Places and forms of power

NOTION 2 : Lieux et formes de pouvoirs

I’m going to talk about “Places and forms of powers”. To begin with, I’d like to state a definition of powers: the power is, in politics and science, the ability to influence people’s behaviour, in order to live together members of a community accept rules, regulations, laws. Even when authority seems absolute there’re always counter powers which question it, aim at limiting it excesses and resist it. I can ask me about the condition of USA: in fact, how have civil rights activists used nonviolent protest to bring about change in the USA? To present this notion, we shall land at first the situation of African Americans before 1965 and secondly, we shall discover the emerging of a new black identity. For that, I’m going to use several documents: for my first part, the first document is “Dark laughter” by Oliver W.Harrington, the second is “Illustration for Uncle Tom’s  Cabin” in 1852. And for my second part, I’ll use the documents “I too sing America” by Langston Hughes and “the interview with Rosa Parks” on NBC LEARN.

First of all, I know that the situation of African Americans is dramatic even if the abolition of slavery is created in 1865. In fact, I note that in 1960, segregation still existed despite it having been declared unconstitutional as shows it the document “Dark Laugh: this document allows to understand that although everyone is told that there is equal opportunity for all the fact of the matter is that some people are effectively second-class citizens who have no hope of reaching the higher rungs of society. Moreover, the document “Illustration for Uncle Tom’s” puts forward an other form segregation for the African Americans: I can observe more forms of stereotype in this illustration particular the side of “the good blacks” (here I see nannies and servants who will serve well and know his/her place).

Therefore, I realize American society was based on a contradiction because the American constitution was created in 1865 and yet the American Africans were treated like second class citizens with separation blacks and white, inequality and violence. Thus, it led to stereotype about African Americans.  

That is why Americans are going to face their own contradictions and solve the problem of racial prejudice. In fact, it exists different forms of struggles used by Black Americans. On the one hand, a new movement appears committed to the cause of Black Americans: Harlem Renaissance. It started in 1920 and it extended over several domains (music, art, paintings…). The music “I too sing America” presents this movement: with a view to showing that Black people are the same as the white people, they’re able to produce music and art and think by themselves (they aren’t regarded as educated farmers anymore). On the other part, many people have had an impact on this change: in fact, the interview of Rosa Parks on NBC LEARNED shows the consequently of her reaction (she refused a rule and no accepted the situation of Black Americans).  So, I understand that existed a positive evolution: many wanted to fight stereotypes, fight prejudice and achieve recognition.

In short, slavery is the unjust power that has led to civil war in America. Today we can say that black people are free, especially in America where the president is black. Several events aimed at the recognition of African Americans has increased, moreover, many movements refuse several forms of power and they apply their rights pacifistically. Although, today, the recognition is still not total. We have seen that after abolition of slavery, segregation of the Black people was established and even after its termination, we see that, to date, racism is still on. Therefore, what are the news forms of racism and on whom it is established?

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