The dictionary definition of post-colonialism is "a set of theories or ideas found in philosophy, film, political sciences, and literature that deal with the cultural legacy of colonial rule".
However, post-colonialism is not limited only to the areas stated in the dictionary definition above. Post-colonialism can also be a belief, both consciously and subconsciously, amongst a person or even a view shared by society as a whole.
An example of post-colonialism can be found in an article from The Guardian UK. In the article, it describes a situation between the Cambridge police and a prominent Harvard Black History professor by the name of Henry Louis Gates Jr. After returning home from his trip to China to record his latest documentary, Gates came home to find his door tampered with. Having difficulty opening his door, he entered his home through the backdoor. Once inside, Gates and his taxi driver (also African American) attempted to repair the damaged front door. It was then a bystander (a Caucasian woman) witnessed the two men banging the door in an attempt to repair it. Yet, the woman did not see things the way they were. She immediately called the police who quickly, and without any questions, arrested Gates who made every effort to prove to the police this was in fact his home. News spread quickly to Gate's friends; which included icons such as Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama, sparking a media uproar. Charges were eventually dropped and Gates was released.
This relates to the idea of "Black is bad, and White is good". Though the bystander's intentions were meant for good, subconsciously this idea made her feel alarmed. Even the police had the same view, despite Gate's pleas. Ironically, despite Gates being one of the most respected scholars of African-American history, he had been subjected to the very treatment that he had been researching over the years. This goes to show that, sadly, who you are as a person or your contributions to society can easily be overlooked because of race.
Full Article:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/21/henry-louis-gates-jr-arrest-harvard
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hey Maranda,
ReplyDeleteGreat job Illustrating the stereotype that "white is good, black is bad". This stereotype has been so solidly implemented in our society that whenever we see a black person our minds automatically think they are dangerous and more likely to commit a crime than a white man. I doubt that if the woman saw a white man trying to break down the door she would have at least thought twice about alerting the police so rapidly. Your article effectively defines the belief that white is good and black is bad. Anyway, i enjoyed reading your blog! Good job!