8/11/2019 Shaping Racial Perceptions
1/7
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
8/11/2019 Shaping Racial Perceptions
2/7
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
8/11/2019 Shaping Racial Perceptions
3/7
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$e. *he
8/11/2019 Shaping Racial Perceptions
4/7
Ampratwum 2
6u)i$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$$ess largely
)epen)s n +ere. Murray turns in +anny1s paper 3My Mein amp(4 to
Sweeny. 2y this a$tion" Murray again (ails in his )uties as a
tea$her. Murray )oes not try to help +anny but gives up on him
6ust lie he gave up on +ere years be(ore. Sweeny says" 3 he
learne) this nonsense an) he $an unlearn it. / will not give up
on this $hil) yet.4 Sweeny reali-es his mistaes with +ere an)
by this statement vows to )o a better 6ob with +anny. &e 7Sweeny8
8/11/2019 Shaping Racial Perceptions
5/7
Ampratwum 2
ass +anny to rewrite the paper this time on his brother +ere.
/n narrating +ere1s story" +anny is (or$e) (or the (irs time" to
analy-e an) interpret how the events surroun)ing +ere1s
in$ar$eration shape) his li(e. +ere however" remains the main
(or$e in shaping +anny1s views.
+ere (ails +anny be$ause he is unable ra)i$ally re(orm his
brothers per$eptions. 9hen +anny writes in his paper 3people loo
at me an) see my brother4 he is a$$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
8/11/2019 Shaping Racial Perceptions
6/7
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.
8/11/2019 Shaping Racial Perceptions
7/7
Ampratwum 2