Racism and its Consequences in America
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In his song, Kendrick Lamar criticizes racism in America, specifically toward Black people. He applies stereotypes to himself to illustrate the fact that racists apply these stereotypes to all Black people. He may also be applying these stereotypes to himself to demonstrate that, through marginalization, certain Black people have come to perceive themselves through a racist lens. He relates racist stereotypes to the racist’s self by stating “you hate me just as much as you hate yourself”. Thus, he claims that the discrimination expressed by bigots toward Black people is due to self-hatred. In his last verse, he expresses that racism inflicted on Black people can lead them to hate themselves and to be the perpetrators of violence toward each other. He mentions gang violence, while stating that “only death settles the score”. Ultimately, he is criticizing the hatred that racists have toward themselves and toward Black people, which leads to Black people also expressing self-hatred.
In her song, Maimouna Youssef describes her body image through time, specifically linked to her hair. She states that she hated her hair as a child, which represented her blackness. She also claims that she was insecure about the fact that she looked nothing like her Indigenous grandmother. Later in the song, she states that self-hatred and white supremacy go hand in hand. This song, similarly to Lamar’s, illustrates how racism leads to a distorted, self-hating, perspective of one’s self.
The differences between Ibrahim Choudhry, Mubarek Ali Khan, and J.J. Singh tell us that South Asians who abandoned their traditional customs were more likely to obtain a higher social status. For example, Bald states that Khan displayed his Muslim faith, whereas Singh has abandoned any expression of his Sikh faith (Bald, 2). Thus, Khan belonged to the working class while Singh was a businessman (Bald, 1). Choudhry, Khan, and Singh all advocated for the naturalization of Indians in America. However, Choudhry was the only one truly advocating for the working class, describing them as working side by side with American laborers (Bald, 4). Singh only spoke for the few. His bill would favor new and qualified immigrants instead of the ones already living on American soil. Furthermore, he depicted farmers and factory workers in a negative light (Bald, 3). He took that approach because working class Indians were perceived as aliens and criminals (Bald, 10). Would Singh have advocated for the working class if he were a part of it, or would he have kept the same approach?
In his book, Frantz Fanon claims that he is only an object in the midst of other objects. He adds that people’s attitudes, glances, and remarks fixed him into nonbeing (Fanon, 82). He also states that the White man’s eyes create a burdening weight on the Black man, who has difficulty developing his bodily schema, as his body is a third person consciousness surrounded by an atmosphere of uncertainty (Fanon, 83). He claims that his whole life he always wanted to be seen as a man, instead of a Black man (Fanon, 85). However, since others rejected him and failed to recognize him, he decided to assert himself and make himself known. Unlike Black people, he claims that Jewish people are not enslaved to their appearance, as they can go unnoticed, whereas Black people are noticeable by their appearance (Fanon, 87). Nonetheless, he does not consider Jewish people who express their faith, by growing their beards or wearing certain clothes. Are those visibly Jewish people also enslaved to their appearance? Finally, he recalls that people who like him claim that it is in spite of his skin color, while those who hate him say that it is not because of his color (Fanon, 88). Ultimately, he is coming to terms with the fact that White people have an unreasonable hatred toward Black people, which can not be reasonably understood (Fanon, 89). -
Excellent spread, thank you @pierre-augustin_habrih.
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Pierre, your discussion post offers a rich analysis of how racism and self-hatred manifest in various contexts, drawing on the works of Kendrick Lamar, Maimouna Youssef, Bald, and Frantz Fanon. The connections you make between the internalization of racism and its impact on self-perception are compelling, particularly in your discussion of Lamar and Youssef’s music. Lamar’s critique of how racism leads to both external hatred and internalized self-loathing is powerful, and your interpretation of his line, “you hate me just as much as you hate yourself,” underscores how systemic racism not only dehumanizes its targets but also corrodes the humanity of the oppressors. Youssef’s exploration of her relationship with her hair and identity further demonstrates how white supremacy creates a distorted lens through which Black individuals often see themselves, echoing Fanon’s insights on the weight of being “fixed into nonbeing” by the gaze of the other.
The transition into Bald’s analysis of South Asian immigrants and their navigation of American society adds another layer to this discussion. The contrast between Khan’s and Singh’s approaches to naturalization speaks to the broader issue of how marginalized groups often face pressure to assimilate into dominant cultural norms to gain acceptance or success. Singh’s rejection of traditional Sikh expressions to achieve higher social status reflects the costs of assimilation, while Choudhry’s advocacy for the working class demonstrates a different, more grounded form of resistance. Your question about whether Singh would have advocated for the working class if he had been part of it invites a critical reflection on how privilege and positionality influence activism and representation.
Your analysis of Fanon is equally thoughtful, particularly the way you engage with his concept of being "fixed" by the white gaze and the burden it places on Black individuals. Fanon’s distinction between Black visibility and Jewish invisibility is intriguing, and your question about visibly Jewish individuals who express their faith raises an important point. While Fanon sees Jewish people as being able to avoid objectification through their appearance, visibly Jewish individuals, like those who wear religious garments, may also experience a similar “enslavement” to their physical identity. This comparison invites a deeper exploration of how different forms of visibility and embodiment shape experiences of racism and othering.
I really enjoyed how this post weaves together diverse perspectives to highlight how racism operates on multiple levels—external oppression, internalized self-hatred, and societal pressure to conform. A possible next step could be to explore how these dynamics intersect across the examples you’ve provided. For instance, how do the experiences of South Asian immigrants, as described by Bald, intersect with Fanon’s framework of being objectified and fixed by others? Similarly, how might the music of Lamar and Youssef provide a modern continuation of Fanon’s reflections on asserting oneself in the face of dehumanization? These connections could further deepen the already insightful analysis you’ve provided.