George C. Wolfe's The Colored Museum
In this excerpt from a work of satire, Dr. Rayna Green proposes the establishment of a “Museum of the Plains White Person” and goes on to explain how, where, and why it should be built and what the museum will include. Dr. Green wrote this speech so that white people could experience the disrespect the Native Americans receive when they are talked about. Dr. Green effectively satirizes the beliefs of white people about Native American through the use of an insensitive and ignorant tone which is emphasized by assumptious diction and syntax. The location of the museum is over an “abandoned ceremonial ball court” which is extremely disrespectful to the ceremonies held on it and to those who performed them. Dr. Green ignores the fact that it is ceremonial ground that holds importance to other people.
The book was very informative of life when racism was more apparent. I think that books like this show that standing up to racism is an option. It shows that even children of a younger age were involved in the situation.
The climax of his career subsisted in the midst of national turmoil. During this time, African Americans were trying to define their Blackness and their humanity in a land where they were treated second class. Author Wallace Terry put in words the thoughts that spun through the minds of the African American community,
“Just Walk on By” by Brent Staples and “Learning to Read and Write”, by Frederick Douglass explains the challenges which were faced by both Staples and Douglass due to their color.
One of the most strived for things in life is academic excellence however the path to it is never easy. Author Thompson Ford’s article “How To Understand Acting White” outlines Stuart Bucks arguments about the irony of desegregation in education. A separate essay written by, Alfred Lubrano, “The Shock of Education: How College Corrupts” has similar ironies about the average college student. If Ford was to read Lubrano’s essay, Ford would come to a more complex conclusion by incorporating arguments and concepts from Lubrano’s essay. Ford may utilize Lubrano’s essay to expand on certain concepts such as the proximity effect, socioeconomics, and the level of education in top tier schools to further explain the “acting white” phenomenon from his own article.
These shows, such as 2 Broke Girls, Cops, Friends etc. each portrays racism, and classism, we just don’t notice it. The shows Cops have focused its show in lower class areas, never upper class, Friends and other sitcoms always throw in those ‘stereotypical’ jokes that everyone seems to find so funny. These shows prove that we (society) still do not treat everyone equally, and that our justice system continues to use racial profiling and classism as a way of social control. Not only does the book focus on the colonization of blacks, but also of Hispanics and how they are affected.
The section of “White Woman, Black Man” further delves into his views of white women and the role that society has in shaping gender relations between black men and white women and also in influencing masculinity and femininity.
Where do we draw the lines between adoration and mockery, influence and appropriation, and individuality and stereotyping? Accordingly, the racial subject has always been a touchy topic to discuss, but with the lasting effects that the black minstrelsy has left in the society, we most definitely need to deal with the racial subject. Only this way can the American society move forward both as a nation and as a species, and through such efforts, only then can we ensure that such history can never repeat
• African Americans – The cultural transition from the 1970-1960 promoting African Americans literature, was also a musical and vocal movement for a culture coming of age after the liberation of slavery. The fierce anxiety of post-Civil War racism created a “voice” through artistic creativity, making a deliberate statement of the status of America through African American eyes. The timelines show artist telling a story of character and circumstance. • Asian Americans – The timelines showed advancement in music, literature and theatrical fields. They also showed more popularity of this sub-culture during the last fifty years.
The Colored Museum is a satire about African American Culture which examines the influence of history on African Americans. George C. Wolfe uses political theater’s alienation effect to engage the audience into critical thought. The title “The Colored Museum” is a direct correlation between the word “Museum” where ancient artifacts are unchanged and “Colored”, a word from the past which is figurative for stopping time and escape. The Colored Museum has 11 exhibits which mock different aspects of African American history and culture. Wolfe also illustrates the affects of African Americans assimilation into the European culture with exhibits such as, “The Hairpiece”.
Another issue that the NAACP and Dubois had was with lynching. Through “The Crisis”, Dubois was able to expose many of the horrors of lynching and have it out there for the general public. Through his many anti-lynching pieces, Dubois was able to garner a significant amount of support against lynching and this eventually led to an anti-lynching law. This was a huge win for all African Americans. In addition, Dubois also helped African Americans culturally through his pieces promoting black creativity.
For example, open Black support of harsh punishment and law enforcement may seem hypocritical because in reality these policies and practices contribute to mass incarceration of Blacks. Alexander clarifies that Black support is more complex than it appears and can be attributed to a combination of complicity and wanting better safety for their communities and families (Alexander, 2012, p.210). Alexander also offers a unique perspective throughout the entire book by explaining how the systems of slavery and oppression have affected White individuals and not merely in the form of privilege or the dismissal of White people as simply as racist individuals. I resonated with one particular section discussing the "White victims of racial caste" (Alexander, 2012, p.204); the author 's anecdote of a white woman falling in love with a Black man and due to miscegenation laws could not have children. I could relate to this story on a deeply personal level in that my own parents experienced extreme and countless hurdles due to their interracial relationship and having biracial
I enjoyed the comical and lighthearted dancing and singing approach the characters had to the somber situations around them. Watching this few years later and after taking a Text and Meaning course, I was struck at the sheer amount of things that stood out. The Negroes were declared “other”. In post colonialist theory, declaring one race “other” marginalizes them and stresses on how
Every immigrant group has been stereotyped in Hollywood since the 19th Century. But in the case of ignorance towards black people, white people have created prejudice that has made the stereotypes last untill now. Gone with the wind, a 1939 Epic Civil War drama, shows slaves as well-treated, cheerful, and loyal to their masters. Slaves are portrayed as normal employees, and these are rewarded with presents if they’ve been appropriately loyal. This movie portrays slavery unrealistically and childlike.
The famous play shows the audience the life it was like to live as a black female, and shows the struggles that the Young family faced being the first African American family to move into a white neighborhood. This play is considered a
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