Disgrasian: Where The Killing Of A Fictional Black Child Exposes How We Feel About The Killing Of A Real Black Child | K Tempest Tumbles

I recently posted a short blog article that basically argues that the killing of Trayvon Martin and the controversy of black characters in the movie/book series Hunger Games are both parts of the same poisonous tree of American racism. How little things really change. I came across a very insightful article on Tumblr in which an article discusses how society feels about the killing of fictional black youths correlate to how it feels about killing real people. I think the point is true.

What I’ve been stewing over for the last few weeks is exactly that, that there’s a sickening bottom line in this country, and it is simply that certain people’s lives are valued less than others. I don’t know how we continue on as a society knowing this. Because a society where mothers of black boys have to worry that when their children run out for candy, they might never come back–that society is broken. A society where the Muslim mother of five children could be beaten to death in her own bed where her killer left a note that reads “go back to your country, you terrorist” is a society that demands to be fixed. Every piece of legislation that criminalizes a person’s skin color–whether with regard to immigration or homeland security or law enforcement–needs to be challenged. Every cultural message that says one race is “less than” another needs to be checked. Is it a movie we’re watching about a dystopia that doesn’t give a shit about its disenfranchised or are we living it? The line for me has become increasingly blurred.

 I should point out that this point really isn't new. For years there has been discussion of how black characters in movies and television have been treated as fodder. Y'know the trope: The token black guy always dies by the end of the movie. I can think of very few example where black supporting characters (male or female) does not get killed.  We all know that stories have more resonance when a character you care about dies, but why is seemingly always the black friend of the white main character? It's become cliche. You know the black guy/girls screen time is numbered the moment they are introduced. Perhaps this has carried through to real life in how some people think about black people. I was horrified to hear that people card less about one of the characters in Hunger Games when they realized she was a black girl. Sad. Really sad.

Disgrasian: Where The Killing Of A Fictional Black Child Exposes How We Feel About The Killing Of A Real Black Child | K Tempest Tumbles