strategy

15 Mar 2009 news 0 Comments

Last week I taught A Red Record (1895) by Ida B. Wells, and my students and I compared her strategies to those used by the authors of slave narratives in the early to mid-19th century.  Slave narratives–first-hand accounts of the horrors of slavery–were designed to stir sympathy among middle-class, genteel, Christian whites.  If whites sympathized with enslaved blacks, they might join the cause of abolition and use their power, wealth, and influence to set things right.  It was a smart strategy, but there were certain drawbacks: a genteel white audience was NOT prepared to hear certain truths, and so black writers had to tailor their accounts so as not to offend or alarm their white readers.  No open discussion of sexuality was allowed, and so rape could only be alluded to; graphic depictions of violence had to be toned down, and the formerly enslaved/fugitives could NOT–under any circumstances–express RAGE.  They had to be forgiving, forbearing, reasonable, and rational–otherwise whites might fear that liberated slaves would do the THEM all the horrific things that had been done to blacks.  It was a bind, but impassioned writers like Harriet Jacobs and Frederick Douglass still managed to convey the suffering and humanity of enslaved blacks, and ultimately many whites were converted to the cause of abolition.  Ida B. Wells had a different strategy in her crusade to end lynching.  She knew that the barbaric torture, mutilation, and murder of black men, women, and children would not end unless white Americans were SHAMED into acting right.  Even though only a third of black lynch victims were *accused* of rape (no charges could be proved since mobs pre-empted the judicial process), the *cry* of rape so outraged whites throughout the US that it became impossible to generate sympathy for lynch victims.  As Wells concluded, rape put the black man “beyond the pale” of white sympathy.  Her strategy, therefore, was to shame American whites by taking the facts of their brutality overseas to England in the 1890s.   When whites, particularly in the South, realized that the British might form “civilization societies” and send missionaries to convert the savage whites of America, they sat up and took notice.  They condemned Wells as a liar and worse, but ultimately began to worry that their reputation abroad was being smeared.  Could British fear of American anarchy lead to divestment from US industry?  Lynching began to decline in the 1890s–quite likely because of Wells’ successful ability to expose and shame the wrongdoers globally.  Lynchers didn’t care what blacks thought of them, but they sure gave a damn about what whites overseas thought…

nycteen_author_fest

Fastforward to the 21st century.  There’s an upcoming event that has disturbed some of my online friends.  Edi, over at Crazy Quilts, pointed out that in one of the most diverse cities in the world, this Teen Author Festival has only three black authors on the roster.  I don’t see any Asian authors listed [correction–I see two, I think]…one Latino author.  Are we missing something?  Maybe they’re going to surprise attendees by pulling more writers of color out of a hat?  Maybe all the authors aren’t yet confirmed.  It sounds like a really great, innovative event, but in a city that’s well over half people of color, why isn’t there similar diversity among the invited authors listed on the website?  We’ve been emailing back and forth, expressing outrage, discussing strategies.  I was initially inclined to keep quiet, since whatever I say will be interpreted as “sour grapes” (I’m a writer who’s operating outside of the “legitimate” publishing industry/community).  And let me be clear: I don’t at all mean to equate slavery or lynching with this seeming act of exclusion.  I’m interested in STRATEGIES to make members of the majority group CARE about the needs/concerns of minority groups.  Any and all ideas are welcome…

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