Black And White: The Power Of One And The Fragility Of Other And How It Reflects Black History
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Written by Cassell Ferere
This opinionated editorial was originally written in 2013 and updated in 2020. [Originally published June 1, 2020.]
The colors black and white have been revolutionary partners in shaping the world we live in today. We generalize people as black or white; or somewhere in between for social and class purposes, beyond the thought of biology. The contrast between the two set the tone for each day we live; from the time we wake until it is time to go back to sleep. Closing your eyes creates a darkness that is sometimes feared by the smallest children and a place of solace for those who are cognitive of their metaphysical being.
When it's time to make things clear, we tend to say something like, "Give it to me in black and white." Contrast is something strikingly different in detail. While we act on instinct to the sight of black, or white, we hinder our realities to what is perceived as good for you and the opposite of that notion.
Black Power has been an uplifting premise for black people in America, but has been combated by the falsehood of white supremacy, or rather, the reality of white fragility. A fragility that is evident in the weaponizing of police against black people when the truth is exposed to a non-black person's insecurities. Insecurities that can be seen in many facets of living, more noticeable as a black person and denied by white counterparts.
As a single human race, we are forced by a learned oppressive behavior to recognize each other to the degree of the melanin pigment in our skin. It has divided us throughout generations and has infected all of us regardless of our being. To think one is better because of the lack of melanin, rather, it is a deficiency within and a recessive gene among humans to lack melanin. Our children have proven that time and time again.
Black Skin Around The World
We read and write in that same contrast making letters on paper more legible, like this essay. Black and white have separated the people of countries like South Africa and The United States, not to mention the world. Before color television, we adored the black and white era – the shades of grey on our screens. Black and white are simple attributes but have been undermined as what has caused our revolutions in history, and affected many areas of our everyday life.
Ethnicity and the differences among us, have been separators of our varying cultures but have been oppressive manufacturers for those who bare darker skin worldwide. By the color of our skin, we somewhat are still going through a segregated period and are in constant re-construction. But the reasoning behind this was as simple as one ethnicity represented good and the same people that considered their skin color ‘white’ and good, were the same people to deem black, or darker-skinned people to be of some sort of evil and not considered equal. Considered inadequate, historically relating those of black skin to non-human mammals, and treated as such throughout the history of the slave trade from Africa to the Americas.
If we address apartheid or segregation – we'll leave out slavery – we notice that whites imposed those inhumane and oppressive conditions on black people or darker-skinned people throughout history. That wasn't good, or God-like, is that God created all people in his likeness and constitutionally, all peoples are created equally. More of a contradiction, the darkness within the thoughts of those who believe this often makes excuses as to why these evil acts and structural oppression are just.
To speak of the first people who walked the earth, Africans living in what was first known as Ethiopia, they’re was as outward migration that allowed for the varying of other human beings. And today the continent of Africa, which is the indigenous home to most of the black people and darker-skinned people around the world, suffers the most from the extraction of its resource since a millennium ago and the constant corruption instilled by colonizers throughout that time. A corruption that still lingers from the disenfranchisement.
Arts And Science Of Black
Photo by Cassell Ferere
When it comes to black and white, we normally think of the colors. Black is dark and hollow, as opposed to white which is bright and inspirational. With a black piece of paper, it is almost impossible to create a visible piece of artistry, whether writing or work of art. Unless the artist intends to capture you in the black frame. A white piece of paper, on the other hand, is vivid and provides more contrast for colors to radiate, including the color black - black is highlighted, more visible than other colors, usually. Without question, we gravitate to the white piece of paper as our canvas because it seems the most obvious and practical for the sake of communication.
In science, light is normally considered white. But with the inclusion of a prism, the separation of the original colors can be seen, therefore the makeup of white light is all the colors combined, focused in unity. Black is the considerable absence of light. And nothing can escape a black hole according to science.
When the sun goes down the moon comes out. It is visible in the reflection of the sun's powerful rays. The moon is associated with the black of the night. As the night sky can lower visibility to pitch-black levels it raises the fears of those who trek out into it. Even the moon has a dark side, opposite the sun's rays but can be the only thing which lights up the night along with the stars who shine brightest in the obsidian of the universe.
Popular Culture And Religion Of Black
The color black has been demonized. In many cultures or religions, such as the Mormon religion, you can find the reasoning for why dark skin exists on other humans in convoluted stories that claim God has bestowed this on to us for our disinterest in their Mormon practice. Like this idea, a lot of things are “kept in the dark" when the notion is flagrant. With terms like the "dark side," "blacking-out," "black-listed," “blackmailed” or like a popular documentary, "Blackfish," which orcas or ‘killer whales’, who happen to be mammals that are mostly black with white underbellies, resort to there natural killer instincts due to their frustrations in captivity. A common response associated with institutionalization.
We know the color white as holy, like that of a halo. Like a white dress worn by a woman on her wedding day, she is perceived as a holy and supposes to represent her virginity and purity in the process of courtship by the man. The color white is clean in our comparison to the color black, and no regard to the groom who usually wears a black tuxedo.
Black is the color of the ‘Goth’ culture, normally associated with devil worshiping. And God is depicted as a white man, with a white beard, white hair, and wearing a white robe according to some of the instilled notions of religion by white slave masters.
If we refer to the Gothic period or the Dark Ages, "Goth” essentially means to let in the light where it is dark, and illuminate elaborate tracery depicting holy scenes within the walls of sacred architectural structures. The churches of this era had multiple window openings around its facade to brighten up the dim and dark, candlelit churches during daylight hours. This was a sign of good, a sign of God, not a sign of evil. Now the idea has shifted but the churches often have a “dark side” among priests and a life that is “kept in the dark.”
A cat burglar uses a nightshade to commit the crime of theft. A priest occupies the dim halls of Gothic period churches uses his holy stature to commit the crime of pedophilia. Both criminals, although involved in two different criminal activities, wear black. Unless the priest is wearing his traditional white robe, which deems him the holiest, what is the difference? A white-collar, maybe, depending on your occupation. Is it that we make exceptions to the color black when necessary?
The Reaction To Black
On February 26h, 2012, Mr. Zimmerman saw a young black male, Trayvon Martin, at night, wearing a hoodie that normally shades the face, making his way through the gated community where his father resided. It was raining that night. Zimmerman’s action showed the contrast between black and white views in America. Had it been a young white male in a hoodie, things may have been different. In this case, is it just the fashion that caused Zimmerman to react in such a way, against the orders of the 911 operator to stay put?
With fashion, It's considered a faux pas to wear white after Labor Day. It is a long-standing tradition of American culture to decipher old money from new money during the post-civil war era. Again, this was a way to separate those deemed lesser through class and society. And wearing all black, like when you’re a Goth culture enthusiast, usually means to mourn, even outside of a funeral. All black worn daily can make a person seem heavy in personality and often unapproachable. But for fashion houses like Rick Owens in particular, this is the motif and mantra to live by. The reason they have a business supported by customers and patrons alike. I can’t imagine this would make them presumably bad people. Although this particular person portrays the typical ‘Goth’ look.
The day "white" America voted for their first Black President, Barack Obama in 2008, to live in the White House built by black slaves, is the same day we realized how much the colors black and white still hold the same revolutionary effects. Why we see things of this matter so starkly, is why we have adapted this to our conscious mind's awareness of itself. That was in 2008 and 2012 Obama was voted to remain a resident of the White House for another 4 years. In 2016, white America reacted in retaliation to the ‘blackening’ of the United States. Electoral colleges favored more racist rhetoric and oppressive tone to those of darker skin. Ultimately selected in our 45th president, we got a def-tone, insensitive leader who seemingly sees white people as the greater part of the country and disregards indigenous, black, and darker-skinned people. For example, he wants to build a wall to keep out Mexican people who are indigenous to the Americas.
Being black or white shouldn't be the consensus. And seeing in color is a benefit of sight. But separating people who aren't the same ‘shade of grey’ is of benefit to no one. But being black in America happens to be devalued by society and the institutions that serve the country. From the public school and collegiate systems to healthcare, judicial, and corporate institutions, and at one point sports and entertainment industries, all have denounced and denied access to black people, openly at one point or another, primarily as a structural norm.
For years, and even til this day, those disparities are vigorously protested. We have seen the treatment of black skin in America the court system. Black people are incarcerated at a rate 5 times more than their white counterparts. Twice that for black women. And with a makeup of 32% of the US population, black and Hispanic people make up over 50% of the incarcerated.
Law enforcement has taken the lives of innocent and unarmed black people at a rate of 24% of the people killed by police despite only being 13% of the population. Fear of the black body has infected police departments around the country and the daily treatment of black people by police enforcement reflects a certain disdain for our existence.
The Unity of Black
The bible, which has been an oppressive tool in the degradation of ethnicities and forceful application Christianity around the world, claims God created all humans [the human race] as a reflection of [him], differentiating us by genders for reproductive purposes. But, creating humans in such variety, in the "reflection of him," I'm sure wasn't to separate us and create hierarchies as human beings based on our skin tones. We all reproduce the same and can do the same things and learn anything from each other regardless of skin color. Maybe God wants us to one day live in a world where everyone is a reflection of his or her self, at least in character.
The colors black and white are revolutionary and the unity between them has the potential to be harmonious. Without these colors shaping the views of people today would our evolution have been different? You can close your eyes and tell yourself what you see. With black and white here to make things clear as contrast, it’s ironic that the notion of those colors has created blurred lines of living that remain existent to this day.
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