The revolution will not be televised!
More to come! Stay tuned.
In relation to the notions of "Americaness" Anderson references in Chapter 4 of his book, he stresses that it was the Protestant English-speaking creoles who identified more with the idea of "Americaness" than did the Spanish-Americans. The Creoles of the North eventually "succeeded in appropriating the everyday title of 'Americans'". Whereas the "'local' backwardness of Spanish capitalism and technology" made it all the more harder to identify as an autonomous nation state and an independent peoples. Rather they clung more closely to their "motherland"-as a child clings to breast of its mother.
Also the fact Creoles "shared a common language, and common descent with those against whom they fought" must have made forming their own nation-state all the more harder. However the English-speaking North was able to dissociate themselves from Europe and strive to build their own political and economic structures. After several battles to have their own political and economic autonomy, the English-speaking North was able to develop its "Americaness" which lives on till this day.
I know this is true because Americans are most definitely different from their English counterparts, I can say this confidently as an Englishwoman. Some things we have in common like our language but our cultures, our sense of identity and loyalty differ greatly.
The Spanish-Americans were not distinguished by language or ethnicity to their motherland. ("Language was not an element that distinguished them [Brazil, the USA or the former colonies of Spain] from their respective imperial metropoles"). The English-speaking North spoke the tongue of their motherland but this just meant they put greater efforts into distinguishing themselves ethnically-administrative functionaries and print capitalism help smooth this transition. "The printer-journalist was initially an essentially North American phenomenon: "between 1691-1820, no less than 2,120 'newspapers' were published, of which 461 lasted more than ten years".
It was however the "spirit of liberalism" that was in the air and Madrid's decision to impose new taxes, make their collections more efficient, enforce metropolitan commercial monopolies, restrict intra-hemispheric trade to its own advantage, centralize administrative hierarchies and promote a heavy immigration of peninsulares, that slowly led Creoles of the South to desire to separate themselves and find their own "Americaness".
I say let us forget our Americaness because I am not American, what does appeal to me though is how African-Americans' identity has been treated and perceived by other communities in America.
In relation to the notions of "Americaness" Anderson references in Chapter 4 of his book, he stresses that it was the Protestant English-speaking creoles who identified more with the idea of "Americaness" than did the Spanish-Americans. The Creoles of the North eventually "succeeded in appropriating the everyday title of 'Americans'". Whereas the "'local' backwardness of Spanish capitalism and technology" made it all the more harder to identify as an autonomous nation state and an independent peoples. Rather they clung more closely to their "motherland"-as a child clings to breast of its mother.
Also the fact Creoles "shared a common language, and common descent with those against whom they fought" must have made forming their own nation-state all the more harder. However the English-speaking North was able to dissociate themselves from Europe and strive to build their own political and economic structures. After several battles to have their own political and economic autonomy, the English-speaking North was able to develop its "Americaness" which lives on till this day.
I know this is true because Americans are most definitely different from their English counterparts, I can say this confidently as an Englishwoman. Some things we have in common like our language but our cultures, our sense of identity and loyalty differ greatly.
The Spanish-Americans were not distinguished by language or ethnicity to their motherland. ("Language was not an element that distinguished them [Brazil, the USA or the former colonies of Spain] from their respective imperial metropoles"). The English-speaking North spoke the tongue of their motherland but this just meant they put greater efforts into distinguishing themselves ethnically-administrative functionaries and print capitalism help smooth this transition. "The printer-journalist was initially an essentially North American phenomenon: "between 1691-1820, no less than 2,120 'newspapers' were published, of which 461 lasted more than ten years".
It was however the "spirit of liberalism" that was in the air and Madrid's decision to impose new taxes, make their collections more efficient, enforce metropolitan commercial monopolies, restrict intra-hemispheric trade to its own advantage, centralize administrative hierarchies and promote a heavy immigration of peninsulares, that slowly led Creoles of the South to desire to separate themselves and find their own "Americaness".
I say let us forget our Americaness because I am not American, what does appeal to me though is how African-Americans' identity has been treated and perceived by other communities in America.
When
I think back to the times our image as black people has been downtrodden it
invokes in me the feeling of: “Do you know what, I am going to show you all how
very very wrong you all are about me, about us!”
For every
reason and this reason only, it is crucial our identity is preserved for out of
it stems the meaning of our lives: our existence. As Professor Thelwell said on
Thursday, Thomas “TD “ Rice had no issue making fun of our identity neither did
the many minstrels that followed him.
T.D “Daddy”
Rice became the first person to perform minstrel in 1830. His minstrel performances
made him popular both at home and abroad, in 1836 he travelled to England after
his hit song “Jump Jim Crow” became an international hit. His fame and the fame
of his song spread so far and so thickly that in some countries people thought
that this was America’s national anthem.
Between
1840s and the 1890s, minstrelsy became the most popular form of entertainment, beyond
1890s its influence spread through the medium of film. It influence can be seen
in Edwin S.
Porter's 1903 version of Uncle Tom's Cabin and Gone through the Wind
(1939). It’s influence can also be seen through other mediums such Amus
and Andy’s successful radio show-the radio show was only taken off in 1956
after a successful campaign by the NAACP.
My question, I guess is what shocked me the most about White people "Blackening" up?
My question, I guess is what shocked me the most about White people "Blackening" up?
What shocks me the most is that White
people took it upon themselves to discredit the Black image. And then portray Black in the vilest way for comical purposes. Worst still, is that this sentiment
continued up until the 1960s and in some ways continues now. Even though the
way Black people and their image is discriminated against has changed-as we
know from overt racism to covert-it is still present and still pervades our societies
and communities. In “Imagined Communities” maybe problems like this are non-existent
but in our very real and very present communities racism still exists. Try this,
a white woman and a black man in York Town or some of America’s gated
communities. You try that and see how it works and come back and tell me! Or West
Virginia. White people don’t have to don black faces for us to know and call it
racism. Nowadays racism is not so obvious.
How refreshing was it to see a
black man “Whiten” up? Very refreshing, to take the same structural notions
that white people took when they decided to blacken up and in the same vein
whiten up-and play Abraham Lincoln of all people-is astounding and inspiring,
not necessarily because black people should try to correct the mistake of the
past and this is one way of doing that but rather it is the concept behind it
and the rationale behind it that I find so inspiring-it’s the subversion.
It is vital we keep the
flame of our identity burning, the black people of yesteryear were powerless, speechless,
bound and gagged both physically, mentally, socially and most importantly politically,
so unfortunately had to take things as they came. But for us, things are
different. With the success of the Civil Rights Movement came the right of
controlling “our” image. We will not take any more slanders. We shall not take
any more slanders. Not now, not ever! But we must all work together to solidify
and preserve our rich identity.
My question goes out to one and all, what shocked you the most about White people "Blackening" up? What did you think of the subversion in Tanglao Aguas' William and Mary award-winning play?
My question goes out to one and all, what shocked you the most about White people "Blackening" up? What did you think of the subversion in Tanglao Aguas' William and Mary award-winning play?
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