Blog Post 3: The Skin We’re In

This blog post analyses the complex relationships that exist between Black men and society as they are depicted in the memoir “The Skin We’re In” by Desmond Cole and the film “Get Out” by Jordan Peele. Both pieces illustrate a complicated web of struggle against racism and the imposition of White cultural norms, shedding light on the nuances of microaggressions and their cumulative effects on Black men. By contrasting these modern representations with the classic male identities shown in “Fight Club,” this analysis shows how Black masculinity is becoming more understood.

An everyday routine should usually contain basic things such as eating, showering, going to work, school, or other things that everyone does extremely frequently. Unfortunately, for some racialized minorities, microaggressions are a part of the list of things that happen extremely often to them. Microaggressions are actions that on the surface level, are seemingly minor. However, as they stack up, they become overwhelming and deeply frustrating. Microaggressions are so unfortunate because they are the gateway to macroaggressions, discrimination and the further racialization of minorities. They can sometimes serve as “little” reminders or backhanded compliments, regarding the person’s race.

Jordan Peele’s Get Out does an incredible job of depicting these actions and how they might be perceived or felt from the standpoint of a Black man. These are seen multiple times throughout the movie, like when Dean Armitage reminds Chris that he would vote for Obama for a third time if he could, as a means of dismissing the possibility of him being racist (Peele 18:57). Another instance is when Rose’s brother, Jeremy, goes out of his way to comment on Chris’s frame and genetic makeup, implying that Black men have superior physical capabilities (Peele 24:40). Another medium that is an excellent portrayal of microagressions is Desmond Cole’s The Skin We’re In. His memoir’s title is an allusion to the fact that a lot of Black people might feel that these stereotypes and microaggressions are just further enforcing the idea that the colour of their skin is relevant to how their character will be perceived.  It is another reflection of the experience that Black people go through when managing the ups and downs that come with the Skin they’re in. These two examples are just a few of the instances where Chris was reminded of his blackness and also as a means of reinforcing the fact that he is an outsider in their environment. 

While microaggressions are more frequently observed in society, you can’t turn a blind eye to how they evolve and become a bigger issue, than macroaggressions. Cole does an amazing job of describing the presence of racism and white supremacy in Canada. It is seen through the lenses of Black Canadians and the portrayal of the Indigenous experience in what Cole calls “Project Canada”. He explains how he came to accept the Skin he’s in, “I came to resent my blackness as a child because it made me feel powerless and scared. It has taken most of my adult years to embrace this skin, this ancestry, this struggle.” (Cole 16) He explains that white supremacy and the concept of racism are extreme forms of “Ad Hominem”, where you attack people for who they are, rather than their idea. In this case, who they are in the skin they are in, and they are made to feel powerless and ashamed because of an uncontrollable factor in their life. 

Power is a struggle, and when in the hands of evil, it can be devastating. Peele’s work depicts this power struggle, as the characters have their power struggles, be it Chris trying to regain power over his body and life, since he was under immense threat of death; on the other hand, the white family fighting to have power over Chris’ body to foster a racist fantasy of theirs. Throughout Peele’s movie and Cole’s memoir, the theme of getting out sticks like a sore thumb. Whether it be getting out of the box of stereotypes imposed on Black people, getting out of a system of oppression and white supremacy, or even the literal idea of getting out of the house that Chris went to in the movie “Get Out”. It becomes clear that one of the many evils that come from racism is the feeling of being stuck and powerless. That has to be made equitable and it involves a lot of work.

Liberation from societal constraints, such as racial stereotypes, systematic oppression, or cultural imperialism, is a recurring topic in both Peele’s and Cole’s stories. An important conversation about racism, power, and resistance in modern society is highlighted by the representation of Black males who are trying to take back control of their lives and identities. This approach deals with Black men’s active resistance in addition to responding to the regular microaggressions they experience, creating a narrative of empowerment and change that goes beyond conventional literary and cinematic norms.

Works Cited: 

1. Cole, Desmond. “‘negro frolicks (January).’” The Skin We’re In, Doubleday Canada, 2020, pp. 1–17 
2. Peele, Jordan, et al. Get Out. Universal Pictures, 2017.