5/10/2019 Racial Ridicule #1 Work - Google Docs

Hello everyone! My name is Nathalie Brand and I am here today to discuss

several racial issues. We are gathered here today on this glorious day at

this esteemed university; here to debate and ponder the portrayal of others

who are considered different from many of us in the media and in the

various forms of art/pop culture. I am speaking to all of you today, asking

you to think. Think about pop culture and to think about politics and the

world today. Think about what it would be like if you were in their shoes, the

shoes of those unlike you and those spoken many a times harshly about in

the media. Think, if the roles were reversed; how would you feel? You

would be angry or disappointed that today in the 21st century, the world is

still as it was hundreds of years ago. You would desire and crave a change

to be made, to be treated as equal. When it comes to different forms of art

and illustrating different races and ethnicities, some theatrical pieces and

shows done by specific groups of people can depict others in distinctive

lights. An example of this is said to be the minstrel shows performed by

predominantly the Irish as well as the Jews. They paint African-Americans

with a sort of negative connotation; they “asserted a racial hierarchy”, put

others below them and themselves on this sort of pedestal. “The minstrel

show reveals the persistent racist themes of American theater and fill as

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well as the role immigrant performers in denigrating African Americans.”

Although said shows have joked around with and about others than just

African Americans, these performers would depict African Americans in

ways that they would never show anyone else. The performers would dress

in ragged clothes, act with “blackface”, and use dialect and diction that

would seem to retract many positive opinions of these people. It was “filled

with malapropisms” and presented a sort of “incompetent” image. This has

become the art of racism. These shows allowed others to believe or

confirm their ideas and thoughts on others; confirm their racial and social

superiority. And although many of these performances and performers had

been inspired by what they have learned from African American cultures

and musics/dances, they continue to mock the race and make them

become sad or disappointed in society. In reviewing these racial injustices,

one can look more deeply into the political and social side of racism.

Racism is defined as the prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism that is

directed towards or against someone of a different race or ethnicity based

on the belief that one’s own race is superior to every other race. Although

many had made somewhat racist remarks towards African Americans,

many being seen within the pop culture world, other ethnicities can face

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issues of racism as well. As I have talked earlier about racism seen in the

theater and pop culture, many people who have made remarks about

others face their own issues politically and socially with racism. Looking at

this world in a political and social view, people face many struggles; yet

they are able to sort of ban together with similar ideas about society. “Irish

nationalists had some ideas in common with back nationalists and Zionists;

and each nationalist campaign in some ways looked outward to

connections to other nationalisms”. Everyone has something that is difficult

in their lives; but many face worse struggles than we do on a daily basis.

They struggle with racism, segregation, and discrimination. Most of us here

today have the inability to understand what this feels like, we’ve always had

a privilege here in the States that many do not have. These people have

had a painful past filled with problems and little prosperity. We need to

make a change. We need to take a stand. We need to relearn love and

empathy, we need to respect one another. The world should not have to be

like this; people being scared or made fun of because they look different

than us or because they believe differently from us. Race and ethnicity

should not be the defining factor of one’s value. One’s value should be

determined on how they decide to act and how they treat others. These

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people only want equality and respect, they are not asking for much from

us. Why can’t we accept them and show them the respect they deserve?

Why is this so hard? Why can’t so many people in the world fathom

respecting others who are different? Why? We need to be the generation to

make a change. Thank you for you time.

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