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From SeeingBlack.com Family/Youth
Fear is an underlying force in politics—high school politics, that is. Without disclosing the name of my school—I venture only to say it is a prestigious Jesuit institution in New York City—.I will tell you that the Black student population is a rare and endangered species there. Yet despite our precarious existence, the few Blacks there belong to the Heritage Club, which is explicitly devoted to the needs, affairs, and concerns of people of color. The club is a place of social interaction for Black students. One of the more popular events that the club holds every year is an annual dance. This dance is by far the best and most sought out dance of the academic year. What makes this dance truly distinguishable from the others is the quality of music and consequently the quality of ladies. During the last school year, the club looked to outdo itself starting with the flier design, which was representative of the Heritage Club. It featured a clenched Black fist, emblematic of the Black Panther movement. The club began to post the fliers around the school to promote for the event. One morning, as I was passing by the Dean’s office, I was confronted about the flier and the historical implications of the fist. Basically, the administration was afraid that the fist might spark or incite controversy. I pleaded my case and explained that the fist stood for unity, solidarity, and strength. Still, the administration was uneasy about the presence of the fist. I wound up scrapping the fist altogether and replacing it with a meaningless graphic of a deejay. While, I appreciate the administration’s argument, I find it porous and inadequate, not to mention swamped in desperation that betrays their fear. The Black fist represents more positive and inspirational virtues than anything negative. I feel the school administration’s real problem with the fist is because it actually represents something positive and is an unabashed effort to unify our sparse Black population at the school. Unlike popular images in the media, the fist portrays some knowledge of self and the struggle Black people have endured and continue to endure. Current portrayals of Black men, whether they be in hip-hop videos, athletic arenas, movies, or commercials is a grotesque depiction of Black men perpetuating and fueling stereotypes. Urban teens need to know that a big, Black man fashioned in the latest gear, flashing jewelry and wearing knee-low jeans does not instill fear into any White person. Instead, he conjures pity and rejection and second-class citizenship. I believe this familiar image of us is why the fist was so offensive. It represents something of substance that challenges the status quo of Black people and thus injects fear within the minds of the administration. This flier fiasco, on a larger scale, is a microcosm for today’s society. Always a reliable example, hip-hop videos consistently and persistently display Blacks, both males and females, in compromising positions as agents of their own misfortune. This is a prime reason why hip-hop has become a corporate pet because it continues to show Black people doing anything and everything just to rake in a few dollars. In general, we have conditioned ourselves to the rewards and amenities of corporations like pets who covet their owner’s touch and affection. White people have come to accept and embrace this image of Black folk indulging and reveling, except that this party never ends. But it does end with images that challenge this status quo, images as simple, powerful and apparently fear-inducing as a Black fist. Rodney Dugue, who is entering his senior year of high school, lives in the borough of Queens, in New York City. © Copyright by SeeingBlack.com |
