The Personal Effects of Widespread Social Issues in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

African American women have long been stereotyped, discriminated against and generalized in this country. They have had to face both being black in America while also being a woman in America. African American women encountered and still do encounter double discrimination of both sex and race (Cuthbert, 117). Women like Elise Johnson McDougald, Marion Vera Cuthbert and Alice Dunbar-Nelson all tried to shed light on what it was like to be an African American woman living in the 20th century yet literature often portrayed them as emotional, hypersexual, unintelligent and of lesser worth. The literature highlighted that African American women have to serve both their employer and their husbands and families. They are not supposed to have an opinion or stand up for themselves, especially to a white man. ***Concluding sentence?

A tragedy according to Aristotle's Poetics, "is the imitation of an action that is serious and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself; in appropriate and pleasurable language;... in a dramatic rather than narrative form; with incidents arousing pity and fear, wherewith to accomplish a catharsis of these emotions" (Poetics). Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is a play written by August Wilson, that takes place in a studio in the 1920's over the course of an afternoon. The core of this play is the band members discussing amongst one another about the struggle that they as African-Americans have endured against whites and about the current situation of prejudice African-Americans face in American society. The emotional impact of racial conflict

Analysis: This passage is very racist and could offend all races especially minorities. This theme of racism continues frequently throughout the book of black people working in the hard dirty jobs while whites work in the city and wear nice suits. I think the author includes this part to help set the era in the 1920s when blacks are still looked down upon.

Certain elements of the story help the reader to understand the purpose of the this short story. The setting in the deep south of Memphis Tennessee plays an essential role in reinforcing racial inequality during the 1950s. The 1950s was a time of segregation. In fact, specifically in the state of Tennessee, the Jim Crow Laws were being implemented. These laws included segregation in schools, transportation, marriages, and public accommodations. Thus, racism was not only acceptable and legal, but expected in American culture. Additionally, Walker’s characters, The deacon and Traynor’s fans, reinforce the theme of the racism and exploitation. The deacon refers to African Americans as “you people” and “colored” (Walker). From the outset, the deacon exploits Gracie Mae by offering her a measly five hundred dollars for not just the recording rights, but for all of the records she made of the song. When Gracie Mae tries to get additional money for the purchase of her records, the deacon replies with a disparaging, “What white man—and don’t even need to mention colored—would give you more?” (Walker).

At Pittsburgh’s Halfway Art Gallery he found his audience for poetry, and got to meet some of Pittsburgh’s black literati. In 1981, Wilson submitted Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and it was accepted in the O’Neill Center. It did however, undergo many changes in the summer of 1982, it went on to play at Yale and became the first Broadway play in 1984. His next play that he wrote was Fences. Now Fences is a interesting play to read, because reading the background information I feel as if he was writing this book from his point of view. His dad was not always there, his dad cheated on his mom, his mom raised the kids, and his dad was a worker and then came home and never messed with the kids or played with them. Not so much as he treated the kids like slaves, but in a way you could say he did. Reading the play and then writing this paper has been a wonderful experience. Reading the play gives us some back ground information about what the “1980s” were about. The racism, the abandonment, the shame, the cheating, we see it all in this play. Wilson did a good job at showing us what it was like to be a boy in this time when you wanted to play baseball but could not because you were black, or wanted to go somewhere and you could not because you were black. Some people would think that only “blacks” would like to read something like this because they would “understand” it, but that is not true. Reading Wilson’s

Racism was a normal thing in Maycomb County, but out of the entire county Bob Ewell was the worst. “I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin’ on my Mayella.” (Lee 231) Bob Ewell refers to Tom Robinson as (a) “black nigger” on the witness stand in front of everyone. Clearly, he doesn’t care about discriminating Tom Robinson right in front of his face and also in front of the people that are in the courtroom. “As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life…” (Lee 295). If Bob Ewell had put himself in Tom’s shoes, he would have seen how hard of a life it is for African Americans. He is one who will “cheat black men everyday of (his) life”, because of his ignorance. (Lee 295) Being racist not only hurts the victim, but ruins your reputation and your life.

“And so a quiet, respectable, humble Negro who had made the unmitigated temerity to ‘feel sorry’ for a white women has had to put his word against two white people’s. I need not to remind you of their appearance and conduct on the stand. You know the truth and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women – black or white. But there is one way in this country where all men are created equal… this honorable court that you serve.” (Lee 232-233)

Armstrong’s heartfelt ballad about the woes of being black in the 1920’s was one of the first cases of a musician utilizing his elevated status in order to achieve social justice. To Armstrong, his vision of the American Dream was being considered an equal among the white men of society. By saying that he is “white inside”, he is referring to his rise and acceptance into the white society because of his success as a jazz musician. However, he still faces inequality and oppression due to the masks and stereotypes that society places on him based on the superficial reason of his skin color. As a revolutionary historical movement for the African American community through many platforms, arguably one of the most important impacts of the “Harlem Renaissance was the wide range of political action taken by both organizations and individuals who demanded improvements in African American economic and educational opportunities”(Brown). The Harlem Renaissance began as a movement for music, but as it spread and the people began to watch the movement turned it into one with a political agenda and showed people how badly and shamefully African American were

Being black in America means to exist while subconsciously striving to reach out and own that imaginary white picket fence. You know, that nice house nested inside that white picket fence in that wonderful neighborhood with the perfectly cut grass on top of that sunny hill along with the perfectly paved roads leading up to it. African Americans see it all the time in televisions, magazines and newspaper ads. As poor blacks invest their life’s work in trying and subsequently failing to achieve this imaginary dream, they end up devouring any sense propriety remaining in their life; the play A Raisin in The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry exemplifies this tragedy.

August Wilson’s plays relate directly to his African heritage, and were and are a part of his success. His expression of the struggles of the blacks

“Nigger Lover” (Lee 124) is not something you hear everyday. However this is a common racial slur in this book just as common as discrimination in the south. At many points in the novel the outcomes of situations would have been different in the south if race and gender were not used to discriminate. In Harper Lee’s historical fictional novel To Kill A Mockingbird social injustices are exemplified through the double standards minorities face, as well as the fact that they were more predominant in the south, persuading readers to correct the wrongs of society.

Ferguson, segregated facilities were deemed legal by the Supreme Court. Thus, there were signs in Indianola for “colored” and “white” (Taylor). Mrs. Taylor’s family dealt with segregation in a peaceful way. They did not want any conflict. Mrs. Taylor’s experiences showed that “back in those days... you knew ‘your place’” (Taylor). She knew how to react when she came across a white person. Saying “yes, sir” or “no, sir” was like a reaction, it was implemented in Mrs. Taylor’s way of living. “That was just the time we lived in” said Mrs. Taylor (Taylor). She did not regret her methods. She stated that thanks to that way of living, she did not get in any conflict, did not start any commotions or arguments. “If you did it, you didn’t have any trouble” (Taylor). Despite the peaceful way of living, Mrs. Taylor shared her experiences about cases where there were conflict between a sharecropper and the landlord. For example, a man wanted to get his wife to the doctor but the landlord wanted him to finish his job first. Sometimes, a fight broke out. But, the blacks had a bit of leverage; because for instance, if a white man had a piece of land, and it’s about to rain, he did not want the crop to be spoiled “you can almost demand some things because your service is needed”

It was Cassie’s first time going to Strawberry and she had no idea of how bad segregation and racism had become in Mississippi during the 1930’s. At the time, Big Ma was occupied with Mr Jamison, and Cassie, T.J and Stacey decided to go to the Barnett store to take care of groceries. When they got there, T.J. handed Mr. Jim Lee Barnett the list. After asking if they were one of Granger’s people, Barnett walked to another counter and started filling the order. Coincidentally, a white woman needed her order filled at the same time, and she asked, “ ‘Mr.Barnett, are you waiting on anyone just now?’, ‘Just them’ he said, indicating us with a small wave of the hand’” (Taylor 110) .Then, Mr. Barnett started filling her order instead, totally disregarding Cassie, T.J., and Stacey. When he finally finished filling the order, instead of helping Cassie and the others like he should have, he went to help a white child who also needed assistance. Cassie could understand an adult being helped instead of a child, but a child of the same age as Cassie being helped instead was unbelievable to her. Cassie was not fully aware that this was happening because these people were white, and she thought he had forgotten about their order and said, “‘Uh, scuse me, Mr. Barnett, I think you forgot, but you was waiting on us before you was waiting on this girl there...’ , ‘...Well you just get your little black self back over there and wait s’more.’” (Taylor 111)

In the midst of the most progressive era in the history of the United States, people seem to be choosing to compare their current situation with the one in the 1930’s, where most African Americans were dehumanized. Women and Blacks have had a history of patronization which is displayed throughout To Kill A Mockingbird. Even though there are some disagreements in certain subject matter between the races today, relations and ideals of injustice have evolved.

Griffin was running low on money, so he decided to cash a traveler’s check at the dime store where he would make most of his purchases as a white man. However he came in as “Negro” to cash a check but the white girl said no to him because of the color of his skin. He was not disappointed of the fact that the store didn’t want to cash his check, but he was disappointed of how these stores carried bad manners. “It was not their refusal- I could understand that; it was the bad manners they displayed” (49). This statement of being rejected at various stores to cash a traveler’s check made me upset because clerk assumed his checks were bad because of the color of his skin. This reminded me of a time during football season, when we had to sell discount cards for a fundraiser. Anyway I had the hardest time selling the discount cards, probably because I’m Mexican, and my friend that is white sold all of his so decided to help me. The thing that got me more mad was that my friend was selling my cards to people I had already asked.