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Introduction
Poetry is an art that many individuals use to pass information. From politics to liberation movements and racial awareness rallies, poetry enables communication that conveys crucial messages to the public. Poetry can influence decision-making among people as it can give the truth to the public and also manipulates some facts. Poetry is a powerful tool that can impact communities negatively or positively, and Gwendolyn Brooks, a teacher, author, and poet, is one of the many poets who had significant influence over society through her poetic works. Most of Brooks’ work deals with celebrating the black community and taking pride in being a part of the black population. Brooks is the first African American ever to win the Pulitzer poetry award to recognize her poetic enthusiasm, particularly in addressing African Americans’ racial and inferiority struggles while encouraging them to get inspiration from their diverse black community to gain superiority in society.
Discussion
Among Brooks’ work is the seven-stanza poem primer for blacks that emphasizes the power of black heritage. In the poem, Brooks encourages Africans to embrace their culture while taking pride in being black. Brooks presents her poetry in an enthusiastic and prideful attitude that uses figurative language that challenges and inspires the reader to think about the poem’s message. This essay examines the themes of racial inferiority and black empowerment with Brooks’ poem Primer for Blacks as a reference.
An individual’s racial origin is a significant issue in the life of human beings as most individuals tend to form communities according to particular racial identities. The most distinguishing factor that defines race is skin color, while few cases of religion or cultural values can determine a person’s racial origins. History classifies the human race as either black or white, where social interrelationships gave rise to other shades of skin colors, creating diversity in the human race. Therefore, all individuals of color belong to the black community.
Despite the racial vastness, most individuals shun being black and prefer their particular identities, such as Indians and half-Americans, because being black is equal to being inferior. In the last stanza, Brooks calls for all blacks to unite regardless of color to gain superiority and empower the black community. Brooks personifies blackness as black having “geographical power,” which “pulls everybody in” (Brooks, line 17-18). If the black race came together, it could create a vast community that stretches throughout the land and covers great influence and power.
During intense racial segregation and discrimination, most individuals pass on as white due to white American superiority. Being black was frustrating and humiliating, leading to cultural disenfranchisement, racial discrimination, and violence, which is still the case. Due to the white superiority, the elite African Americans sought to intermarry and elevate their social standing by identifying as white people. In brooks’ poem, “the conscious shout/ of all that is white is/ it’s great to be white// of the slack in black is/it’s great to be white” (Brooks, line 8-13), emphasizes racial superiority throughout time. In the final stanza, brooks allusion to describe how most African Americans claim kinship to George Washington for the sake of feeling superior to their white counterparts, indicating that the black community is still inferior and still trying to find empowerment in their black origins.
Nowadays, many black people mimic the white American culture, such as dressing, talking, and hair styling to identify as white. African men prefer to wear suits and ties, while women use hair extensions similar to white hair instead of being naturally African. Blacks are also bleaching their skin colors to have a lighter shade which can identify as being white. According to Brooks, black people must understand their heritage and diversity as a significant factor in creating unity and empowering their cultural heritage (Brooks, line 1-7). Also, being black is not something one can change; therefore, embracing blackness and finding its value as one big community is significant to empower the black race.
Black empowerment movements and activists have been at the forefront of creating equality between African Americans and white Americans throughout history, particularly in the United States. To date, it is still the most controversial and sought-after issue in ensuring racial equality. Empowering black people has brought many organizations, civil rights movements, activists, and rallies that support empowering black people. As an advocate for black supremacy, Brooks’ poetry calls for unity and acceptance of the black heritage. In Brooks’ poem, she tells black people to “/comprehend, salute and love the fact that we are black/ which is our ‘ultimate reality” (Baldwin, line 41-43) in an attempt to demonstrate that the black community can only thrive through accepting and embracing their heritage.
Conclusion
Throughout the poem, Brooks presents the inferiority attitude and perceptions of African Americans towards their heritage in a poetic way as she consequently encourages the black society to take pride and embrace their heritage. Black people prefer the identity of being white because white Americans are more superior in status and wealth. Other diverse blacks’ races, such as Indians and half-blacks, do not like to associate with the black heritage because it is inferior. However, Brooks states that the black heritage is more superior if all black people can come together to claim their heritage regardless of color and ethnic identity. The poet is optimistic about blacks gaining power through embracing their heritage and creating a diverse community that shares one vision of being proud to be black. Brook’s poetry shows her intense longing to sustain and claim the power, beauty, and value of unity among black people. Thus, considering the poem’s message can bring unity, black superiority, and empowerment for a better black society.
Works cited
Baldwin, Emma. “Primer for Blacks by Gwendolyn Brooks”. Poem Analysis, Web.
Brooks E. Gwendolyn. “Classic poem series.” The world’s poetry archive, 2012. Web.
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