Examples of Racism in American Literature

Thomas Alva Edison once said that "our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time."

Racism is all around us, whether we like to see it or not. Racism is not a new problem either. One of the most virulent and lasting instances of racism is the racism of Caucasians toward blacks. The books Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, Invisible ManThe Destruction of Black Civilization by Ralph Ellison, and by Chancellor Williams all discuss the severity of the problem. In Africa and the United States, racism is a problem that must eventually be dealt with and no longer swept under the rug. Fortunately, the situation is not hopeless. While all of these books discuss the depth of the problem, they also discuss the opportunities people have to fix the problem in the future. Thus, although racism toward black people has always been prevalent across the globe, there are solutions for ending racism.

One area of the world in which white racism toward blacks has been prevalent is the United States. The United States is heralded as one of the greatest outposts of freedom and liberty in the entire world. However, for much of American history true progress for blacks in the area of civil rights has been transparent and hollow at best. The view of many whites in America toward civil rights is summed up in Invisible Man by a simple salutation: "To Whom It May Concern: Keep this Nigger-Boy Running" (Ellison 33). This idea is reflective of the bleak situation African Americans face in America. The idea behind this message is that blacks must continue to be strung along and constantly assured that their rights will be protected, while in reality ensuring that true progress will not be achieved. This sentiment was echoed for centuries in American jurisprudence. The Declaration of Independence bluntly stated that all men are created equal, yet blacks were treated as property. The 13^th, 14^th, and 15^th Amendments were supposed to ensure that blacks made a successful and complete transition from slavery to equal citizenship. However, it was only through the hard work of the civil rights movement over a century later that any of these promises of equal citizenship and voting rights actually took effect in reality. Additionally, the dire straits blacks faced in America are echoed in Kingsolver's novel, which discusses how "back in Georgia Jimmy Crow makes blacks separate because he believes it's the best policy" (Kingsolver 35). This statement by a naive little girl reflects the views held toward blacks in the southern region of the United States. Once again the promises of freedom, liberty, and equality ring hollow in the ears of blacks in the United States. Finally, the racism which persisted in the United States becomes apparent when Ellison describes how "the white folk tell everybody what to think" (Ellison 143). This declaration reveals how white dominance in America was so utterly complete that whites told blacks how to live, act, and even think.

Additionally, the white racism toward blacks has been occurring in Africa for centuries. Whites were most successful in spreading their racism among their own offspring. "The whites practiced widespread sexual trafficking in African slaves which produced Mulatto babies who, due to the resentment instilled by their fathers, grew up to resent the race of their mothers" (Williams 50). This quote is significant because it reveals one of the main methods through which whites were able to spread their prejudice among people who shared an African lineage. The racist lens through which whites viewed Africa continued even into the 1900s. It did not take long for Africans to realize that "the smiling bald man with the grandfather face has another face" (Kingsolver 123). This man being described is Dwight Eisenhower. Behind his kindly smile it became clear that Eisenhower's actions in the Congo were based on American greed that once again exploited Africa for its natural goods. Once again Americans were stealing from Africa in order to secure a profit as Eisenhower planned a plot to overthrow the Congolese's elected president. Perhaps the most astonishing aspect of Caucasian racism in Africa was how whites were able to use it to maintain their absolute dominance over the continent and its people. "The white man used their offspring as a wedge in order to keep it weak. Africa was conquered for the whites by the blacks" (Williams 208). The astonishing fact revealed by this assertion is that white racism prevailed largely thanks to African help.

Finally, although racism has been so heavily entrenched across the globe, there are still solutions for ending racism. According to Williams, one of the main ways whites were so able to obtain and maintain such control over blacks is that they won the battle for the mind. In fact, the process was so successful that "blacks themselves came to feel inferior and to hate themselves and all of their kind. Caucasian victory was complete" (Williams 250). In reality, much of the whites' work was already done for them when they were able to convince blacks that they actually were inferior. Thus, one of the main ways to combat this racism is to reverse this trend and show that we are all equal and that blacks have accomplished some tremendous things throughout their history. Also, a quote from Ellison's novel shows another possibility for change in the power of a unified group. The protagonist in the novel asserts that "our fate is to become one, and yet many -- This is not prophecy, but description" (Ellison 177). The protagonist's assertion translates into an actual possible action. The assertion declares that the only way that black civil rights movements can gain any momentum and credibility would be to consist of thousands of individuals who will work together for a common goal. This is clearly possible because it was this type of action that led to the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

Clearly, there will be many obstacles when trying to combat global racism. Activists will have to fight the centuries old practices in Africa. People will also have to battle deeply rooted mindsets in the United States. However, while overcoming racism may seem insurmountable, it is actually an achievable goal. Through such actions as increasing education of black history and the formation of a stronger, wider, and more lasting civil rights movement the racism of the past can be overcome. Most importantly, people must remember that although racism has made millions feel weak, we will all be made weak if we give up. Trying is most certainly the only way to succeed in combating racism.

Works Cited

Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man. New York: Penguin, 1997.

Kingsolver, Barbara. The Poisonwood Bible. New York: Penguin, 1997.

Williams, Chancellor. The Destruction of Black Civilization. Chicago: Third World Press, 1987.