The issues of racism in North America

Throughout history, black people have faced too many injustices, racism, oppression and even hatred. Although racism towards black people has become less extreme than it used to be, it’s still very apparent. This can be understood when reflecting upon Desmond Cole’s text The Skin We’re In and the film Get Out by Jordan Peele. While Desmond Cole focused more on giving examples of black people’s experiences, Jordan Peels movie used the plot of the movie to serve as a powerful allegory. Despite the text and film’s different circumstances and situations, by examining the content of both works, we gain an enhanced understanding of the systemic challenges faced by black communities in Canada and the US. Ultimately, these works revealed the injustices faced by the black people’s community by showing their different experiences. Therefore, this essay argues that while Cole’s text emphasizes individual experiences and Peele’s film serves as a powerful allegory, both these works provide valuable perspectives and contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the issues surrounding race and racism in North America in different ways.

To begin, Desmond Cole’s text focuses on black people’s experiences and their historical background by giving examples and instances of what they have faced. These instances serve as a way to demonstrate the injustices of people of colour, which contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the issues surrounding race and racism in Canada. One example given is based on Desmond’s neighbour John. John, who owns an art gallery in Canada, was minding his own business on New Year’s Eve until suddenly, for no reason, he got attacked by the police. John’s experience of getting attacked by the police is simply unjust and wrong. He was just in his art gallery on New Year’s Eve having fun when the police attacked him. From this, we learn that police in Canada often assume that Black people harm simply because of racism and the way they look. Therefore, Cole’s text underscores the vulnerability shared by all black individuals in Canada’s society. This is because the narrative reveals the challenging truths of enduring perpetual surveillance and suspicion, where black individuals are constantly monitored and policed in public areas. This incident not only highlights the immediate brutality inflicted upon black individuals but also unveils deeper societal issues ingrained in Canada’s history of racial bias. Expanding upon this aspect, the narrative demonstrates how racial biases and social stereotypes lead to unjust treatment and violence against black individuals. For instance, Desmond Cole says “My stomach somersaulted in my belly. In these moments of shock I sometimes ask “Why?” but it’s more of a lament than a question. I already know why police choose, over and over and over again, to intimidate and attack and harm and kill Black people in my city, in Canada. It has nothing to do with any single incident, any presumed provocation or threat or misunderstanding. The police are just doing their job: a central responsibility of policing has always been to discipline Black people on behalf of the ruling class.” When Cole asks “Why?”, it’s not because he doesn’t know why it’s happening, he already understands. He knows that the police violence against Black people is a big problem that goes way back. Instead, it’s more like he’s saying, “Why does this keep happening?” The narrator feels powerless and sad because he knows it’s not just about one incident or a misunderstanding, it’s about how society (Canada in this case) is set up to mistreat Black people. As a result, we can understand that the police are just doing what they’ve always done. The police are simply enforcing rules on Black people to keep the white people in power and the black people oppressed, which reflects broader societal issues. This reflects broader societal issues because practices such as racial profiling and aggressive policing tactics contribute to the marginalization and disempowerment of Black people. These actions reinforce the historical legacies of systemic racism and inequality. Therefore, it is clear in Desmond’s texts that such brutality is not rooted in isolated incidents or misunderstandings but rather stems from a historical legacy of policing designed to maintain the dominance of the ruling class over marginalized communities. In essence, Cole’s text points out the deep-seated inequalities in Canadian society. By connecting contemporary experiences of black individuals to historical racism, Cole offers valuable insights that enrich our understanding of the complexities surrounding race and racism.

Secondly, Jordan Peele’s award-winning movie tries to push against stereotypes of Black men. The movie’s plot serves as a powerful allegory that reflects the real-life experiences of many people of colour as they navigate interactions within the dominant White culture. Get Out is a thriller that’s about Chris, a young African American man, who visits his girlfriend Rose’s family for the first time. Initially, Chris feels unsettled by the predominantly white guests and the peculiar behaviour of the black servants. For example, when the Armitage family had their garden party it was filled with white people. However, when he finally saw another black man he was happy. Unfortunately, this man turned out to be very whitewashed and had strange behaviour. Chris later finds out that this family is psychotic. They try to kidnap young black people to subject them to a surgical procedure where half of their brain is removed and replaced with the brain of an elderly white person. Throughout the movie, we gain a deeper understanding of the racist cultural background experienced by Black people in the US. This is achieved by highlighting key aspects such as microaggressions, subtle racism, whitewashing, exploitation, and differential treatment. For instance, Chris undergoes differential treatment when he gets stopped by the police. When he got stopped on his way to Rose’s family’s house, Rose stepped in and told off the officer for racially profiling Chris. Initially, it seems like Rose is standing up against racial stereotypes. However, in reality, it shows how Rose’s white privilege protects her from facing the same suspicion and risk as Chris. This points out the unfair bias and discrimination by police and society as a whole. Moreover, the fact that the Armitage family takes young black people’s brains and implants a white elderly person’s brain is a metaphor for systemic racism and exploitation. The fact that white people are taking over the bodies of black people is a way of showing how black people have been dehumanized and treated as objects throughout history. It’s like how black people were enslaved, forced to work, and used for medical experiments without agreeing to it. Thereupon, Chris’s experiences in Get Out highlight the vulnerability and threat Black masculinity faces from societal stereotypes and systemic racism. Overall, Get Out challenges stereotypes about Black men and shows how black people face racism in predominantly white spaces. The movie talks about themes like unfair treatment, dehumanization, and exploitation through allegories and little experiences Chris underwent. Therefore, through its portrayal of these themes, Get Out becomes more than just a story, it carries a profound message. This underlying message enriches our comprehension of the racial challenges faced by black individuals in the US, as well as deepening our insight into the broader cultural context of racism experienced by black communities.

In conclusion, through both Get Out by Jordan Peele and the text The Skin We’re In by Desmond Cole, the audience has a more comprehensive understanding of the issues surrounding race and racism in North America. Both contributed to a deeper comprehension of the racist cultural context and exposed the injustices endured by Black individuals in the North through distinct encounters. Notably, in Cole’s text, the experiences of Black men like John, who is unjustly attacked by police, demonstrate how systemic racism undermines their sense of safety, autonomy, and dignity. The constant surveillance and suspicion directed towards Black men perpetuate a narrative of criminality and inferiority. This deteriorated their sense of agency and control over their own lives. Similarly, in Get Out, Chris’s encounters with the Armitage family, who seek to exploit and control his body, symbolize the historical dehumanization and emasculation of Black men. Therefore, both works challenge traditional norms of masculinity by depicting Black men as vulnerable to exploitation and violence. This is because it contradicts the stereotype of Black men as inherently strong and invulnerable, thereby disrupting conventional ideas about masculinity. These portrayals help us see how race and masculinity intertwine, revealing how systemic racism influences how Black men perceive their masculinity and humanity.

Works Cited: 

Peele, Jordan. Get Out. Universal Pictures, 2017.

Cole, Desmond. The Skin We’re In: A Year of Black Resistance and Power. Doubleday Canada, 2020.