We will discuss Carol Anderson’s White Rage at our meeting on Wednesday, March 13th at 4:00p.m. in the GAHS library. Please post questions, comments, concerns, criticism, and the like on this blog prior to, during, or after our meeting (before March 29th if you want extra credit). All questions and responses should indicate an active reading of the text and function to move the conversation forward. (Note: surface-level or obvious questions and responses will not count as participation.)
Those of you unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts may participate in the discussion below by posting a discussion question and offering a detailed response, or by responding to two questions already posted. The note above applies here as well, so heed it!
White Rage shows a common theme of the saying “you take one step forward and two steps back” in our history. For example, the ending of slavery was followed by Jim Crow laws; Obama’s presidency led to Trump’s. However, this is the effect of White Rage; it is the reaction to African Americans putting up a fight. As much much progress as people think we have made, there is still so much work to go but how different was white rage in the Civil Rights era from now? Well, I think it would be a shame to give no credit to the progress that the country has made because I do not believe that 50 years ago an African American would be running for president, let alone get a nomination. The election of Barack Obama signified a shift and success to the Civil Rights movement; it is a great testament to the progress that America has made, but it also shows how much more needs to be done. For example, the Obamas were got protective services and security guards earlier than any presidential nominee has had to due to all the white rage and threats that they received. Their family was truly in great danger and still is to this day, why? because they have a different skin color than the people that founded this country. Their constant threats showed the deep racism that this country still has. Following this though, Donald Trump’s election truly brought out the prevalent racism in this country and was a direct result of having a President of minority in office. Just like demonstrated in the book, one step forward two steps back. President Obama was a great step forward for this country, but Trump will be a great step back as well. However, the fight will continue with the upcoming election.
I think the only way to advance is to choose people in office that demonstrate a desire for diversity, not a fear from it. We need role models in office and intellectual people. A kid cannot be respectful if their guardians aren’t respectful people. The only way to advance is to be friends with, hire, support people that do not look like you. We are attracted to people that look like us, so the only way to promote diversity is to push ourselves to meet and interact people that are different than us—the little things make a big difference. But we also need to acknowledge the good things, like seeing people take action like never before (especially) young people because when there is a villain, there is often a superhero right around the corner. Like Anderson said, “this is the moment now when all of us…must step out of the shadow of white rage, deny its power, understand its unseemly goals, and refuse to be seduced by its buzzwords, dog whistles, and sophistry. This is when we choose a different future.”
The book White Rage focuses on the struggles African Americans face in the fight for equality. Carol Anderson depicts these struggles by sharing impactful events throughout time, like the Reconstruction period and abolition of slavery, the Great Migration, desegregation, the Civil Rights Movement, and most recently, the election of President Obama. There were many key elements that contributed to the setbacks of these events, such as the Jim Crow Laws.
The 13th Amendment states “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex or race.” The amendment was passed on January 31, 1865 and Jim Crow Laws, laws that enforce racial segregation, were passed at the end of Reconstruction in 1877. This was a major setback for African Americans in gaining equality and created a lot of controversy. It seems that some advancements were made, but then destroyed by the Jim Crow Laws. [WHY???}
The Great Migration, desegregation, and the Civil Rights movement all seemed like positive improvements, but also experienced setbacks. Most importantly, the book talks about the election of Barak Obama, our first African American President. Let that sink in – we’ve been electing Presidents since 1789, and our first African American president wasn’t elected until 2008 – have we really progressed as much as everyone may think? Obama received a great deal of hate when he entered the White House. There were protests and many racist stereotypes. In my opinion, this is extremely close-minded of our society and demonstrates just how behind we really are when it comes to equality.
I would compare this book to the documentary “the 13th” where the concepts are in line and both depict the hardships of African American equality. The most impactful part of the movie was Donald Trump explaining how America has grown and our efforts towards equality have made such an impact, but then showed videos of policemen mistreating African American citizens, riots, and other outbreaks that continue today. Anderson conveys that our society still places a harsh stereotype on misfortunate African Americans, even today, which is holding them back from seeking justice and preventing our society from advancing culturally. She depicts that this harsh mistreatment is still taking place, and our society still has trouble accepting people of all colors, cultures, religions, and sexes. With this thinking, how can advance?