Windows into the black experience

Understanding the lives of individuals living in marginalised bodies poses a challenge for those who do not share their experiences. Yet, the narratives of figures like Desmond Cole and Jordan Peele provide windows into these experiences. As a white woman, I acknowledge my inability to fully grasp the black experience, but I can empathise and draw parallels from my own encounters with marginalisation as a woman whose body can disrupt spaces. Cole and Peele navigate spaces full of prejudices and ingrained racism, shedding light on the complexities of black identity. I will be exploring the parallels between fictional black masculinities and contemporary masculinities. While Peel employs allegory in his storytelling and Cole opts for testimony, both offer insights into black masculinities through diverse points of view. In this essay, I will dive into the contemporary, historical, and social lenses through which black masculinities are perceived.

Through the contemporary lense we notice that cultural appropriation and white washing are prevalent in both works’ descriptions of the black experience. These issues involve appropriating marginalised cultures by the more dominant groups in society; often leading to assimilation or misrepresentation of many cultures. Both Cole and Peel mention through their projects how black traits and cultures are being used but without wanting to be associated with its cultural roots. Cole states, “I began to associate my blackness with shame and isolation as early as primary school. I started to wish I had been born black” (Cole 15). Cole at a young age began to feel ashamed probably due to how society around him began to perceive his black identity from a young age. Tying his marginalised body with negative stereotypes and assumptions even before he probably learned about them. Being white or paler might have been the expectation or the beauty standard around the time when Cole was growing up and it reinforces the idea that it’s fashionable to but only if you’re not too dark. As well as young girls wanting to bleach their skin in order to be less black even within African culture this is practised because being too dark isn’t seen as beautiful. So it’s a generational trauma that bleeds into beauty standards. As for the scene where Chris is having a conversation about sports with Rose’s brother, by the end of it we begin to understand that he is being idolised because of the stereotype of a black man’s athletic capabilities. As well as during the yearly bingo game one of the players crosses a boundary and makes an inappropriate comment directed to Chris. She starts by squeezing his biceps and then asking Rose “So is it true, is it better?”(Peel 1:00:35). Inappropriate comments like these show us how the black experience can often be full of uncomfortable conversations based off of stereotypes and prejudices but also the lack of respect for black people as humans. We notice that that’s only a boundary that is crossed with Chris in the film and not any other party-goers. Although the subject of white washing might not be direct I think it’s definitely alluded to within the film.  In a straightforward way we see how when they take a black person’s brain and insert it into a white person. We notice that they’re underneath the surface but not able to come out. This happens on many occasions. For example when Georgina breaks down and starts to cry saying “no no no no” (Peel 50:45), her initial self is still there but not able to come out . Same for the man who lashed out due to the flash screaming “get out get out”(Peel 48:19), he himself the black man is still conscious but incapable to come out from beneath the surface of what is now the white identity. So in larger terms their black identity and what makes them them is being repressed underneath the identity of a white person. The reason for which Chris keeps mentioning how “it’s the black people out here too, its like all of them missed the movement”(Peel 52:44).Despite Peel expressing his experience as a marginalised black man through fiction it still touches on real issues that Cole spends chapters retelling.Through allegorical elements, Peele portrays the repression of black identity within a white-dominated society, exemplified by characters trapped in the “sunken place.” The sunken place is a metaphor for marginalisation; no matter how hard you scream you will always be silenced by the system.

As of 1861 slavery was abolished however the repercussions still followed black people into the contemporary world today. Desmond Cole touches on the historical past of Canada and Jordan peel also reflects on how it follows his character’s black identity in the film. Cole speaks on the over policing of black people in Toronto. He says in his novel “you can’t as people who have been oppressed their whole lives forget that and ignore the fact that it might happen again” (Cole 2). He brings up a relevant point because this statement continues to be the situation for many  people of colour (POC). They are continuously advocating for their rights because there is always a leftover sentiment of what if. What if tomorrow my rights are stripped from me again. One protest will not affirm their security especially in metropolises where there is a high immigration rate. Despite being numerous, systematic racism is ingrained into the system in favour of white politicians. Cole talks about how hashtag movements are only the tip of the iceberg and although he is grateful for the media attention it gets it is not enough for POC to put their guard down. Minorities are in a constant fight that history will repeat itself and have them in similar positions their ancestors were in decades before. It is beyond generational trauma that causes POC to continually fight and advocate for themselves because tomorrow is not promised. Cole acknowledges in his book that the modern political and judicial system is not made in favour of people like him and recurring accidents force minorities to continually fight for their place in society in order to be treated humanely. Although Jordan Peel doesn’t attack this subject as directly he doesn’t fail to incorporate it into his films. During “Get Out” the scene features Chris Washington’s psychological preparation for surgery. In order for him to evade being hypnotised by the tea cup he claws at the arms of the armchair and must physically pick the cotton from it in order to block his ears. This is relevant because during slavery many black people in the southern parts of the states were forced into upkeeping cotton fields. It’s a very labour intensive action. In order to harvest the cotton you must pick at the stem of the plant which left many slaves with blisters due to repetitive action. The irony here is that Chris had to physically pick the cotton in order to save his life and evade the “white man”. In essence Chris a modern man is in a vicious cycle and is back to where his ancestors were; a place they fought so that future generations will never be there.Peel here left this Easter egg in order to affirm viewers’ understanding of not only the contemporary and social contexts of the film but also its historical inclination from the black perspective. I feel that in terms of production Peel had to force his directional views into that detail to make sure that viewers don’t miss the core ideas of the film because when watching it the first time the contemporary ideas can easily go over your head.

It’s important to note that although Cole and Peel have different lives we can understand through their artistic projects the social connection they share. As well as how they allow us to compare their shared experiences as black men and the collective resilience, historical oppression and systematic challenges they face. Cole’s book retells his experiences as a black man more realistically and in a more contemporary point of view. As for Peel who treats “Get Out” as an allegory for what it is to experience blackness. Although they take on black identities through different lenses we can connect both creators’ social experiences as black men. Peel early in the film has his character Chris say “do they know im black”(Peel 1:36:55). And this opens the difficult conversations that need to be had within interracial relationships. It’s a valid point because he later states “I dont want to get chased off the lawn with a shotgun.”(Peel 1:36:17) and this taps into how he as a black man assumes he will be perceived by her parents. This assumption is not random; he probably made the connection based on his past experiences meeting white folk and encountering stereotypes. Cole shares the experience of his friend John who “ applied for a liquor licence for gallery events , the police found further excuses to harass him” (Cole 5). Cole shares this story because it expands on not only his personal experience but how other black people are treated and undermined by authorities. It brings in the topic of over-policing black people, especially black men. This experience ties into the “Get Out” scene where Rose interacts with law enforcement regarding the accident and the officer asks for Christophers registration and identification as well. Rose defends that he is unimportant to the situation and how asking for his ID because he’s black is inappropriate and frankly an abuse of his power due to prejudices he has. Connected to this scene Cole quotes a tweet saying “POLICE BRUTALITY IS FUCKING REAL AND DONT YOU EVER TELL ME ITS AN AMERICAN THING.” (Cole 5). So through both films we can begin to understand the shared experiences black people and minorities encounter when dealing with law enforcement and struggling to be seen as more than just their skin colour but as equal individuals. Both works intertwine when discussing the social connections in black identities to matter how it is portrayed; though both the works of Jordan Peel and Desmond Cole.

In confronting contemporary views of black identities, the generational impact of slavery and the social connections of black identities, we can only strive for humanity. When further analysing Desmond Cole’s book and Jordan Peel’s film “Get Out” we notice that even though their stories and messages are shared differently we can see the many parallels between fictional black masculinities and more contemporary black masculinities.While Cole confronts hate directed at marginalised bodies directly, Peele illustrates the silencing of voices within a system that perpetuates marginalisation. The experiences of these marginalised bodies intertwine with one another and are both an allegory into the deeper experience on what it is to be a black identity in society today.These narratives serve as allegories for the broader experiences of black individuals in society today, reflecting on the resilience and complexities of black identity.

Bibliography:

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.