Dashawn Britt
Reading communities
At first, I wasn’t sure how to attack this assignment for two reasons. The main reason, I was not sure how I related to anything in the eighteenth century. I recently looked at the eighteenth century in depth through this course, so I am not well versed in this period of time. The other reason is because at first, I didn’t find the eighteenth century interesting. But I must admit, I am wrong. The eighteenth century is interesting, and I found two ways I can relate to this century.
Living in NYC allowed me to look at this assignment in two ways. The first way I would like to connect this course to the communities I identify with is the way white people view African Americans or people of color. Often, I hear white people and even people of a light skin tone say things like “Your handsome for a black guy” or “She’s a cute black girl.” These comments can make anyone feel uncomfortable because its like dark people aren’t a delight to look at unless they look a certain way. They may also say things that insinuate that the texture of one’s hair or facial features which may be similar to those of European descent. In Oroonoko a text written by Aphra Behn there were times Oroonoko was compared to someone that was white. Though Oroonoko was an African Prince from Surinam they often described his looks to be immaculate, so immaculate that they were surprised he was African. “His nose was rising and Roman, instead of African and flat. His mouth the finest shaped that could be seen; far from those great turned lips which are so natural to the rest of the negroes.” I went to plenty of schools where I heard comments about skin completion or bodily features compared to other races just to explain how beautiful or ugly someone was. If you look on social media, we see examples of this every day. Today we still have the race comparisons whether people say someone is acting black or speaking white, these events occurred even in the eighteenth century. I guess its true history does repeats itself.
Another way I am able to connect with the eighteenth century is through the whole slavery topic. We were given “freedom”, but we are not free. Normally a name proceeds someone but in the real world our race proceeds us at times. When the stop and frisk law was implemented in NYC, it was terrible for people of color. I was the victim of stop and frisk a few times. It was because I either fit the description or if I’m not hiding anything, I shouldn’t have an issue with the officers searching me. The problem was, I did have an issue. My rights were being violated because I was a male of color and I came from a rough area in the Bronx. People are still racist, and there are people in the world that may still identify with old school prejudice ideologies. Oroonoko was tricked into slavery and had to fight for his freedom. At times it’s as if we have to apply ourselves extra hard compared to our counter parts because the odds are stacked against African Americans in America. Oroonoko fought for what was right and he did everything in his power to be free and free those that didn’t deserve to be enslaved. I looked at his antics as heroic. Oroonoko is fictional but he was a pioneer. One of the pioneers I look up to is Malcolm X. I try to live righteous and live the way Malcolm X lived after he changed his life around. In society if you live like Malcolm X, they see you as violent and aggressive, people don’t see you as a person trying to do what’s right and fighting for the equality of your people.
To conclude my Reading community’s assignment, I would like to say these comparisons aren’t direct, but they are aligned in a way. Things that happened in the eighteenth-century show similarities to the way we get treated in current times. Honestly a lot has changed but there is still a lot that needs to change because progression is key, and society isn’t always progressive.
