Blog Post #5 – I Am Not Your Negro

I am writing this blog in response to the film, I am not your Negro. The film directly addresses the history of racism and prejudice against African Americans in the United States. Throughout the history of the country, social categories have been socially constructed, with blacks always falling into an inferior category. It is hard for me to know where to begin as there was so much material in this film of the reality of race relations in this country. One main idea that was conveyed throughout the film was the ignorance of whites to the terrible racism in the country. It is portrayed as a blissful and intentional ignorance when the narrator says, “American blindness which allows us to pretend that life presents no reasons for being bitter.” The narrator directly addresses this idea near the end of the film when he states, “not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed without being faced.” It is important for everyone to be aware of the injustices and discrimination that burdens the black man and has burdened him (and her) for centuries. To be changed, it must first be understood and accepted. The race issues in America have been ongoing in this country since its birth, and are still felt today as shown in the film. Race impacts the daily lives of every black person. They must live as a minority under a history of oppression and discrimination. Some psychological burdens faced by stereotyped groups are that they must face the fear of confirming the stereotypes that others have about their group. They must also deal with attributional ambiguity to understand situations in which their minority status may or may not have played a role in a particular event or scenario. Racism and prejudice has affected many friends in my life and continues to affect them today. It it is challenging to sit and talk about how one can fix it. However, it must be the responsibility of individuals to hold themselves accountable to avoid stereotyping and avoid prejudiced thought and behavior. It is one’s responsibility to not stay ignorant to the reality of the African Americans in the country, the same African Americans who helped build and shape the country we live in today; the narrator points out that “The story of the Negro in America, is the story of America.” In conclusion, to prevent or eliminate prejudice, one must take it as a personal responsibility to act according to a high moral standard and resist and denounce racism and discrimination, as mentioned in the film, “you don’t need numbers, you need passion.” It will take personal responsibility and passion to end racism and prejudice.