After the Civil Rights Era, it seemed like the struggle for civil rights and equality was on an unstoppable upward trend. Unfortunately, this did not last. The lasting effects of racism persisted, and because of this, generations during and after this era were defined by a resistance to an oppressive regime of unapologetic and covert racism that still exists today. For example, while segregation is no longer in effect as a law, in some respects it is still alive today within the separation of racially identifying churches and neighborhoods.
As black Americans came to be taken more seriously and society began to question its history, the idea of blackness itself fell under examination - rather than being defined by skin color, it must be defined by a culture and common experience amongst African Americans. In a twist of irony, the idea that someone could be “not black enough” arose, almost parodying the “One Drop Rule” of the segregation era. The result of this examination is that the African American identity has, in some respects, become inseparably joined to the perspective of social justice. Complex feelings toward America, both as a nation that constantly works to undermine their rights, and as a cultural homeland worth fighting for, are crucial to today’s discussions of black identity. These factors, alongside those of music, lifestyle, and culture, all form a turbulent, unstable, and multifaceted definition of blackness; yet no matter one’s perspective, one thing remains constant: an unceasing struggle for freedom.
As black Americans came to be taken more seriously and society began to question its history, the idea of blackness itself fell under examination - rather than being defined by skin color, it must be defined by a culture and common experience amongst African Americans. In a twist of irony, the idea that someone could be “not black enough” arose, almost parodying the “One Drop Rule” of the segregation era. The result of this examination is that the African American identity has, in some respects, become inseparably joined to the perspective of social justice. Complex feelings toward America, both as a nation that constantly works to undermine their rights, and as a cultural homeland worth fighting for, are crucial to today’s discussions of black identity. These factors, alongside those of music, lifestyle, and culture, all form a turbulent, unstable, and multifaceted definition of blackness; yet no matter one’s perspective, one thing remains constant: an unceasing struggle for freedom.
ERIC REID: We chose to kneel because it’s a respectful gesture. I remember thinking our posture was like a flag flown at half-mast to mark a tragedy... COLIN KAEPERNICK: "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder." |
One of the most recognized political gestures made by a non-politician in the last decade was simply kneeling. During the 2016 NFL pre-season games, 49rs quarterback Colin Kaepernick, later joined by Eric Reid and Eli Harold, chose to kneel during the national anthem. This simple gesture sparked a hailstorm of controversy, with many people misinterpreting it has having the intent to disrespect the flag. In actuality, Kaepernick chose to kneel as a sign of silent protest over recent police shootings of unarmed black men. His refusal to show pride in the US flag follows the modern narrative of criticizing America for its failures to African Americans. Kaepernick, following in the tradition of other athletes such as Muhammad Ali, used his nationwide platform provided by his sports career to speak out against racial injustice. His actions were seen and heard of by millions of people.
Eric Reid quote: Reid, Eric. "Eric Reid: Why Colin Kaepernick and I Decided to Take a Knee." The New York Times, 25 Sept. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/09/25/opinion/colin-kaepernick-football-protests.html?mcubz=1. Accessed 10 Jan. 2018. Colin Kaeprnick quote: Branch, John. "Awakening of Colin Kaepernick." The New York Times, 7 Sept. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/sports/colin-kaepernick-nfl-protests.html?mcubz=1. Accessed 28 Sept. 2017. Above picture: Nicholson, Joe, and USA Today Sports. Ried, Kaepernick, and Harold Kneeling. New York Times, Sept. 2016, www.nytimes.com/2017/09/07/sports/colin-kaepernick-nfl-protests.html?mcubz=1. |
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African American identity has always been intrinsically linked to their music, and rap is another genre of music that was created and defined by African Americans. Originally released in 1979, The Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" is widely regarded as the first rap song. This still- growing genre is an integral part to the culture of many African Americans today, and has created a platform for other influential artists to share their own identity and experiences as an African American in modern America.
Rapper's Delight. Performance by The Sugar Hill Gang, 1979. YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKTUAESacQM. Accessed 11 Jan. 2018. |
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These are short clips from Andrew Young's interview with Jim Whipkey. Young was a Civil Rights Movement leader who in 1971, shortly after Segregation ending, said in an interview, "I think we could see a Black President in our lifetime." Young's opinion was considered to be progressive, racially, for the time since Segregation had only ended a few years before his interview. Young's beliefs contribute to the conversation regarding the idea of a common experience found in the African American identity with his ideas of placing someone in the White House who will best serve the needs of not only African Americans but of all races. Eventually, his opinion came into fruition with the election of President Obama as the first African American President of the United States.
Young, Andrew. "WSB-TV reporter Jim Whipkey interviewing civil rights leader Andrew Young about race in the United States and the possibility of an African American president." Interview by Jim Whipkey. Civil Rights Digital Library, 26 Sept. 1971, crdl.usg.edu/do:ugabma_wsbn_64199. Accessed 26 Oct. 2017. |
But race is the child of racism, not the father. And the process of naming "the people" has never been a matter of genealogy and physiognomy so much as one of hierarchy. Difference in hue and hair is old. But the belief that the preeminence of hue and hair, the notion that these factors can correctly organize a society and that they signify deeper attributes, which are indelible- this is the new idea at the heart of these people who have been brought up hopelessly, tragically, deceitfully, to believe that they are white. |
Ta- Nehisi Coates' book Between the World and Me and its commentary on race relations in modern America recognizes race as a social construct, and that "deeper attributes" are not affected by physical characteristics. Throughout the #1 New York Times Best Seller, Coates acknowledges the complex nature of identity, and that being black comes with unwanted connotations. Addressed as a letter to his son, this book read by millions of Americans frequently shows Coates' disillusionment with America and its Dream, in which black people are oppressed in order to lift up white people.
Coates, Ta- Nehisi. Between the World and Me. Spiegel & Grau, 2015. |
This link leads to an article and a short audio clip from MPR News about President Obama's election and its effect on African Americans especially in the Black Church. With the election of President Obama, the first African American President of the United States, came a step towards additional racial progress, especially in the eyes of African Americans. For the first time, African Americans had a president who not only had the same skin color as them but someone whose experiences they could relate to. During Obama’s eight year presidency, African Americans felt representation of their needs, in the White House, as Obama recognized the presence of racism and discrimination not only in politics but in the country as a whole.
Mador, Jessica. "Black churches Celebrate Obama win." MPR News, 9 Nov. 2008. Umbra Search.www.mprnews.org/story/2008/11/09/churches_obama. Accessed 1 Nov. 2017. |
"You talk white, you look white, you're not black enough to be my friend." |
These quotes, taken from a series of people interviewed in the APM podcast Historically Black, show the mix of ideas prominent in America today. The phrase "not black enough," and the idea that someone is "not black enough" due to not enough shared culture is increasingly prominent. It shows that identity today has moved on from being about skin color, and instead is about shared culture. It also reflects the moving away from importance of an identity as an American.
"The Question of Black Identity." Historically Black, hosted by Roxane Gay, APM Reports, 24 Oct. 2016. Umbra Search, www.umbrasearch.org/catalog/ 817af1079eab8c2700b9909e28dba7f94d1b09e8. Accessed 24 Oct. 2017. |
Hip-hop is a facet of culture which is essentially and fully African-American, just like early jazz. This is a flyer for what is considered the first hip-hop concert in 1971, featuring DJ Kool Herc and other artists. Herc invented the trend of using two records and the same time- one as a base track, the other containing the melody and vocals which he could spin, mix, and scratch as he pleased. From here, hip-hop only grew, eventually becoming one of the most iconic modern and black forms of expression.
T, Timmy. Original flyer for first hip hop concert. 11 Aug. 1973. www.npr.org, NPR, www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2013/08/11/ 211115072/hip-hop-at-40-is-a-shell-of-its-younger-self. Accessed 2 Nov. 2017. |
This article from Yale University relays the ways in which the African Church has changed over time, but primarily how it is present into society today. For example, the author states, " The African American church must practice an ethic of empowerment. The church must recognize and defend its historic claim that faith is essentially empowerment, and that any ministry or sociopolitical or economic structure that fosters dependence, degradation, or despair is not the product of true faith." This article argues that through all of the hardships African Americans have faced, faith in God was their only way of making it through the storm. Additionally, this connects to the conversation regarding a common racial experience African Americans share common experiences of discrimination with the people they go to church with. Today the Church remains as a center to talk about racial injustice and politics.
Evans, James H., Jr. "The Prophetic Role of the African American Churches in the 21st Century." Reflections:A Magazine of Theological and Ethical Inquiry from Yale Divinity School, no. 2006, reflections.yale.edu/article/future-prophetic- voice/prophetic- role-african-american-churches-21st-century. Accessed 1 Nov. 2017. |