Introduction
The Dream of Equality has a long history in the American Revolution and the subsequent movement for greater rights. American history has an evident contradiction: Although the Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal,” the real facts show that African Americans were continuously excluded from fundamental human rights. The piece of cultural production that will show the contemporary legacies of racism is the painting by Henry Taylor named “The times they ain’t a changing, fast enough!” (Figure 1).
It shows the killing of Philando Castillo by a police officer in 2016. Although Philando complied with the orders and did not pull out his weapon, the officer still decided to kill him without evidence of intent to harm (Smith et al., 2017). The crucial fact is that Jeronimo Yanez, the police officer who killed Philando Castillo, was acquitted during the trial.
The painting raises two critical problems: police violence against African Americans and the state’s protection of law enforcement despite their violent behavior. Therefore, the painting addresses the entrenched problem of inequalities in criminal justice. Considering this picture through the writings of prominent black rights activists, it seems that peaceful strategies inspired by the past should be the tool for redefining the American dream.
Brief Description of the Painting
Many beautiful elements in Henry Taylor’s painting deserve attention. Firstly, the scene is depicted from the perspective of Castillo’s fiancé’s seat. From here, the viewer may realize the horror she experienced during a heated conversation between Castillo and a police officer.
Secondly, Henry Taylor greatly plays with the composition of colors. Castillo’s white eye stares into the viewers, causing them to feel compassion. The orange color of caution and only a small piece of blue sky in the car’s windows depict hope for future salvation. Finally, the clothes of a police officer are similar to those of a robber or a killer, which indicates that Geronimo Yanes is the real killer. Such a powerful painting points to the inadequate attention to African Americans’ civil rights.
Connection with Previous History
This piece, which depicts police violence and symbolizes the immunity of law enforcement in the criminal justice system, has connections with the history of racial inequality in the US. One of the first facts that comes to my mind is the adoption of black laws in some midwestern states in the 19th century. They required all free black people to pay more than $1000 to guarantee their good behavior in the North.
The perception was common that African Americans have an inherent attitude towards crime and violence, so whites were biased towards them. It profoundly impacted the criminal justice system, which was often unjust to African American defendants. For hundreds of years, police brutality has been a prevalent feature of social life in the US. Such an instance is depicted in Henry Taylor’s painting.
This police brutality, specifically against African Americans, is the direct consequence of the criminal justice system’s prejudice against the black community. Police officers did not receive their prison sentences, which increased their sense of impunity. Thus, blacks were excluded from the principles of due process. Racial bias was an inevitable element of the criminal justice system for all of the 20th century, and only after Barack Obama’s reform of it some progress was seen. The painting “The times they ain’t a changing, fast enough” symbolizes these exclusions by depicting the unprovoked killing of Philando Castillo.
The American Dream in Texts of Political Thinkers
It is interesting to indirectly dialogue with writers, political thinkers, and past activists about the current state of affairs with the Dream of Equity. Jim Cullen, a famous cultural historian, in his book “The American Dream,” explored the origins and actual meaning of the American Dream throughout US history. The particular interest here presents Cullen’s discussion of the “separate but equal” principle of the Jim Crow era.
Cullen (2003) states that it “was simply a legal fiction whose entire reason for existence was a reality of separate but unequal” (p. 117). In modern times, equality of opportunity is also fictionally proclaimed as the justification for continued oppression. Similarly, Philando Castillo, depicted in the painting, was deprived of his right to life, guaranteed by the Constitution, because the policeman was prejudiced against black aggression.
The theme of violence and injustice towards African Americans was also discussed in detail by Frederick Douglass in his book “My Bondage and My Freedom.” Douglass (2000) stated: “Conscience cannot stand much violence. Once thoroughly broken down, who is he that can repair the damage?” (p. 153). In other words, he says that violence is a dehumanizing force that makes people mentally and morally unstable.
Such legacies of the past put severe constraints on African Americans’ opportunities to compete with white people for the American Dream. The systematic poverty, lack of education, and oppression, which are rooted in the violence of slavery, make “equality of condition” impossible in modern settings. Such a vicious circle will always result in the cruelty of policemen killing black drivers, as in “The times they ain’t a changing, fast enough!”. From this logic, the painting calls for police reform, affirmative action plans to address racial disparities, and the eradication of systematic discrimination in the present day.
Another significant argument that will be a valuable response to the chosen painting was made by James Baldwin in 1965. He claimed that “one has used the myth of Negro and the myth of color to pretend and to assume that you were dealing with, essentially, with something exotic, bizarre, and <…> unknown” (Rima, 2015). This perception of African Americans as dangerous “others” is evident in Taylor’s painting. Judging through Baldwin’s perspective, the solution to these structural forces of racial inequality is establishing constructive and peaceful dialogues between those who paid for the American dream and those who continue to be arrogant and supremacist.
Martin Luther King (1963) argued similarly: “I have a dream that <…> the sons of former slaves and the sons of former enslavers will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood”. Indeed, the dehumanization of blacks expressed in events of the past and the unjustified killings of black people by police in the 21st century should be solved by nonviolence. It can be peaceful marches, sit-in protests, and discussion roundtables – the formula here is the peaceful change of prejudices and negative attitudes.
Conclusion
To conclude, Henry Taylor’s painting gives a chance that the problems of inequality in the criminal justice system will be solved. It is expressed through the small piece of blue sky and white clouds in the car’s window. These elements symbolize the peace and friendship between opposing sides.
The careful reading of Douglass, King, Baldwin, and Cullen showed that African Americans should not use violence to fight for the American Dream. It would be wrong to stand in the same place as the police officer in the painting. Instead, it is necessary to use nonviolent action to convince policymakers to implement reforms. In addition, the peaceful dialogue with oppressive white people should also drive the wind of change in American society, which is still characterized by inequalities and discrimination.
References
Cullen, J. (2003). The American dream: A short history of an idea that shaped a nation. Oxford University Press.
Douglass, F. (2000). My bondage and my freedom. Miller Orton & Mulligan.
King, M. L. (1963). I have a dream. NPR. Web.
Rima. (2015). Transcript: James Baldwin debates William F. Buckley (1965). Blog#42. Web.
Smith, M. L., Otárola, M., Sawyer, L. (2017). After a rally by Philando Castile supporters in St. Paul, marchers hit I-94 and arrests followed. StarTribune. Web.
Appendix A
