Comedy & Racism – The Scarlet

A be aware from the editor:

This text by Religion Duggan was initially revealed on her weblog Faith’s Takes.

Religion Duggan

Contributing Author

I’m now not coding my phrases and meanings with intelligent metaphors of Get Out, as I can now not camouflage the tears that drip into my masks as I run out of my classroom crying. Each tear shed was attributable to my professor’s racist and ableist statements.

However let’s give attention to the repeat offender: racism.

This yr, I’m taking my main’s cumulative course, known as Capstone: Comedy and Queerness. My white professor, code title: Dylan (they/them), deliberately integrated stand-up acts and situation-comedies with individuals of coloration, which has solely occurred in Display screen Research courses when taught by the professor of coloration.

I do know, it’s stunning; the Division really has a professor of coloration.

One week, Dylan centered on Wanda Sykes and Mothers Mabley. Two Black queer artists of spectacular comedic management. I used to be in heaven. The category was engaged in dialog, I used to be fascinated by the subject, probing my professor with troublesome questions, difficult and citing new ideas in an hour’s dialogue, however felt like no time had slipped by.

However after all, on the very finish of the dialog, Dylan started talking of the plights of Black girls and the way they––however in my case, we––have to cover our truths to be extra digestible to white audiences. After saying this, they turned to me, seemed me lifeless within the eyes, and requested, “Proper?”

Turning to the one Black girl within the class and double-checking their details with my experiences is a microaggression equal to taking a look at Black college students whereas speaking about slavery.

I rapidly ran out of the room, attempting to carry my tears in till reaching the privateness of the massive stall of the toilet. After I returned, the category went on break, and the professor had disappeared. So, I announce to my 4 white classmates and a pupil of coloration. “Did anybody else discover that Dylan microaggressed me?!”

The reply was sure.

I wanted to corroborate my encounter with the category, nearly as if my expertise within the classroom would later be on trial. As I collected witnesses to the “crime,” I questioned why none of my white friends in my three years at Clark had been prepared to actively struggle with individuals of coloration by talking out. I’ve spoken earlier than about how I perceive why individuals of coloration keep mute as they really feel othered, silenced, and may concern retribution. Particularly for the reason that Display screen Research Division depends on these strategies to systematically oppress pupils of coloration.

However why don’t my counterparts use their white privilege to guard their non-white classmates? Do you concern? Are you silenced? Do you are feeling othered? Are you uncomfortable? Do you worth performative activism greater than really combating for racial justice?

Pricey White Individuals, by leaving the activism solely to the individuals––or particular person––of coloration who’re talking out, you might be perpetuating the cyclical nature of silencing that the Division topics college students of coloration to.

Pricey White Individuals, I’m not asking you to talk up. I’m begging you to help the individuals of coloration who’re courageous sufficient to sort out this contained in the classroom. Outwardly say, “I agree,” clap, or snap, however texting, “are you okay?” after I flee my supposed protected house, exhibits that you’re conscious of how traumatizing the category was for me, however doesn’t erase the truth that I used to be alone on this matter.

Two weeks later, Dylan assigned Maude episodes over Fall Break, one being “Maude meets Florida.” I initially watched this episode at house with my mother and father, the place they commented, “why is that this racist crap a part of your syllabus?” and “why am I paying so that you can expertise racism? You get that free of charge.”

Satirical or not, the character Maude states, “The issues that come out of your tradition are so, so wealthy, so…juicy,” when speaking to her Black maid. Or with the privateness of her husband (Walter) and grownup youngster, “That girl wants our assist….Florida is just not your trendy Negro. She hasn’t discovered that new sense of— of self-respect and militancy. Walter, Florida is your pre-liberation southern Black.”

Ultimately, Maude’s “Karen” conduct ends with a bang, “In the event you don’t wanna enhance your self, I’m not gonna attempt to change you…for one week, I’ve been attempting to show to you {that a} Black girl will be simply as proud and simply as self-respecting as a white girl, however you might be too darn dumb to realize it.”

Regardless of these strains of dialogue, Dylan actively selected this episode to be a part of my schooling. Sadly, this isn’t solely stunning as they make college students watch Start of a Nation in one of many courses they educate yearly. For each courses, they didn’t give warning concerning the racial trauma that might be witnessed.

At one level within the lecture, they said, “I perceive how disturbing this sitcom is,” and so they nonetheless actively wished the category to bear this “disturbing” materials, even and not using a set off warning.

However, one thing uncommon occurred on this class. I wasn’t the primary or final particular person to talk. Two friends, an individual of coloration and a white compatriot, each introduced up the racism throughout the present; and outwardly supported me on this confrontation. However on the finish of the day, this rigorous course consists of solely seniors throughout the space of research. I’ve taken courses with each single pupil within the class previous to this course. And but solely 2 of my 12 friends spoke up, whereas the bulk sat shocked and silent.

Nonetheless, regardless of the small share of us talking out, it exhibits energy as a result of three individuals by no means spoke out in unity. However, Dylan couldn’t see previous their very own white fragility on this matter.

For every a part of my argument, Dylan responded by disparaging Black historical past and my expertise as a Black girl on this class; each declare they chanted was only a micro-aggression.

For instance, after I stated that the jokes have been racist as a result of individuals of coloration weren’t included within the course of of constructing the present and due to this fact had no energy within the jokes, Dylan responded, “I get what you might be saying, I get that this was not enjoyable and actually awkward.” Dylan didn’t get what I used to be saying, as they discredited my racial background and the racist actions within the present by utilizing phrases like “not enjoyable” and “actually awkward.”

After I voiced, “if you happen to can see [Maude] as satirical, it’s a part of having white privilege and never experiencing, and never being reminded, of the historical past and the burden of generational trauma.” Dylan stated, “I’m sorry you might be having that have.” There was no acknowledgment of their very own influence on me having this “expertise,” no apology for his or her actions. They usually have but to do one.

Their feedback belittled my expertise watching the present and perpetuated racist commentary throughout the lecture. Nearly as in the event that they have been okay that this comedy was on the expense of Black individuals, at my expense. Furthermore, the satirical criticism of race within the 70s may have featured a Black sitcom, the place their private encounters with racism may have fashioned how the collection tackled the social points.

Past this, Dylan wished us to critique the present and the character Maude as she was the one character who was unable to see how dangerous and ignorant her phrases have been, defining the present as humorous due to Maude’s ignorance. Sarcastically, Dylan dealt with the scenario similar to Maude would. Finally proving that we don’t reside in a society the place we are able to constructively watch white individuals’s “satirical” feedback on racism, particularly not these from 1972.

I say this once more: Dylan was blinded by their white privilege. This allowed them to select a white sitcom to sort out racism regardless of the chosen episodes upholding the overarching racial themes the collection tried to critique. Dylan additionally couldn’t see how assigning this materials was dangerous to not solely the scholars of coloration however to all the scholars within the room earlier than our class dialogue. And after three college students bravely spoke out, they continued to fiercely maintain onto their beliefs, including an extra layer of trauma to the already painful expertise.

I fled the category as soon as extra, retreating to the consolation of the massive stall. This time after I exited, I used to be surrounded by the 2 others who spoke out. We cried in one another’s arms, striving to consolation each other and to attempt to comprehend this abomination. My peer of coloration and I mentioned recommendations on how we may survive the hour and a half left with out utterly breaking down.

Our options? Sheer hope.

As we bravely hiked again to the classroom, Dylan had disappeared, and we have been alerted that they’d pitched two choices to the category: ending class for the day or resuming class as if nothing had occurred.

I walked out.

Earlier than Dylan’s return, a complete of seven college students protested class by leaving. There have been solely 12 different college students within the class that day. 4 of us walked to the Lecturers Commons on campus and continued to cry, complain, and people of us of coloration made satirical jokes about racism within the class.

One of many college students who stayed in school texted me asking if I used to be okay whereas I used to be within the toilet. And gave me updates as to Dylan’s conduct; after they lastly returned, they have been shocked and confused to find an almost empty classroom. The e-mail goes as adopted:

I’m sorry that they have been confused by my and others’ conduct. Nevertheless, I’ll communicate for myself to clear up any miscommunication. I walked out not as a result of I believed the category was over, however as a result of your classroom was now not a protected place for me to study. I used to be not handled with the respect of a pupil with an opinion or as a Black girl who has a greater grasp of defining racism and the hurt it causes. Subsequently, I used to be now not prepared to take part.

I’m assuming that Dylan had good intentions for the category, however intent with out motion simply perpetuates the racial injustices at Clark, which makes their intent a consequence: an influence. Dylan microaggressed me on two separate events on this class alone. They usually have a historical past of forcing the scholars of coloration within the class to be reminded of the generational trauma by making college students watch traumatizing texts, comparable to Maude or Start of a Nation. Their influence snowballs.

Whereas Maude is a sitcom and due to this fact suits beneath the umbrella of comedy, I don’t perceive how “Maude meets Florida,” an episode the place––with out the racial overtones of the dialogue––a lady hires a maid, suits the subject of queerness. The category known as Comedy & Queerness, not Comedy & Race. Whereas extra professors want to incorporate conversations about race throughout disciplines, professors should be outfitted to facilitate these conversations in addition to perceive what supplies are applicable to assign.

Within the class, we’ve got mentioned queerbaiting, when celebrities, movies, and different mediums make the most of queer undertones to market the fabric. Dylan’s conduct is racebaiting. Whereas Merriam-Webster defines the time period as “making of verbal assaults towards members of a racial group.” Britannica interprets racebaiting as “the unfair use of statements about race to attempt to affect the actions or attitudes of a selected group of individuals.”

I used to be not “attacked,” however I used to be impacted by their statements. And Dylan tried to affect my opinions on the matter by means of the usage of their authority as a trainer and as a white particular person, inserting them above me in each societal and campus-wide hierarchy. However I wasn’t the one particular person within the room. Dylan tried to affect the category on their beliefs, particularly on how satire is unable to concurrently be racist if criticizing society.

And Simply Like That, we’ve got one other weblog submit about racism. Whereas I saved my promise and didn’t use any Get Out metaphors, utilizing satire, humor, and creativity to precise racism and the hurt I encounter and proceed to really feel is one thing I’ve the flexibility to do as an imaginative Black thinker. It’s how I’m reclaiming the facility they tried to subdue.