For example, black people smelled, black skin was especially thick and insensitive, black people had poor taste aesthetically and literally, they were prone to noisy outbursts, and lacked discipline to control themselves. Strangely enough, these same stereotypes are linked to African- Americans today. They are not only characterized by these "attributes" but simultaneously demonized in attempt to justify racism. At that time, whites used these stereotypes as justification to why African Americans were treated the way they were, essentially it was for their own good.
Race isn't something that's sensed. It cannot be based on sight, touch, or smell over reason. It's infuriating to think that no matter how qualified African Americans are the racism they encounter is based off of trivial assumptions stemmed from senses. The way a person smells, feels, or their taste does not justify any unjust treatment of those people.
I think it is important to acknowledge that that the qualities that whites attributed to blacks such as their smell, tough skin, taste, and so forth were all fabricated in order to create this idea of race. What I understood from your post is that the reason why these sensory stereotypes exist is order to justify oppression and mistreatment of blacks. I agree with this but I also think these stereotypes were created in order to prove white dominance and superiority before it was used as an excuse as to why mistreatment occurred. I think that whites saw the differences visually between themselves and blacks and felt the extreme need to uphold their reputation as the supreme and ultimate “race.” I believe that whites didn’t feel that visual sensory differences were enough to differentiate themselves from those with darker complexions and this is what ultimately led to the other sensory stereotypes that as you mention still exist today. I do agree with you that they were absolutely used as justification for physical and emotion abuse as well as harsh living conditions and any other sort of mistreatment and torture that blacks endured. I do not believe that they saw it as justification, however, because these ideals of stereotypes were so intrinsically drilled into whites minds they actually believed it to be true, therefore it was not wrong and therefore It did not need justification.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Cassie, i totally understand your views towards the stereotypes based off "senses" which is very true, because white people "sensed" that the black man wearing a hoodie is automatically categorized as something harmful, robber, thief, murderer, just based off someones "senses" or their "clothes". Looking at it from your point of view, African american race, as i am Hawaiian, i would not want my race to this day, hold as many assumptions and stereotypes as the African american race does. Racism happens everyday, even if we do not speak upon it, we think it.
ReplyDeleteI love Cassie's post, it really calls out everything that is used when racist people are classifying African American people. Unfortunately these stereotypes are still prominent today, being from the south this is all too familiar for me. In my high school the races were divided and if a white girl was to date a black boy she was considered "ruined". I cannot tell you how many times I actually heard that come out of someone's mouth. It was so sad, as if her purity was ruined by "blackness". Part of my family is Jewish and when people at my school found out they classified me in the same group as terrorists. Or people would say "no wonder your nose is big, you're a Jew!!" This shows how many people are to this day still not educated and are quite ignorant when it comes to race and stereotypes.
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