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The Worlds of Ntozake ShangeAND DIGITAL STORYTELLING

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Black Sexism and Black Backlash Presentation

by Chelsea A. 0 Comments

I really enjoyed my presentation from last week primarily focusing on Black Macho and the Myth of the Black Superwoman by Michele Wallace. The themes that came up in this particular reading were issues that I’ve been researching and noticing for a while now. The thing that struck me the most was that the tension and the hostility between black men and women stems from 50 years ago during the civil rights movement.

The civil rights movement for many black people was supposed to be seen as solidarity between black men and black women trying to fight one cause, white supremacy. However, there were underlying issues such as the erasure of black womens’  importance in the movement. The main thing that I was especially fascinated about was black mens’ sudden preference for white women and their hate for black women. Due to the patriarchal norms of the 1950s, it seemed like the downplaying of black women’s role in the civil rights movement was also normalized into American society. The most interesting part was that many of the black men in the civil rights movement began dating white women that participated in the movement. Wallace made sure to delve deeper into the history of why black men began pursuing white women. Because black men were emasculated during slavery and reconstruction, they felt that it was an accomplishment or an achievement to have à white woman on their arm. This made him feel more like a man. I already knew the perfect video that would fit this situation, the Iyanla Fix My Life episode from three years ago that was supposed to help dispel the stereotype of the “angry black woman”. Iyanla Vanzant set the stage for a difficult conversation and the black men in the video let their hate for black women be known. I was not expecting that the same reasons that the black men used in the video from 2016 were the same reasons that black men used in 1979. It is honestly disappointing that 40 years later, we hear the same baseless excuses.

However, it makes sense why the same stereotypes are still being displayed today. Even though we have made some progress as a nation from the 60s and 70s, we still have a long way to go. Many of the same harsh realities of racism and discrimination still persist today in 2019. Although the excuses and stereotypes that that black men in the Iyanla video made were baseless and problematic, we still see a link between the men of the 60s versus the men of 2016. Black men are still being emasculated but in different ways than they were in the past. Therefore, they continue to push the same stereotypes of black women to still find a way to feel more masculine. As problematic as their statements are, it is important to see that we as a people are still facing the same harsh realities of racism and discrimination.

Thank you, Shange

by Dayna Beatty 1 Comment

I wanted to write a final, reflective blog post surround what I’ve found in the archives, how I’ve come to understand the importance of the archives we have access to and Shange’s contributions to Barnard’s library, and the importance of fair use and copy right laws when it comes to engaging with the materials we use.

I’ve realize through my visits to the archives the incredible courage and confidence it must have taken Shange to leave not just unpublished work or drafts of documents to us, but personal items, in particular personal journals, for public use at an institution. Her decision to do so not only demonstrates her own strength, but also her confidence in the Barnard College community. To trust such a large group of women with this invaluable and private information showcases how much Shange values our college and the education we receive through it. I can’t imagine sharing my personal information in the way that Shange has, and I wish I had the chance to tell her how truly appreciative I am that she has given Barnard this incredible gift. This donation seems to directly embody Shange’s spirit, her generosity, and the courage I hope to one day exude.

During our in-class activity on Thursday, Professor Hall asked us to reflect on what we wish people knew about Shange and what we learned through this course. My answer to both of these question lies within the archives. I wish more people knew about the archives, how accessible they are, and what they have to offer, because through this course, I learned all of this. Prior to taking this course, I had no idea that Barnard was in possession of the archives, that there was so much material in the archives, or that every student has open access to them. I wish more people were aware of them, because I’ve learned so much about Shange, and by extension myself, through self-reflection inspired by Shange, and by visiting and embracing the materials in the archives. I’ve shared this with my close friends, but in the coming semester I am going to make a much larger effort to encourage my peers and members of the various on-campus organizations I’m a part of to visit and use the archives—that’s what they are there for! We cannot truly appreciate the gift that Shange has given us if we aren’t taking advantage of it regularly.

 

Finally, I wanted to touch on the importance of fair use and copy right, and the need to understand them both. Personally, my concept of these ideas was very surface-level prior to the workshops we had with professionals who deal with these issues every day. The people that produce the works that we are using for this course, our scalar projects and for our educational betterment at large, worked hard to produce the materials they did. It is important to acknowledge and thank the original creators and those that inspire us. I’m grateful that this course gave me a better understanding of these concepts, because these are lessons that I will take with me beyond this class whenever I engage with and use materials that I have not personally created.

For the tech component, I wanted to include a list of Tweets that came out after Shange’s death, of people remembering her spirit and her work. However, there were so many, I would like to invite anyone reading this to check out this link from a website that celebrates and informs women of color, in addition to visiting twitter and filtering for tweets that use the #shange at the end of October.

Michelle Wallace, the Black Superwoman, and Storm

by gjs2130 1 Comment

http://prezi.com/4jn9gerobtdh/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

By: Gabrielle Smith

 

This weeks readings put Michelle Wallace’s Black Macho and the Myth of the Black Superwoman and Larry Neale’s The Black Arts Movement  in contact with each other. Some of the quotes I found the most interesting from Black Macho were:

“Ever since then it has really baffled me to hear black men say that black women have no time for feminism because being black comes first.” pg. 20

“But what he really wants was to be a man.” pg. 30

“Some black women are beginning to be honest with  themselves about seeing themselves as victims rather than superwomen.” pg. 174

One theme that Michelle Wallace and Larry Neal carried throughout both works relates to race relations. Detailing the impact that white/black women had on white/black men and vice versa. In showing Amiri Baraka’s The Dutchman in class I aimed to highlight the interaction between Clay and Lola. Brining into the conversation about black and white America that Neal reminds us exist. Thinking about race relations allows us to connect the dots as to why black women have acquired this identity for being the “superwomen.”

Storm_inline_

Speaking of black superwomen Storm is one of the most famous. This character was created by Marvel Comics in 1975. Storm first appeared in Giant-Size X-man #1. Storm has the ability to control the weather and she can fly. She eventually got married to her fellow superhero Black Panther. I can’t help but wonder if the Black Arts Movement has any influence of Storm’s characterization. O yeah, also, she was raised Harlem.

 

 

 

Black Arts Movement Notes

by Nicole 0 Comments

Black Arts Movement Notes 

 

Who are the main players of the black arts movement? 

  • Amiri Baraka (poet) is considered the father of the movement
  • Baraka was “highly visible publisher, a celebrated poet, a major music critic, and an Obie award winning playwright.”
  • Larry Neal was an African American theater scholar who worked with Baraka to open the Black Arts Repertory Theater School.

How did it begin, how long did it last? 

  • It lasted from 1965-1975
  • “emerged in the wake of the black power movement”
  • The movement born after the assassination of Malcolm X on 2/21/1965
  • people divided between Political Nationalism (Black Panther Movement) and Cultural Nationalism
  • Baraka’s symbolic move from the Lower East Side to Harlem in March of 1995.
  • Baraka founded the Black Arts Repertory Theatre/School (BARTS) that year.
  • Before Malcom X’s assassination Baraka lived successfully in an integrated community.
  • The black arts movement was inspired by the Umbra Workshop, which was a group of young black writers on the Lower East Side. Another group at the time was the Harlem Writers Guild which included Maya Angelou, but the fact “that Umbra was primarily poetry- and performance-oriented established a significant and classic characteristic of the movement’s aesthetics.”
  • When Baraka moved back to New Jersey BARTS fell apart but the ideals remained.

What are the main ideologies and goals of the group? 

  • Cultural Nationalism called for the creation of black poetry, literature, theater and visual arts that represented black culture and history. The “autonomy of black artists” was emphasized.
  • Larry Neal says it is the “aesthetic and spiritual sister of the Black Power concept.”
  • Some of the main concepts came from RAM (Revolutionary Action Movement) which was a national organization popular in New York. Larry Neal was a member of this group.
  • There also was an organization called US (as opposed to “them’) led by Maulana Karenga
  • Elijah Muhammad’s Chicago-based Nation of Islam.

Where was its locus and what other areas did it reach? 

  • BAM began in the New York area but spread to Detroit (Broadside Press and Naomi Long Madgett’s Lotus Press), Chicago (Negro Digest/Black World and Third World Press ) and San Francisco (Journal of Black Poetry, the Black Scholar).

What is the legacy of the Black Arts Movement? 

  • The Black arts movement is inventive in its use of language and communication (performance, music and actual speech).
  • “Black Arts aesthetics emphasized orality, which includes the ritual use of call and response both within the body of the work itself as well as between artist and audience.”
  • “I think what Black Arts did was inspire a whole lot of Black people to write. Moreover, there would be no multiculturalism movement without Black Arts. Latinos, Asian Americans, and others all say they began writing as a result of the example of the 1960s. Blacks gave the example that you don’t have to assimilate. You could do your own thing, get into your own background, your own history, your own tradition and your own culture. I think the challenge is for cultural sovereignty and Black Arts struck a blow for that,” (Ishmael Reed, 1995).