Black Lives DO Matter.
The article “Cracking the Code” by Jesmyn Ward and “White Rage” by Carol Anderson both cover the negative interaction between the black and white culture. In Anderson’s article White Rage, the argument is when blacks are given an opportunity to be seen as “equal” or obtain a sense of “power,” the white community retaliates. Similarly, in Cracking the Code by Jesmyn Ward argues her identity lies in how people preserve her, black. She supports this argument by her own personal life experiences as growing up as the “black girl in an all white Christian school.”
The article White Rage gives a series of examples and explanation of how whites continuously react to the black community when they are given opportunities. While Jesmyn Ward’s argument is a statement she makes by providing life events of being labeled her life as black. Anderson argument is that when a black community is fighting for their rights, it is seen as violent, a disturbance, or discrimination. While whites hid comfortably in the higher power of government. The conclusion I have formed by both of these articles is that Anderson’s argument is supported by the testimony of Ward’s life. Whether it is conscious or unconscious decision whites begin to feel uncomfortable when a black movement or individual is standing up for their equality and simply trying to become more apart of the society.
In the article Cracking the Code, Ward’s personal life experiences support the argument that Anderson also makes in her article. Ward ethnicity is only 32% African American and 41% European, but because her skin color reflects a different color, she is automatically identified as black. Another example that supports Anderson’s arguments is the moment in Ward’s life of being fearful of pumping into a white women in front of her. Even at a young age she knew, “Don’t bump into the a white women.” Her exact words was she was horrified. There is a issue in our society when it has caused even children to be nervous, scared, or even feel threatened by another individual based off the difference in skin color.
A further example on the oppression of blacks in society is the movement of “Black Lives Matter.” This is the statement from the BLM Greater Atlanta: “When we say Black Lives Matter, we are broadening the conversation around state violence to include all of the ways in which Black people are intentionally left powerless at the hands of the state. We are talking about the ways in which Black lives are deprived of our basic human rights and dignity.” This is truly what the movement stands for, but it is being turned into blacks neglecting other races.. Shortly after BLM made its way into the media, the popular hashtag of “All Lives Matter,” was created. This is a prime example of when the black community attempts to have a voice of equal the white community retaliates. The statement of black lives matter was not to disregard the lives of others, or neglect other races, but it was to state that the black community has been neglected for years. Whites have turned this movement to something about their selves by being offended that it applies to “only black” people. When much of our society implies things are only for white people. Yet no one will blatantly make this claim, but actions speak louder than words. Even when African American’s stand up against their discrimination, they are continued to be discriminated.
This is the claim that Anderson makes in White Rage. She supports it with times of history like Plessy vs. Ferguson and qualitative facts. Not only does Anderson give example, Ward testifies through her life experiences but the BLM of Greater Atlanta provides examples as well. Two black police officers are charged for murder in a police shooting, while two white police officers have absolute no charges in a police shooting. All three sources have the common statement that the black community is treated differently by the soul reason of race. To deny this statement of would be to ignore facts in someone’s face.
Therefore, we not only have this claim from an outsiders perspective through historical events, but also the point of view of people who have been personally affected. Jesmyn ward discuses also how her family has been personally affected by automatically being labeled under the black race category. Anderson’s argument is being personally supported by other’s life experience, than it is evident that whites are continue to suppress the black community. It is the simple science of forming an hypothesis and testing with it experiment. The results are Ward’s life supports the fact that whites discriminate against black culture and continue to oppress them along with BLM movement of greater Atlanta.
In my college English class, one of my class mates made the point that Anderson’s article “Cracking the Code,” is extremely one-sided, it even comes off a “little harsh.” There is irony in the statement that someone standing up for the black community comes off too harsh. The reality is not that this article is too harsh, but our society is too harsh on the black community. This article is stating examples of how the black community is neglected. To label it as harsh is simply validating the argument of the article that blacks are being mistreated unfairly. Anderson gives intense examples of how blacks are discriminated in her therefore her article comes off as intense. Not to mention the topic of discrimination is a tough subject itself. The reason this article might comes of too strong or offensive is because of the examples given exemplify the actions of others against the black community. Anderson argues with real life events that evidently show blacks being mistreated based off their color.
The reality that our culture lives in is that for some reason when we see the color black, we (I included) immediately enforce a judgement on an individual. We subconsciously discriminate or treat unfairly. To not believe that white supremacy exist is the denial of facts in front of someone's face. It is clear through the analyzation of White Rage, the life of Jesmyn Ward in Cracking the Code, and the testimony of the lives in the BLM movement of Greater Atlanta.
