In Mr.Saxon's class, our discussions have moved from gender issues to the privileges of a heterosexual, and now to racism. I have started reading the book The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, and found an interesting article that showed me where the sentiments of the novel could've possibly derived from.
Racism is a sensitive topic that many majority groups would avoid or ignore. A discussion group on the topic of racism; showed both white and black views on racism. In order to show that, the article, White on Black, Black on White, was broken in to two parts: the opinion of a white person, then the opinion of a black person. Carol Estes is the associate editor of YES! (the magazine the article was published in), and she shared her thoughts as a white woman. To her racism was not apparent in the world we live in today. There were no specific rules that segregated blacks from whites. Black business men, athletes, celebrities, and heroes are not uncommon in the world. "[She] thought we were talking fine points now. [She] thought that the subtler racism that remains today was less lethal to the human spirit" (Estes par. 12). But one man, a black pastor named Robert Jeffrey (who wrote the Black on White article) had pointed out that her opinion is exactly what angers him very much. In his article, he states that the racist whites of today are not the ones who anger him. Klan members who still actively promote white supremacy does not bother him as much as opinions like the ones of Carol Estes bothered him. He saw people who thought the same as Estes as people who did not understand. He believed that their indifference to the racism that was apparent in the US is what hurts society the most. He explains that "It is their indifferent to [his] things, the horrors of [his] life, that angers me" (Jeffrey par. 9). But, in the end, Carol Estes' eyes were opened to new, but not necessarily good parts of life. And Robert Jeffrey's anger subsided as he understood that their indifference was not ignorance, but pure lack of understanding.
As I read the article I realized that I think very much alike Carol Estes. I believe that society, and most average americans are accepting of different cultures. But now I realize that I am just being indifferent. And, yes, the generations of today should lend a helping hand and clean up the mess that the forefathers of this country has created. According to Robert Jeffrey, "Because of your indifference, because of your unwillingness to accept responsibility for the sins of your fathers" (Estes par. 15) the world's racism is simply hidden and rarely spoken about. As demeaning and hurtful his ideas may be, it can not be any more truer. The fact of the matter is that we are born into this world under the conditions created by the generations from the past. And - yes it is not our fault that racism exists - but it is the world we live in. Therefore, we should take on the responsibility of cleaning it up. Just like we take care of our own homes, we all should take care of the world we live in.
Using this ideology, a reasoning for the characters of The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison to feel ugly is given. The majority group, in both time eras, either outwardly hated different races, or ignored the racist issue at hand. Whatever the opinion is, it belittles the characters of the book (especially the children) which leads them to think of themselves as ugly and unworthy. The characters believe they are ugly because the "pretty" dolls of the time were those of a white girl with blue eyes - Shirley Temple. Unless a little girl had those features, she was ugly. Claudia, one of the characters from the book, secretly doubts 
that beauty as she rips apart a doll to find the "inner beauty". When she only finds a metal core, she is baffled and upset that society's perfect little girl is that of a metal core. The society's ignorance to deem all skin colors to have their own individual beauty is what diminishes the courage, self-esteem, and confidence of a minority.
Observing the world today to the world of 1941, I can't help but shake my head in disappointment. Have the strong voices of history not been enough to wake people up? Do we still have the issues of racism in the world after all those years of fighting? If the similarities and the roots of problems of race still exist, no matter how many dirty leaves we clean up, other dirty leaves will grow. And it's hard to believe that all those voices and efforts to end the growth of diseased trees will all go to waste. Unless, someone or something comes along to take out the roots of the rotten tree. Anyone?
that beauty as she rips apart a doll to find the "inner beauty". When she only finds a metal core, she is baffled and upset that society's perfect little girl is that of a metal core. The society's ignorance to deem all skin colors to have their own individual beauty is what diminishes the courage, self-esteem, and confidence of a minority.Observing the world today to the world of 1941, I can't help but shake my head in disappointment. Have the strong voices of history not been enough to wake people up? Do we still have the issues of racism in the world after all those years of fighting? If the similarities and the roots of problems of race still exist, no matter how many dirty leaves we clean up, other dirty leaves will grow. And it's hard to believe that all those voices and efforts to end the growth of diseased trees will all go to waste. Unless, someone or something comes along to take out the roots of the rotten tree. Anyone?
