Anti-black Racism: The Nature of an Unnatural Phenomenon
The arguments regarding race in America are quite varied. What one person considers an important characteristic differs greatly from others viewpoints. This is the case with well-known authors David Brion Davis and Audrey Smedly. When examining the roots of antiblack racism Davis weighs carefully the definintions of bondage and degrees of slavery. While Smedly also discusses the different types of bondage there are some cases where she feels racialization, not racism takes place, as in the case of the African American experience in the deep south. The most important thing to note about the differences in these authors viewpoints revolves around terminology. The nature of racism is not changed by separating the forms of racialization or slavery.
Davis does much to define, historically as well as personally, the terms of slavery in his Inhuman Bondage article. He quotes Aristotle's claim that a free person is under no constraints to another man and lays clear, the understandings according to race authority Orlando Patterson, the conditions required to be considered a slave. Davis adds to Patterson's description of generalized dishonor, the non-familial master/slave relationship, that chattel property is an integral component. The ability to buy and sell a person without their consent or to order their death on whim is the basic problem of slavery for Davis. The mechanism of human to non human transition for the slave is one that has been chipped away by science, political gain and racism.
Smedly doesn't seem to look at the mechanisms of dehumanizing racism as being wholly racist in some cases. She argues the African American experience in America was more about religious punishment of a people than the color of the people. Enter the biblical "curse of Ham". Smedly felt the belief that blacks were cursed by God was the source of antiblack racism. The "sin" was punished by enslavement, as the tale is told, and for Smedly, not an issue of pure racism. Ineeded her belief that the cultural segregation of the Conversos (Christian Jewish converts) was not about race but a social and cultural need for classification.
The definitions of Davis and classification of Smedly serve one unifying theme: racism is a topic with widespread meanings and justifications. The article by Davis is a more powerful work as it looks at degrees of bondage. Smedly's book, Race in North America, is reduced by marginalizing the experience of the African Americans and Conversos in her academic pursuit to discuss the differences between racism and racialization.
Davis thoroughly dissects the antiblack rhetoric, discussing the flimsy "curse of Ham". He points out the relationship of Ham, Japeth, Shem, and their offspring. Kush is thought to be the predecessor of the black race and is uncursed yet this is the supposed justification of the curse of slavery that blacks bear. (pg 69 cloumn 2 line 4[personal reference]) Davis also points out that when the holes in the "curse of Ham" theory are too large to ignore it's supporters change tactics to locate biblical evidence of a black curse, the mark of Cain become that of black skin. The point being if there is/was no biblical reason for slavery those in favor of the institution would create one.
Davis also looks at the negative association of blackness or darkness. The biblical Genesis "let there be light' indicates that withough light things are bad. This is a most persuasive argument to explain the negativity associated with dark skiined people. It is very interesting that antiblack sentiment seeks its origins in religious doctrine. Acctually, as in the case of the Conversos, racism seems to find its origins in racism as well.
Segregation, cliquish behavior, even racial preservation by curbing interracial marriage can, to some extent be seen as a human need to validate oneself. the need to degrade and humiliate in the name of Go, culture, or political philosophy can only be categorized as unnatural. Even though the many allowed these atrocities, they were committed by the few. Davis' article looks at the origins and addresses the horrors of these atrocities with fair consideration.
Davis does much to define, historically as well as personally, the terms of slavery in his Inhuman Bondage article. He quotes Aristotle's claim that a free person is under no constraints to another man and lays clear, the understandings according to race authority Orlando Patterson, the conditions required to be considered a slave. Davis adds to Patterson's description of generalized dishonor, the non-familial master/slave relationship, that chattel property is an integral component. The ability to buy and sell a person without their consent or to order their death on whim is the basic problem of slavery for Davis. The mechanism of human to non human transition for the slave is one that has been chipped away by science, political gain and racism.
Smedly doesn't seem to look at the mechanisms of dehumanizing racism as being wholly racist in some cases. She argues the African American experience in America was more about religious punishment of a people than the color of the people. Enter the biblical "curse of Ham". Smedly felt the belief that blacks were cursed by God was the source of antiblack racism. The "sin" was punished by enslavement, as the tale is told, and for Smedly, not an issue of pure racism. Ineeded her belief that the cultural segregation of the Conversos (Christian Jewish converts) was not about race but a social and cultural need for classification.
The definitions of Davis and classification of Smedly serve one unifying theme: racism is a topic with widespread meanings and justifications. The article by Davis is a more powerful work as it looks at degrees of bondage. Smedly's book, Race in North America, is reduced by marginalizing the experience of the African Americans and Conversos in her academic pursuit to discuss the differences between racism and racialization.
Davis thoroughly dissects the antiblack rhetoric, discussing the flimsy "curse of Ham". He points out the relationship of Ham, Japeth, Shem, and their offspring. Kush is thought to be the predecessor of the black race and is uncursed yet this is the supposed justification of the curse of slavery that blacks bear. (pg 69 cloumn 2 line 4[personal reference]) Davis also points out that when the holes in the "curse of Ham" theory are too large to ignore it's supporters change tactics to locate biblical evidence of a black curse, the mark of Cain become that of black skin. The point being if there is/was no biblical reason for slavery those in favor of the institution would create one.
Davis also looks at the negative association of blackness or darkness. The biblical Genesis "let there be light' indicates that withough light things are bad. This is a most persuasive argument to explain the negativity associated with dark skiined people. It is very interesting that antiblack sentiment seeks its origins in religious doctrine. Acctually, as in the case of the Conversos, racism seems to find its origins in racism as well.
Segregation, cliquish behavior, even racial preservation by curbing interracial marriage can, to some extent be seen as a human need to validate oneself. the need to degrade and humiliate in the name of Go, culture, or political philosophy can only be categorized as unnatural. Even though the many allowed these atrocities, they were committed by the few. Davis' article looks at the origins and addresses the horrors of these atrocities with fair consideration.
posted by Krys @ 3:10 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home