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Racism's Impact on American Culture

The document discusses four articles by Brent Staples about racism in America: 1) "How Black Face Feeds White Supremacy" discusses how blackface has historically been used for racist entertainment and how its legacy still impacts modern culture. 2) "The Racist Trope That Won’t Die" examines how the dehumanizing comparison of black people to apes influences how black people are treated in the legal system and portrayed in media. 3) "African-Americans and the Strains of the National Anthem" explores why black people have a harder time feeling represented by the national anthem due to its history and their continued experiences with racism. 4) "How the Suffrage Movement

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163 views1 page

Racism's Impact on American Culture

The document discusses four articles by Brent Staples about racism in America: 1) "How Black Face Feeds White Supremacy" discusses how blackface has historically been used for racist entertainment and how its legacy still impacts modern culture. 2) "The Racist Trope That Won’t Die" examines how the dehumanizing comparison of black people to apes influences how black people are treated in the legal system and portrayed in media. 3) "African-Americans and the Strains of the National Anthem" explores why black people have a harder time feeling represented by the national anthem due to its history and their continued experiences with racism. 4) "How the Suffrage Movement

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“How Black Face Feeds White Supremacy”:

Throughout history, whatever media is popular at the time, black face has been used as
entertainment for racists. In the early years of America where racism was more acceptable (but
still sick) people of colour have been used as a joke and this has even leaked into modern
culture. I believe the biggest thing that Staples was trying to do is bring to light the racism in
America’s history, he also brings up that there is still an after taste of it to this day. I agree with
him but something that might convince someone who doesn't believe that America still battles
racism would be where he brought up that black face halloween costumes have been defended
by people and described as “all in good fun”.

“The Racist Trope That Won’t Die”:


A name that has been racistly given to black people in American history is “Ape” or other
associations with monkeys. Although this is something that has died down a bit, black people, in
the eyes of the law, seem to still be treated and seen as more intense. Staples brings up that
black people are more likely to be convicted of crimes than white people, and described as
savage or other undesirable words. Staples point in writing this was to explain the huge impacts
that the dehumanization of black people in media have on black people's lives. He explains that
the way to fix racism in America isn't to be colourblind and Naive, but to address racism and talk
about it upfront.

“African-Americans and the Strains of the National Anthem”:


I found It very powerful when he described the National Anthem as “Empty” and that those who
stand “stand up by default. America tells us we're doing fine and we listen, it's harder for people
of color to do this though because they more clearly know how broken America still is because
of what they still have to experience and deal with. The Star Spangled banner became popular
at baseball games at a time where blacks were still separated from whites in baseball and
lynchings were happening in the South. In a song that sings of freedom, we as a country were
not giving freedom to a whole part of our population. I never really knew any of this history, and
found it very interesting. In this article Staples is trying to explain why black people have a
higher tendency to not associate with the National Anthem. I agree with what Staples is saying
here.

“How the Suffrage Movement Betrayed Black Women”:


Black and white women were still separate even while fighting the same fight because there
were still many white feminists who were racist. The reason Staples is writing this is because
America only focuses and gives praise to white feminists of today and of history. We don’t
celebrate any black feminists like we celebrate white ones and this is something we need to
change. One of the reasons besides racism that feminists were separated is because although
they had the same goals, they came from different reasons which ended up dividing them. Once
white feminists got their goals, they didnt really continue to stand and fight with their fellow black
women who were still dealing with a lot of discrimination.

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