Hello readers, and welcome to my final blog post! In the final segment of Race, Marc Aronson wrote about many things, starting with the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s and moving to the modern-day. He wrote about ways that oppressed people gained their rights and touched upon the role that race plays in our society today. I found that, when compared to the rest of the book, the last section felt disjointed and harder to follow. While reading I thought that a strength of the book was the fluidity with which Aronson transitioned between points, but the last section did disappoint me. However, overall I did enjoy the book and it made me think a lot.
As Aronson explained the process of how race came to be, I tried to connect it to the role that race plays in our society today. The biggest continuity that I found is that the factors that led to race and finally the concept of race itself were all based on comparisons and assumptions. X is better than Y, even though our knowledge about Y is based on assumptions and stereotypes. The concept of race came from divisions and ignorance, and the best way for us to unite and overcome these divisions is through education.
“If those termed subhuman, inferior, showed courage, if they showed moral conviction, if they showed self-respect, the entire structure of race theory would be challenged (224),” Aronson writes. One of the best ways to gain self-respect and confidence is through education. One of the first big steps in breaking down the racial barriers in the US and India was because, inspired by Gandhi and Howard Thurman, many oppressed citizens realized that they were equal to their white oppressors. This was one of the key concepts of the Civil Rights movement.
However, the oppressors also need to learn equality. “Forty-eight million Americans watching television and examining their consciences were more powerful than any local violence (243).” With this statement, Aronson explains the power of television in spreading the news of the police attacking peaceful protesters in Selma in 1965. The education that the millions of white television viewers received was powerful -- it prompted President Lyndon B. Johnson to suggest the “very first tough effective bill in American history that guaranteed blacks the right to vote (243).”
Historically, we have made progress past divisions because of increased knowledge and education. In fact, one of the key steps in the development of ‘race’ came as the result of attempts to move past prejudice. During the Enlightenment, many people turned away from tradition and superstition and moved towards science. The ideas of the Enlightenment, such as equality for Jews, women, and homosexuals, were all grounded in science and education.
Though these Enlightenment ideas were a big step forward for many marginalized groups, they did lead to the concept of race because of the desire to categorize. This is where the modern-day idea of race as unchangeable and inherited came from. “You can become a Christian, but you cannot convert from defective to dominant (122),” Aronson writes. Though this historic attempt to move beyond prejudices led to new prejudices, modern technology and science have led us to the conclusion that there is no ‘dominant’ race, and help to keep us from shifting to another set of divisions.
Education is critical for many aspects of life, and eradicating racism is no exception. Teaching kids and adults equality as opposed to division is the best way to help our country and the world heal from the rifts of racism, and reading Race is one way to learn more. I would recommend this book to anybody who is hoping to learn more about how modern-day concepts of race and racism developed. Thank you so much for following along with me on this journey!
As Aronson explained the process of how race came to be, I tried to connect it to the role that race plays in our society today. The biggest continuity that I found is that the factors that led to race and finally the concept of race itself were all based on comparisons and assumptions. X is better than Y, even though our knowledge about Y is based on assumptions and stereotypes. The concept of race came from divisions and ignorance, and the best way for us to unite and overcome these divisions is through education.
“If those termed subhuman, inferior, showed courage, if they showed moral conviction, if they showed self-respect, the entire structure of race theory would be challenged (224),” Aronson writes. One of the best ways to gain self-respect and confidence is through education. One of the first big steps in breaking down the racial barriers in the US and India was because, inspired by Gandhi and Howard Thurman, many oppressed citizens realized that they were equal to their white oppressors. This was one of the key concepts of the Civil Rights movement.
However, the oppressors also need to learn equality. “Forty-eight million Americans watching television and examining their consciences were more powerful than any local violence (243).” With this statement, Aronson explains the power of television in spreading the news of the police attacking peaceful protesters in Selma in 1965. The education that the millions of white television viewers received was powerful -- it prompted President Lyndon B. Johnson to suggest the “very first tough effective bill in American history that guaranteed blacks the right to vote (243).”
Historically, we have made progress past divisions because of increased knowledge and education. In fact, one of the key steps in the development of ‘race’ came as the result of attempts to move past prejudice. During the Enlightenment, many people turned away from tradition and superstition and moved towards science. The ideas of the Enlightenment, such as equality for Jews, women, and homosexuals, were all grounded in science and education.
Though these Enlightenment ideas were a big step forward for many marginalized groups, they did lead to the concept of race because of the desire to categorize. This is where the modern-day idea of race as unchangeable and inherited came from. “You can become a Christian, but you cannot convert from defective to dominant (122),” Aronson writes. Though this historic attempt to move beyond prejudices led to new prejudices, modern technology and science have led us to the conclusion that there is no ‘dominant’ race, and help to keep us from shifting to another set of divisions.
Education is critical for many aspects of life, and eradicating racism is no exception. Teaching kids and adults equality as opposed to division is the best way to help our country and the world heal from the rifts of racism, and reading Race is one way to learn more. I would recommend this book to anybody who is hoping to learn more about how modern-day concepts of race and racism developed. Thank you so much for following along with me on this journey!
I definitely agree with you on that fact that I too was disappointed with the ending of the book. I had hoped for more of a conclusion, more of an argument, after he had just laid out so much information. I was challenged throughout the reading, however not challenged by the ending. What type of ending were you anticipating?
ReplyDeleteHi Sara! Similarly to you, I was hoping for more of an argument or a call to action. I wanted him to bring everything together and discuss possible methods to move past the divisions that we have created using race, or something along those lines. Instead, I thought it was a jumble of information that didn't mesh well with the rest of the book and really just interrupted the flow. Thank you for reading!
DeleteHi Francie,
ReplyDeleteI think that you're right about the importance of education. Without education, I feel that we have little hope of moving towards equality. Right now, misconceptions and stereotypes are guiding societal interactions, and feed into many of our greatest issues. How exactly do you think we should go about educating people on topics such as race?
Francie, it's interesting that you bring up the role of tv and media during the Civil Rights Era, as I think that that is very similar to the role of social media and cell phone cameras today. It's a lot easier to deny a reality when you don't see it. Do you think that social media is helping to educate people or is it hurting this issue?
ReplyDelete