Introduction
Racial discrimination has been one of the most critical social problems the world has faced in the past few decades. The marginalized black society has received a place in the global community and economic, social, and political rights. Nonetheless, racism remains in every human sphere and facility, such as schools, universities, government, and others. Different measures were undertaken to eradicate the discrimination, such “Black Lives Matter” movement and UN campaigns. However, one underestimated factor, such as a peaceful and safe home for African Americans, has not been appropriately addressed. This paper will discuss the concept of such a home, and its impact on the fight against race and gender discrimination by analyzing the story of Bilal and its relation to Hooks’s work.
Discussion
The value of a home place for people of color is vital in raising a community of people ready to resist racism. Born as children of color, juveniles from black communities were raised without a basic human right to freedom. The children had not been taught to speak their voices or express opinions because part of their livelihood and homeplace was being a “slave.” Such a notion can be observed not only in stories written by people of color but also in contemporary popular culture pieces like “Bilal: A New Breed of Hero” (Bilal: A New Breed of Hero). At the movie’s beginning, the viewer observes Bilal as a child who cannot impact the death of family members or be sold as an enslaved person. However, by the end of the movie, Bilal becomes a hero and liberator because of knowledge received from the elderly like Abu Bakr (Bilal: A New Breed of Hero). Nonetheless, the story leaves an open question about what happens to children who never had mentors, such as Abu Bakr or Hamza.
Critically thinking about the issue allows viewers to realize that not only Bilal but all children from marginalized communities need a peaceful home with the elderly who can teach resistance to societal norms. The representation of slavery and its consequences are discussed in research by Hafsyari and Faisal, where they emphasize that slavery is a result of economic class division (2). The absence of power to resist the system consequently resulted in “the rich becoming richer and the poor becoming very poor” (Hafsyari and Faisal 5). Therefore, African American children must equally have a safe home where they would comprehend their human rights not to be oppressed and be free.
Another critical value of a peaceful home place for people of color is creating a united environment for African Americans who will fight against gender inequality. Eliminating gender discrimination requires women to understand their right to be equal to men of all races and reinstate their role in society. The issue of white supremacy forced women of color to be enslaved in the houses of white people and, consequently, be unable to provide proper care in their own houses (Hooks 384). Such conditions harm children and their parents, which is why “the crisis of black womanhood” appeared (Hooks 388). Achieving gender equality will help African American women attain high-paid jobs and maintain their households by the values described at the beginning of Hooks’s “Homeplace.” Therefore, the fight against racial and gender inequality must coexist and be supported by all communities.
The primary concept of home for people of color is a safe space from white oppression. Bilal never had a place named “home” while growing up, and neither did enslaved people who often resided in their masters’ houses (Allain 83). In the case of being sold to a different master, enslaved people changed houses but never had a safe place from discrimination. Having a homeplace does not only provide a space for refuge, but it is, in addition, a representation of equality because people of color had no economic right to own real estate until the recent century (Stewart). Therefore, having a home place has the meaning of having liberty for people who were enslaved. Homeplace is a symbol of freedom for Bilal and Hooks, but it is not the only concept that unites these works.
The ideas of freedom and family unite Hooks’s essay and Bilal’s movie. Freedom is a broad concept, which in the two mentioned works appears as a will to resist in times of struggle. Bilal had faith and thus he resisted the system of slavery to reach ultimate liberty where enslaved people become equal to others and have a right to equal life. The same idea is emphasized in her essay by writing “[our sisters] continue to struggle in the midst of suffering” (Hooks 385). The battle of black women against white male oppression continued because they wanted freedom for themselves and their families. So did Bilal, who wanted to save his sister Ghufaira. Liberty for Bilal and Hooks is not only a safe home and will to resist, but also having the opportunity to live with family. Bilal was separated from his mother and sister, and Hooks described childhood without mother care in her community, and thus both of them understood family’s importance (Hooks 387). The movie and the books tell the story of an enslaved person who faces different obstacles and injustice, and therefore the pieces are related in terms of historical background and central ideas.
Conclusion
To conclude, the concept of home for black people is a place for refuge from white hatred and a symbol of economic equality to the supreme race. In addition, setting a peaceful and accessible home for black people is an essential step to eradicating global problems such as racism and gender inequality. One of the works that discuss it is Bell Hooks’s essay, which relates to the Bilal movie due to the similarity of the central ideas and representation of the concept of freedom.
Works Cited
Hooks, Bell. “Homeplace (a site of resistance).” In Yearning: Race, Gender, and Cultural Politics, 41–49. Boston: South End Press, 1990.
Bilal: A New Breed of Hero. Directed by Ayman Jamaland Khurram Alavi Barajoun Entertainment, 2018.
Hafsyari, Fitri and Bunyamin Faisal. Slavery in ‘Bilal: A New Breed of Hero’ and ’12 Years a Slave’ Films. CALL, vol. 3, no. 1, 2021, Web.
Allain, J., editor. The Legal Understanding of Slavery: From the Historical to the Contemporary. Oxford, 2012.
Stewart, W. “Home Sweet Home?: Slave Dwellings and the Politics of Home.” The Journal of the Civil War Era, Web.