Identity is a consistent
theme that is always revealing itself when discussing African American history.
There are a few ways that it was and can be interpreted. You have the identities
of the Africans prior to being captured, which shifted to a new evolving
identity when they were captured, and finally to the identity that was forced
upon them when they were put out on the market for selling. The identity prior
to capturing is based on the tribe one associated with and their
customs/traditions. The evolving identity that I mentioned is focused on the new
culture of African American identity that came out of the new sense of
community that these people were placed in. The forced identity was the imaginative lives that the slave traders implanted upon their “stock”.
From the beginning of time
white America has implanted an identity on the African American race. The
enslaved were never considered people until it became convenient for the slave
masters. Walter Johnson used the phrase, “shape people to reflect the market
economy”. There is a back and forth notion during the enslavement period that
blacks are property one day and another they are people one instance being in the construction of the constitution The process of “making
a slave” pampered the enslaved with all the luxuries of a person. So many times
white America contradicted themselves in the specific noun that blacks were
associated with. Were Africans people or not?? This instance of forced identity is still relevant today…
“If the world is still anything like what we
live in today, my Prince will turn on the news and see things that will make
him question his worth and royalty. And if he comes to you and asks you things
like “Why do they hate us?” and “What do I do if they stop me?”, or says
something like “I don’t want to be next.”
I need you to sit down with
him and remind him of who he KNOWS he is, no matter who THEY try to tell him
that he is. You are to let my Prince know that his lungs are filled with air
for him to breathe in all that life has to offer, no matter how much people may
try to take that life away.”
-Alexis Ditaway
This excerpt
is from a friend of mine who discusses what she expects of her future husband
to tell her future son, when it comes to being a black man in America. I
sampled her blog post simply because it was just yesterday that a 10-year-old
boy asked his mother “What am I supposed to do if a policeman stops me?”. Sadly,
the boy’s mother had no words or advice to provide for her baby boy. What
prompted the question was that yet another African American male was gunned
down by law enforcement for no logical reason. Our people are constantly being
defined by stereotypes and identified with such stereotypes which prompt these
officers to feel as if they need to “defend themselves”. We have the identities
of: criminality, violent oriented, hostile, gang affiliated, etc. implanted on
our entire community to wrongfully justify self-defense. We see “Black Lives
Matter” but I believe that it is more apparent to ask when will black identities matter and use that as
an expression of protest. Oppressors are quick to judge a black body before
noticing the identity within that black body. So the question arises again,
what am I supposed to tell my little brother, what are mothers and fathers
supposed to tell their sons when they ask why “they” hate us, or what do I do?
I really like the idea that "black identities matter." I think that with the Black Lives Matter Movement, many people have a hard time getting passed the idea that this movement is not belittling anyone other group of people's lives. And when people cannot get passed this, they are unable to see the true purpose of the movement. However, if I believe that this linguistic shift in the title could be productive not only because it is more profound and powerful but also because it could help people see the actual goals of the movement.
ReplyDeleteThis phrase also really resonates with me. Especially with the degree to which objectification and commodification permeated societal interpretation of Africans as they came to America, it is important to acknowledge that black lives are distinctly human, with the capacity to determine their own identities in the way that is distinct to humans alone. Black "lives" does not imply intelligence, only that they are living beings. While this is universal, the word "identities" would encompass this same universality while also acknowledging the intelligence and opinions of those the movement seeks to represent.
ReplyDeleteThe protest "black identities matter" adds another layer of depth and meaning to the outcry for equality and justice voiced by Black Lives Matter. It implies that not only do black lives matter enough not to be killed, but the layered identities of black people - those dwelling, learning, working, laughing, thinking, mourning, loving, growing within black bodies - matter and are should be treated as such. This line of thinking could extend into so many different areas where we see that equity is nearly nonexistent, such as in public, particularly urban, education.
ReplyDeleteThe Europeans attempted to commodify the Africans, stripping away their identity and ultimately dehumanizing them into a slave. I agree that black people are constantly being told what their identity is and what they are seen as because of their skin color. It's as though nobody really cares about who we are and what we mean to others. They fear our physical appearance and that is all they see or acknowledge. Our intentions, our stories, our identity does not matter. We are constantly, time after time, being oppressed, fighting for our rights as human beings. So, when will our identities matter? When will the color of our skin not be used against us?
ReplyDeleteI think about what I am supposed to tell my little brother and sister when they ask about our injustice society. Telling them to comply is not the answer. When we comply, we are still shot. There is no right answer to your question.