Blog #3 - Tatiana Bull

  For today's blog I wanted to talk about the first sketch in The Colored Museum called "Git on Board".     This whole sketch is basically  a satire on the stewerdess and all who would suppress the African American identity, thus bringing about the theme of the power of heritage.  I found it interesting how the stewardess discouraged any singing or unifying music-making of any kind.  She asked her guests to refrain from call and response sing and drumming, playing the drums would be sign of open rebellion, or in other words, a threat to white supremacy.  To emphasize her point, she asked the people on the plane to chant "no dums" until their chant sounded convincing.  From my understanding, the drums symbolize unity and preserved culture of African Americans. When she hears the beating of the drums, she attempts to ignore them and tries to brainwash the audience, as she has been brainwashed herself - she tries to forget the past that has shaped her life.  The rebellion the stewardess refers to here is of African Americans simply maintaing their unique heritage and being proud of the differences that they bring to society.

The stewardess is somehow separated from her race in the way that she does not share the slaves' fate at the end of their voyage.  She enthusiastically transports slaves to their final destination and she is condemned to a live a life with a smile plastered on her face, along with a fake personality for the rest of her life.  However, she is also in bondage, not physically like a slave would be, but she is emotionally bound to live her life of conformity and isolation.  By calling out "no drums" she is rejecting her culture and distancing herself from that possible unity.  When she starts to talk about African Americans who have maintained their identity and heritage and still contributed to American culture, it seemed as though the drums were getting louder.  I dont know, maybe that was just me.  Nevertheless, she STILL failed to acknowledge the drums and allow the power of these cultural influences to go through her.  

The line that stuck out to me the most was when the flight attended said "Please check the overhead before exiting as any baggage you do not claim, we trash."  She basically makes the point that baggage, the past, becomes trash if it is not maintained and valued.  The unique culture of African Americans will be lost forever if they dismiss who they are and from where they came in order to blend into society. The stewardess (and society) do not mind throwing away the baggage or the past.