Shaping Racial Perceptions

8/11/2019 Shaping Racial Perceptions

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Ampratwum 2

Abenaa S Ampratwum

Ms. Lynn Johnson

English R050; 005

November !" #00

Shaping Ra$ial %er$eptions

Ameri$an &istory ' is a re(le$tive an) moving )rama about

the $ost o( ra$ism as a (amily is torn apart by hate. *he story

un(ol)s through the eyes o( +anny ,ineyar)" who i)oli-es his

ol)er brother +ere. Seeing vengean$e over the mur)er o( their

(ire(ighter (ather an) yearning (or a way to vent his rage" +ere

(in)s himsel( shape) by the philosophy o( hate. &is a$tions

ultimately $ulminate in a brutal mur)er an) a prison senten$e.

A$a)emi$ an) so$ial environments most o(ten shape ra$ial

per$eptions. /n *ony aye1s Ameri$an &istory ' +ere an) +anny

,inyar)s1 per$eptions are shape) an) trans(orme) by so$ial an)

a$a)emi$ institutions.

,eni$e 2ea$h &igh S$hool (ails to tea$h its stu)ents ra$ial

toleran$e. +r. Sweeny assigns his $lass 3rea)ings in 2la$4 to

e)u$ate his stu)ents on the various aspe$ts o( literature.

&owever" these rea)ings ultimately amount to nothing sin$e Sweeny

(ails to $hallenge his stu)ents to thin an) a$t )i((erently.

Sweeny is also the only tea$her at ,eni$e 2ea$h &igh who tries to

get stu)ents e)u$ate). Murray" a tea$her at ,eni$e 2ea$h &igh

gives up on +ere when he epresses his views


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Ampratwum 2

$on$erning the Ro)ney ing *rial. *ea$hers are suppose) to

be in(luential in a $hil)1s upbringing. *he tea$hers at ,eni$e

2ea$h &igh (ail to tea$h the stu)ents be$ause ra$ial intoleran$e

is wi)esprea) sin$e many stu)ents belong to gangs. Lie the

s$hool" +ere1s (amily (ails to tea$h him.

+ere1s (ather a publi$ o((i$ial is pre6u)i$e). &e says"

3/t1s everywhere / loo now" this a((irmative bla$tion.4 &e

implies that Sweeny only ass his stu)ents to rea) 3Native Son4

be$ause he 7Sweeny8 is perpetuating 2la$ness. +ere1s (ather

sees the 9hite ra$e as superior as patriar$h o( the ,inyar)

(amily )oes his son an) so$iety great )isservi$e when he imparts

his pre6u)i$es to his son. +ere is at a very impressionable age"

an) his (ather1s a)vi$e signi(ies the beginning o( his ra$ism.

*he me)ia" lie +ere1s (ather also (ails to (oster better ra$e

relaions.

2y airing his tira)e" the me)ia wi)ens the gap between

2la$s an) 9hites in the ,eni$e 2ea$h $ommunity.

:n a *, news show" a grie(stri$en +ere blames his

(ather


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Ampratwum 2

problems.4 &is statement obviously provoes the 2la$ an)

minority $ommunities as they are being blame) (or so$ial vi$es.

9hite suprema$ists on the other han)" (ee) on his spee$h. >or

them" it is (oo) (or the soul; it is reason to go out to ill an)

maim more minorities. 9ithout his reali-ation" +ere ha) given

them 7suprema$ists8 a voi$e 7through me)ia8 to sprea) the message

o( hatre) to all 3wea4 an) narrowmin)e) people an) to sway the

masses. /t is this hatre) that lan)s +ere in 6ail.

+ere1s prison eperien$e is the $atalyst in $hanging his

per$eptions. :n his (irst )ay in 6ail" +ere reali-es he is

nothing. *he minority guar) tol) him what to )o an) $urse) at

him. &e reali-es he is not an islan) an) that he nee)s the

ba$ing o( a group to survive" so he 6oins the neona-i group.

*his group )oes nothing to $hange his per$eptions.

+ere reali-es there are loopholes in his i)eologies when he sees

his white suprema$ist (rien)s tra)ing )rugs with minorities an)

reselling to other white (ol. &e $omplains about this an) he is

tol) by his own in) to stop prea$hing be$ause they are getting

si$ o( his bullshit. A(ter this in$i)ent he with)raws (rom his

(rien)s but his i)eologies remain un$hange). >eeling lonely"

+ere opens up to his 2la$ $oworer" Lamont an) reali-es (or the

(irst time the in6usti$es that eist in the 6u)i$ial system when

Lamont re$ounts how he got his si year 6ail senten$e. *he


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Ampratwum 2

6u)i$ial system in this respe$t" (ails to alter ra$e relations

sin$e +ere" a mur)erer gets three years.

+ere1s per$eptions start $hanging (rom his intera$tions

with Lamont an) he even starts playing basetball with the

2la$s. *his angers the 9hite Suprema$ists an) +ere is rape).

&is rape $ulminates the turning point in his ra$ial per$eptions.

Sweeny $omes to visit +ere in the in(irmary in 6ail an) ass him

3has anything you1ve )one ma)e your li(e better?4 /t is this

statement that (or$es +ere to reevaluate his a$tions. A(ter

+ere leaves the in(irmary" he ignores his 9hite (rien)s an)

be$omes a loner. &is 9hite $ronies ostra$i-e him. Lamont is the

one who eeps both si)es (rom harming +ere until he leaves 6ail

on parole. +ere $omes out o( 6ail as a trans(orme) man. *he

removal o( the swastia (lag (rom his room at home" symboli-es

the en) o( +ere1s +.:.@ era. Lie +ere" Sweeny plays a ey role

in shaping +anny1s i)eologies.

Sweeny tries to e)u$ate +anny but his su$$ess largely

)epen)s n +ere. Murray turns in +anny1s paper 3My Mein amp(4 to

Sweeny. 2y this a$tion" Murray again (ails in his )uties as a

tea$her. Murray )oes not try to help +anny but gives up on him

6ust lie he gave up on +ere years be(ore. Sweeny says" 3 he

learne) this nonsense an) he $an unlearn it. / will not give up

on this $hil) yet.4 Sweeny reali-es his mistaes with +ere an)

by this statement vows to )o a better 6ob with +anny. &e 7Sweeny8


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Ampratwum 2

ass +anny to rewrite the paper this time on his brother +ere.

/n narrating +ere1s story" +anny is (or$e) (or the (irs time" to

analy-e an) interpret how the events surroun)ing +ere1s

in$ar$eration shape) his li(e. +ere however" remains the main

(or$e in shaping +anny1s views.

+ere (ails +anny be$ause he is unable ra)i$ally re(orm his

brothers per$eptions. 9hen +anny writes in his paper 3people loo

at me an) see my brother4 he is a$$urate be$ause he essentially

be$omes +ere. *his trans(ormation starts at the )inner table

when Murray an) +ere start arguing about Ro)ney ing. +ere

almost su((o$ates his sister in anger an) shoves both +anny an)

his mother when they try to stop him. 9hen +avina $omes at +ere

with a bat an) he 7+ere8 tries to $om(ort her" +anny says out

lou) 3/ trust you +ere.4 *his blin) trust (or +ere is what

lea)s +anny to be$ome lie +ere. 9hen +ere went to 6ail" +anny

too up where he 7+ere8 le(t o((. &e 7+anny8 be$omes @ameron1s

pet an) @ameron (ills his hea) with nonsense. *his nonsense is

what lea)s +anny to write a paper arguing A)ol( &itler as a $ivil

rights hero.

/t is only a(ter his in$ar$eration that +ere tries to

re(orm his brother. +ere eplains what happens in 6ail an) says"

3/ am not telling you what to )o but / nee) you to un)erstan).4

+anny )oes not (ully un)erstan) the impa$t o( 6ail on +ere1s

li(e but is willing to try to $hange be$ause he i)oli-es his


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Ampratwum 2

brother. /nstea) o( 6ust i)oli-ing his brother" +anny nee)e) to

(in) what his belie(s were. Sa)ly" the movie en)s be(ore +anny

$an be re(orme).

+ere1s so$ial an) a$a)emi$ environments shape his

i)eologies. &e goes (rom a (ar right wing white suprema$ist to a

$onservaive liberalist. &e reali-es that he is a bypro)u$t o(

his environments. +ere )oes not (in) his 3own min)4 until he

(in)s himsel( rape) in 6ail. *he loss o( his 3i)eas4 is pain(ul

an) what he (eels is guilt an) (ear. &e also reali-es the )amage

he has $reate) in his (amily an) yearns to mae things right.

+anny on the other han)" never truly )is$overs his 3own min)4

sin$e he is tragi$ally ille) by 2la$ gang member. &e never

(ully reverses his way o( thining. /n essen$e" he learns the

rules o( the game too late an) the blin) trust in +ere1s past

a$tions is what lea)s to his )eath.

Ameri$an &istory ' is a mi$ro$osm o( what so$iety shoul) not

be. +ere an) +anny1s eperien$es )emonstrate how our

environments $an shape our per$eptions. &ate is a power(ul

$on$ept but $an be stoppe). So$iety must learn (rom +ere an)

+anny in or)er to avoi) the mistaes they ma)e an) must ensure

that a$a)emi$ an) so$ial institutions )o a better 6ob o(

e)u$ating people o( all ra$es.


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Ampratwum 2

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Shaping Racial Perceptions