Introduction
The theme of racial and ethnic dynamics has been present throughout the history of the United States. The relationships between various groups developed in many ways, though violence and oppression have always been prominent paradigms. However, several nationwide crises, particularly the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and the World Wars, have led to a gradual shift in the ways different ethnicities interact and perceive each other nowadays. Prominent figures like Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and Clyde Bellecourt have significantly promoted equal rights for historically oppressed groups. Though modern American society is much more diverse and tolerant than ever, traces of old politics and anachronistic views remain in its structure, as evident, particularly in the Black Lives Matter movement.
Discussion
The colonial legacy of the United States haunts society up to this day. Visible signs of it, mostly absent from the modern urban landscapes, remain untouched in the literature. “Battle Royal,” the first chapter of Ralph Ellison’s novel Invisible Man, presents an emotional first-person perspective on how African-Americans were treated just shy of a century ago. The first page features insightful words from the hero’s dying father, declaring, “I never told you, but our life is a war and I have been a traitor all my born days, a spy in the enemy’s country… Live with your head in the lion’s mouth” (Ellison 13). These painful yet elegant words illustrate how a person of color felt in the American society of the early twentieth century. Being denied fundamental civil rights, not perceived as an equal human being by the wider society, and forced into a life of fear and spite are the experiences of an African-American of the time. However, the author foreshadows the changes to come by putting the words “social equality” in the narrator’s speech. Today’s Black Lives Matter movement, following the steps of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the like, and the broad political and societal discussion of racial issues would not be possible without literary works like it.
Modern American society is an example of how social activism and persistent political changes can drastically change how people of different origins live together. Though civil rights, representation, and fighting broader discrimination have been the central focus of racial equality movements, interpersonal relationships are equally important. Nowhere is this theme as sensitively represented as in “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes. Describing in simple words the intimate experience of a young colored college student in New York, the poem, allows the reader to commune with the author on a deep level. This interpersonal communication between two humans, equal in rights yet unequal in the perception of each other, represents today’s American interracial dynamics. Profound lines represent the basic ideals of humanism and equity, “You are white— / yet a part of me, as I am a part of you. / That’s American.” (Hughes, lines 31–33). Throughout the post-colonial movements of the United States, idealistic and intelligent youth like the poem’s hero himself have represented the ideas of social justice and political changes.
Conclusion
Analyzing the post-colonial literature of the twentieth century gives valuable and powerful insights into the history of racial and ethnic relationships in the United States. At the same time, it allows for a critical view of modern societal norms and practices regarding interracial interactions. When comparing the experiences of oppressed groups in the past to modern society, it is clear how drastically the situation has changed. What used to be nonsensical and outrageous to some not so long ago has become a widely accepted norm. However, racial prejudices and insecurities still result in occasional discrimination even on a systemic level as evident by the recent popularity of right-wing political ideas in the last presidential and mid-term elections. While the social justice movements have achieved most of their goals in terms of fighting discrimination, people’s personal experiences and views still bear the colonial legacy. It is the responsibility of the modern American generation of all backgrounds sharing similar views to change it.
Works Cited
Ellison, Ralph. “Battle Royal.” Invisible Man. Random House, 1965, pp. 12–27.
Hughes, Langston. “Theme for English B.” The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes. Knopf and Vintage Books, 1990, pp. 247–248.