The White Messiah complex

[kwassa]

Telling it like it is.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/08/opinion/08brooks.html?pagewanted=print

NYTIMES
Op-Ed Columnist
The Messiah Complex
By DAVID BROOKS
Published: January 7, 2010

Every age produces its own sort of fables, and our age seems to have produced The White Messiah fable. This is the oft-repeated story about a manly young adventurer who goes into the wilderness in search of thrills and profit. But, once there, he meets the native people and finds that they are noble and spiritual and pure. And so he emerges as their Messiah, leading them on a righteous crusade against his own rotten civilization.

...................................

“Avatar” is a racial fantasy par excellence. The hero is a white former Marine who is adrift in his civilization. He ends up working with a giant corporation and flies through space to help plunder the environment of a pristine planet and displace its peace-loving natives.

The peace-loving natives — compiled from a mélange of Native American, African, Vietnamese, Iraqi and other cultural fragments — are like the peace-loving natives you’ve seen in a hundred other movies. They’re tall, muscular and admirably slender. They walk around nearly naked. They are phenomenal athletes and pretty good singers and dancers.

The white guy notices that the peace-loving natives are much cooler than the greedy corporate tools and the bloodthirsty U.S. military types he came over with. He goes to live with the natives, and, in short order, he’s the most awesome member of their tribe. He has sex with their hottest babe. He learns to jump through the jungle and ride horses. It turns out that he’s even got more guts and athletic prowess than they do. He flies the big red bird that no one in generations has been able to master.

........................................

It rests on the stereotype that white people are rationalist and technocratic while colonial victims are spiritual and athletic. It rests on the assumption that nonwhites need the White Messiah to lead their crusades. It rests on the assumption that illiteracy is the path to grace. It also creates a sort of two-edged cultural imperialism. Natives can either have their history shaped by cruel imperialists or benevolent ones, but either way, they are going to be supporting actors in our journey to self-admiration.

It’s just escapism, obviously, but benevolent romanticism can be just as condescending as the malevolent kind — even when you surround it with pop-up ferns and floating mountains.

[RoyGBiv]

1. Agreed ...

That's the first thing I noticed when I sat down and started watching the movie, which made me sorry I had. I actually hadn't even seen a preview and barely knew what the movie was before going to it.

And when I did I was all, okay, so they took Dances with Wolves, put it in the future on another planet and added some CGI. It's still a race fantasy.

I'm glad this kind of review got some more extensive press. I'd seen a review something like this a week or so ago, but it was on an obscure blog somewhere.

[Number23]

2. Thank you, David Brooks

I actually laughed when I saw "The Last Samurai." I couldn't help it. It's the same crap over and over again.

What Brooks is describing is the type of paternalism that RoyGBiv detailed so excellently in his OP here in AAIG and in GD (and which I understand he is still taking crap for). This idea that non-white peoples and cultures have to be "shown the way" by "superior" whites has been around forever -- and coincidentally I'm sure, has often been created by whites. I have read stories about the Flood Myth and in many of them the story is about some primitive culture that has a pale-skinned "savior" who shows up and teaches them fantastic technology which is all destroyed of course by the Great Flood. It's deeply riveting, absolutely fascinating and totally offensive almost simultaneously. :)

As a black woman, I've seen this firsthand more times than I can count. I see it on DU almost daily. People who have no understanding of the black community and no appreciation for our culture and our unique history are usually the main ones who are always trying to dictate the terms by which we should conduct ourselves within our communities and the larger society, including what is and is not an "acceptable" level of minority support this President. I've seen SemiCharmed make the same comment here in reference to Hispanics and have seen the (fabulous) Chulanowa make the same comment re: Native Americans. But in true white paternalistic fashion, our concerns are dismissed and/or trivialized because we just "don't truly understand" and have to be "shown the way" by whites who I guess have got it all figured out and just inherently know better than us by virtue of their lighter skin. It would be laughable if it weren't so terribly steeped in racial prejudice and the tragically flawed premise of "white supremacy."

[RoyGBiv]

4. FWIW ...

The crap I got and am getting is nothing. I knew I'd get it. It's why I didn't want to post it at first, but that was more about my occasional inability to avoid the bait. I just had to suck it up and and not play the game. You were wiser than I was in suggesting that I should post it.

And I'm thankful. Not to overplay it, but doing so has proved to be one of the more enlightening moments of my DU experience. It allowed me to make the acquaintance of a rather large number of incredibly smart people I might never have noticed otherwise. That has far outweighed the nastiness, which, whether they realize it or not, isn't even really directed at me. The majority of the negative responses proved my point so completely, it was sickening.

Anyway ... about movies ...

I'm curious what you (or anyone) thinks about movies like _Amistad_.

I liked this specific movie, but it bothered me on some level. I was glad that the basic story actually made it into a representation in popular culture, but the way they told it could have, imo, been better.

Again, you have the Resident White Guy in Matthew McConaughey's character, and arguably the most dramatic scene of the film is given to JQ Adams, not Cinque himself, which, if you know anything about his actual history, could easily have gone another way.

I was thinking about this the other day in the context of something someone mentioned about Frederick Douglass's biography being excellent fodder for a movie "in the right hands." The latter would be the key. Why, I ask, could Cinque's story not have been told more from Cinque's perspective? And, I can too easily see the story of Frederick Douglass being told from the perspective of Abraham Lincoln or one of his contemporaries. Indeed, I've seen books and articles that group them as though inseparable. I don't know who the right hands would be for this story, but I could list a large number of "wrong hands," and James Cameron would be high up on that list.

On a somewhat related note, have you ever heard of Sutton Griggs? He was a late 19th/early 20th century novelist, writer, political activist, preacher, etc., a contemporary of DuBois, Garvey, etc. He wrote a novel called Imperium in Imperio that an academic friend of mine used with some research she did while examining the so-called "black town" movement. It's basically the story of blacks in the late 19th century attempting to gain control of the state of Texas and turn it into an "Empire within an Empire," separating from the dominant, racist white culture and exercising their own agency to create their own nation centered on their needs and concerns. It's not a great novel, but it's good. Cornell West did an introduction for a recently published edition, and there has been some random talk of attempting to turn it into a movie. I don't know how serious that talk is, just that is was mentioned in some circles.

[Number23]

6. It's been a really long time since I saw Amistad

But I remember so many of my friends either liking it or absolutely HATING it. I remember reading reviews from white critics who all seemed so fixated on Djimon Hounsou's (extraordinary) physique and I simply could not understand why this man's body was the center of so much "discussion" instead of the storyline.

I think white people are so used to seeing themselves on screen that there is the inherent belief amongst white directors, producers etc. that this is ALL that white people want to see. I personally believe that white people get the short end of the stick when these types of stories are only told from the perspective of whoever in the room has blue eyes, not to mention that the other ethnicities and cultures of the group that SHOULD have been depicted are also being short-changed. My husband, who is not only white but Australian, can tell you about the military history of damn near every country in the WORLD -- or at least that's how it seems to me when he starts droning on and on and on about war and battles. :)

Certainly, many other stories on screen regarding slavery have been told from the slave's perspective so "Amistad" does not leap out at me as a "missed opportunity" to depict the horrors of slavery from the slave's perspective. I just remember it not being a very good movie, for some reason.

Imperium in Imperio sounds alot like Rosewood, a movie about a black town that was literally burned to the ground by white racists jealous of the wealth and prosperity of the black residents who'd also created a "black haven" away from racist white society. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosewood_massacre Episodes like these have been so under-represented in film and in popular culture that I wouldn't mind another film that touched on these issues, even if it draws parallels to Rosewood.

[RoyGBiv]

7. Imperium ...

I think I described that badly. The story of Rosewood and Griggs's novel diverge significantly, although, now that you mention it, there are some common themes.

Griggs' Imperium In Imperio (1899) is considered by many to be the first political novel written by an African American.2 Set in the Reconstruction South, Imperium tells the story of two young boys, dark skinned Belton Piedmont, and mulatto Bernard Belgrave. The narrative follows the disparate paths of each boy in their development to adulthood through three distinct sections. The first section (chapters 1-8) reveals the formal education of Belton and Bernard and shows how a warped perception and valuation of skin color among whites affects the treatment of each boy and limits their opportunities for economic, social, and political advancement. The second sections (chapters 9-14) examine Belton and Bernard's foray into the world of business, politics, and romance, each situation influenced by the suffocating and inescapable conditions concomitant with living in a racist white society. The novel's final sections (chapters 15-20) document the existence of a secret Black Nationalist government - the Imperium - located in Texas whose purpose is to defend the social and political rights of African Americans from their unsympathetic white neighbors. When Imperium members find themselves divided over an equitable solution to the ever-present race problem of the South, their prominent leaders are forced to intervene. Belton, who has spent his entire life in the South and has endured devastating hardships, insists upon patience and passive resistance, while Bernard, who has been protected and nurtured by white paternalism argues in favor of war- a decision to ally with foreign enemies of the United States to overthrow its rule, and ultimately, gain sole possession of Texas while ceding Louisiana into foreign hands. After failing to receive majority support among Imperium members for his passive resistance plans, Belton is shot by a firing squad and an imminent race war is narrowly avoided by the actions of Beri Trout, a sympathetic supporter of Belton, who reveals the Imperium's existence and intervenes on the side of hope and humanity.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4074/is_200804/ai_n28082418/

The novel, in its day, was a best seller. Griggs sold it door-to-door and at religious gatherings and during his talks to various communities. It's important in that respect in that the black church and speaker circuit was how blacks separated by distance communicated during this time period, i.e. how they shared news and discussed matters of politics outside their local communities and in the face of a white dominated press and political culture that sought to diminish their impact. The "black town" movement, which in this context means the intentional establishment of predominantly black towns by black leaders, was, according to her research, influenced by things like this novel.

There are several online versions of it, if you're ever so inclined. Here's a plain text version via Project Gutenberg:

http://ia301533.us.archive.org/1/items/imperiuminimperi15454gut/15454-8.txt

And another via Google Books:

http://books.google.com/books?id=ipGhzOhdyrAC&dq=imperium+in+imperio&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=s8-W1Vuf_V&sig=fndtcPV82ShbTsej301n5AdP5ws&hl=en&ei=OFpIS_m4B4roM53FwZAJ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CBsQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Were I an enterprising sociology student, I'd do a study of this novel and readers' reactions to it. It's perfect for it. Very few people today have ever heard of it, so subjects with no prior knowledge could be found easily. I'd like to gather several groups, separated by ethnicity, and have them read the book, then have individual members of each group describe the plot, explain who the protagonists and antagonists are, and then draw a character sketch of the individuals in the novel with whom they most identify.

[Number23]

9. That books sounds excellent

It's very fortunate that you mentioned this because I have been desperately looking for something new to read! (My husband has been pushing those "Legend of the Seeker" books by Terry Goodkind on me. Now, I love science fiction/fantasy as much as the next person but those books have no appeal to me whatsoever.)

The "black town" movement is still very much in effect. Alot of black people CHOOSE to live in predominantly black neighborhoods, even to this day. That sense of community and of shared culture is something many blacks wouldn't trade for the world. I've stated several times that where I grew up, I didn't know a white or non-black person my own age until I started college as a 17-year old freshman. I had a few white teachers and there was one white boy in my high school (out of over 2000) but beyond that, everyone was black. My mayor, my doctors, most of the people my family did business with -- everyone was black. It was an experience that personally, I thank God that I had.

[AspenRose]

10. That is fascinating

Having been raised in Texas, I will have to check that out.

[RoyGBiv]

11. Texas ...

Griggs attended Bishop College near Dallas shortly after its founding, which as you may know was also attended by such notables as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Jesse Jackson. His family actually had a significant impact on its early direction, which helped establish a legacy that laid the foundation of Bishop as a center of political agitation during the Civil Rights era.

Bishop is likely the model for a fictional college used in the novel.

The novel is fascinating, partly for its obscurity. It was enormously popular at the time, which is amazing considering it was self-published and marketed. But Griggs himself never achieved the kind of notoriety of several of his contemporaries, and his work's accessibility receded along with his memory. Cornell West is probably more responsible than any one individual for bringing his work to light in the modern age, both his writing and his efforts as a minister. West himself is a part of a larger effort among the academy to look beyond the dominant narrative of American history that spotlights "whites notable for helping blacks" rather than blacks helping themselves in the wake of Plessy v. Ferguson.

I was exposed to it several years ago by a friend who is doing her dissertation on the previously mentioned black town movement, and I individually became somewhat obsessed with learning more about him and understanding the social and political context that informed the novel. As I said, it's not a great novel (stylistically, it's a bit dry), but it is good. The storyline itself is probably unique in American literature.

Anyway ... I seem to have hijacked the thread, which was not my intention. My brain works in tangents.

[Number23]

12. King may have attended Bishop but please note, he GRADUATED from Morehouse College

:) King was an IMMENSELY proud alum of Morehouse and gave Morehouse credit for lighting the fuse for his quest for social justice as often and as loudly as he could. From what I understand, that man talked about Morehouse as ONLY a Morehouse man can. :rofl:

I'd never heard about King attending Bishop which struck me as odd! And I couldn't find a good source online that says he attended either. I wouldn't doubt it though because he was so fascinated by learning and was extremely well-educated.

I just have to give Morehouse its props. Not only because I'm an Atlanta girl, and not only because my grandfather also graduated from Morehouse, but this school's tradition of teaching young black men when no one else would is admirable and honorable and every brother I know from Morehouse has been amazing.

Here's a list of Dr. King's numerous academic achievements. My God, that man was amazing - http://www.thekingcenter.org/DrMLKingJr/

As for "hijacking" the thread, don't worry about it! This was a pretty interesting "jacking." :)

[RoyGBiv]

13. My apologies ...

In my rush to talk about Bishop, I failed to mention that what you say here is the case of many who attended. Bishop tended to be a stepping stone for many through its ministerial program.

King did attend, but I don't remember in what years or how long he was actually there. Unfortunately the primary source for this is not an electronic document, but a roster of students in my friend's archives that I went through while helping her with some research. Bishop itself is now closed due to a financial scandal in the 80s that lost it its accreditation. (It was having constant financial problems in the 20th century and often only maintained its existence through partnerships with other colleges and universities.) Georgetown College (not to be confused with Georgetown in DC) has taken over as the home for all its old records and as the "alumni home" for past attendees. It has a website with a brief snippet that mentions King.

http://www.georgetowncollege.edu/bishop/about.htm

Thanks for the correction.

[RoyGBiv]

8. delete

dupe

[AspenRose]

3. Damn, David Brooks wrote that?

Wow :wow:

[Brewman_Jax]

5. Unfortunately, this isn't recent

Just go back to Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs or The White Man's Burden by Rudyard Kipling.

[kwassa]

14. Just to see the reaction or non-reaction, I cross-posted this in GD now

My infrequent posts usually dive to the bottom, but what the heck!

[Number23]

15. Okay, I saw the movie yesterday

(Note to AAIG women: Do not EVER go see a 3-hour long, 3-D science fiction/action movie when you are 6.5 months pregnant)

The minute the "natives" came on the screen, I was like "okay, what black people did they use as the models for these people??!" Between the noses, the lips, the body shapes (not to mention the corn rows and dreadlocks) it seemed pretty obvious to me.

Sure enough...!!

Neytiri - (the beautiful and marvelous) Zoe Saldana -

Tsu'tey - Laz Alonzo - (He is simply TOO fine)

Eytukan - Wes Studi - a gorgeous Native American chap -

Moat - CCH Pounder - (I've seen this sista in just about every tv show I can think of)

Haven't seen this many brown folks on-screen (in theory) since The Matrix.

[kwassa]

16. Don't It Make My Brown People Blue!

or Everyday I Get The Blues!

or Black and Blue!

many song titles could fit. Perfect for the soundtrack album.

:rofl:

[Karenina]

17. BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

:spray::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[Number23]

18. lol! Dammnit, now I'm gonna have "Don't it make my Brown Folks Blue" stuck in my head

all day!!!

:rofl:

And don't forget "Am I Blue?" You sure as hell better be if you want to work in this town, darkie!! :rofl: :rofl: