The low perceptions of black skin people and associated prejudices by society have their origins in the pre-colonial period. Africans were captured or otherwise sold into slavery as property to mostly white masters, including the British and Americans, to mention a few. However, even after the abolition of the slave trade, which led to granting black people freedom to live as freemen in society, they experienced segregation. The black people in America were considered as lesser beings, with less appealing physical appearances and who possessed little to below-average intelligence because of the color of their skin. On the other hand, the white color was considered superior and associated with all the ideal qualities of the human race. The segregation and prejudices attached to the black community by their counterparts impacted them negatively in regard to how society perceived the black people and consequently, how they felt about themselves. Through the poem Primer for Blacks, Gwendolyn Brooks encourages black people to embrace blackness and demystifies the analogy of white supremacy.
The author starts by instilling pride and a sense of belonging to her audience by portraying blackness as both a commitment and title to be proud of and not be ashamed about. She describes blackness as a blessing and glory in itself that every black person should seek within and shine for the rest of the world to witness its marvel. The seven-stanza of Primer for Blacks also emphasizes the power of black heritage. In the poem, Brooks encourages Africans to embrace their culture while taking pride in being black. The poem is delivered with an enthusiastic and prideful attitude that uses figurative language that challenges its audience. The second stanza in the poem states, “The conscious shout of all that is white/it’s Great to be White/ the conscious shout of the slack in the Black is” (Brooks, lines 8-12). According to Brooks, society has been conditioned to perceive whites as the superior race. This is, however, not true, but rather just a societal construct that is deeply ingrained in the minds of the people
Consequentially, the black community continues to face numerous historical injustices and has not been able to attain real freedom and equality. Brooks dispels that it is impossible to achieve equality with the inferior perception and lack of acceptance among the black people. For a long time now, black empowerment movements and activists have been at the forefront in the fight for equality between African Americans and white Americans throughout history, particularly in the United States. However, this still remains a controversial and sought-after issue in ensuring racial equality. The increased vigor for wanting equality is evident by the numerous organizations, civil rights movements, activists, and rallies that support empowering black people. As an advocate for racial identity, 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” (Brooks, lines 41-43). In other terms, Brooks argues that only after accepting and embracing blackness will the black community achieves equality and respect they so deserve.
Brooks calls upon the unification of the black community despite the exiting shades of blackness in today’s society. The low perception of black people is so great in society that a section of people who have a black heritage would do anything in their power to dissociate themselves with the blackness. In addition, most individuals shun being black and prefer their particular identities, such as Indians and half-Americans, because of the negative perception. Others go to the extent of bleaching their skin to have a lighter complexion just to escape from the attached prejudices and discrimination of that face black people (Charles, 200). 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, lines 17-18). According to the author, only when the black race comes together would they rediscover their potential and the power to so seek to overcome the inferiority complex.
In conclusion, societal perception and prejudices towards blackness have always painted people with black skin as inferior to their white counterparts. What is worse, however, is the fact those blacks believe this as true and also perceive themselves as inferior. As a result, black people encounter a lot of discrimination and segregation in many parts of the world, including in the United States. The majority of the blacks do not love who they are, they have difficulty accepting who they really are, and have disunity among them. Brooks, through the poem Prime for Blacks, challenges and encourages the black people to embrace who they are, redefine how they want to be perceived, and stop believing the inferiority propaganda constructed in society, for them to be truly free and attain their full potential.
Works Cited
Brooks, Gwendolyn. “Primer for Blacks by Gwendolyn Brooks | Poetry Foundation.” Poetry Foundation, Web.
Charles, Christopher AD. “Skin bleaching, oppression and black resistance.” Fight for Freedom: Black Resistance and Identity (2017): 200.