Black Women in Modern Science Fiction Media - Essay Example

Black Women in Modern Science Fiction Media Introduction Race and gender have been main hindrances to black women in the field of art for many years (Barr 6). Though many of them have shown remarkable talents in that field, their efforts to achieve recognition in the field of art have many times been frustrated. As much as many white artists never wanted to recognize the black fiction science, the fact remains that black women have come to prove the whole myth wrong due to their great works. It has been found out that black women writers of science fiction today have been categorized to be among the best as they focus on that which is inexistence like ghosts, supernatural or myths. Marleen Barr is one of the people who have written some of the greatest works of literature created by black women. She particularly acknowledges Octavia E. Butler and Toni Morrison by saying that they stand to be remembered as major contributors towards the emergence of black science fiction (Thomas 105). Halle Berry is one of the greatest black women-actresses in the world of cinematography. One of her works as an actress in the film titled X-men has been said to be the embodiment of what fits perfectly the way Frank Norris defines American novel (Thomas 105). This research was inspired by the quest of finding out more of the journey that the black women have tread in the field of art. This research will evaluate the role of gender and race and how the two have hindered artists in their various endeavors (Barr 7). It will start with the 1920s black-art movements followed by its evolution and, finally, look at black artists in the contemporary society. “People need to imagine how it is like having the entire society aligned against you,” these were the words said by one of the greatest black women fiction writers named Butler (Barr 255). Her attitude of having the outside perspective of the whole situation made her prosper in her work. Other black women science fiction writers at the time just sought to understand the situation from the victim’s side. While they complained about their rights and how their work is undermined, Butler took the opportunity to make the world understand why people behave the way they do. She advised her fellow black women that they cannot run away from repulsion because people’s strengths hinder them from accepting other people’s differences. Barr (8) suggests that if other black women could have had exactly the same attitude, they could have had an easy trend through the field of science fiction. A writer named A. Scott once said that a griffin and a horse monstrous hybrid called hippogriff have always been seen to symbolize fantastical impossibility (Little 65). These words said by a great writer were to signify the fact that both black writers and white writers have the same writing capabilities. The hippogriff in the statement represents the factual basis of science fiction written by people of both races. In fact, both science fiction of the blacks and the classical American novel are centered on fantasies or things that are impossible (Barr 8). For instance, Gloria Naylor’s novel called Mama Day is a good example of science fiction of the blacks though it is categorized as realistic literature. Scott’s statement simply meant that though people may be drawn from different races, they both can come up with a quite similar product. Various studies have indicated that for a long time black science fiction has been criticized and not been seen as a real science fiction as it is portrayed in the For Colored Girls movie. Moreover, it is difficult to understand how literary critics could actually celebrate Morrison, as well as other black fiction writers, without acknowledging the existence of science fiction of the blacks. It is widely known that for something to be qualified as a science fiction work it has to be built on pure fiction and this is what most black writers did. Despite this fact, the existence of black science fiction was not recognized (Barr 255). Currently, Afro-future writers, especially females, have joined their American counterparts in presenting written work that comprise belles-lettres, fantasy and science fiction. In America science fiction of the blacks was equated to the science fiction of the Japanese (Lavender 205). The two were considered to be the same and inferior to American novel though they exhibited similar characteristics. An instance is given when a writer named Sheree Thomas walked into a bookshop and asked for a black science fiction novel. The storekeeper replied by telling her that the anthology was not present but offered her an anthology of Japanese science fiction instead. Little (69) suggests that it was obvious for the storekeeper to think of the two, black and Japanese anthology, as being similar because the two complement one another. Looking at the two differently it should be noted that both have similar arguments in many ways. A writer named Karen Yamashita, who wrote about Brazilian Japanese fiction, brings out similar trends that were portrayed in America (Barr 264). In her book Circle K Cycles, she talks about the discrimination that the Brazilian Japanese face when they move to Japan. The only difference between the real Japanese and Brazilian Japanese is the place of birth, however; they have no biological differences. Karen finds it non-sensible for people to discriminate on their own people. Similarly, it is non-sensible for Americans to discriminate black science fiction which is their own in many terms (Little 70). This may be an indication that even their science fiction is not that good. Thomas (112) explains that the book called Beginnings has been used by some literary critics to describe the transitions of black women fiction science. The title Beginnings has been analyzed literary by placing this black period on a plain paper. It is like a black ink-dot placed on a midst of plain white papers and expected to diffuse. The process of diffusion is rather going to be slow or non-recognizable and this is exactly what was happening to black science fiction. However, this was just the case in those times as black women fiction writers of the twenty first century burst out creating a new wave in science fiction industry (Thomas 112). Many of the black writers during this time experienced a lot of criticisms as they tried to be recognized and appreciated for their works (Lavender 208). They felt like outcasts in a field dominated by whites who thought it is only the American white writers who can produce good science fiction. What demoralized black writers the most is the fact that they knew they had great potential but no one was ready to believe in them. For instance, Mr. Delany, who was a black fiction writer, when attended a meeting of Jewish liberal community of science fiction, felt to be misplaced as he was the only black in the meeting (Little 73). It was really hard for him to choose over what he was going to do, despite the fact that he was a man, thus, one could only imagine what it would have been like if he was a woman. Another metaphoric of the black ink is how this ink can be used to produce writing which further can be spread to different parts of the world (Barr 269). Similarly, by using this ink black science fiction writers were able to spread the beautiful world dwelled in their minds for all to read. Delany, in fact, says that you can only learn about the past, as well as the present, from the preserved writings. Unfortunately, during those hard times no one knew that there will be space for the expansion of the black fiction science. Optimism was the only way to go for black science fiction as black writers hoped for a better tomorrow. Barr (36) asserts that Delany was later joined by many black science fiction writers and today is no longer the only one in that field. Currently, black writers of science fiction are converged at one point as they struggle to expand the black science fiction industry. The presence of this industry in the field of art is now positioned as the most exiting direction of science fiction. Taking our minds back to the diffusion of the ink-spot one can only wonder how this almost invisible spot has made tremendous developments to its present position (Lavender 210). Maybe, it is because of its quality and the realism explored in it. According to Thomas (120), with the civil rights movements it can proudly be said that black science fiction has gained great popularity after the years of oblivion. The movements have tried to expel the myth that white science fiction is superior as compared to the black one. Both men and women black fiction writers’ works have been positioned among the best works of fiction worldwide. Methods of redefining science fiction to incorporate all people in spite of their race and gender are being put in place. This is called anthology’s umbrella which has been reflected in many black women’s fiction writing (Barr 50). Consequently, a new wave in science fiction is yet to be born which will be dominant by black women (Barr 270). Previously, the field of science fiction was dominated by the whites with only an exception of a few blacks, such as Butler and Delany. Anyway, how could one have imagined a black person to excel in science fiction, when all they were associated with ignorance and powerlessness? During this time even media figures of fireman, policeman and artists were represented by the whites. Fortunately, this trend is rapidly changing; today we can see black media figures. With the continued popularity, Barr hopes that black women fiction will dominate the field of science fiction. In conclusion, black women had harder times in the industry of science fiction as compared to their male counterparts. The movie For Colored Girls indicates that as much as black men had to overcome the challenge of race, black women had to go an extra mile to overcome the problem of gender. Though their works faced a lot of criticisms at first, they are currently categorized as major contributors to science fiction. All that is needed is to continue empowering of the upcoming black women in the fiction industry, as well as the expansion of the industry. The black women experience can help one understand that with continued struggle you get to achieve your goals sooner or later. This assignment was a good learning experience and every member of our group enjoyed it and contributed greatly. Works Cited Barr, Marleen S.. Afro-future Females: Black Writers Chart Science Fictions Newest New-Wave Trajectory. Columbus: Ohio State University Press: 2008, pp. 6-50. Print. Barr, Marleen. Future Females, the Next Generation: New Voices and Velocities in Science Fiction Criticism. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield: 2002, pp. 255-270. Print. Lavender, Isiah. Race in American Science Fiction. Bloomington, Ind: Indiana Univ. Press: 2010. pp. 205-210. Print. Little, Judith A. Feminist Philosophy and Science Fiction: Utopias and Dystopias. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books: 2006, pp. 65-82. Print. Thomas, Sheree R. Dark Matter: Reading the Bones. New York: Warner Books: 2004, pp. 105-120. Print. Youtube. For Colored Girls. 2010. Web. 29 May 2012. Read More