As times change so does the way men and women look at life and what they need to do to stay successful. In the 1930’s the approach turn to participation and belonging. (Susman, 172). The country is going through many changes as jobs opportunities are different. Many people in the nation will have to find a way to fit into this new culture. Franklin D. Roosevelt believes that in order to help solve the situation the American approach to work and success will need to change. FDR realizes that it is not the fault of the population for their failures, but that of the government. With the government’s guidance, society can grow by not only more successful people, including gender and race, but also by working together and completing greater feats.
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s speech creates a sense of unity just like Warren Susman creates in his perception of the culture. FDR’s ways in which he goes about to achieve this unity breaks away form the ideological government that Susman describes as a government whose sole purpose is to maintain security, nationally and domestically. FDR looked to change the way the government interacted with the people by looking at the American experiences from the past. He points out the importance of labor throughout American history and how the country was cultivated and prospered through that manner until the industrial revolution. This era brought a change to the social and economical situation in America, a situation that FDR felt needed to be fixed. He agrees that was individualism is a good quality to have as an American. Through tough times Americans could get themselves out of a bad situation buy selling labor. Even though he believed that individualism was important, it was worse for society to let many people fail in these times. The country had changed and how to become successful had changed. He knew it was time for society to accept the change, but many had issues with accepting the fact that everyone would be on an equal playing field. This political change in government causes distress to those from the right. The countries followers of Hoover would see this as a change from what is America as it becomes more socialist. Roosevelt looked to “provide jobs, help the unemployed, assist young people with education and work, care for the young and old damaged by a breadwinner’s unemployment, salvage homes and bank accounts, and also build the social infrastructure that capitalism ignored” when times got bad. When society didn’t provide the opportunities for the un-wealthy then the government should step in to make sure the country stays strong. He is looking to protect their individualism by keeping them in the American culture. The idea of having a stable country will create a close bonding culture, which Susman sees as important in society because it creates security.
The second picture is called Security of the Family by Seymour Fogel. The title suggests the families need to be protected in these times of change, which Fogel tries to express in most of his works. The picture is very socially correct with FDR’s image of the new working class culture in America. It is true depiction of the New Deal as you can see different genders and races assuming new roles in society. He also includes the cause of this change in the background where the skies are very dark and grey hovering over the construction site. This symbolizes the change the country is going from the agricultural business to the new industrial factories there is a dark cloud. A dark cloud that can create struggles for many Americans. Fogel proceeds to contradict the idea that this mural is about the downfall of workers by presenting a new generation of the working class.
The people in frame are very unique as their actions are somewhat altered from what is normal for their gender and race. This “family” demonstrates the new positions men and women, white or black can have in America. On the right hand side there is what appears to be an African American male who seems to be leisurely sitting and reading the newspaper at a table. This is a change from the normal perception that a black man should be working in agriculture or in factories, but instead he can sit at home and relax and does what he wants to do. This goes to show the FDR’s New Deal doesn’t fully alter ones individualism. Even though they are being helped to be successful, their success is what allows them to be able to read and formulate their own expressions and identities. There are other characters to this story that also show the change. The girl on the left seems to be either designing something or doing some work on the chalkboard, instead of her playing with dolls, or clothes. There is more a work/business aspect when you look at the girl. As well as the mother in the middle. It is clear she is a mother with the baby in hand, but the way she is dressed and the stance she has makes her look like a business women. She is definitely the dominant figure in the picture, standing tall in the middle of the frame. It is the first sign of change that women are now taking more control in work. It gives a message to all mothers that they can still have a family and work through the New Deal. Attached to the mother is the baby which represents the new generation, but has a connection to the past. It appears the baby is holding onto a branch of the tree and the tree symbolizes the agricultural way of life. The baby is used to show that as America continues to go from generation to generation they will always have that connection to this successful time and what they used to be. This is main point that FDR points out, he doesn’t want to change the public, he doesn’t want to change who they are as an individual, he just wants to create more opportunities.
The New Deal was change the lives of individuals by providing more opportunities, which creates a new more powerful workforce. In “Construction of the Dam” by William Gropper, Gropper is quick the show how a culture that works together can achieve great goals. What stands out in this picture is this massive structure being held high in the air. Looking at it you can see a very difficult task at hand as it hangs in the open air with the mountains in the background. The little glimpse of context lets us understand the location and how to deal with the situation. In the bottom right corner of the frame is the most important part of the mural, the construction workers that are helping in this task. This group looks like they are hard at work trying to get that part of the dam complete. The most effective way to get that done is by commitment and working together, which they seem to be doing. In this group of men is not only white men, but also black men. The assimilation of the blacks, whites and the commitment to working together will allow you to to do more than any individual can do on his own. FDR points out that individualism can take so many places so far, which is why this mural depicts that unity can push the limit of capabilities. It is the governments responsibilities to get as many people working as possible, the more people working the more money is being circulated. In following that idea, the government can give people jobs in construction like in this picture. It is just one of the many ways in which the government can help the situation.
Thinking outside the frame of what is shown, there is numerous possibilities for anyone continued throughout. The mural is of a worksite which contains many jobs and possibilities. The entire complex could be filled with these employees doing little jobs. However it is more important to choose this frame because it captures the essence of the New Deal. Susman talks about the culture of the 30‘s as being close bonding community. In this work environment all the men are bunched together on the hill guiding the tube and preparing its placement. The job itself would not have been gotten done without all the men involved. This picture also maintains individuality as almost each man has a unique job. They are either digging, planning or navigating. However the most symbolic man in the photo would have to be the man standing on top of the tube. Raised high in the sky over this monstrous piece of concrete, he symbolizes success, he is conquering his job. It goes to show anyone who works in any field that they can be the man standing on the top. There exists success within a larger group of people, which Roosevelt tries to keep with the New Deal.
Through these murals you see the change that FDR wants to incorporate into the American society. No individual can build a dam. He needs the group. A group that continues to expand as more and more people enter the country, both men and women. The more people working successfully the more stronger the country gets. A strong country does not consist of individuals, who when they fall find it difficult to get up. In these strong societies no one can fall to far. Overall participation and commitment from all will push the possibilities of communities but the entire country.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Paper 2 Draft
Breaking Barriers
The assimilation of the black culture into the growing America was a dream of many of the slaves. However, it is the dreams of the native white Americans that continue to hold them back from ascending into significant members of society. It had been a norm of America to take advantage of the inferior to better their own cause. The American Empire establishes new land through dominating these weaker populations. Kaplan believes that America at this time, the whites, looked at people of color as if they were completely different and incapable of matching up with them. They were thought of as effeminate and were discriminated against because of their different ethnicity. By having that approach with enemies, the whites also formed that hypothesis on the African-American population in America. Blacks are not given the opportunity take control of their lives because they are not seen as a someone capable of doing so. Blacks assume they have functionality other than doing blue collar work. They don't think they are of much value, but in fact they are. Whites would not do the work and that is why they buy slaves and trade them. They are a commodity for them. Once the blacks become free they must realize that they are no longer under control by one man who plans to use them for personal use. They need to break the mindset that they will continue to do blue collar jobs for the rest of their lives. They need to not only show themselves that, but also to the whites who are the dominant culture in America. The whites are stuck in with the idea of "Myth of the Old Negro" as Locke puts it. They don't see the changes that Blacks should and have been making for years. They have taken advantage of many jobs in the industries including the cosmetics industry which have produced many successful. However, many tried to identify themselves with the white race in order to make life easier. In doing so they are leaving behind their roots. It is those significant steps that African-Americans need to take to be accepted in the culture. Whites continue to believe that blacks are an inferior and unworthy race and it is the responsibility of the blacks to prove that they can help by following suite with the goals and standards of native born Americans.
The Imperialist America the beliefs were that they felt superior to others and this belief continued through the times of the Emancipation of the slaves. In America the symbol of the White Heroic man that will go to war, win and return with with many rewards meant strength and success. The opposition was seen as effeminate and weak. The Americans can go and scare away the likes of the Filipinos. With a constant demonstration that people of color can easily be manipulated to their advantage, America begins to believe that this will work for all minorities. Even before the Emancipation the Dred Scott case laid another expectation when it came to the slaves. Whites were supposed to have complete authority of their slaves, and this case allowed slave-owners to torture their slaves. Once the African-Americans were freed the opposition was immediately heavy. The Jim Crow Laws were immediately enforced after the Emancipation of the slaves. The manner in which the laws were stated made light of the impact the laws had. They assumed the blacks were not educated enough to understand what it was actually saying. They wanted them to think they got what they wanted, which was the rights, as long as they had it only with African-Americans. But in actuality, they limited all the possibilities the blacks had. Not only were politically creating trouble but also within the social spectrum. African-Americans were seen as dangerous people. They were accused of raping white women. Douglass points out that no one ever used to complain before when they were slaves and were left at home alone with the women when the men were at war. (743) This shows thats they are looking for excuses to mistreat the blacks, whether or not they are truly afraid of them or they can't see how their lives could function with them as a member of society. They KKK was created to “protect white women” from the blacks. Its more so they can torture their former slaves. Americans adopted the same beliefs they had for many others and that is people of color are incapable of governing themselves (Kaplan, 117) and hence feel that they need to control them and set an example. By continuing to have an imperialistic outlook on people of color it will make it harder for blacks to surpass the boundaries made by whites in the time of slaves. This creates a psychological affect for blacks that makes them think they can't change what whites think of them. No matter what they do they continue to feel that the superior race will always looks down on them.
As black men continue to find jobs and redefine the African-American identity the women are always finding ways to improve their image. Women both white and black have come to see consumption as a way to not only define their image, but also a way to earn wages by making it an occupation. According to Piess, the expansion of products released makes women feel that they need to stay up to date and buy all these products. The use of cosmetics gave women a way to perfect their image and personality, which is important when it comes to representation. Women felt that they had to be able to represent themselves and their community well. Women felt they needed to appeal to an audience. For black women they felt that if they could look more respectable, in this case look more white. In doing so, they are showing that black women and their race can be like and look like white people. That would be an attempt to show the whites that they are changing by just looking at their appearance. They hope that this will lead to acceptance of their race.
The consumption and cosmetics field also provided a way for women to get jobs. Piess categorized cosmetics into three categories, "Class" for the wealthy and upper middle class, "Mass" the cosmetics sold in drugstores and the "Ethnic" cosmetics is for women of color. Blacks learned how to create businesses and manufacture cosmetics. Many entrepreneurs have found was to sell and sell well. Anthony Overton used his daughters faced powder product and created one of the largest Black-owned businesses in America. C.J. Walker realized what black women needed to look like and created it for them. If an entire race wants to white, then why not give them that, they will pay for it. Simply knowing your target audience and what is popular can make them successful. It is important that these people established that it can be done because it created jobs for many blacks. Simple jobs that they can do in the homes and then go door-to-door to sell. The success in these areas created more job opportunities in beauty parlors throughout the neighborhoods. The new jobs represent a new self-dependence which they never had before. They couldn't work freely before and this start creates an image that black women can work. They can contribute to society just like white women through cosmetics.
There are several ways in which African Americans can affiliate themselves with America in which they are breaking barriers and proving that they are not the slaves they were in years past. They have become members of society. James Van Deer Zee, a famous photographer of black culture, shows the different positions black have taken in society. He portrays many women sitting in a tea and beauty parlor. The consumption industry becomes widely popular and a way for African-American women to band together. A stronger and closer community will make it easier to be persistent against the discriminate whites. Another mean of showing loyalty to the nation is by serving for them. The black soldiers are now taking the roles of the White Heroic males of the imperialistic army. Africans taking the responsibilities of these heroes can prove that they too can be that savior. The sign of wealth within the African-American communities are those that show that they have established a luxurious foundation. The picture with the family by the piano shows a sign of sophistication. Sophistication means they are not the blue collared slaves that they once were. The whites can appreciate the music and class expressed in the photo. The photo of the family having tea is also very sophisticated and luxurious. The clothes, jewelry and the furniture clearly show class. This portrait shows that at this time it is possible to assimilate to the American culture and prove previous cultural perceptions wrong. The best way to do so is to lead by example. That is exactly what Africans-Americans will need to continue, prove by example. There is no other way to demonstrate than by showing you can be one of them.
The constant struggle for equality is everything a minorities works for. Whether they actually believe that can attain this goal or not they must realize they are trying to break a psychological mindset that had been formed through years of non-equivalent relations:
But while the minds of most of us, black and white, have thus burrowed in the trenches of the Civil War and Reconstruction, the actual march of development has simply flanked these positions, necessitating a sudden reorientation of view. We have not been watching in the right direction; set worth and South on a sectional axis, eve have not noticed the East till the sun has us blinking. (Locke, 1)
The blacks must band together and make their actions and changes visible to everyone. The must not allow the imperialistic ways of superiority keep them down. They must become the image and symbol of America. If they think they cannot make a difference then they wont. They must be persistent in their attempts to gain respectability and define their population. They must create the identity of being a human being and not just accepting the “formula” (Locke) that they to be held down and easily manipulated. They must use the likes of the Great Migration and other opportunities to get more jobs and become more “American”. However, are there any ways in which these opportunities won't won't cause commotion with the white population? African Americans and all immigrants will eventually be taking jobs from the white population. There are bound to be more protests or at least resent towards them. It is the imperialistic America that believes that they are the best, no one can take control away as long as that symbol of a saviour remains.
The assimilation of the black culture into the growing America was a dream of many of the slaves. However, it is the dreams of the native white Americans that continue to hold them back from ascending into significant members of society. It had been a norm of America to take advantage of the inferior to better their own cause. The American Empire establishes new land through dominating these weaker populations. Kaplan believes that America at this time, the whites, looked at people of color as if they were completely different and incapable of matching up with them. They were thought of as effeminate and were discriminated against because of their different ethnicity. By having that approach with enemies, the whites also formed that hypothesis on the African-American population in America. Blacks are not given the opportunity take control of their lives because they are not seen as a someone capable of doing so. Blacks assume they have functionality other than doing blue collar work. They don't think they are of much value, but in fact they are. Whites would not do the work and that is why they buy slaves and trade them. They are a commodity for them. Once the blacks become free they must realize that they are no longer under control by one man who plans to use them for personal use. They need to break the mindset that they will continue to do blue collar jobs for the rest of their lives. They need to not only show themselves that, but also to the whites who are the dominant culture in America. The whites are stuck in with the idea of "Myth of the Old Negro" as Locke puts it. They don't see the changes that Blacks should and have been making for years. They have taken advantage of many jobs in the industries including the cosmetics industry which have produced many successful. However, many tried to identify themselves with the white race in order to make life easier. In doing so they are leaving behind their roots. It is those significant steps that African-Americans need to take to be accepted in the culture. Whites continue to believe that blacks are an inferior and unworthy race and it is the responsibility of the blacks to prove that they can help by following suite with the goals and standards of native born Americans.
The Imperialist America the beliefs were that they felt superior to others and this belief continued through the times of the Emancipation of the slaves. In America the symbol of the White Heroic man that will go to war, win and return with with many rewards meant strength and success. The opposition was seen as effeminate and weak. The Americans can go and scare away the likes of the Filipinos. With a constant demonstration that people of color can easily be manipulated to their advantage, America begins to believe that this will work for all minorities. Even before the Emancipation the Dred Scott case laid another expectation when it came to the slaves. Whites were supposed to have complete authority of their slaves, and this case allowed slave-owners to torture their slaves. Once the African-Americans were freed the opposition was immediately heavy. The Jim Crow Laws were immediately enforced after the Emancipation of the slaves. The manner in which the laws were stated made light of the impact the laws had. They assumed the blacks were not educated enough to understand what it was actually saying. They wanted them to think they got what they wanted, which was the rights, as long as they had it only with African-Americans. But in actuality, they limited all the possibilities the blacks had. Not only were politically creating trouble but also within the social spectrum. African-Americans were seen as dangerous people. They were accused of raping white women. Douglass points out that no one ever used to complain before when they were slaves and were left at home alone with the women when the men were at war. (743) This shows thats they are looking for excuses to mistreat the blacks, whether or not they are truly afraid of them or they can't see how their lives could function with them as a member of society. They KKK was created to “protect white women” from the blacks. Its more so they can torture their former slaves. Americans adopted the same beliefs they had for many others and that is people of color are incapable of governing themselves (Kaplan, 117) and hence feel that they need to control them and set an example. By continuing to have an imperialistic outlook on people of color it will make it harder for blacks to surpass the boundaries made by whites in the time of slaves. This creates a psychological affect for blacks that makes them think they can't change what whites think of them. No matter what they do they continue to feel that the superior race will always looks down on them.
As black men continue to find jobs and redefine the African-American identity the women are always finding ways to improve their image. Women both white and black have come to see consumption as a way to not only define their image, but also a way to earn wages by making it an occupation. According to Piess, the expansion of products released makes women feel that they need to stay up to date and buy all these products. The use of cosmetics gave women a way to perfect their image and personality, which is important when it comes to representation. Women felt that they had to be able to represent themselves and their community well. Women felt they needed to appeal to an audience. For black women they felt that if they could look more respectable, in this case look more white. In doing so, they are showing that black women and their race can be like and look like white people. That would be an attempt to show the whites that they are changing by just looking at their appearance. They hope that this will lead to acceptance of their race.
The consumption and cosmetics field also provided a way for women to get jobs. Piess categorized cosmetics into three categories, "Class" for the wealthy and upper middle class, "Mass" the cosmetics sold in drugstores and the "Ethnic" cosmetics is for women of color. Blacks learned how to create businesses and manufacture cosmetics. Many entrepreneurs have found was to sell and sell well. Anthony Overton used his daughters faced powder product and created one of the largest Black-owned businesses in America. C.J. Walker realized what black women needed to look like and created it for them. If an entire race wants to white, then why not give them that, they will pay for it. Simply knowing your target audience and what is popular can make them successful. It is important that these people established that it can be done because it created jobs for many blacks. Simple jobs that they can do in the homes and then go door-to-door to sell. The success in these areas created more job opportunities in beauty parlors throughout the neighborhoods. The new jobs represent a new self-dependence which they never had before. They couldn't work freely before and this start creates an image that black women can work. They can contribute to society just like white women through cosmetics.
There are several ways in which African Americans can affiliate themselves with America in which they are breaking barriers and proving that they are not the slaves they were in years past. They have become members of society. James Van Deer Zee, a famous photographer of black culture, shows the different positions black have taken in society. He portrays many women sitting in a tea and beauty parlor. The consumption industry becomes widely popular and a way for African-American women to band together. A stronger and closer community will make it easier to be persistent against the discriminate whites. Another mean of showing loyalty to the nation is by serving for them. The black soldiers are now taking the roles of the White Heroic males of the imperialistic army. Africans taking the responsibilities of these heroes can prove that they too can be that savior. The sign of wealth within the African-American communities are those that show that they have established a luxurious foundation. The picture with the family by the piano shows a sign of sophistication. Sophistication means they are not the blue collared slaves that they once were. The whites can appreciate the music and class expressed in the photo. The photo of the family having tea is also very sophisticated and luxurious. The clothes, jewelry and the furniture clearly show class. This portrait shows that at this time it is possible to assimilate to the American culture and prove previous cultural perceptions wrong. The best way to do so is to lead by example. That is exactly what Africans-Americans will need to continue, prove by example. There is no other way to demonstrate than by showing you can be one of them.
The constant struggle for equality is everything a minorities works for. Whether they actually believe that can attain this goal or not they must realize they are trying to break a psychological mindset that had been formed through years of non-equivalent relations:
But while the minds of most of us, black and white, have thus burrowed in the trenches of the Civil War and Reconstruction, the actual march of development has simply flanked these positions, necessitating a sudden reorientation of view. We have not been watching in the right direction; set worth and South on a sectional axis, eve have not noticed the East till the sun has us blinking. (Locke, 1)
The blacks must band together and make their actions and changes visible to everyone. The must not allow the imperialistic ways of superiority keep them down. They must become the image and symbol of America. If they think they cannot make a difference then they wont. They must be persistent in their attempts to gain respectability and define their population. They must create the identity of being a human being and not just accepting the “formula” (Locke) that they to be held down and easily manipulated. They must use the likes of the Great Migration and other opportunities to get more jobs and become more “American”. However, are there any ways in which these opportunities won't won't cause commotion with the white population? African Americans and all immigrants will eventually be taking jobs from the white population. There are bound to be more protests or at least resent towards them. It is the imperialistic America that believes that they are the best, no one can take control away as long as that symbol of a saviour remains.
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