Racial Oppression in Sonnys Blues, Dream Deferred and Crash - Assignment Example

Critical Race in Literature Racial dichotomies have been drawn within every segment of society which have been depicted in art. Racism can be defined simply as the debasement of a group of people due to their physical skin color and/or national origin. While as a global society we have developed passed extreme scenarios of racism, episodes of racist behavior still manifest themselves in modern society. Specifically, The United States of America as a social system has developed from a colony that legally permitted slaves into an integrated social system with codified means of recourse against racism. During the course of our short history on earth, humans have sanctioned the death of millions of innocent individuals on account of innate psychological differences. Hitler is the most obvious, his construction of Nazi Germany and the Aryan race was grounded in the philosophical teachings of Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche. Nietzsche taught that if social progression is valuable, then society has to cut the weakest members out of society because the strong are forced to carry an undue workload. With the weakest members gone society will be able to progress to its fullest. Hence Hitler though that the Jewish community was a “Weak Race” that corrupted all the good in German culture. Such a corrupt narrative led to the death of millions of innocent lives. Arguments concerning Genetic inferiority still exist today, The Bell Curve by Richard Herrnstein and Charles Murray depicts American Blacks to be somewhat genetically predisposed to have lower average IQ’s but with little progression from the more extreme philosophy of Nietzsche, certain writers acknowledge some environmental causes for the low IQ average which tells us that nature isn’t everything, the environment matters as well. After discussing critical race theory, this paper analyzes the critical race factor of the short story “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin, the poem “Dream Deferred” by Harlem, and Crash by Paul Haggis. While “Sonny’s Blues” is indicative of differential punishment, Harlem explains the social implications of environment, which is further expounded upon in film “Crash” To summarize the main concepts or Critical race theory, there are three main characteristics. First, that racism is ordinary, not aberrational (“normal science”), the usual way society functions, the frequent, everyday experience of most people of color (Crenshaw et al.). Second, most would concur that our system of white-over-color ascendancy serves important purposes, both psychological and material. The first feature, ordinariness, means that racism is difficult to cure or redress. Color-blind, or “formal”, conceptions of equality, expressed in rules that insist only on treatment that is the same across the board can thus remedy only the most blatant forms of discrimination such as mortgage redlining or the refusal to hire a black Ph.D. rather than a white high school dropout (Crenshaw et al.). The second feature, sometimes called “interest convergence” or “material determinism”, adds a further dimension. Because racism advances the interests of both white elites and working-class people, large segments of society have little incentive to eradicate it. Consider Derrick Bell’s proposal that Brown v. Board of Education, considered a great triumph of civil rights litigation, may have resulted more from the self-interest of elite whites than a desire to help blacks (Crenshaw et al.). Lastly, the third theme of critical race theory, the “social construction” thesis, holds that race and races are products of social thought and relations. Not objective, inherent, or fixed, they correspond to no biological or genetic reality; rather, races are categories that society invents, manipulates, or retires when convenient. People with common origins share certain physical traits, of course, such as skin color, physique, and hair texture (Crenshaw et al.). But these constitute only an extremely small portion of their genetic endowment, are dwarfed by that which we have in common, and have little or nothing to do with distinctly human, higher-order traits, such as personality, intelligence, and moral behavior. That society frequently chooses to ignore these scientific facts, creates races, and endows them with pseudo-permanent characteristics is of great interest to critical race theory (Crenshaw et al.). Racial division is an artificial barrier created based on an illusion that the color of an individuals skin determines the quality of their character. This component of reality has divided social system both on the micro and macro levels. In the United States alone, racial politics have governed the country creating what is known as white privilege. This facet has led to a huge criticism of racial politics in scholarly literature resulting in an intellectual revolution attempting to deconstruct the mental barriers established by social norms in order to forge a future based on human oneness and an intimate relationship between each individual and the entirety of the human race. In “Sunny Blues” by James Baldwin, the impact of environment on cultures is even more apparent with the use of drugs and exposure to violence. Sonny grew up in a drug infested, impoverished, and violence driven neighborhood. Those environmental factors did not necessarily serve as the catalyst for his drug addiction, but they made it more probable. There is ample evidence that indicates that social arenas serve a critical role in the opportunities and situations that individuals have access to. “Constructing Race Creating White Privilege” traces the genealogical relationship that race plays in creating favorable social conditions for whites as opposed to other races (Buck). In fact, some white members of society felt as if they were racially superior to others. The creation of white privileges forced other races into subordinate social roles giving white males the most prominent and fruitful positions. In fact, post jim crow laws, a program known as affirmative action was instituted to prevent this de-facto segregation (Buck). This is because laws could prevent individuals from discriminating on the basis of race, but there was no means of proving guilt when comparable candidates were viable. Hence, affirmative action was instituted to provide incentives for commercial organizations to opt towards minorities (Buck). This principle actually has a strong intellectual following most notably John Rawls, former professor of political science at Harvard University. He creates a Theory of Justice, whereby he creates what is known as the difference principle where by social systems are best managed when as a default principle the disadvantaged members of society have advantaged the a priori advantaged individuals don’t have access to (Rawls). In the case of white privilege the difference principle would justify affirmative actions because their is a social preference towards white members of society (Buck). Additionally, the law enforcement plays a critical role in terms of profiling for races. Sonny’s brother explained the difference in treatment between the races. This becomes important in terms of the enforcement of the law. Prior to Sunny getting into music, he went to jail for his involvement in a heroin bust. In terms of racial oppression, more african americans find themselves involved in altercations with police officers. This was portrayed in the narrative of Sonny. Racial profiling is an everyday occurrence within society. The enforcement of the law tends to follow violence and crime where it is most focused and instead of focus on rehabilitating individuals in that area, our solution has been to create a class of individuals who are either likely to become criminals, druggies, gang members, and other roles that are usually unproductive members of society. It is necessary discuss the the ramifications of racial profiling on the projection of violence within society as well as the distribution of punishment in accordance with the varying degree of charging individuals for a crime. More over the institutional enforcement of policies such as affirmative action typically help support minorities but it is in fact the enforcement that is most important. This is because laws could prevent individuals from discriminating on the basis of race, but there was no means of proving guilt when comparable candidates were viable. Hence, affirmative action was instituted to provide incentives for commercial organizations to opt towards minorities. The distribution of liberty and legal sanctions should be equal and hold individuals to very distinct characteristics. Cops who profile believe that they are making accurate predictions of who fits the description for a criminal. Even if they are right, the fact remains that cops are more likely to search and hassle a specific suspect than alternate individuals. In response to this my favorite author, John Rawls describes the principle of equal liberty by explaining that "Each person is to be granted the greatest degree of liberty consistent with similar liberty for everyone... The liberty of individuals is restricted to that which is consistent with like liberty for all (Rawls). "This principle assures that groups are not excluded merely based on identity politics. Regardless of social and biological characteristics, individuals receive equal attention and respect under the law. "Practices that produce inequalities among individuals are allowable only if they work out to everyone’s advantage and the positions that come with greater reward are open to all." The difference principle is described as "practices that result in unequal distribution of social and economic benefits only if such practices benefit those who are least well off relative to the state of the least well off under other systems of practices. While the difference principle allows for inequalities in the distribution of social and economic benefits, it does not allow inequalities that benefit the well to do at the expense of those who are least well off. The difference principle also requires equality of opportunity (Rawls) " Rawls either concedes to the inevitability of social exclusion or recognizes the need to to deal with de facto forms of social exclusion. Regardless of the reasoning, Rawls includes the discussion of privilege and exclusion in his formulation of justice. The status quo governing system seemingly identifies with the Rawlsian solution to social inequality as evident in the welfare system and affirmative action programs. Additionally the implementation and enforcement of the difference principle is controlled by the state institution. The latent intent of this practice is that the state determines what constitutes an advantaged positioned, what the tolerable level of difference is, and what differences are worth keeping. Racial profiling can be identified as a reason the disparities in percentage of individuals incarcerated vary in terms of their race. The enforcement of law is largely controlled by those who enforce the law, their ideologies determine the manner in which it is applied. Despite the racial subjugation of Sonny, he overcomes all adversity through his relationship with music. The story ends by his brother realizing that through music, Sonny is more than just an addict, more than a deviant, he is a living being deserving of love. This becomes evident with his statement that “My trouble made his real.” In “Dream Deferred” by Harlem the primary question of the poem is not one of race. Rather it concerns the relationship between dreams and obstacles. This question does become relevant to critical race theorist when concerning institutional racism that prevents dreams from being realized. This becomes important when considering the fact that the laws in this country make it harder for african americans to realize their dreams. The poem starts by posing the question “What happens to a dream deferred?” As was stated in the previous paragraph about “Sonny’s Blues”, the communities surrounding african americans create scenarios that expose them to externalities that could make it more probable for them to be incarcerated or exposed to drugs and violence. The existence of differential punishment in the modern penal systems raises several moral issues to the surface for discussion. Each instance of inequality forces us to decide if our actions are moral or require rectification. In the case of differential treatment, we are forced to either justify the hierarchies that we continue to let stand or we must deconstruct the hierarchies in favor of a more egalitarian structure of society. After identifying scenarios where differential punishment exist in our society, it is crucial to discuss the demographic data that makes these discoveries evidence for the malicious intent of the penal structure. What exactly does differential punishment mean and what makes its existence morally repugnant? Differential punishment is the unequal distribution of punishment for equal crimes within any given system of law. It treat one specific category of individuals differently from others on the basis of social, cultural, or natural characteristics. These descriptive patterns create a system where individuals can either avoid harsh punishments or are compulsively forced to accept disproportionate penal consequences (Reinarman). The moral issue this raises is one of equality and justice. Equality is called into the question because the application of the law must be applied in an equal manner. We hold as a society the belief that interactions should be judged on the same evaluative scale across the board for every individual. Additionally, justice remains the originating moral obligation of the state, and with out justice, the state has no values to enforce of the people. Hence the intent of the social contract, and thus the state is the maintenance of equality and justice. The injustice of differential punishment exist in several different distinct areas of society. Specific populations are targeted by the law and hence indicate that some crime is more acceptable for elite members of society. A very obvert component of our society makes the white/blue collar dichotomy a very important issue to focus on. In fact, the specific example can be the application for crimes of theft for white collar and blue collar laborers. In terms of the blue collar worker, the criminal punishment for crimes of theft is normally more hash (Reinarman). Additionally the rhetoric surrounding the activity carries a negative connotation, as it is traditionally referred to as stealing while in the situation of white collar crimes, the crime is usually referred to with less invasive rhetoric including terms such as insider trading, laundering, etc. Additionally, the application of punishment for these crimes are more stringent. Individuals convicted of white collar crimes traditionally have not been punished except in rare circumstances. The demographics of the issue are astonishing as well in terms of the drug classification laws. Cocaine the originating drug is classified as a class B drug making the punishment a misdemeanor punishment for higher possession rates (Reinarman). The difference with crack cocaine which is classified as a class A drug is that it is a derivative from the parent drug cocaine. The punishment for these crimes are more stringent and carry harsher punishments. Specifically, in terms of the individuals located in the inner cities, they are most targeted by the class A law (Reinarman). The demographic description of individuals living there is that they are typically from the lower strata of the socio-economic structure and they are also typically of minority races/ethnicities. While cocaine is typically found in more suburban environments making the tonal description more inclusive caucasian members of society. The distribution of punishment in society makes the focus more intensive on the enforcement level to deconstruct the intentions of the punishment. In terms of the distribution, it makes it more important to detail what individuals are punished for what crimes. Based on the frequency of exposure, the data suggest that certain communities are more likely to succumb to certain drugs. Dreams are more likely to be deferred when those individuals are exposed to terrible situations. Finally, the film “Crash” by Paul Haggis is descriptive of the racial implications of the social environment we reside in. This becomes even more important when referring to the racial profiling that occurs within society. In the analysis of “Sonny’s Blues” we discussed the implications of racial profiling. The film crash provided narrative to this occurrence from the perspective of the officer. In a conversation with the officer, Kevin made the following statement, “Look around! You couldnt find a whiter, safer or better lit part of this city. But this white woman sees two black guys, who look like UCLA students, strolling down the sidewalk and her reaction is blind fear. I mean, look at us! Are we dressed like gang-bangers? Huh? No. Do we look threatening? No. Fact, if anybody should be scared around here, its us: Were the only two black faces surrounded by a sea of over-caffeinated white people, patrolled by the triggerhappy LAPD. So you tell me, why arent we scared?” Racism is most effective when allowed to invade the social institutions that protect society. The best way to deconstruct racist ideologies is to expose them to the narratives of the oppressed. Narratives form ideologies but ideologies perpetuate and form new narratives. The source of domination and oppression in any given society can be found in an existing narrative. Take slavery for example, anytime it is instituted, a narrative that claims that those who are enslaved have inherent value worth less than yourself or that they are deserving of this treatment is a prerequisite. But the solution can be achieved through exposing those with corrupt ideologies to the narrative of those who have been oppressed. Degaldo explains: “Counter stories can quicken and engage conscience. Their graphic quality can stir imagination in ways in which more conventional discourse cannot . . . . They invite the reader to suspend judgment, listen for their point or message, and then decide what measure of truth they contain. They are insinuative, not frontal; they offer a respite from the linear, coercive discourse that characterizes much legal writing (Delgado).” The schism between black or white has been a false dichotomy that our society has deconstructed through film and literature. Since humans are creatures that interact through narration, exposing those who tell coercive stories to justify oppression and domination to stories of hardship and the desperation for liberation may be the best solution to abusive social trends that continue to strip our globe of any hope for harmony. Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. exposed oppressors to a counter narrative and the consequence was that a shift in ideology began to take place. This narrative continues today in modern society. But with increasing dialogue concerning the need for more equal treatment, and the social change generated by President Obama, the claims of structural inequality are less effective. The stories that we analyzed in this paper serve just that purpose. Works Cited Buck, Pem David Constructing race, creating white privilege. In, Rothenberg, P.S. Race, class, and gender in the united states (6 th ed.) (pp. 31-37). Bob Jones v. The United States http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0461_0574_ZO.html Crenshaw, Gotanda, Peller, Thomas eds., (1995). Critical Race Theory: The Key Writings That Formed the Movement Delgado, Richard (2001) “Critical Race Theory”: An Introduction. New York Univ. Press. Macintyre, Alisdair (1984) After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory. Second Edition. Notre Dame, Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press. Omi & Winant, 1994, Racial Formation in the United States (2nd edition)Routledge, New York Rawls, John, (1972) Justice as Fairness: a Restatment", p. 114 Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belknap Press, 2001. Reinarman, Craig; Levine, Harry G. (1997). "Crack in Context: Americas Latest Demon Drug". In Reinarman, Craig; Levine, Harry G.. Crack in America: Demon Drugs and Social Justice. Berkeley, Ca.: University of California Press. William Kulius Wilson, More than Just Race,2009,Norton and Company, New York Wright, Richard. Black Voices: An Anthology of Afro-American Literature. Negro American Literature Forum. St. Louis Univ Publishing, 1970 (Wright) Read More