Race and Racism

Race and Racism. The US is a multicultural country because it almost represents a diverse culture and race. It is also deemed as a country of immigrants and has over the years faced and is still facing several racial problems. Race and racism have always been the commonly debated topics when it comes to societal issues. Racism has evolved over the years, and individuals are discriminated due to their differences in skin color, beliefs, religion, and cultural backgrounds. Racism can be defined as an injustice that is based on someone’s race. It is the conviction of superiority by a certain race over the other races, for example, whites felt superior over the blacks. Even though racism is decreasing, it has been linked with war, violence, and aggression worldwide. The researcher’s practice of outlining his or her point of view in relation to the research, with the connotation that this perception may sway aspect of the research, like the collection of data or the interpretation of the study. This paper analyzes the theory of positionality and checks the dialogical technique in which the research position is planned by both the participants and scholars involved in the research. It also talks about the “insider/outsider” argument. It is vital to express a scholar’s positionality as an “insider” by observing “others” (participants) comparable to oneself. Moreover, it will discuss the injustices of race and racism by analyzing Frantz Fanon’s book “The Wretched of the Earth” and draw examples from an accepted culture film “The Blind Side” by Jon Lee Hancock.

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Keywords: race, racism, culture, societal issues, film, book
Introduction
Race and racism have progressively become one of the leading impacts of the world’s issues today. Racism is an injustice that is based on an individual’s color. Some people tend to believe that they are superior to others because of how they look like. Discrimination has existed for decades and is usually transferred from one age group to the next. Nevertheless, racism has not always been the same; it has evolved through history and has become even more sophisticated. Individuals have been discriminated because of their differences such as different cultures, skin color, beliefs, and religion. Even though racial prejudice is obviously decreasing at the moment, it has become a likely motivation for negligence, war, and terrorism. This paper will discuss the injustices of race and racism by analyzing Frantz Fanon’s book “The Wretched of the Earth” and draw an example from a popular culture film “The Blind Side” by Jon Lee Hancock.”
Positionality
Knowledge does not come unmediated from the universe, as a matter of fact; it is formed through the dealings between the questioner and the world. Positionality can be defined as the concept that individual morals, opinions, and location in space and time impact how one looks at the world. In this perspective, sexual characteristics, class, race, and other features of identities are pointers of societal and spatial poses and are not present, given behaviors. Positionality operates on the awareness an individual has on things, both abstract and material. Therefore, knowledge is the result of a particular pose that mirrors given spaces and places. An investigator needs to be mindful of himself/herself as an intentional instrument who investigated and inscribed from an insider’s perception of the experiences of the participants. The scholar’s positionality seeks to elucidate the individual occurrences that have formed this research examination and to make obvious the reflexivity that enlightens the theorizing and study process. Cross-examining, fleshing out, expressing, and reflecting on your positionality relative to the direction of your research is vital to guarantee the legitimacy of your research position. It is vital to note that no one is 100% objective. The moral position, values, and beliefs of the researcher are essentially present and inseparable from the research process because the researcher’s metaphorical, virtual and physical presence when leading, facilitating and participating the project is noticed.
My proposed study is centered on Frantz Fanon’s book “The Wretched of the Earth” and a popular culture films “The Blind Side” by John Lee Hancock. These two examples will offer proof of race and racism in America and the entire world. What guided me to this research is the progressive social issues that most if not all people face and it is because of race and racism. Even though I have not experienced racism first hand, I have relatives and know of people who have, and this has shaped my views on how injustices in the society are commonly brought about by race and racism. My research can help in providing informed background on how race and racism have developed over the years even in our Media. It also presents me with a vital lens that shapes my perception when establishing familiar inclinations in my investigation. A vital aspect is how I will illustrate through the article and the film the prevalence of race and racism. Reflecting on my scholar positionality, I am intrigued to gain knowledge of the experiences, background, and viewpoints of other scholars as they analyze their intended research. For example Muhammad et al., illustrates their positionalities in Reflections on Researcher Identity and Power: The Impact of Positionality on Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Processes and Outcomes by postulating, “We seek here to unpack the experience of different members of our team through our own persona; identity lens: the view of CBPR from scholars of color as an intrinsic lens and a mirror and support to their personal lives; the view as a white outsider working in Indian country; and the conflicts and challenges when accountability becomes too burdensome”
Discussion
The film by John Lee Hancock “The Blind Side” illustrates the efforts of a black man to be accepted in the white society. The protagonist in the story, Michael Oher, depicts the audience how a man of color experiences prejudice and oppression from his white community. This film speaks to me for it illustrates some of the common trends of the American mainstream additionally; the film also tries to deconstruct the traditional discernments towards the white community through the Tuohy family. In this narration, Hancock explains that not all white people were racists through the Tuohy family who unlike the others in their community accepted Michael for who he was. This family ended up being Michael’s salvation, power and armor as he faced transformation, immersion and social acceptance. In this film, the concept of popular culture emerges as it highlights the various issues of the world like racism, race, cultural relations and differences. The mixing of the two races in the film shows the struggles that occur between the whites and the blacks and the likely repugnance that occurs as well as the attraction that can occur among them. The film also shows the audience how one is judged because of their differences in social status, race, social background and lifestyle.
Race and racism are not predictable or natural incidents. They have a past and are an outcome of the dealings of people through their interactions. Rationally, racism happens in movies, television, radios and other forms of media. The media industries use racial discrimination as an outline of stereotyping, and this makes a large number of people use these ideas because they believe that it is allowed in the community. This is what Michael experienced in the movie. He faced prejudice in his classroom. Also, the educator showed how white teachers interacted differently with their black and white students. This type of stereotype is one that is commonly expressed by most Media to the audience. The impact this film has is it explained how despite having different cultures and backgrounds it is possible for people to coexist. The Tuohys appreciated and accepted Michael’s culture despite the fact that the entire community alienated him because of his family and social backgrounds.
Fanon’s book “The Wretched of the Earth” is particularly intriguing because of its strong style. The book addresses the abuse of the Algerians by their French colonizers. The main theme of the book is to illustrate the struggles of colonized nations in the hands of their European colonizers. However, it also focuses on how ideology is spread, the effects of imperialism, racism, and especially the role of violence in the problems and solutions of it all. Another interesting fact about this book is that it has no characters or plot. It simply refers to the colonists’ and the colonized. The book is also very effective because Fanon is not narrating from an unbiased point of view since he had seen what the colonists did to the colonized firsthand. In the struggle of racism violence is the most common element and Fanon illustrates it well in his book. He shows how various structures of hostility reiterate in post-colonial and colonial periods. First, the colonialism maintains their position and power against the colonized by using violence, eliciting submission through soldiers and police. This in return forces the colonized also to use force and violence to free themselves from oppression. And even after being colonized most nations today still, use aggression as a way to exert their authority against the minorities. This implies that violence has come to be identified as the main form of justice as it is the only way most people have come to discover to use when struggling for their freedom.
From Fanon’s book, we learn that he believes that the colonists are the damned of the earth. He also argues that the only form of justice Algerians had was to use violence to free themselves from the French. Violence according to him would create a new spiritual unity that would get the country ready for the after-war reconstruction. However, after independence as most came to realize nothing much changed and the reconstruction they so much expected never occurred as the exploited now ended up being the exploiters. In his book, Fanon also illustrated how racism was a factor because the basic dichotomy of a protectorate was most often depicted using deep-seated racial differences: the white against black, settlers against natives. Even though Fanon employs Marxist class categorization, he acknowledges that such categorization cannot be differentiated from thoughts of race and racism. Additionally, even though Fanon describes social class using the criteria of Marxist, he evaluates their political patterns and hence establishes their role in the anti-colonial fight, through analyzing the affluence of their economy, extent, and size of adaptation into the colonial system. This makes Fanon to not agree with Marx for he states that the rural peasantries are the revolutionary class and not the urban grassroots. The book illustrates how the urban proletariat would not be able to be independent of the colonist fully. The only people who were capable of fighting for the anti-colonial struggles are the ones who had nothing to lose, and those were the rural peasantry. From the book, it becomes apparent that while colonial aggression is domineering and self-perpetuating because it attempts to continue the tyrannical configurations of colonialism. The aggression brought by the anti-colonial was practical and needed as it sought to eradicate those cruel configurations aiming for the liberation of the society as well as the building of a new identity for the country. As quoted by Fanon “violence depends upon the production of armaments.”
Fanon’s views, however, seemed to be irrational because he tends to overlook the fact that most African countries were mostly a product of European colonization and were divided regarding tribe and linguistic. And thus the construction of a would be not so forthcoming because of the differences in tribes, religion, and race as seen today. However, the use and impact of violence in the colonial era as a way of seeking justice is still being witnessed particularly in the considerations of western association in regions like the Middle East, where they still experience western domination and the use of violent resistance to fight off the oppression. Additionally, It is Fanon’s imminent into this rationalization of violence, and his bits of advice on the risks of substituting one system of abuse by another, that we should be concerned with when assessing current Western participation worldwide and the level to which previously colonial nations are justly independent even after recognized decolonization.
From Fanon’s book “The Wretched of the Earth” the point on decolonization while not completely straightforward incorporated several insights that retain their value today. The author depicts hostility within the colonial situation in a rational way and recognizes the use of anti-colonial aggression as a required and vital element in the pursuit of colonial freedom. The efforts of people of color to be equal to the whites is still a continuing struggle and even though some individuals as portrayed in the film “The Blind Side” are becoming more accepting the society at large is still stereotyping people of color. Racism and violence correlate because in the struggle against racism most people were inclined to use violence as a form of justice to fight for their rights and freedom.
Conclusion
Through recognizing my positionality in this topic, I am able to comprehend the opinions of others and that they may vary from mine on so many levels. In the race and racism debate, it is necessary to know where you fit into this conversation before you can understand other individuals and give your opinion on the sensitive discussion of race. From this research, I was able to find ways to create awareness on racism in our society and contribute in putting an end to it. Previously, I was unable to offer my input on this topic while being sensitive to the background and experiences of others. Now, I believe I have the paraphernalia to think through complicated and at times uncomfortable ideas about race and racism. In his book, “The Wretched of the Earth,” Fanon illustrates some of the struggles developing countries experienced cause of their cultural backgrounds and color. The film “The Blind Side” also shows how one can overcome racism through acknowledging one’s fears and biases as well as some of the strategies in understanding the different cultural identities and backgrounds and comprehending differences in communication techniques as illustrated by the Tuohy family. The experiences of race and racism as portrayed in the book and film can be daunting, but they provide a great example on the history of race and racism and how we can enhance our approaches when it comes to ending racism. From reading and watching films on race and racism, one is able to get a clear picture of the underlying problems in the community and help make progressive changes towards a more open-minded and aware society.Bibliography
Baylis, John, Patricia Owens, and Steve Smith, eds. The globalization of world politics: an introduction to international relations. Oxford University Press, 2017.
Philcox, Richard. The wretched of the earth: Frantz Fanon; translated from the French by Richard Philcox; introductions by Jean-Paul Sartre and Homi K. Bhabha. Grove Press, 2004.
Muhammad, Michael, Nina Wallerstein, Andrew L. Sussman, Magdalena Avila, Lorenda Belone, and Bonnie Duran. “Reflections on researcher identity and power: The impact of positionality on community based participatory research (CBPR) processes and outcomes.” Critical Sociology 41, no. 7-8 (2015): 1045-1063.