Forum discusses racial stereotypes depicted in media

The Notre Dame Initiative on Race and Resilience (IRR) hosted the second part of its annual “Forum on Systemic Inclusion” on April 2. This panel discussion and Q&A, led by Notre Dame and St. Mary’s faculty, centered on the book Erasure by Percival Everett and its film adaptation American Fiction. Panelists used these works to consider the stereotypes and expectations faced by African Americans and other racial minorities and examine the political impact of the perception of art by black artists.

Panelists included Scott Barton, Notre Dame professor of Africana Studies; Ann Marie Short, St. Mary’s College professor of English and Gender and Women’s Studies; and Pyar Seth, a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Notre Dame. Approximately twelve people attended the panel discussion, with more watching via Zoom.

The novel Erasure follows the response of a Black author, Thelonious “Monk,” who is angered by stereotypes and expectations of African Americans. Monk’s view of these expectations is described in Erasure: “Some people in the society in which I live described as being black tell me I’m not black enough. Some people who the society calls white tell me the same thing.” Describing this perception’s impact on his writing, Monk adds, “I’ve heard this mainly about my novels, from editors who have rejected me and reviewers who I have apparently confused …”

In the panel discussion, Short elaborated on these expectations, saying, “This particular dilemma is familiar for many people of color, when, for one reason or another, the way they externalize their cultural or ethnic identity falls short of some sort of preconceived expectation of authenticity.” 

Short then connected these stereotypes to the inclusion and representation of minority groups in higher education and literary circles. She explained, “Both the novel and the film offer a critique of the way certain kinds of representation are appropriated to reinforce normative whiteness in American literary culture.”

Describing the error she feels occurs because of “normative whiteness,” Short added, “When representation requires the racialized other to be … as different from ‘white’ as possible in order to be considered authentic, that emphasis on difference leads to reductive fetishization, which in turn gets commodified for the profit of cultural institutions like the publishing industry [and] higher education.”

Concluding, Short explained the story’s applications, saying, “Ultimately, the novel and the film are rather cynical in their approach to the limitations of performative representation and the potential to escape the reductive narrative systems they create.”

Seth then turned the panel’s focus to the “black literary tradition” and the question, “How do we write about blackness?” Seth shared difficulties faced in answering this question in the present day. 

Alluding to President Trump’s recent actions against Critical Race Theory, Seth said, “Obviously, I think all of us are aware of this … sustained assault on the humanities and critical race theory … this adds kind of another layer … [i]t’s searching for a language to write and theorize about blackness in different ways.”

In light of these implications, one attendee questioned whether “all Black art is political” since “the Black body itself is … racialized and politicized.” Referencing American Fiction, this attendee explained, “I think that he’s … wrestling with this … tension between, ‘Can I write art for art’s sake, or do I have to … think about how it’s gonna be perceived or, make an argument?’”

Barton answered by pointing to a similar disagreement among black artists in the 1960s. He explained, “At that moment, the kind of call is to do something in line with civil rights and protest art … [a]nd in that moment, there was a tension, and people were critiqued for not … toeing the line and presenting something that’s an overt political statement.”

Seth added, “When I think about the political, it’s one thing to think about the stakes … [and] I think there’s another kind of question about writing, practice, and process … being able to write in ways that … feel authentic, real, and true to writers themselves…”

Short concluded, “[P]olitical is in the eye of the beholder … some people might say [that] to not engage in politics is political.”

A Notre Dame graduate student attending the event shared her impressions of the novel with the Rover, saying, “There’s this idea that essentially, black artists or minority authors should be catering their novels towards the white majority’s understanding of the black experience and the stereotypes that white audiences have created about the black experience, and I think that this novel is a really bright commentary about that experience.”

Andrew Blake is a freshman studying political science and economics. He enjoys indulging in pleasures such as classical music and dino nuggies. He can be reached at ablake5@nd.edu. 

Photo Credit: Notre Dame IRR

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