“The skin we’re in”
By: Francesco Cappellano
In this segment of our class we are discussing racism and how black people are poorly treated and penalized just for having a different appearance. Nowadays we know what is right from wrong when we are in these situations, but if we rewind a few years people still thought it was normal to treat black people this way. We have been shown many different examples of what racism is and how extreme it can get. Throughout this essay we will be discussing two examples of how these are represented and how they affect us.
In the movie “get out” represents how to the characters in the movie, black people are seen as just a shell and nothing more. They are seen as people with incredible physical strengths and advantages but the line is drawn there. These older rich white people go to auctions to pick out the person they want their brain put into. They are looking for some sort of immortality. They want to have their own brain while having the physical advantages of these black people. When the son in the movie starts talking to Chris about how lucky he is to be a black person because of his incredible physical advantages, it almost sounds like he is praising them but is doing so in such a way that he is saying they are just good for their bodies. We can see this in the movie when they are having the auction and the rich old white people are picking who they want their brain placed into in order to have a better physique and live forever. This can almost be led back to the 17/18 hundreds when rich white people would auction off black slaves to do all of their physical work because they have the physical advantages, being seen as just a strong body rather than a human being. They don’t see black people as actual people but more as the next shell for them to place their minds into it and have a new physique. Watching this movie I found it quite difficult to understand what was going on because I couldn’t understand why they were auctioning off people until I realized that they were using them for their bodies like they would do back in the day to auction off slaves (Peele).
In Desmond Cole’s “the skin were in” he discusses how racism has no borders, what does that mean to you? To me, this deals with the fact how racism is everywhere in our world. In this portion of his book he talks about how a lot of people think that there is only racism in America stating “why do you have to bring american problems into canada ” as if we don’t have racism here. The problem is that in the states it is at a different level than us but it doesn’t mean we don’t have it too. I have witnessed here on several occasions where people are treated differently just because of the color of their skin and it’s absolutely awful. Hearing about it is one thing but to actually see it with your own eyes is something completely different. In America this has been an ongoing problem and they need to change something soon. To think like this in this day and age is awful and people shouldn’t have to deal with this nowadays. Another problem that Cole talks about is police brutality in America. Black people are targeted by cops most of the time for no good reason. They are treated differently just because of the color of their skin. They have this old mentality that they can just treat them differently but its not right, at all. A few years ago there was a large movement called “black lives matter” and was started when a black man by the name of George Floyd was killed by a cop and this shook the world. Protests were going crazy and they were trying to make a change in the world. Slowly slowly we are getting there but we still have a lot of work to do (cole).
Comparing these two, we can see how racism still plays a huge role in society today. People think that racism has boundaries when it obviously does not. Also, when seeing a black person most people see them as just a form and not as an actual human. These people only see them as something with amazing capabilities that they can use for themselves. That being said, we must find a way to stop racism. It has gotten much better within the last few years but we still have lots of work to do. What can you do to stop racism?
Cole, Desmond. “‘negro frolicks (January).’” The Skin We’re In, Doubleday Canada, 2020, pp. 1–17
Peele, Jordan, et al. Get Out. Universal Pictures, 2017.
Fight Clubs/Night Clubs 
You’ve provided some examples from “Get Out,” but consider delving deeper into how these scenes symbolize the broader societal issues. When discussing “The Skin We’re In,” try to incorporate direct quotes or specific events from the book to support your points. Analyze how the events and characters in “Get Out” and “The Skin We’re In” reflect or contrast with each other, rather than just summarizing the plot or themes.
You’ve touched on the presence of racism in both Canada and the US, but further exploration of how Cole and Peele portray this history would strengthen your analysis. Consider discussing the historical context provided by Cole and Peele to give your readers a clearer understanding of the depth of racism in both societies. Reflect on the implications of this history for contemporary Canada and the US, as the prompt suggests.
Your essay could benefit from a clearer structure, with an introduction that includes a strong thesis statement, followed by body paragraphs that each focus on a specific aspect of the prompt. A conclusion that summarizes your main points and reflects on the broader implications would provide a strong ending to your essay. Ensure that each paragraph transitions smoothly to the next to maintain a coherent flow of ideas.
Good job including a bibliography with proper MLA citation. However, when quoting or paraphrasing specific passages from the book or film, make sure to include in-text citations to adhere to MLA format. Double-check the formatting of your bibliography to ensure it follows the latest MLA guidelines.
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