Historically, Black and Brown individuals have and continue to be over policed and are incarcerated at higher rates compared to White individuals. Black people get punished at a higher rate for the same crime that White people commit. Black people are beat, tortured, and killed at higher rates than White people. All lives matter, bullshit. Black individuals continue to be discriminated against; from their hair, lips, nails, to even their voice. These discriminations are rooted in historical white supremacy and proud boys strategies that have been used prior to the civil war as a preventative barrier to neglect the Black community’s right to succeed.
In the book titled The Water Dancer, Ta-Nehisi Coates continues the character development of Hiram. Chapter 10 opens readers to Hiram’s jail cell where he introduces his cell mates; one boy, and one old man. While Coates continues to incorporate specific diction and imagery, the language has definitely changed since the first few chapters. For instance, Coates mentions that “The first was a boy with light brown hair, barely twelve I guessed, a boy who did not smile and never spoke and maintained the hardened aspect of a man long tasked. But he was a boy, a fact revealed at night by the fearful whimper in his sleep, by his small yawn in the morning” (Coates, 127). Here we see how Coates decides to use specific words like “whimper” or “ fearful” as opposed to saying “Tears fell from his face and soon a puddle emerged”. He makes the active decision to remove himself from such language to incorporate a rather more broad language structure.
While Coates does not specially incorporate specific words and phrases, he hints at creating a picture where, to a certain extent, Hiram sees himselfs through the boy and through the old man. Such as creating an illusion of when Hiram was younger and the relationship he had with his own mother, to the old man of where he is going as he continues to age. Such a message conveys that when individuals are incarcerated or removed from society for minor crimes, in this case, being black; individuals can lose a sense of innocence and become lost within their own space. This is not just and should not be allowed in today’s society. Coates attempts to educate readers of the conditions in the jail cell but also disconnects from the rest of the world.
This ideology of criminology and what is deemed a crime is decided by society itself. It is what we teach our students in the classroom. The book titled Critical Race Theory edited by Richard Delgado & Jean Stefancic described what critical race theory is and the importance of implementation. Editors Delgado and Stefancic dive deeper into the understanding of how critical race theory came to be. Both of them discuss how it was introduced into schools and express the different categories of critical race theory depending on which social or cultural group one belongs to. Hiram also says a very powerful phrase within the chapter. Hiram mentions “Solace is not freedom.” It is not enough for individuals to provide condolences and support in oppressed systems they themselves contribute to. Just like saying “I am not a racist”; this does not remove the privilege that certain individuals are born into. What is also so funny is that most of the time, it is White people providing this solace to individuals and thinking they are “off the hook” when discussing racism.
Similarly, Coates and Delgado/ Stefancic discuss the truth about the conditions in which Black and Brown individuals are placed. Delgado edits and mentions that “Studies show that blacks and latinos who seek loans, apartments, or jobs are much more apt than similarly qualified whites to suffer rejections, often for vague or spurious reasons” (12). Here, similar to The Water Dancer, we learn that Black and Brown individuals, like Hiram, are subject to discrimintion and racism at such a young age. Their ability to purchase a home and start a life is contingent on the color of their skin and their ability to talk and converse in “normal” English. Here we see the barriers that I mention above in creating social barriers for Black people. This is a result of individuals neglecting the critical race theory and avoiding its existence. Race is a social construct most likely created by White individuals to form the divide between “us” and “them”.
Overall, the language used in both works represent a deep traumatic history that is often blind to the naked eye. However, if you take the time to fully understand and attempt to empathize, you can get and see the bigger picture within these two works. From a historical perspective, the social issues prevalent in both works still exist today in modern society. We have the power to change the narrative, I encourage you to join the conversation.