If you choose to submit a reading response for Richard Wright's "The Ethics of Living Jim Crow," please do so in the comments section of this post. Remember: your response should be thoughtful, it should evidence a careful consideration of the text, and it should include at least one question for your instructor/your classmates about the text. Your response should be no less than 200 words and no more than 500 words, and at least relatively well-written (you will not be graded on grammar, but please remember that poor grammar/syntax reflects poorly on you/your ideas). If other students have posted before you, your response can be, in part, a response to their posts--feel free to take up other students questions or concerns and use this space as a forum for intelligent discussion. You may also post more than once, particularly if your initial post is short or ambiguous. Your grade for the reading response will be based on your collective input in the comments sections of this post.
I have chosen to respond to Richard Wrights, “The Ethics of Living Jim Crow,” purely because of the incredible feeling of anger that pieces like this conjure up in me. I have read works before that take place during the time of segregation and I have an extremely consistent response of anger and disbelief.
ReplyDeleteI just looked through the piece again, taking note of the annotations I made as I read. “Jesus! What, only whites can learn?!” “Uneducated assholes!” “Much like boss politics.” “Just to be asses…” “Pisses me off! They feel like they are doing a favor by not killing. “ “Masters of all…bullshit.” “So ignorant! All people should be allowed to read the same books!” These were just a few of my in-reading responses. The things that were happening in this story, the sections of inequality that were normal for this time period in this section of the US, absolutely astound me and drive me crazy. I am someone who avidly believes in equal rights and am driven crazy by ignorant comments of racism or inequality.
Reading comments such as on page 4, “Whut yuh tryin’ t’ do, nigger, git smart?” or on page 5, “Nigger, you think you’re white, don’t you?” make me immediately put up walls and tune out anything else that this person has to say. Anyone who was trying to learn, to make themselves and, in turn, their community better, should have been and should be rewarded or recognized, not castigated and yelled at! Why would anyone believe that only whites should be able to learn?
I would like to bring up another quote in the middle of page 6. ““Now, be careful, nigger!” Snarled Morrie, baring his teeth. “I heard yuh call ‘im Pease! ‘N’ if yuh say yuh didn’t, yuh’re callin’ me a lie, see?”” This sort of violent tendency combined with the uneducated (and it could just be how I read the accent) speech makes the speakers look extremely ignorant. I just cannot comprehend how this sense of self-entitlement and power reigned for such a long time.
Being from the “North,” and growing up in very diverse schools and areas, I never see people as different because of how they appear. At school, home, or in the community, I did not hear many, if any, instances of racism or persecution of other nationalities. However, since I have been down here at USC, I have been shocked and disappointed by how often I have heard instances of racism. Whether valet parking downtown and hearing drunk people blurt out ignorant comments, or hanging out with internationals and having people make nationalistic comments, these comments seem to be much more prevalent in this area, still. I am not at ALL saying that the majority of people are this way, please don’t get me wrong, but I do feel it is much more prevalent. I am interested to hear what the members of the class have to say on this subject.
Overall, I think it is important to find pieces that make us think, make us angry, and make us strive for better education and self-improvement. This is obviously one of those pieces for me.
After reading this piece, I felt very embarrassed and sorry for racist people. It is very sad that one could judge another person just based on the color of their skin. What angers me the most is that racism still exists today and will always exist in our world. People can be very ignorant when it comes to other people's culture or way of life. It is wrong to stereotype people in general, but what hurts me the most is that people feel need to turn to violence when expressing their hate towards a particular race. For example, in the beginning of the story, the boy recalls his first fight with the "white boys." He expressed how him and his friends were throwing cinder at the "white boys", but the "white boys" were throwing broken bottles. Though fighting in general never solves much, broken bottles are far more dangerous than cinder. When the boy was hit in the back of the head, he then realized how much danger he was really in. Luckily, the boy got stitched up and was ok.
ReplyDeleteThe boy then waited for his mother to tell her what had occurred that day. After explaining to his mother, his mother became furious and "smacked his rump with the stave." This reaction was far from what the boy thought would take place. Instead he thought his mother would tell him exactly what to do next time he was in this situation. Why did the boy's mother punish him and told him never to fight again? In my personal opinion, I believe that the mother did not think violence solved anything. Also, her son was fighting "white boys" and if one of the "white boys" got hurt and their parents got wind of it, her son would be in great danger. Another reason may be because his mother worked for a white family and she did not want to lose her job because of her son's actions.
Though the boy did not mean to upset his mother, he began to realize the effects racism has on people. Throughout the story he begins to learn what to do or not to do and what to say or not to say in order to stay safe while living in this racist world. He calls these lessons his Jim Crow lessons
My question would be: Why haven't people learned their lesson about being racist and why is there still such hatred towards different groups of people in our world today?
To address Jennifer's question: I think that it is important to look at hatred outside of the context of racism. I notice instances of hatred and/or bigotry every day, whether it is a Democrat demeaning a Republican, an "educated" individual dismissing an "uneducated" one, a senior citizen bemoaning the ignorance and disrespect of a youth, or myself immediately assuming the person in front of me is driving slow because of the wheelchair on their license plate. I am not saying it is right; I am merely saying it is something we do on a day to day basis because it is how we have been taught, what we've seen in our own lives, or just an inability to view the world with an open mind. I am not sure that people will ever learn their lesson, whether racism becomes a thing of the past or not. Bias, bigotry, and snap judgments are not only learned, but they are human nature - a way for our mind to deal with the massive amount of visual information that it must process.
ReplyDeleteI think that this short introduction hits on this in some respect. On page 3, the author states, "The green trees, the trimmed hedges, the cropped lawns grew very meaningful, became a symbol. Even today when I think of white folks, the hard, sharp outlines of white houses surrounded by trees, lawns, and hedges are present somewhere in the background of my mind." I think it is safe to say that this was not the experience of every black person at the time, that is to say that not every black person lived in a neighborhood of cinder, absent of any foliage. In fact, he later moves to a neighborhood far from any white neighborhood where I am sure he was surrounded by grass, trees, bushes, and the like. What I get from this is that he grew up knowing this to be reality. He lived among cinder, and whites lived in grassy suburbs. We all have notions about one another based on what we have seen and what we know to be "reality."
With that being said, I found it difficult to understand the situation that is being laid out in this first section. I did not grow up in the deep south; to me, this is akin to a foreign land. After living here for three years, I am still learning the nuances of the relationship between races. As I read, I became angry. I like to think that I would stand up to the men in the optical factory, but like the author, I wouldn't. I would like to think that when the guard touched the female employee, I would speak up, but like the author, I wouldn't. This situation, like "The Road," seems hopeless. This is a kid, beaten, bloodied, subjugated, demoralized, and expected to put on a happy face and go with it. What can I say besides, wtf?
For my question, I challenge you to look in the mirror and ask, "What do I have preconceived notions about? In what ways am I a bigot?" It is a hard pill to swallow, but nobody is perfect.
-Adam Hardesty
After reading "The ethics of living Jim Crow” I had an eye opening experience. I knew during that period of time things were absolutely awful for African Americans but to get a first hand account of someone having to learn these “special rules” to not get beat really angered me. To think that you could not even walk down the street without being harassed by white people would just make me want to give up. To have to pretend to “drop my packages” as to not get beat for saying a simple thank you is absolutely ridiculous. I can’t believe black people could not just say thank you to a white person, I mean COME ON it shows appreciation not disrespect. White people were absolutely crazy it seemed back then, and I feel absolutely sorry for them and their closed mindedness. Denying someone the privilege of education or knowledge is absolute BS. He wanted to learn, to better himself in the glasses factory but instead he got threatened and then he wanted to read and had to play dumb to go into the library. I understand that at the time this is just what happened and we cant do anything to change the past but the fact that racism is still alive in this day and age is infuriating and I don’t just mean racial discrimination I mean religious, political, etc discrimination. The idea that in order to survive as a black man or woman you had to lose personal dignity would just be awful, they obviously tried to keep as much as possible but when your girlfriend gets slapped on the ass by some ignorant man and you cant defend her that would surely drive you over the edge. The idea that they had to live almost a double life and act one way with white people and another way with black people would of psychologically mess someone up.
ReplyDeleteJessica Phillips
After reading this story and discussing it in class I believe there were clear psychological costs for the racial subordination. First of all it clearly made them extremely fearful of white people. They were afraid to even not say “yes sir” and “no sir” to the white people. For example, on page 3 it states “Each time I closed my eyes monstrous white faces, leering at me.” This is a clear example of a psychological cost and the cost is fear of white people. Also, I believe that it is not just fear that is a cost. There is a sense of “double consciousness” throughout this story which is a psychological cost. Double consciousness is referring to the same person having to act differently than their own personality and own culture around white and black people. The boy was clearly more open and friendly with his mom and friends when he got back to the black side of town. When he crossed over to the white side of town, he had to say yes sir, he was not allowed to learn anything, and he was basically supposed to act stupid and pitiful like African Americans were supposed to be back then. I believe that this affects the boy even more than fear because he cannot even act like himself and never can feel whole. For example, when the night guard insulted his girlfriend he the boy was not able to do anything at all, even though he wanted to. He had to live on two personalities constantly, which had to make him lose some of his identity and never really act like his true self.
ReplyDeleteLucas Garber
The ethics of living Jim Crow South is a descriptive tale an African American’s encounter’s with race. Richard lives within a culture that is afraid of the white race and has accepted their place as “subservient” in society. Richard, however, is unable to accept this subservient status and attempts to seek equality despite many disastrous attempts to be considered equal by doing as the white man does. He is rebuked by his race when they learn of his transgressions, and flirts with fatal danger by allowing his unshackled curiosity to wonder with the realm of white people. This story is symbolic as it describes how his race keeps him down even in the absence of direct white suppression. From the moment of his encounters as a “gang” against the white “gang” from across the tracks, and their decision to turn these bumps and bruises, to cuts and gashes. While searching for consolation from his mother, he was quickly reminded to remember his place and was forbidden to fight the white man again. This submissive behavior is being taught to him at a young age, and its impact allows for race imposed conditioning versus direct white intervention. White is right, is what Richard is being taught, yet it is a lesson he has difficultly learning. From him being beaten for seeking to learn a trade to watching the naked white women, Richard has difficulty accepting that white is right. He effectively becomes the child from the Road, that wishes to believe that despite all odds, there is hope and a chance. Yet, it’s his environment and those he trusts, that continue to reinforce his surroundings and the times and encourages him to lose that hope and become dead like the rest of them. This is the ethic of living Jim Crow south. Living involves growth, yet if there is no growth are you really alive? Richard tries to bridge this gap and establish a successful ethic, yet he is met with peril and no support. Even as his eyes tells him to save that woman that is being harassed by the cop, he is unable to do so, and the victim comes back and says its, alright and that he did the right thing by not getting involved.
ReplyDeleteKenny B
After reading this section in Richard Wright's book, I got a very angry feeling towards racism during the time of the Jim Crow laws. This section makes you think very hard about what the black people had to go through during this time. However, I feel that Wright was trying to do exactly this when he wrote this.
ReplyDeleteFirst and for most, Wright paints a perfect picture of what it was like during this time. The first one is at the beginning of the book when the boy is telling how his friends and the "white boys" would fight. He said while they would throw cinder at the white boys, they would throw glass bottles back! Wright is trying to show that it was so bad that even the white children were taught to discriminate against and hurt the black people. The next example is when the boy gets his first job and it is with white people. The boy is hoping to actually learn the trade and is naive enough at this point that he thinks that this will actually happen. One day he speaks the wrong way to the white workers and they threaten him and he loses his job.
After reading this section it is very obvious that Wright feels very strongly about segregation and he wants people to see it the same way. I think this is why he uses such extreme situations, so that people who read it will take a second to think about it and it will invoke some anger from people about how the black people were treated. One extreme situation in the section is when the boy is getting the ride from the white people in the car, and when he forgets to say sir one of the white men hits him on the face with a glass whiskey bottle. Then towards the end there is a situation in which the boy is walking with a girl and a white man starts being disrespectful to her. The boy obviously likes her and wants to stick up for her but he cant otherwise he would be killed.
Many people don't realize exactly how bad this time period was for black people, and I think this is exactly why Wright wrote this book. What makes me the angriest about this time period is that fact that the black people had to forfeit their dignity just based on the sole fact that their skin color was different. I can not believe any human beings could ever act like this towards another.
In the “Ethics of Living Jim Crow’ we can see the struggles that the author himself had to overcome throughout his life, growing up in the segregated southern part of the United States. The author explains how that affected human relationships between races making moral truth play a dual role. In the beginning of the story Mr. Wright’s mother taught him not to fight the white man and even beat him after he was hurt by a broken bottle thrown by a white kid. This even taught him how he ought to behave towards whites and since then the “Yessirs” and “nosirs” were the most used words of his vocabulary because he felt that racism was part of human relationships; therefore all of his subsequent actions were shaped by the fear of whites, even the ones that questioned morality. In order to avoid trouble several times he had to feign ingenuity as a way to also safeguard a shred of personal pride. The scene on the elevator on which he pretended that his packages were about to spill clearly demonstrates that, because thanking the white man for taking his hat (and supposedly avoiding him from riding the elevator with his hat on something that was prohibited to Negros) would make the white man angry for the fact that Wright would have thought that he was making him a favor.
ReplyDeleteXana Guerreiro
While I feel that this section of the book is a very concise piece, it is very dense with hate and ignorance. The very first line expresses what is to come very accurately. “My first lesson in how to live as a Negro came when I was quite small.” This way of expressing himself as a “Negro”, expresses very deeply the way African-American’s perceived their role in society. The first sentence seems to express that there are a set of rules that African-Americans had to abide by, and unfortunately these “rules” did exist to some extent.
ReplyDeleteIn the time of the story, the majority of blacks were not allowed to learn. This greatly affects how blacks and whites interacted. Whites perceived blacks as ignorant, good-for-nothing people when in fact they wanted nothing more than to learn like their white counterparts. Richard tried to please the whites by using common courtesies, but they were not adequate enough for the whites. This ignorance is why segregation took so long to cure. It’s embarrassing to admit, but it is also why so much racism and hatred exist today. As mentioned in an earlier post, the south does generally breed more hatred between races, and it’s a fact that I’ve seen my entire life.
This section of Uncle Tom’s Cabin is so frustrating because Richard goes from job to job without anyone giving him respect. It’s difficult enough for someone to start a new job, but even more so when everyone is heckling you day in and day out. This section really shows the personal view of an African-American trying to get by in life during a heavily segregated time in our nation’s history. White, black, or yellow, we all need to take a little piece of this section to heart. We all have preconceived notions of people and this book really brings those out in each and every one of us. Richard struggled everyday to live a decent life Tthe next time your day goes bad because someone cussed you out, I encourage you to think twice a bout WHY exactly your day was bad.
Have you ever been a part of a situation involving racist remarks that really made you think? What are some things you have said in the past to someone that you regret saying?
-Chris Lendrim
I want to respond primarily to Jennifer's post because it really put together my feelings about this story. First off, to answer her questions as to why the boy is punished by his mother after needing to be stitched from being hit by the "white boys" with the bottle in the back of the head; Yes, she wants to relate to her son that fighting does not solve everything, and maybe she doesn't want to lose her job, but also she is aware of the hatred and terror that takes place because of race. She also knows that any argument with a white man or boy could lead to serious injury or death! Above all factors, family is a primary concern no matter what race one is. Since the boy possesses such an open mind and misunderstanding of racism, maybe "smacking his rump with a stave" is the only sure way to make him understand what our world is like. I'd rather learn my lesson by benig spanked then learn it by being killed.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, of course the question arises today as to why there is still discrimination and racism today. Personally, I fully agree with Adam's response to this question. We ALL have preconcieved notions. Not because we are bad people, but we were all raised certain ways. It is who we are. Unfortunately, racism and hatred happen to be part of these teachings. Clearly hatred towards races other than your own is much less of an issue than it was back then; and to be perfectly honest, I believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion; as long as it is not detrimental or harmful to anyone. I think a better question above all is this:
Is a person that dislikes all races other than his own RACIST if he shows no intention to disrespect or act physically? Racism is a touchy subject and I think has a much different connotation today than back then.
--Zach Greenberger
Yes. That's racist. Even if it is harbored within and is never acted upon, it is still racist. If someone has those same thoughts and feelings, what is to say the only reason they don't act upon them today is because the society around them has changed in a manner that has made this more difficult. If you took this alleged person who felt this way towards other races and placed them in the 1920's would they participate in lynchings?
Delete--Dusten Dussex--
Being a resident mentor in one of the buildings on campus, we went through extensive diversity talks and programs. One of my favorite things that we did was we were all split up and put ten to a table. We then were supposed to talk about our preconceived notions that we had about other people. It was a real eye opening experience and it really showed how much people do discriminate against different groups. While reading The Ethics of Living Jim Crow I could not stop thinking about this activity. How much different it would have been had the white people been willing to admit their preconceived notions and try to overcome them. Sadly however, this was not the case. Instead they turned to violence and suppression of their fellow Americans.
ReplyDeleteI thought the way that the narrator told the story was particularly interesting. It seemed he told it as if he was detached or as if it was no big deal. We never see him get angry or fly into a rage and fight back. This I think goes along with the whole short story in that it seems the black men and women did not fly into a rage and they acted as if it was completely normal. They just accepted the fact that their lives would be full of violence and took that as the norm.
I think the toughest part of the book for me to read was the part when the mother did reprimand her son. By doing this, she was starting his lessons on how to live with being suppressed and continuing the cycle of terrible racism. What astounds me the most is that never in these stories does anyone stand up for themselves after the young fight that they fought as boys. What if more mothers had taught their sons to fight back against this suppression? Yes, white men did do their best to keep blacks as their inferiors , but what if a whole generation had risen back to fight and win their rights? Luckily with time we are slowly eradicating these prejudices and hopefully someday we can live in a discrimination free world.
I did find the last line quite strange, however. Saying that life without the police and lynch-mobs would be complete uproar does not at all make sense to me. Does anyone have thoughts on this?
--Kelcey Flegel
This is by far is my favorite story of the semester. The story of The Ethics of Living Jim Crow brought up illustration about how black people treated and lived in the past. Somehow, I felt like this story really has that background feeling of my history class in high school when slavery still existed. The first few pages of the story I completely motivated by the boy, how he fought for himself and did not have any fear at all although he was have argument with white kids. In my mind was saying, this story would be interesting. I expected him to be the hero of this story, and then I reached to the part when her mother instantly slapped him because he got in trouble with white kids. That really destroyed my imagination that has already been set in my mind about the plot of the story.
ReplyDeleteAs I continued reading and get to the point where the boy grew up and started to have fear and distinguish himself from the white kids, I am very disappointed just because it’s not like a hero story that I thought it would be. Every single part, after the boy realized his position as a black kid really annoyed me. I realized from what I have read the boy really has good potential to make change, and his mom too, the time when she slapped him in the face really made me disappointed because that’s was the time when the boy started to fear the white kids. I do not think she did the right thing, because from there the boy, which is her son, lost his motivation. How he did not say or do anything when his white co-workers bully him and force him to quite his job, which I was really hoping that the black boy would fight the white.
I think the author really did a good job on setting up the plot of this story and played with the imagination of the readers, especially me. Until the last page of the story, I could not stop think that there is still hope that something will come up and changed the boy’s life. I was somewhat disappointed with the ending, but overall this story by far is my favorite because although it is not long but it successfully played my emotions.
Poppy Aprilia
This is by far is my favorite story of the semester. The story of The Ethics of Living Jim Crow brought up illustration about how black people treated and lived in the past. Somehow, I felt like this story really has that background feeling of my history class in high school when slavery still existed. The first few pages of the story I completely motivated by the boy, how he fought for himself and did not have any fear at all although he was have argument with white kids. In my mind was saying, this story would be interesting. I expected him to be the hero of this story, and then I reached to the part when her mother instantly slapped him because he got in trouble with white kids. That really destroyed my imagination that has already been set in my mind about the plot of the story.
ReplyDeleteAs I continued reading and get to the point where the boy grew up and started to have fear and distinguish himself from the white kids, I am very disappointed just because it’s not like a hero story that I thought it would be. Every single part, after the boy realized his position as a black kid really annoyed me. I realized from what I have read the boy really has good potential to make change, and his mom too, the time when she slapped him in the face really made me disappointed because that’s was the time when the boy started to fear the white kids. I do not think she did the right thing, because from there the boy, which is her son, lost his motivation. How he did not say or do anything when his white co-workers bully him and force him to quite his job, which I was really hoping that the black boy would fight the white.
I think the author really did a good job on setting up the plot of this story and played with the imagination of the readers, especially me. Until the last page of the story, I could not stop think that there is still hope that something will come up and changed the boy’s life. I was somewhat disappointed with the ending, but overall this story by far is my favorite because although it is not long but it successfully played my emotions.
Poppy Aprilia
On this story Richard Wright actually narrates his own experience of growing up in the south of the United States. I feel like in the story Wright is only portraying how his story was the reality of so many other African Americans as it seems that they simply became accustomed to all the injustices and mistreatments that they were victims. The author learns how he was ought to address whites when he was beaten up for not properly calling a white man “Mr.” He learned some tough rules like keeping his mouth shut at all times (which he learned as describes his reaction to the violence suffered by the black woman who was beaten up), learn his place among whites if he wanted to work for them (learned when he, again, almost got killed by asking the two white men with whom he worked to actually teaching him something related to the job; as a black man…he was supposed to have no aspirations of succeed or learn). Throughout the story, the author describes many events from which he was forced to swallow the injustices committed towards him or even others that he couldn’t speak about. For me the most impactful/sad thing that the author implies is that as a black person, he was supposed to look happy/cheerful at all times. When the author describes his work experience at the hotel as “Yet, in spite of all this, the life of the hotel ran with an amazing smoothness. It would have been impossible for a stranger to detect anything. The maids, the hall boys, and the bell boys were all smiles. They had to be” he actually tries to make a point of how oppressed African Americans were in an unfair white dominated society in which blacks were forced to show no signs of distress and portray that actually everything was just fine with their lives. It was a fight to find some personal dignity despite all the injustice present the oppressive society in which he grew up.
ReplyDeleteRossana “Xana” Guerreiro
These short stories from Uncle Tom's Children were my least favorite to read. While we all know racism was a huge issue in the past, and still even today, seeing it told in a story makes it seem that much worse than just boring facts we read in a history book. Speaking of which, we had a section in our history textbook that dealt with Jim Crow laws which were degrading and unfair. The quote David mentioned, “Whut yuh tryin’ t’ do, nigger, git smart?” really caught my attention in the story. The language the author uses makes the story that much more vivid and real. It is really saddening that this is part of our history and that simply because of color, it was harder for people to better themselves. All these people wanted to do was learn a trade so that they could make a life for themselves and hopefully start a family. The whites only made this more difficult for them which I think is ironic. In history we discussed how whites saw people of color as heathens uncapable of bettering themselves and society. But it seems that in fact, it was only the white men holding the men of color back. These blacks were motivated and striving for a better life, but laws like Jim Crow's laws and discrimintaion made this nearly impossible.
ReplyDelete"The Ethics of Living Jim Crow" is a startling read. At the same time, I was not very surprised with what I read. History has taught me that Jim Crow is a cruel tactic, I had just never read a thorough testimony of it. To know that people could be so cruel is something I am very ashamed of. Not because I am white myself, but because I am an American.
ReplyDeleteThis is a story of growing knowledge. Living in the late 19th to middle 20th centuries was a time of violence and hatred. African-Americans had to learn to cope with white feelings or be killed. Simply put, slavery was over, but the fear that whites held kept their brutal ways and distaste for blacks intact. This brief auto-biography starts with Richard Wright as a child describing his first hateful encounter with prejudice. As he became older he only encountered more severe moments of race cruelty.
One of the reasons that white people acted so harshly towards blacks is because of power, and the fear that blacks could challenge that power. This is primarily the reason why blacks weren't allowed to learn or gain more education than whites. This is also prevalent during the first school integrations. In this short reading, when Mr. Wright finds trouble with his co-workers by asking to learn new trades within the company, one replies with "Whut yuh tryin' t' do, nigger, git smart?" This is evidence of whites' fear. Another example is the quote Mr. Wright uses while talking about his desire to use the library. He says "It was assumed that after a Negro had imbibed what scanty schooling the state furnished he had no further need for books."
Another thing that sucked back then was the police system. My grandpa recently told me that in his hometown of Hamlet, NC, they had no real crime. The main reason police were around was to keep blacks in line and make sure they knew their place. I wasn't too surprised to read in the book about the several instances of police brutality. For example, when Mr. Wright was a boy delivering packages in a white part of town, why did the police pull him over? They were trying to implicate him on false charges, but they could find nothing incriminating upon him. Unfortunately, this trend continues even now; however in more formal and less illegal ways. In my U.S. History class this semester, my very credible teacher has lectured a great deal on African-American rights and such. He told us just the other day about how the justice system screws blacks over by having certain laws. For example, the penalties for having crack cocaine are higher than the snorting kind. This is controversial because it is the black community who is poor and crack is cheaper to make and use. The numbers do not lie.
I often wonder what things such as the economy and our state-hood would have been like if blacks were allowed more freedoms with regard to education. If they would have been allowed to work and learn, then would they have been as discouraged as they are today? It is because of whites that blacks are regarded as lazy and worthless. I believe they still carry a fear of whites that hurts this country's unity. I guess my response to this is just a place where I can relate things more than just feel a certain response. When I hear Jim Crow this is what I think of for the most part.
“The Ethics of Living Jim Crow” is a powerful story out of Uncle Tom’s Children. The story has a strong impact because it is a first person account of the way African Americans were treated in mainly the South, but in other areas as well. Racism is a horrific way to treat someone. Racism can affect all kinds of people mentally and physically. Richard Wright describes his experiences as a young man working for the first time. At his job a white man tells him, “This is a white man’s work around here, and you better watch yourself”. This not only was a physical treat, but this can also work you mentally. I cannot imagine growing up and trying my best at a task and having someone come up to me and tell me I am not good enough. But these are things the Wright and other African Americans had to deal with everyday. I also had the luxury of having a good education. I always had books at my disposal, and if I did not own a book I wanted to read, I was more than welcome to borrow one from the library. It is terrible that Wright wanted to improve his intellectual ability and read, but he was not allowed to get books from the library for himself. Wright was able to get books though because a white man wrote a note for him. Growing up as Americans, we are taught that we are entitled to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. African Americans during this time period we denied all of the unalienable rights.
ReplyDeleteRyan Stonaker
This story begins by the narrator saying, "My First Lesson is how to live as a Negro came when I was quite small". The sad part to me is, even today, I can picture a young African American writing statements like this, but only in some parts of the country where there is still obvious racial oppression. It angers me that we still live in a society with plenty of it, but this story very well reflects the reality and harshness of it at that particular time period. The part when the author talks about working in the hotel and being yelled at after he looks at a white woman is very tough the read. It is hard to believe that comments like, "Nigger, what in hell you looking at?" and "Keep your eyes where they belong, if you want to be healthy" were fine and legitimate remarks by whites at a time.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with Zach's comment in saying that he believes everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, as long as it is not detrimental or harmful to anyone. There are plenty of racists out there that do not cause detriment or harm to others, yet have opinions that keep our society from growing and progressing forward. I think people are not OKAY in having opinions that are narrow-minded or discriminatory, and should be constantly challenged by their peers.
Do you think that racism was more or less harsh than described in the story during this time period?
-Mark Menezes
The common theme of the stories in Uncle Tom's Children is the struggle to find personal dignity in an oppressive society, but the individual stories in the collection describe various levels of self-awareness and portray various reactions to oppression.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this book, I was totally shocked by all the stories in this book. I grew up in a mono-ethnic country, has been difficult to really understand the seriousness of racism. This book shows me a deep understanding of the seriousness of racism in American society at that time, and I feel lucky that I am living in a much better America.
The experience of prejudice at Wright’s first job, while working at an optical factory, his white fellow employees bully and eventually beat him for wanting to learn job skills that could allow him to advance. The right to live has been hurt. It is hard to imagine how to survive in such conditions. White man sleeps with one of the black maids in the hotel and then forces a black bellboy to marry her and claim her child. The whites joke about it when the child is born with light skin. There is no dignity at all for all the African Americans at that time. It is really hard for me to believe that this was indeed happening in America, a nation famous for freedom. Right now, when people read this book, they probably will feel how this was happening in the US, an immigrant nation with almost all kinds of ethics. What the author was trying to show by using those shocking stories? The history? just the truth? or complain?
Yinyin Shi
“The Ethics of Living Jim Crow” is a story that has three separate settings as Richard progresses through his childhood. First we see him when he lives on the side of railroad tracks where there is no green grass or trees and only black burnt cinders. Richard never realizes the social differences between whites and blacks and how drastically different they are from one another. Even after he is injured in a fight with the white kids and his mother scolds him he still does not fully understand why she is so angry with him. It is interesting to see how it takes someone being told that there is an injustice being done to them for them to realize that injustice exists. Then we see in the next setting where he has no contact with white people and they are but a faint thought in his head. This seems to be a time of peace and happiness for Richard which I think Wright wants us to look at because it is put between two social eye opening events for Richard. In the last setting Richard has to go to work and therefore he has to interact with the white people. He forgets to call one of his co-workers sir one time after months of work and he is beaten. Again he returns home and is called a fool by his own people and told not to exceed his boundaries if he wants to keep working.
ReplyDeleteDuring reading “The Ethics of Jim Crow”, it was very interesting that reading Black people’s accent. Also, it was very confusing to an international student to read and understand. However, that accent was very effective to deliver the emotion such as hardship of discrimination in the society to audience.
ReplyDeleteIn the story, the author described the environment and character’s feeling with a sentence. “Nothing green ever grew in that yard” As most of people know, green indicates life and hope. There was no hope; the only thing exist in the story was fear of Whites.
As I read the entire story, I felt so much anger and doubt about how the people can treat others in such inhumane. However, I know that what author wanted to ask was not about apology from the Whites. The author was asking people to admit what happened on Black people, how people treated, and how wrong it was.
Writing novels or stories from the experience is very effective and strong. Any other story cannot be more realistic than a person’s experience. I think the author’s approach of the truth is the most humane and impressive way to communicate with people in modern society.
However, if this story is written like the style of “The Collector”, then it would be more interesting. Because readers are living in the society which human dignity is more respected, they would not understand what the White people exactly think of Black people. We are not sure whether the White people in this story dislike main character vaguely or not.
-Ryan Yoon-
Like all that have posted before me, The Ethics of Living Jim Crow infuriated me. Page after page of ignorant hatred and injustice left me boiling inside. I knew that heinous events like the ones described in this story occurred back then, but it was something I tried not to think too much about or dwell on. After reading this I feel ashamed and guilty for not knowing or wanting to know the horrible things that happened in the Jim Crow days. And I know that is one reason Richard Wright wrote about this. There are too many people out there who think they know what all happened when they really have no idea. Even though this is a fiction story, I can’t help but believe that Wright strongly based the story on actual events that he witnessed. Everyone American should read this story to better understand the damage that Jim Crow caused.
ReplyDeleteIn the story, Richard is taught at a young age to keep his head down around white people. He learns that during this time, white people acted superior to black people and that any black person who tried to due something as little as stand up for himself could be beaten or worse.
To me the psychological damage that this caused the African American community is far more devastating that any physical harm. If you put down someone or a group of people long enough, then that’s where they are heading; down. Like the kid who got bullied in school, they start thinking less of themselves. This is not to say that the black community during Jim Crow ever gave up or lacked pride but when I read the part about the black and white kids fighting it made me think more in depth. See the parents of the black kids were worried that if their child hurt a white child then their little boy could be in mortal danger. Overall it almost always seemed like the threat of violence was everywhere in a black person’s life. That is no way to live.
Like some have already said, I am appalled that racism is still prevalent in today’s society. It may not be anything like in Wright’s story but it is still there. I dare some of these racist people to read this story and then think about who they really are. I would hope it makes them reflect and realize how destructive racism is.
Jeff Kibler
The excerpt in which Jen pointed out where the boys were fighting with bottles and cinderblocks makes you realize how awful people were to each other. Back then, people didn’t get in fights to prove who was the stronger person, they did it to kill. I really hate when he goes back to his mother to regale the story in the hopes that maybe his mother would give him some sympathy or perhaps express her fear for his life in this situation; but instead, she tells him how stupid he was to do that and how mad she was that he would even put himself in a situation like that. That makes me so mad that she treats him this way. I really hate racism and I think it’s awful that people can’t just get along and treat people the same. Who really cares what color your skin is? Does it really matter what a person looks like if they have a beautiful soul? I definitely don’t think so. I know everyone isn’t perfect, and I know that racism still exists today; to say that it doesn’t would be completely naïve. However, to be so (I hate to say it) comfortable with racism that you defend the racism more than you do yourself. If this story and mother’s reaction were to happen today, the mother would also be doing some damage herself. Unless you report things and tell other people what happened, how are people supposed to be punished and dealt with? The thing is they won’t. Unless you stand up for yourself and fight for what you believe in, things won’t change; in fact, they will probably get even worse.
ReplyDelete-Allie Nicosia
I chose to write about The Ethics of Living Jim Crow because it really hit me hard and opened my eyes. Learning about segregation throughout my educational career, I knew that the times were tough for African Americans but reading a first hand account of the trials and tribulations really opened my eyes. It showed that black people actually lived in fear of white people, not just that a lower quality of life was forced upon them. It makes me angry and sad to read about this because of how harsh people could be.
ReplyDeleteRichard Wrights’ first hand accounts of living through racism and segregation are really moving and it should change peoples’ lives. The fact that white people would not even let black people get educated just show that in many cases, the educated people were the ignorant ones. This story has really impacted my life and it makes me proud to live in a society that is integrated and more diverse. This story also makes me hate racism and racists with even more passion than I did before. It is a very moving story.
-Ryan Cormack