The Burdens of Blackness

Racism and stereotyping remain serious issues facing Black communities in North America today. Both Desmond Cole’s memoir “The Skin We’re In” and Jordan Peele’s film “Get Out” provide a good perspective into the burdens placed on Black men by racism and oppression in Canadian and American society. Through their unique views, Cole and Peele show how Black men across North America are dehumanized by the legacy of colonialism and slavery. However, both of these works also humanize Black men and demonstrate their resilience in pushing back against old racist structures.

The titles and characters in both of these great works reflect the racist fixation imposed on Black men’s skin color and physic. In Get Out, Chris is objectified and reduced because of his appearance and skin tone by the white people around him. Cole discusses how Black men are judged as threats or criminals in Canada based solely on their appearance and skin color. He describes being racially profiled by police as a teenager, where officers saw him only as a suspect rather than a human being. This reflects the broader experience of Black men being defined and constrained by their race in White-dominated societies.

Key scenes in Get Out and events in Cole’s memoir showcase Black male vulnerability in racist environments. The tense opening police scene in Get Out shows Chris being racially profiled and demonstrating total compliance to survive these toxic encounters. Cole describes experiences of being stopped by police as a Black man in Toronto, fearing for his life and freedom. The uneasy garden party in Get Out and Cole’s accounts of navigating unwelcoming White spaces display another layer of racism. Peele and Cole reveal how even wealthy and educated Black men face a small awareness of their vulnerability in White spaces.

Both works have a strong link modern racism to the long history of colonialism, slavery and oppression. Cole connects racism in Canada to the historic and ongoing colonization of Indigenous peoples, arguing that anti-black racism stems from the same systems of oppression. Peele also frequently references the legacy of slavery and exploitation of Black peoples in the United States, connecting microaggressions to this history. This shared history persists and continues to burden Black communities today in both countries. The extensive roots of racism inform current stereotypes, prejudice and violence that constrain Black lives.

Through their 2 great timely works, Cole and Peele highlight the dehumanizing experiences that racism inflicts upon Black men daily, while also conveying Black resilience. The racist fixation on their appearance, unsafe environments, and historical oppression show the multiple layers of burden carried by Black men in Canada, and the US and across North America everywhere.

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.