Racism And Prejudice By Claudia Rankine - 889 Words

Citizen (2014), by Claudia Rankine, is a book that explores racism and prejudice that is happening in the United States. Rankine incorporates personal encounters, reactions, reflections, writing and art pieces, historical events, and the media to prove the point that racism is still very prominent to this day. For a majority of the book, Rankine writes short pieces about her personal encounters that deals with some form of racism, whether it happened to her or if she witnessed racism happening to other people. Within those short pieces, Rankine refers to herself as â€Å"you,† because she wants her readers to see what racism looks like in her shoes, even if the readers have not personally been affected by racism. Throughout the book, Rankine includes several symbols that are important to her that shows the audience that those symbols may be small, but they have a huge impact on how people perceive them. Some of the symbols that Claudia Rankine uses throughout Citizen is the co lor line, complexion of skin tone, and angry. What are the significance of each? When racism was more common in the United States, there was blunt segregation happening before people’s eyes. White people lived in areas with more opportunities, and better living arrangements, whereas black people were forced to live in lesser more ghetto parts of town. Although, the color line is not as prominently visible, there are still insistences that have occurred to this today that proves the color line is notShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Book Living Color By Claudia Rankine903 Words   |  4 PagesCitizen (2014), by Claudia Rankine, is a book that explores racism and prejudice that is happening in the United States. Rankine incorporates personal encounters, reactions, reflections, writing and art pieces, historical events, and the media to prove the point that racism is still very prominent to this day. For a majority of the book, Rankine writes short pieces about her personal encounters that deals with some form of racism, whether it happened to her or if she witnessed racism happening to otherRead MoreIn Claudia Rankine’S Citizen: An American Lyric, Many Themes1170 Words   |  5 PagesIn Claudia Rankine’s Citizen: An American Lyric, many themes come together to show the intricate and fragile lives of black people within the racist construct of America. Anything from the game of tennis filled with bad calls to the outright brutality of police violence against blacks is represented by Citizen. Rankine creates a narrative of the everyday lives of blacks through not only her own experiences but the experiences of others. Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine seeks to bringRead MoreRacial Profiling And Discrimination By Claudia Rankine s Citizen : An American Lyric Essay1366 Words   |  6 PagesRacial profiling and discrimination is an underlining theme in Claudia Rankine’s Citizen: An American Lyric. The author uses everyday encounters to expose the harsh reality African American people live. Rankineâ€℠¢s perspective on racism is applicable to years dating from 1860 and to present day occurrences. Discrimination against African Americans is a continuing problem. Although slavery does not exist today, African Americans continually grieve the agony their ancestors faced throughout the CivilRead MoreRace As A Category Of Difference Essay2145 Words   |  9 Pagesof each other with opposing traits and attributes. Claudia Rankine touches on the linguistic associations in relation to â€Å"blackness† and â€Å"whiteness† trough her writings in her book Citizen. Citizen is a circuitous and personal descent into past experiences that truly illuminate racial discrimination in America. Rankine’s book explores the racism and prejudice that are prevalent in the United States. Through her use of vernacular and diction, Rankine advocates the lifestyle of a mostly Caucasian countryRead MoreSummary Of The Ruminant Animal Essay1259 Words   |  6 PagesSegregation is prohi bited. How far has American society progressed in the subject of racism? Claudia Rankine’s Citizen offers a look into the problems that persist today through a compilation of stories and images. She uses facts and literal explanations along with multiple forms of symbolism to express numerous flaws still happening today. Focusing only on one symbol used in the lyric, the ruminant animal, Rankine portrays the American culture’s habit of pressuring people to repress their afflictionsRead MoreAnalysis Of Claudia Rankines Citizen736 Words   |  3 Pagespoints out â€Å"We are facing the loss of our generation†¦gay men lost to AIDS. What kind of witness will you bear? What truth telling are you brave enough to utter and endure the consequences of your unpopular message?† (Dixon 73-74). Furthermore, Claudia Rankine in her book Citizen describes different forms of oppression. She emphasizes that one can be considered an American only when s/he adheres to the category standards and silently agrees to the marginalization and represses anger. In her lyrics sheRead MoreRacial Racism : Black And White Americans1484 Words   |  6 PagesThere are many layers to American racism. I will break it down to 3 layers and explain the consequences these types of racism have. The first lay is historical racism. Historical racism is what most stereotypes what racism is suppose to be. In this category you would think of things such as lynching, the enslaved people working the fields, use of the word nigger, segregation and Jim Crow laws but that isn’t even the start of it. The first step to successfully enslave a people is to â€Å"keep the mind