspaper for which Parker works when not playing Spiderman. A few weeks pass and Anansi notices “some jackass in red & blue spandex swingin down Lexington with some half-ass spider moves.” (Kearney 90) The trickster simply walks away from the spectacle because “crazy ain’t [his] way.” (Kearney 90)
Spiderman, as found in the comic books, certainly show an influence from the trickster myths. He routinely uses his webs, “spidey sense,” and intellect to outwit his enemies. The trickster spirit in folklore is not isolated to any one culture but is a global presence. However, this global cultural hero often receives different treatment in the scholarly community. “Scholars tend to use an extremely broad definition of the term trickster itself, in that they tend to apply this term to any character who makes extensive use of deceit. Although such a broad definition does lead to the conclusion that tricksters are ubiquitous, it does so at the expense of blurring together at least two character-types that are actually quite distinct.” (Carroll 105-106)
The first character-type is that of the “clever hero” such as Davy Crockett, Robin Hood, and Homer’s Ulysses. Other examples of this clever trickster are “Afro-American folk heroes like Brer Rabbit, to the Chinese folk hero Wen-chang, to the Thai folk hero Sug” (Carroll 106). Clever tricksters are not as prevalent as the second character-type – the selfish buffoon, “’selfish’ because so much of the trickster's activity is oriented toward the gratification of his enormous appetites for food and sex, and "buffoon" because the elaborate deceits that the trickster devises in order to satisfy these appetites so often backfire and leave the trickster looking incredibly foolish.” (Carroll 106)
One of the best-known examples of this second character-type is the West African trickster Anansi. Carroll describes Anansi’s nature thusly:
Anansi often acts the role of the greedy and lecherous buffoon. Anansi's lechery, for instance, is evident in those Ashanti myths wherein Anansi marries a whole village of women, describes his penis as being longer than 77 long poles fastened together, and uses trickery in order to seduce another man's wife on nine different occasions during the course of a single night. Generally, however, Anansi's drives seems more gustatory than sexual. In several different myths, Anansi learns of a magical procedure that allows him to obtain all the food he needs. Not content with this, Anansi's greed leads him to abuse the procedure in some way in order to obtain more food than he really needs, with the inevitable result that he ends up in some embarrassing position. Anansi's greed is so great that he will often withhold food, of which he has plenty, from starving blood relatives. Finally, there are some myths in which Anansi ends up embarrassing himself simply because he cannot control his hunger. Thus, for instance, in one story Anansi wants to fast in honor of his just-deceased mother-in-law. His hunger overwhelms him, however, and so he steals some beans from a cooking pot. Not wanting the theft, or his inability to keep the fast, to be discovered, he hides the beans under his hat. The beans are extremely hot, and the end result is that his head is severely burned (which is why Anansi is subsequently bald). (Carroll 119-120)
Even though Anansi is often depicted in folklore as the selfish buffoon, he is viewed as a cultural hero because “he is seen as the person who inadvertently brought wisdom into the world.” (Carroll 120)
Tricksters have long been part of the collective global storybook. While Anansi and his brethren “selfish buffoons” have transformed over the years with the introduction of African culture to the western world, the cultural hero who uses deception and works outside of established societal norms remains.
Comic book heroes such as Spiderman, Superman, and the X-Men are examples that have delighted generations with their ability to cleverly outwit their enemies. However, modern society has given rise to a new cultural hero – the antihero. The antihero is someone who, like superheroes and tricksters of the past, works outside of society norms – usually for the greater good – but shows a distinct selfish streak and most often lacks the characteristics of the buffoon. Examples of this new cultural hero are Dirty Harry (a cop who plays by his own rules but still maintains a high level of moral character by working for the greater societal good), Rambo (a Vietnam vet who unleashes his own form of justice when he falls victim to the ignorance of others), Lestat (Anne Rice’s vampire antihero who embodies the hedonistic lifestyle but retains a high respect for the mortals he preys upon), Blade (an African American half-breed vampire – known as the “daywalker” - who must fight against his vampiric nature to hunt humans in order to protect them from the “full-blood” vampires), and the Terminator (not the killer cyborg of the first film but the “kinder, gentler” protector of the second and third films in which the futuristic machine shows restraint in minimizing the number of innocent bystander deaths).
The trickster, regardless of its cultural origins or modern forms, is above all a teaching character. Morals and wisdom are found within the tales. Society has moved away from the oral storytelling traditions and has become more visually oriented, which is why the new antihero is most often found in literature, film, or comic books. Despite having changed over time, the trickster is still a valuable part of our global cultural language and heritage, whether he recognize him or not.
Works Cited
Carroll, Michael P. “The Trickster as Self-Buffoon and Culture Hero.” Ethos, Vol. 12, No. 2. Summer 1984.
Kearney, Douglas. “Anansi Meets Peter Parker at the Taco Bell on Lexington.” Dark Matter: Reading the Bones. Sheree R. Thomas, Ed. Warner: New York. 2004.
Lauren Broussard
J00418074
7th paper Black Fictional Writing
In reading the short story “Nancy Meets Peter Parker”, I was very unsure of what the author was intending to signify. It was very short and somewhat disturbing while describing a male African American’s ideas about the life he was currently leading. He described how he felt cheated considering he had the true idea for spider man but was never recognized for his ideas. The idea was stolen from him and processed into this huge money making role model for children with out paying or even signifying it was his idea in the first place. As we discussed further about the true meaning, I was amazed to learn the types of roles African American characters held through comic books.
African American characters held very evil roles through the upcoming comic books of the 1970’s and 1980’s. The characters were usually thought of as black, dark creatures that killed many white people and brought harm to others. This thought was never bluntly applied. But rather addressed through characters of dark shapes and evil appearances through men and women of color. In The Magical Negro, this idea was very apparent. The main character, being white, was seen fighting the black creatures that were described to be filthy and leaving evil blackness behind every where they were seen. It was really a shocker to see the African American character at the end stand up for his rights and say “NO” when put in the position of taking the bullet for the white man. He speaks up against this thought and says, “The same things always happening”.
Not only were black men targeted at, but also women as well. In the comic book we discussed in class, we see the female character as a young pregnant lady. She is alone and has to work very hard to support her and her child. Even though she is seen as a positive character, it is implied that all young, black women are pregnant ant alone in the world. It was a positive thought used to cover up the idea they were presenting.
The thought crosses my mind in learning of this aspect that sure times have changed. But do we still address this idea in the minds of our youth? In today’s society, such characters as “Storm” from the well known X-men series hold this character portrayal. Although she is seen for a few scenes in the first two movies, she is in control and ends up dying in the end. This thought seams to never die through Hollywood.
So, when will it all end? We have to keep a positive idea in the minds of little ones. They are the future of this world. If we keep unity in their perception, we can help our entertainment culture be more equal rites in the future.
LaWanda Jones
1) Do children really pay much attention to race?
2)Children learn the concept of race and racism from the things around them.
3) The online article “Young Children and Racism” talks about the way children as young as six months can identify difference. Researcher Phyllis A. Katz has been conducting studies on children's development of racial attitudes for the past two decades. In a recent study, she showed 6-month-old infants several pictures of African Americans and then showed the infants a picture of a white American. The babies looked at the last picture for a significantly longer time, suggesting they were aware of the difference.” Children being able to identify the difference between them and another classmate develops this “outsider” tendency where they only socialize with children similar to themselves. This does not mean the child is prejudice. The child develops a curiosity that makes them uncomfortable of another race. The article contains advice and information from various scholars who give parents tip on how to approach the issue of race with a young child. They inform that talking to a child when they are young is the best thing. You can read children’s books of other cultures, attend multi-cultural activities together, or become part of a group where different ethnicities come together and talk about their views on race. The article concludes that children do pick up on things from society and home, but talking to a child rather than ignoring the issue is good for the development of the child.
In the article “How Do Young Children See Race?“ Dr. Marguerite A. Wright says that children are not as affected about difference the way adults are. The article starts off with a story of an ex Klansman named Johnny Lee who says that his hatred of different races started when he saw a black man for the first time “…when he was five and saw a black man for the first time. Johnny said to his father, "Look, Daddy, there's a chocolate-covered man." Daddy replied, "No, son, that's a nigger." Lee said that it was at that moment that "the seeds of hatred" were planted…” He later quit the klan. Dr. Wright also tells the story of her stay in Australia and her encounter with a white family while she was there. The child was more comfortable with a black person in the house more than the parents were. Dr. Wright uses this story to show the reader that children do not pay as much attention to ace as their parents and other adults do. Young children do not put a huge thought about race, they just play with individuals. It is when their parents and society talk about their views on race that the child then sees that there is indeed a difference between themselves and others. The parents should have talked about race instead of keeping it a taboo secret from their daughter. Ignoring an issue solves nothing. It is when you let the child express their views that you are able to talk to them on a level that they will understand. Difference does exist, but the way a parent and society approach the subject is very important to the racial development of a child.
4) I was really touched by the part in “Jesus Christ in Texas” where the little girl is not aware of the race of the stranger the way her parents are. She becomes so intrigued by the stranger that she gets up from bed just to see him again. It is not until the stranger himself puts her to bed that she leaves. Even after her mother and her nurse tell her to go. In class we talked about the parts in the bible where children are intrigued and seen as innocent and pure in the bible. We later learn that the stranger is Jesus and W.E.B. Du Bois uses that thought to show why the young girl was so attached to the stranger. I used the two articles below for my paper because I wanted to see what other’s views about children and the concept of racism were. I was very surprised about the different thoughts centering around the subject. The article “Young Children and Racism” stated that children do see a difference as early as six months old and provide evidence for this thought. There are many scholars who back up the claim that children are able not only to see difference between themselves and others, they act on it as well. The article also says that parents and society do play a role in this development but not in the way to show children difference, they see it for themselves. Dr. Marguerite A. Wright in her article “How Do Children See Race?” says that children do not see the difference when they are young until society and parents show it to them. They may ask curious questions about skin color and other things but it does not really matter that much. Johnny Lee, the ex Klansman even says to his father “There is a chocolate cover man” his father however says, “no son that is a nigger” Johnny Lee says this is when the seed of hatred was planted. Both articles say that parents should not ignore or keep quite about the idea of race and let children talk about their views on the subject. Parents should teach their children to respect other races and people by understanding difference first. Children are curious by nature and ask questions not to hurt but to get an understanding about why the person next to them is different from themselves. Doing this brought back a lot of memories about me and my old best friend Brittney who was my neighbor when we were young and the way our friendship turned out because we did not understand each other.
5) Children need to learn to understand and accept the differences of others in order for mixed raced friendships and relationships to have a chance to survive the thoughts and actions of society.
paper:
Reading W.E.B. Du Bois’s short story “Jesus Christ in Texas” made me think of the time when my childhood innocence was still intact. The little girl in the story was the only one in her family who looked past color and saw the stranger for who he really was “…but there in the hall, clad in her night clothes, was the little girl. She had stolen down the stairs to see the stranger again, and the nurse above was calling in vain…but the stranger had stretched out his arms and with a glad cry the child nestled in them“ (Du Bois, 98). When I was five I was attached to the hip to a little Caucasian girl named Brittney that lived next door to me. We were best friends and did everything together. It did not matter that we were different colors, all that mattered was that my best friends was playing with me everyday. As we grew older we both started doing different things. I was in choir because a couple of friends talked me in to it and she was a cheerleader. Time passed and before we knew it, our friendship was basically none existent. Attending high school the majority of my friends were black and the majority of Brittney’s friends were white. We still lived next door to each other, but after a while we only greeted each other when we saw each other. Children do not really look at color the way adults do when they are young. The innocence is still untouched by society, family, and peers.
“Children are not color blind; they recognize differences. Children develop racial attitudes based on their observations of their parents and society in general“ (Adoption.com). In the article “Young Children and Racism” it states that children as young as sin months are able to identify difference. The article goes on to say that as children get older they develop an “outsider” approach to people different from themselves. The avoid contact with someone who looks different from themselves. The articles says that against popular belief children do not become prejudice just because their parents might be prejudice. The outsider approach that they take stays with them and they look at stereotypes to tell them what they know about the other race.
Angela Neal-Barnett, a researcher at Kent State University states that parents should teach their children about different races at an early age. Talk about the difference with your children and see how they feel about people that are different from themselves. Barnett also says that some parents think that ignoring racial difference and focusing on a person’s personality does not help the child in the long run. The child could develop anxiety issues with people no matter what race those people may be. “Neal-Barnett interviewed African American children who had been socialized in one of the three ways and found that children whose parents chose to ignore race and focus on personal qualities had the highest levels of anxiety in their social interactions, regardless of the race of the people with whom they were interacting (Adoption.com).The article goes on to say that a way parents could teach their children about race is to read children’s books of other cultures. Books making reference to a difference such as hair and the way the character feels about themselves. This could make a child aware that other cultures also go through things themselves may experience. That they are more alike than they actually think.
“…these early years are an optimum time for children of different races to get to know each other, before they become aware of the stereotypes that in time will rob them of their racial innocence“ (Wright). Dr. Marguerite A. Wright agrees that children need to be taught about racial difference at an early age, however she states that young children to do not see color but the individual. Dr. Wright says that children develop ideas of race from society and their parents at home. She tells a story of a visit to Australia while doing research and an encounter with a white family. While the parents were indeed a little anxious about a black person being in their; the daughter was not at all uncomfortable. Dr. Wright spent the day playing with the little girl and when they were back together with the adults was when the child started asking her about her skin color and big lips. The parents tried anxiously to stop the curious child from asking questions. They soo became so upset that they took the child from the room. The child was curious about the difference and did not see a reason why it would upset her parents.
Young children do not put a huge thought about race, they just play with individuals. It is when their parents and society talk about their views on race that the child then sees that there is indeed a difference between themselves and others. The parents should have talked about race instead of keeping it a taboo secret from their daughter. Ignoring an issue solves nothing. It is when you let the child express their views that you are able to talk to them on a level that they will understand. Difference does exist, but the way a parent and society approach the subject is very important to the racial development of a child.
After reading the articles and thinking about things maybe Brittney and I were just not taught about race enough to keep our friendship intact. There were many times when we asked each other questions about the other but we ourselves did not know the answer. I think in order for a friendship or relationship of mixed races to develop in healthy way there should be a level of understanding about the other person. Maybe if our parents would have taught us to respect and learn from the other’s culture we would still be the best of friends like we were such a long time ago.
Work Cited
Du Bois, W.E.B. “Jesus Christ in Texas.” Dark Matter: Reading the Bones.
Ed. Sheree R. Thomas. New York: Warner Books., 2004. 98.
Young Children and Racism. Adoption.com. 2006
(http://library.adoption.com/Cultural-Diversity-and-Racism/Young-Children-and- Racism/article/3207/1.html)
Wright, Dr. Marguerite A. How Do Children See Race?.
Hand in hand. (http://www.handinhandparenting.org/csArticles/
articles/000000/000017.htm)
Kathryn Garikes
EH 468
Dec. 4, 2007
Focusing Question:
Why do Black Americans make positive contributions to society and not receive recognition for their discoveries and achievements, but the dominant race does?
Thesis:
Anansis is a term for an African spider and is the true “Spider Man”, but the trickster Peter Parker learns of Anansis ways and then takes his role from him.
200-250 wd summary:
Douglas Kearney wrote “Anansi Meets Peter Parker At The Taco Bell in Lexington”, a science fiction short story. The story is written in first person from the real spider man’s point of view or the Anansi, which is another word for an African spider. He is standing at the Taco Bell, eating a bean burrito (Because times is hard) and he sees a man by the name of Peter Parker approaching him wanting to take his picture. Anansi figures why not, because times is hard, and so he poses for a few pictures. The next day Anansi is back at Taco Bell ordering more bean burritos when he spots a White man(the trickster and Peter Parker) in red and blue spandex swinging around the city looking like a jackass. They call him “Spider Man”, and he is on the front page of the newspaper, with commercials, toys, television, book, and everything else. He becomes a super hero, who really stole his idea and identity from Anansi., but Anansi stated that couldn’t be me because “Crazy ain’t my way.”
My Understanding:
The deeper meaning and message of this brief story is that African Americans do wonderful, positive things for society and get over looked and also get their ideas stolen from the dominant race. For instance, in this story the African Spider was noticed by only one man, the trickster, Peter Parker, and the comic book character was noticed by everyone because he was White. Other examples include Elvis Presley and the rapper Eminem. Each of these artists derived their sounds and styles from African Americans and each of these artists are now known internationally for their innovative music. Black Americans are not receiving recognition or credit for the things they are doing, and White people are stealing their ideas and then making large amounts of money with them. Society does not take their race as seriously as they should and are not as willing to give leadership or power to African American’s even though they are the ones with the good ideas and positive contributions.
Risky or Surprising View:
After reading this brief story my eyes were opened. I realized that African Americans really do not receive the credit and recognition that they deserve. Society needs to stop practicing Cultural Appropriation, which the dominant race needs to realize they are doing, and start giving credit where it is deserved. There is nothing wrong with blending and incorporating several cultures, but each culture should be appreciated, tolerated, and respected.
Works Cited:
Kearney, Douglas. “Anansi Meets Peter Parker at the Taco Bell on Lexington.” Dark Matter: Reading the Bones. Sheree R. Thomas, Ed. Warner: New York. 2004.
Felicia Hall
December 6, 2007
EH422
Essay 7
Reparations
Focusing Question:
Should reparations be made to African Americans of slave descent?
Thesis:
It would be a huge task in order to enact any sort of reparations program.
Summary of Darity’s Article:
William Darity’s article was published in “The American Economic Review”. It focuses on the 2001 World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) where the transatlantic slave trade was declared a crime against humanity. He makes the point that although the United State’s government has enacted many reparations payments to Native Americans, black Americans have never seen any sort of group reparations for the crimes of slavery. Darity claims that while slavery in and of itself is reason enough for reparations, the ‘self-sanctioned apartheid’ of the Jim Crow laws should also be taken into consideration. He also notes that these atrocities equal a ‘white destruction of black wealth’ and claims that this is the direct cause of the current disparity between the black-white per capita income ratio (which is in the 50 percent range.) After giving his reasons for a reparations bill to be passed, Darity outlines how much money is appropriate and how the money should be divided. He has estimated that the present value worth of reparations should be around $5 - $10 trillion for the debt for slavery. How should this money be dolled out? Individuals would have to meet the following eligibility: provide reasonable documentation that they had at least one ancestor who was enslaved in the United States, and demonstrate that at least 10 years before the onset of the reparations program they self-identified as black or African-American on a legal document. Darity concludes by asserting that these reparations should be financed by paying additional taxes, dissaving, or lowering their spending.
Summary of Harris’ Article:
Lee Harris’ article was published in the University of Memphis Law Review. He begins by suggesting that the public overwhelmingly opposes monetary slavery reparations. He also claims that while supporting slavery reparations is legally permissible, it is socially unthinkable. Harris’ demonstrated that most Americans are currently individualists. Individualists emphasize self-reliance, and that each person is an independent being should be judged on their own score of talents and shortcomings. Directly because of this, Harris claims, ‘Americans are routinely opposed to increases in the welfare state, perceiving public assistance as counter to self-sufficiency.’ In an individualist’s mind, slavery reparations are even more unthinkable because it is a ‘group-oriented’ claim. This is in direct opposition to an individualist’s beliefs. Harris claims that, most importantly, Americans equate justice (on which our country is said to be founded) with the assurance that every individual has equal opportunity, though not necessarily equality of outcome. In other words, no matter the circumstances, through hard work and determination any person can succeed. Harris concludes with the following statement: “As a result of the anti-reparations norm, there will probably be very little discussion on reparations in politics, the academy, or the typical American home.”
Analysis of Texts:
Clearly these two authors are in direct opposition to each other. Darity seems to think that the idea of reparations is generally accepted because American people realize that the atrocities of the past need to be amended through money grants to the people affected. Harris claims that the American people, individualists, ultimately reject the idea of slavery reparations because it is in opposition to the core beliefs of Americans. It seems as though Harris would almost laugh at Darity’s idea that the money for slavery reparations would come directly out of the pocket of non-blacks. It seems to me that these two articles are a very good representation of the ideas held by Americans: you either agree with the idea of slavery reparations, or you don’t. Clearly, each author has taken considerable time and thought regarding the issue. Darity has composed a fairly detailed plan for the enactment of a reparations bill that includes qualifying procedures and a funding scheme. Harris, a sociologist, has taken the time to research the general, or normative, beliefs of Americans. By identifying this ideology and applying it specifically to the reparations argument, he has concluded that the norm in America is anti-reparations. The tone of Darity’s article is hopeful, while Harris’ is not. So, how should we respond in the face of these conflicting articles?
It is universally agreed that America’s past in slavery was an atrocity. Through the Civil Rights Movement, the past few decades have brought loads of change to the United State’s policies and Americans’ lives. I believe that many of the institutional problems regarding race have been eliminated. Many white people quickly tire of hearing about slavery reparations, because it brings up feelings of white guilt. In Robinson’s story, the reparations bill was named “The Guilt Bill.” It is my opinion that the awarding of slavery reparations would be a slippery slope. I believe that it would cause nearly irreparable damage to current relationships between the black culture and every other culture within the United States.
Surprising New View:
Education, not reparations, is the answer.
Completed Essay
Essay 7
Reparations
The subject of reparations in our country is a debate that has raged for many years. This issue is very polarizing and can be quite controversial amongst people. Jill Robinson addressed this issue in her short story “BLACKout.” In this fictional world, a bill was passed that called for reparations to be paid to African Americans of slave descent. This world was filled with chaos and hate as people fought over what constituted enough ‘blackness’ in order to qualify for the reparations money. After reading this, I began to think about the issue of reparations and if it was an appropriate and feasible solution to the wrongs of this country’s past. I often come to the same conclusion (which really isn’t a conclusion at all): It would be a huge task in order to enact any sort of reparations program. I found two articles that deal directly with this tricky issue: William Darity’s “The Economics of Reparations: and Lee Harris’ “Reparations as a Dirty Word.” Let us now look at each author’s view concerning reparations.
William Darity’s article was published in “The American Economic Review.” It focuses on the 2001 World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) where the transatlantic slave trade was declared a crime against humanity. He makes the point that although the United State’s government has enacted many reparations payments to Native Americans, black Americans have never seen any sort of group reparations for the crimes of slavery. Darity claims that while slavery in and of itself is reason enough for reparations, the ‘self-sanctioned apartheid’ of the Jim Crow laws should also be taken into consideration. He also notes that these atrocities equal a ‘white destruction of black wealth’ and claims that this is the direct cause of the current disparity between the black-white per capita income ratio (which is in the 50 percent range.) After giving his reasons for a reparations bill to be passed, Darity outlines how much money is appropriate and how the money should be divided. He has estimated that the present value worth of reparations should be around $5 - $10 trillion for the debt for slavery. How should this money be dolled out? Individuals would have to meet the following eligibility: provide reasonable documentation that they had at least one ancestor who was enslaved in the United States, and demonstrate that at least 10 years before the onset of the reparations program they self-identified as black or African-American on a legal document. Darity concludes by asserting that these reparations should be financed by paying additional taxes, dissaving, or lowering their spending. Let us now look at Harris’ article.
Lee Harris’ article was published in the University of Memphis Law Review. He begins by suggesting that the public overwhelmingly opposes monetary slavery reparations. He also claims that while supporting slavery reparations is legally permissible, it is socially unthinkable. Harris’ demonstrated that most Americans are currently individualists. Individualists emphasize self-reliance, and that each person is an independent being should be judged on their own score of talents and shortcomings. Directly because of this, Harris claims, ‘Americans are routinely opposed to increases in the welfare state, perceiving public assistance as counter to self-sufficiency.’ In an individualist’s mind, slavery reparations are even more unthinkable because it is a ‘group-oriented’ claim. This is in direct opposition to an individualist’s beliefs. Harris claims that, most importantly, Americans equate justice (on which our country is said to be founded) with the assurance that every individual has equal opportunity, though not necessarily equality of outcome. In other words, no matter the circumstances, through hard work and determination any person can succeed. Harris concludes with the following statement: “As a result of the anti-reparations norm, there will probably be very little discussion on reparations in politics, the academy, or the typical American home.” Let us now consider these two articles.
Clearly these two authors are in direct opposition to each other. Darity seems to think that the idea of reparations is generally accepted because American people realize that the atrocities of the past need to be amended through money grants to the people affected. Harris claims that the American people, individualists, ultimately reject the idea of slavery reparations because it is in opposition to the core beliefs of Americans. It seems as though Harris would almost laugh at Darity’s idea that the money for slavery reparations would come directly out of the pocket of non-blacks. It seems to me that these two articles are a very good representation of the ideas held by Americans: you either agree with the idea of slavery reparations, or you don’t. Clearly, each author has taken considerable time and thought regarding the issue. Darity has composed a fairly detailed plan for the enactment of a reparations bill that includes qualifying procedures and a funding scheme. Harris, a sociologist, has taken the time to research the general, or normative, beliefs of Americans. By identifying this ideology and applying it specifically to the reparations argument, he has concluded that the norm in America is anti-reparations. The tone of Darity’s article is hopeful, while Harris’ is not. So, how should we respond in the face of these conflicting articles?
It is universally agreed that America’s past in slavery was an atrocity. Through the Civil Rights Movement, the past few decades have brought loads of change to the United State’s policies and Americans’ lives. I believe that many of the institutional problems regarding race have been eliminated. Many white people quickly tire of hearing about slavery reparations, because it brings up feelings of white guilt. In Robinson’s story, the reparations bill was named “The Guilt Bill.” It is my opinion that the awarding of slavery reparations would be a slippery slope. I believe that it would cause nearly irreparable damage to current relationships between the black culture and every other culture within the United States.
So, what is an acceptable way to deal with our past? I believe education is the answer. We need to encourage a climate of openness regarding the black slaves in America. The dialog that ensues should not be hostile or accusing, but rather straightforward in an attempt to recognize how horrible the situation was. The dialog should also include the attitudes of both the slaves and the slave owners. Through education, the next generation of Americans can be well-informed of the past without feeling guilty (whites) or as if they’re owed something (blacks). Also, with this education, Americans can open up other discourse to make sure this standardized inequality is completely eradicated and does not occur in the future.
Works Cited
“BLACKout.” Charles Johnson. Dark Matter: Reading the Bones. Sheree R. Thomas.Time Warner Book Group, New York. 2005. 232-242.
“Reparations as a Dirty Word.” BNET Research Center. January 2003. University of Memphis Law Review. December 1, 2007.
“The Economics of Reparations.” Darity, William. The American Economic Review: Papers and Proceedings of the One Hundred Fifteenth Annual Meeting of the American Economic Association. Vol. 93, No. 2. May 2003, Washington, DC.
Kirsten Altice
Focusing Question:
What are the Effects of Cultural Appropriation on America?
Thesis:
The effects of cultural appropriation have benefited the dominant culture, however left the minority quaint and obscure.
Summary of Kearney’s article:
Kearney’s essay, Anansi, the African spider who is obscure and quaint has a sense of frustration. This sense of frustration comes from Peter Parker who takes pictures of him (Anansi) and becomes famous by becoming the white Spiderman. This is an example of cultural appropriation, taking something from a minority and using it for the dominant race. Anansi complains because he is broke and has to eat Taco Bell, whereas, the white Spiderman is making money from replica, movies, TV shoes, and books. He feels since he is an African-American character that he has been ignored. Many other individuals in America feel that way also. Elvis Pressley learned from a black man how to dance, took the steps, and adopted them as his own. These issues provoke problems between the Black and White America. Anansi also feels that since he cannot promote himself like Spiderman he will not be as big as the White Spiderman. He complains about Spiderman being egotistical because he takes pictures of himself and puts them in the newspaper. All of these issues affect America as a whole today.
Summary of Mbachu’s Article:
In Mbachu’s essay, The Magical Negro, we must ask ourselves why do white characters become huge and black characters die off first in the movies? Is it just marketing or is it a face thing? For example, pg. 92, the African took the bullet for Thor. The Black person takes the bullet and is killed first in every story read that is either a comic book or science fiction. This shows how unimportant the figure is that represents the “sidekick” in each story. No matter how important their role, when it comes to them dying or living I believe it is a marketing strategy. Books and movies depend on their audience in order to sale. Although some are based on race, this whole world runs on politics and marketing.
Analysis of Texts:
In Kearney’s essay, Anansi, the African spider who is obscure and quaint has a sense of frustration. This sense of frustration comes from Peter Parker who takes pictures of him (Anansi) and becomes famous by becoming the white Spiderman. This is an example of cultural appropriation, taking something from a minority and using it for the dominant race. Anansi complains because he is broke and has to eat Taco Bell, whereas, the white Spiderman is making money from replica, movies, TV shoes, and books. He feels since he is an African-American character that he has been ignored. Many other individuals in America feel that way also. Elvis Pressley learned from a black man how to dance, took the steps, and adopted them as his own. These issues provoke problems between the Black and White America. Anansi also feels that since he cannot promote himself like Spiderman he will not be as big as the White Spiderman. He complains about Spiderman being egotistical because he takes pictures of himself and puts them in the newspaper. All of these issues affect America as a whole today.
In Mbachu’s essay, The Magical Negro, we must ask ourselves why do white characters become huge and black characters die off first in the movies? Is it just marketing or is it a face thing? For example, pg. 92, the African took the bullet for Thor. The Black person takes the bullet and is killed first in every story read that is either a comic book or science fiction. This shows how unimportant the figure is that represents the “sidekick” in each story. No matter how important their role, when it comes to them dying or living I believe it is a marketing strategy. Books and movies depend on their audience in order to sale. Although some are based on race, this whole world runs on politics and marketing.
Surprising New View:
Cultural appropriation has a negative connotation in society today. Although, there are some very good things about the idea I believe the bad outweighs the good. At times credit is not given when it is due and even worse cultures are erased, however, individuals that live in America need to realize they live in America. This is what living in a “melting pot” is about.
Completed Essay
Kirsten Altice
EH 468
Essay 7
What are the Effects of Cultural Appropriation on America?
When a dominant culture takes something from a minority and uses it for their own it not only sparks hatred and jealousy, but it sparks wonder. Often we find the minority asking themselves, “Why does this dominant culture appreciate our culture?” The answer is simple. There is usually some benefit to the dominant culture appropriating these ways of life, whether it is through marketing or self-gratification. For years, this has always been an issue tied in with race, therefore a lot of hostility lies within this problem. So what are the effects of cultural appropriation on individuals in America? One example of cultural appropriation is sports. The Atlanta Braves used the hatchet move with their hands in order to symbolize their mascot the Indian. Indians took offense to it and made them stop the movement. Racism and prejudices are two effects of appropriation. The effects of cultural appropriation have benefited the dominant culture, however left the minority quaint and obscure.
In Kearney’s essay, Anansi, the African spider who is obscure and quaint has a sense of frustration. This sense of frustration comes from Peter Parker who takes pictures of him (Anansi) and becomes famous by becoming the white Spiderman. This is an example of cultural appropriation, taking something from a minority and using it for the dominant race. Anansi complains because he is broke and has to eat Taco Bell, whereas, the white Spiderman is making money from replica, movies, TV shoes, and books. He feels since he is an African-American character that he has been ignored. Many other individuals in America feel that way also. Elvis Pressley learned from a black man how to dance, took the steps, and adopted them as his own. These issues provoke problems between the Black and White America. Anansi also feels that since he cannot promote himself like Spiderman he will not be as big as the White Spiderman. He complains about Spiderman being egotistical because he takes pictures of himself and puts them in the newspaper. All of these issues affect America as a whole today.
In Mbachu’s essay, The Magical Negro, we must ask ourselves why do white characters become huge and black characters die off first in the movies? Is it just marketing or is it a face thing? For example, (Mbachu,92) the African took the bullet for Thor. The Black person takes the bullet and is killed first in every story read that is either a comic book or science fiction. This shows how unimportant the figure is that represents the “sidekick” in each story. No matter how important their role, when it comes to them dying or living I believe it is a marketing strategy. Books and movies depend on their audience in order to sale. Although some are based on race, this whole world runs on politics and marketing.
Cultural appropriation has a negative connotation in society today. Although, there are some very good things about the idea I believe the bad outweighs the good. At times credit is not given when it is due and even worse cultures are erased, however, individuals that live in America need to realize they live in America. This is what living in a “melting pot” is about.
Kearney, Douglas. “Anansi Meets Peter Parker at the Taco Bell on Lexington.” Dark Matter: Reading the Bones. Sheree R. Thomas, Ed. Warner: New York. 2004.
Mbachu, N. "The Magical Negro." Dark Matter: Reading the Bones. Sheree R. Thomas, Ed. Warner: New York. 2004.
Whitney Hubbert
EH 468
Professor Alford
Paper 7
Focusing Question:
Does color really make a difference when it comes to recognition titles?
Thesis:
Anansi is the first “Spiderman”, but because Anansi is Black, Peter Parker “steals” Anansi’s role as “Spiderman” from him.
Summary of text:
“Anansi Meets Peter Parker at the Taco Bell on Lexington” written by Douglas Kearney in 2000 was a wake up call for Whites and Blacks. Peter Parker works for the daily bugle and was taking pictures and doing “research on quaint and obscure local characters.” He interviewed Anansi, which means African spider, because of his “style.” Peter Parker offers to pay him, and he accepts because times are hard. The next day, when he is back at Taco Bell, he sees a White man in a red and blue suit swinging around Lexington. The White man is on the front page of daily bugle and he is called “Spiderman.” He now has his own books, TV show, movie, and toys. He is a White man who made his living and fame by stealing the idea and identity from Anansi.
My understanding:
Many great ideas and inventions come from African Americans, but this story stirs the idea that nothing is noticed until a White person does it. An example provided in class was Elvis Presley. He learned all of his music and guitar moves from Blacks, but only Elvis Presley was recognized for this type of music.
Risky or Surprising new idea: People that read this story should learn that African Americans have positive attributions to make in this society, and they should be recognized for them. If someone cures Cancer, it should not matter if the doctor is White or Black, all that should matter is that a cure is found.
Completed Essay
Whitney Hubbert
EH 468
Professor Alford
Paper 7
Does color really make a difference when it comes to recognition titles? Anansi is the first “Spiderman”, but because Anansi is Black, Peter Parker “steals” Anansi’s role as “Spiderman” from him.
“Anansi Meets Peter Parker at the Taco Bell on Lexington” written by Douglas Kearney in 2000 was a wake up call for Whites and Blacks. Peter Parker works for the daily bugle and was taking pictures and doing “research on quaint and obscure local characters.” He interviewed Anansi, which means African spider, because of his “style.” Peter Parker offers to pay him, and he accepts because times are hard. The next day, when he is back at Taco Bell, he sees a White man in a red and blue suit swinging around Lexington. The White man is on the front page of daily bugle and he is called “Spiderman.” He now has his own books, TV show, movie, and toys. He is a White man who made his living and fame by stealing the idea and identity from Anansi.
Many great ideas and inventions come from African Americans, but this story stirs the idea that nothing is noticed until a White person does it. An example provided in class was Elvis Presley. He learned all of his music and guitar moves from Blacks, but only Elvis Presley was recognized for this type of music.
People that read this story should learn that African Americans have positive attributions to make in this society, and they should be recognized for them. If someone cures Cancer, it should not matter if the doctor is White or Black, all that should matter is that a cure is found.
Works Cited
Kearney, Douglas. “Anansi Meets Peter Parker at the Taco Bell on Lexington.” Dark Matter: Reading the Bones. Sheree R. Thomas, Ed. Warner: New York. 2004.
Sanavieai Brazeal
BLACKout
Essay
The featured story of Blackout tackles many issues. These issues include guilt by association, self-hate, differences in culture, and immigration. In the reading we encounter Nigel who feels that he deserves reparations. Reparations are defined as payment of damages that have occurred to make amends and have satisfaction. Nigel believes that his family deserves compensation for years of unpaid slave labor. Nigel is at a standstill when Alana reminds him that his parents are from Jamaica, so reparations would not count towards him. (Dark Matter 2004)
The notion of reparations for slavery is not new. On Jan. 16, 1865, Gen. William T. Sherman issued Special Field Order No. 15, which awarded all the Sea Islands, south of Charleston, S.C., and a significant portion of coastal lands to newly freed slaves to homestead. Each freedman was eligible for 40 acres of "tillable ground." The order became known as the "40 Acres and a Mule Proclamation." The order was transformed into Senate Bill No. 60 and although it passed both houses on Feb. 10, 1866, President Andrew Johnson vetoed it. Since that time, U.S culture has formed a formidable scab of denial over the angry wound of slavery and Jim Crow apartheid. So impenetrable is this scab, many white Americans either are mystified by blacks' disproportionate miseries or they attribute them to some intrinsic quality (be it genetic or cultural). Blacks often are urged to "get over" race; that is, accept racial inequities as a state of nature and shut up about it. African-Americans were created in the crucible of slavery and socialized for centuries by white supremacy. And although most Americans may have had little to do with the cause of that problem, all of us have a stake in its solution.(Chicago Tribune 2001)
In principle, we believe that the descendants of a victim of human rights abuse should also be able to pursue claims of reparations. That is, the right to reparations should not be extinguished with the death of the victim but can be pursued by his or her heirs. We can begin with the premise that slavery, the slave trade, the most severe forms of racism associated with colonialism, and subsequent official racist practices such as apartheid in South Africa or the Jim Crow laws in the United States are extraordinarily serious human rights violations. If committed today, these would be crimes against humanity. Under traditional and straightforward human rights law and policy, each living victim of these practices is entitled individually to seek and receive reparations from those who committed or permitted these wrongs. By "reparations" we mean not only compensation but also acknowledgment of past abuses, an end to ongoing abuses, and, as much as possible, restoration of the state of affairs that would have prevailed had there been no abuses.( http://hrw.org/english/docs/2001/07/19/global285.htm)
Many believe that they deserve whatever is coming to them. Whether it is monetary value, pride, apologizes, or words of encouragement. Slavery was not a beautiful thing, nor is it a justified occurrence. People were treated as animals as if they had no rights or feelings. When are we going to wake up and realize that even though we may be different on the outside, we are all human? We want to reach something in our lives and to make something of ourselves. When are we going to take the blinders off and realize that we are human beings put on the earth for a purpose?
Focusing question: Is appropration racial? Whose fault is it?
Douglas Kearney summary:
"Anansi Meets Peter Parker at the Taco Bell on Lexington" is about appropriation. It is told from the perspective of Anansi, who was a spider god, and was the original spiderman before the blue tights. I think it is done in such a waythat it perfectly captures the attitude of someone who has been ripped off, and the context in which Kearney places these characters is perfect. It was much more comical written this way, where there were no real people involved. I wondered how much different the story would have been if it was Elvis. The characters really make the story.
Surprising new idea: Yes, most appropriation might be marketing to different demographics, but the different demographics are made mostly of races. So it is our own fault for seeing each other as different, just for being different colors.
paper:
Appropriation, Racial?
“Anansi Meets Peter Parker at the Taco Bell on Lexington”, by Douglas Kearney, was a very interesting read for me. Anansi literally gets taken advantage of by spider-man and it is great. I thought Douglas Kearney covered appropriation perfectly throughout the story. It led me to thinking a lot of the subject of appropriation . When talking about it in class, we first approached it from a racial standpoint. I agree that it is often true that many of the things made popular in mainstream white American culture have already existed in other cultures. But what other factors are involved in this equation? Is it wrong? Is it wrong when it is racial appropriation?
My initial reaction was in thinking of the market. Many times, businesses will plan to market to a certain demographic. With the media the way it is today, everyone is marketable in different ways. They aren’t going to run beer commercials in between cartoons or Hooters commercials during televangelist hour. They’re not going to waste any money trying to sell a product to a group of people they don’t think will buy it. So I started thinking well, maybe its not racial at all, maybe they’re just taking an idea, and changing it so that it is marketable to the largest demographic. Maybe partially true.
The main problem I have with this being a marketing issue is that the largest demographic would be mainstream white America. What kills me is that this group encompasses so many different kinds of people who associate themselves with this group for being white. The color white. Only. Every other part of their lives is different socially, economically, and civilly. They all might even worship different gods and go to different churches, but they consider themselves alike racially. It’s the same with every race. There are rich, poor, smart, dumb, large, small, people of every race. Every race. Why do we base so much on such a tiny thing as color?
So what other factors are involved? None. Is racial appropriation wrong? Yes. In the great marketing scheme, I think that anything could be kept in its original form and marketed to people of all types, all at once. In the modern market, anything with enough advertising money pushed behind it will sell. The diversity of ideas might help America to become more open to such miniscule differences. I think that as a country, one thing we need to do is to utilize our technology and communication abilities. That paired with education can really make a difference in our children’s future. I really think that many of the people that make up the largest demographics in our society went through some really bad times in the past, and will never change. But teaching the same hateful ideas to our kids gets us nowhere. And teaching that differences in tastes are differences of colors will also get us nowhere. And not teaching them at all is embarrassing.
Bridget Whalen
Focusing Question: What kind of life should we be leading?
Thesis Statement: People should live their lives with more of the ideals of God.
Summary of Du Bois’s text:
Jesus Christ in Texas is a story written by W.E.B. Du Bois. This story is full of God and Christian references and is truly magnificent. The story centers on a family living in the earlier part of the 19th century. The family consists of a father who is a colonel, a mother and a child. They are obviously well off because in their home they have a maid and a butler who both are African American. While the Colonel is at the prison discussing a deal to hire the convicts to build a railroad, he meets a man that is referred to as “the stranger” for the rest of the story. At first he reacts oddly to this peculiar stranger but is taken in by his charm. He invites the stranger to ride with him into town. Upon meeting the Colonel’s family in the car, the child is immediately enamored with the stranger and is found sitting in his lap with the two engaged in conversation. The wife and Colonel are throwing a dinner party that evening and invite the stranger to stay. Right before the guests arrive the light finally hits the stranger the correct way and both the Colonel and the wife discover that he in a Mulatto. They are both horrified but do not know how to get rid of him. Soon the guests arrive and are all taken with the stranger. Before the stranger leaves the house, both the maid and the butler recognize that he is Christ and both fall to their knees at his feet. Later on in the story a black escaped convict who had come to be employed at the white family’s house. The black man has met the stranger and has been given a second chance. Later on in the story the black man accidentally runs into and knocks down the white woman. The husband claims that he attacked her and he in lynched. The woman later stares at the hanging body and it is as if the body represents the crucified body of Christ. The woman is felt feeling guilty and ashamed.
Summary of Michael Morrison’s text:
Morrison has written an article that speaks of the ways in which people are supposed to imitate God in their daily lives. He lists a number of ways that we can liove good lives and the benefits that we receive from doing so. First Morrison states that in order to live a Christ like life people must not be judgmental and should love everyone as Christ does. He says that we should uplift our neighbors and be willing to help them when they need help. He says we must even love the people who are hard to love and to get along with everyone with causing them pain.
Morrison also states that it is important to not try and have authority over people but to serve. He says that Jesus was sent to the Earth to serve and that God’s people should do the same. Other than loving people and serving he states that we should also practice forgiveness and give people second chances as God gives us numerous chances to redeem ourselves. At the end Morrison writes that we may not all like these responsibilities but we must do it if we want to be closer to God. Morrison’s last sentence sums up his entire article. He states, God has the most fulfilled, most satisfying life possible—and he wants us to enjoy eternal life, too. He wants us to be like he is. God is "compassionate and gracious ... slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” Morrison says that our reward for practicing a Christ-like life is to spend eternity in Heaven.
Synthesis of both texts:
The reason that I chose to write about this topic is because in reading the story the main things that I could see were the comparisons being made between the stranger and the other people in the story. Obviously Christianity was going to be the main theme in a story called “Jesus Christ in Texas” but the way in which Du Bois did it is amazing. First off, he made the Christ character a Mulatto, which shows that Christ can take any form. He is not judgmental and does not care if he appears as a black man. Also this was the best way to bring out a white family’s true colors back in that time. As far as the comparisons in the story go there are many. First the stranger in the story is not judgmental, he accepts everyone in the story for who they are and gives every single one of them a chance. The white family in the story, both the mother and the Colonel, are accepting of the stranger when they think he is a white man, but as soon as they find out that he is a Mulatto they are just as appalled by him, as they are all African Americans. They do not judge him based upon his obvious intelligence and good manners; seeing he is black is all that it takes. At the house where the convict is employed, the white woman reacts the same way. She speaks to him and is disgusted and frightened when she learns that she has been speaking to a black man. This certainly does not go along with the love thy neighbor as thyself line.
The African American characters in the story and the innocent child all recognize Christ in the stranger and succumb to his will. This is because the African Americans are not filled with the same type of hate and disgust that the white people are, they are more willing to forgive and see the good in people regardless of skin color. Also, it is a coincidence that two of the African Americans in the story are in positions of serving, like Jesus was. Since these characters are willing to accept the stranger and see Christ in him, they are relieved of their burdens and are set free to live life anew. It is assumed that they will be happy and live a wonderful life from here on out. The white family, for their judgmental ways, are made to feel tormented by the stranger and can not wait for him to leave. This shows that they are not comfortable with Christ and can not stand to be in his presence.
The last example of the benefits of leading a Christ-like life is being given a second chance. The escaped convict meets the stranger he admits his sin of stealing and repents. His prison stripes are wiped away, representing the clean slate you are given when you repent of your sins to God; they are wiped away. He does make a mistake and steals a watch, but recognizes this and puts it back. He has truly made a change in his life, and if not for the quickness to judge and opposition to forgiveness by the white family, he would have made a good life for himself under his new ideals.
After the lynching of the convict, the white woman sees his figure and it looks just like the crucifixion scene. She is left feeling guilty and has now realized what she has caused to happen because she did not speak up for the convict.
New Idea:
This white families in this story go against everything in Morrison’s text. They do not love everyone as themselves. They are not patient and willing to forgive. They are quick to pass judgment and decide someone’s fate. They are not living a Christ-like life and therefore are not given the benefits. Christ has walked out on their lives, possibly forever. If you are patient and kind to people and you give them a chance without judging them then it could possibly be one of the biggest blessings you could ever have. Even if you are not a Christian and you do not believe in God, you should still live life based on some of the Christian ideals. If you do so, perhaps good things will come to you.
Works Cited
Du Bois, W.E.B. “Jesus Christ in Texas.” Dark Matter: Reading the Bones. Ed. Sheree Thomas. New York: Warner Books. 2004. 95-104.
Morrison, Michael. "The Family of God." Learning to be like Christ. 2003. The WorldWide Church of God. 7 Dec 2007
COMPLETED ESSAY
Jesus Christ in Texas is a story written by W.E.B. Du Bois. This story is full of God and Christian references and is truly magnificent. The story centers on a family living in the earlier part of the 19th century. The family consists of a father who is a colonel, a mother and a child. They are obviously well off because in their home they have a maid and a butler who both are African American. While the Colonel is at the prison discussing a deal to hire the convicts to build a railroad, he meets a man that is referred to as “the stranger” for the rest of the story. At first he reacts oddly to this peculiar stranger but is taken in by his charm. He invites the stranger to ride with him into town. Upon meeting the Colonel’s family in the car, the child is immediately enamored with the stranger and is found sitting in his lap with the two engaged in conversation. The wife and Colonel are throwing a dinner party that evening and invite the stranger to stay. Right before the guests arrive the light finally hits the stranger the correct way and both the Colonel and the wife discover that he in a Mulatto. They are both horrified but do not know how to get rid of him. Soon the guests arrive and are all taken with the stranger. Before the stranger leaves the house, both the maid and the butler recognize that he is Christ and both fall to their knees at his feet. Later on in the story a black escaped convict who had come to be employed at the white family’s house. The black man has met the stranger and has been given a second chance. Later on in the story the black man accidentally runs into and knocks down the white woman. The husband claims that he attacked her and he in lynched. The woman later stares at the hanging body and it is as if the body represents the crucified body of Christ. The woman is felt feeling guilty and ashamed.
Morrison has written an article that speaks of the ways in which people are supposed to imitate God in their daily lives. He lists a number of ways that we can liove good lives and the benefits that we receive from doing so. First Morrison states that in order to live a Christ like life people must not be judgmental and should love everyone as Christ does. He says that we should uplift our neighbors and be willing to help them when they need help. He says we must even love the people who are hard to love and to get along with everyone with causing them pain.
Morrison also states that it is important to not try and have authority over people but to serve. He says that Jesus was sent to the Earth to serve and that God’s people should do the same. Other than loving people and serving he states that we should also practice forgiveness and give people second chances as God gives us numerous chances to redeem ourselves. At the end Morrison writes that we may not all like these responsibilities but we must do it if we want to be closer to God. Morrison’s last sentence sums up his entire article. He states, God has the most fulfilled, most satisfying life possible—and he wants us to enjoy eternal life, too. He wants us to be like he is. God is "compassionate and gracious ... slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” Morrison says that our reward for practicing a Christ-like life is to spend eternity in Heaven.
The reason that I chose to write about this topic is because in reading the story the main things that I could see were the comparisons being made between the stranger and the other people in the story. Obviously Christianity was going to be the main theme in a story called “Jesus Christ in Texas” but the way in which Du Bois did it is amazing. First off, he made the Christ character a Mulatto, which shows that Christ can take any form. He is not judgmental and does not care if he appears as a black man. Also this was the best way to bring out a white family’s true colors back in that time. As far as the comparisons in the story go there are many. First the stranger in the story is not judgmental, he accepts everyone in the story for who they are and gives every single one of them a chance. The white family in the story, both the mother and the Colonel, are accepting of the stranger when they think he is a white man, but as soon as they find out that he is a Mulatto they are just as appalled by him, as they are all African Americans. They do not judge him based upon his obvious intelligence and good manners; seeing he is black is all that it takes. At the house where the convict is employed, the white woman reacts the same way. She speaks to him and is disgusted and frightened when she learns that she has been speaking to a black man. This certainly does not go along with the love thy neighbor as thyself line.
The African American characters in the story and the innocent child all recognize Christ in the stranger and succumb to his will. This is because the African Americans are not filled with the same type of hate and disgust that the white people are, they are more willing to forgive and see the good in people regardless of skin color. Also, it is a coincidence that two of the African Americans in the story are in positions of serving, like Jesus was. Since these characters are willing to accept the stranger and see Christ in him, they are relieved of their burdens and are set free to live life anew. It is assumed that they will be happy and live a wonderful life from here on out. The white family, for their judgmental ways, are made to feel tormented by the stranger and can not wait for him to leave. This shows that they are not comfortable with Christ and can not stand to be in his presence.
The last example of the benefits of leading a Christ-like life is being given a second chance. The escaped convict meets the stranger he admits his sin of stealing and repents. His prison stripes are wiped away, representing the clean slate you are given when you repent of your sins to God; they are wiped away. He does make a mistake and steals a watch, but recognizes this and puts it back. He has truly made a change in his life, and if not for the quickness to judge and opposition to forgiveness by the white family, he would have made a good life for himself under his new ideals.
After the lynching of the convict, the white woman sees his figure and it looks just like the crucifixion scene. She is left feeling guilty and has now realized what she has caused to happen because she did not speak up for the convict.
This white families in this story go against everything in Morrison’s text. They do not love everyone as themselves. They are not patient and willing to forgive. They are quick to pass judgment and decide someone’s fate. They are not living a Christ-like life and therefore are not given the benefits. Christ has walked out on their lives, possibly forever. If you are patient and kind to people and you give them a chance without judging them then it could possibly be one of the biggest blessings you could ever have. Even if you are not a Christian and you do not believe in God, you should still live life based on some of the Christian ideals. If you do so, perhaps good things will come to you.
Works Cited
Du Bois, W.E.B. “Jesus Christ in Texas.” Dark Matter: Reading the Bones. Ed. Sheree Thomas. New York: Warner Books. 2004. 95-104.
Morrison, Michael. "The Family of God." Learning to be like Christ. 2003. The WorldWide Church of God. 7 Dec 2007
Erica White
EH 468
Final Essay
12/8/07
The synthesis question for this essay is: How come things Black people have accomplished does not get recognition until a White person does it? The essay this question was formed from is called “Anansi Meets Peter Parker at the Taco Bell on Lexington” by Douglas Kearney. I then read a book called “Race, Rock, and Elvis” by Michael T. Betrand to form a synthesized essay and answer the synthesis question.
“Anansi Meets Peter Parker at the Taco Bell on Lexington” by Kearney is about Blacks not being recognized for something, but a White person comes along and gets everything for the same thing. The essay was about the original spider man who was Black and was frustrated that he did not get toys, comic books, movies, money, and publicity that the new spider man ,who was White, received.
“Race, Rock, and Elvis” by Betrand further explored cultural appropriation- which is when a dominant culture takes from a minority culture and makes it their own. The book goes into the fact that Elvis took from Black musicians and made it his own and became very famous. The book talked about how Black historians criticized Elvis for stealing and appropriating African American music and dance. In the book Bo Diddley said “R&B was for Blacks and when White people did the same song it was Rock -n- Roll….the main difference between the two was Rock-n-Roll carried a bigger paycheck than R&B.” Blacks felt like White artist were stealing Black people thunder.
The song below shows how Black culture inspired this Elvis song. What does Elvis know about the Ghetto? Songs like this gave Blacks reason to believe Elvis was stealing from them.
Tile :Elvis Presley - In The Ghetto
This is lyrics from www.lyrics007.com
As the snow flies
On a cold and gray Chicago mornin'
A poor little baby child is born
In the ghetto
And his mama cries
'cause if there's one thing that she don't need
it's another hungry mouth to feed
In the ghetto
People, don't you understand
the child needs a helping hand
or he'll grow to be an angry young man some day
Take a look at you and me,
are we too blind to see,
do we simply turn our heads
and look the other way
Well the world turns
and a hungry little boy with a runny nose
plays in the street as the cold wind blows
In the ghetto
And his hunger burns
so he starts to roam the streets at night
and he learns how to steal
and he learns how to fight
In the ghetto
Then one night in desperation
a young man breaks away
He buys a gun, steals a car,
tries to run, but he don't get far
And his mama cries
As a crowd gathers 'round an angry young man
face down on the street with a gun in his hand
In the ghetto
As her young man dies,
on a cold and gray Chicago mornin',
another little baby child is born
In the ghetto
To answer the synthesis question I have concluded that Blacks were not recognized due to the era they lived in. During the 50’s it was a lot of racism and discrimination. So artist like Little Richard did not get the pay and recognition like Elvis due to him being Black. Blacks were telling a story about the Black experience in a society not built for them, and Whites like Elvis came around and got glory and fame from a Black mans pain.
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