Frank Frazier

Hey everybody!

This week I decided to write about my neighbor back at home. One of the most well-known African American artists in the country, Frank Frazier has been an important figure in the art world. His works on African roots and culture have brought pride to many African Americans in a world where they are often taught not to be proud of themselves. A month or two ago I went to his house to see his new work with shoe polish. Being creative as always, Frank made a series of important moments and meaningful images in black history. From the layout of how slaves would be packed onto a ship to the raised black power fists in the Olympics, these images are all meant to invoke a sense of pride in ones race, and in what ones people have overcome. While we were there, my dad asked Frank why he used shoe polish as his medium for these paintings. He replied with a detailed history of how whites used to cover themselves with shoe polish and make themselves darker, so they could imitate blacks. I was awestricken by how powerful this was. Frank was able to find a most creative way to turn a symbol of oppression into something beautiful and meaningful, and a symbol of pride. If that's not art, then I don't know what is.

Have a blessed day,

-Benyonce'

White Privilege

Hey everybody,

This week we have been talking about racial tensions and white privilege. We have been focusing especially on the Trayvon Martin case here as well as what we are expecting to encounter as a group over in Ghana.

The first thing we are focusing on in our blogs this week is racial identity. Personally, race has not meant much to me growing up. Rather than embracing my whiteness, growing up in Oak Cliff, I would often try to distance myself from the stereotypes (mostly true) of whites in America, since there was a strong sense of justified hostility to them. Growing up in the hood, I never really identified with my white counterparts on the other side of town, creating somewhat of an identity crisis I guess. I considered myself some sort of shade of brown, to the confusion of everybody.

However, when people do point out my whiteness, I am often quick to identify myself as Italian. My family being Italian, for me, means putting family, love, and God all above individual and monetary pursuits. The Italian culture, like many African and Latino cultures, heavily emphasizes family and faith, and I think this has very strongly impacted how I view the world.

Although I may hold this ideal view of "distance", for lack of a better word, from my fellow white Americans, I often reap the same societal benefits as they do. I do not have to worry about being looked at weird because of my race (except for back at home :) ). I do not have to worry about being unfairly dealt with by law enforcement. I do not have to worry about working extra hard or pretending to be a certain way in order to get a job. I don't have to worry about having to join a certain group on campus in order to finally find someone who looks like me at school. I don't have to receive suspicious stares at school when I walk across campus with a group of my friends who all look like me. Yall know what I'm talking about. In our article, Peggy McIntosh says, "I have come to see white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets that I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was 'meant' to remain oblivious."

I would be lying if I said that I don't feel guilty sometimes for being white. I think I am one of a few whities who actually does recognize that I can do a lot less than more qualified minorities in order to get to a certain place in society, and I will STILL probably end up complaining. TELL ME WHY!! I think this is ridiculous, and as a Christian I would be hypocritical to not acknowledge this, and sweep this injustice under the rug.

Lastly, I think our different racial backgrounds will have a great impact on our Ghana trip. I feel like we will all contribute different things to different endeavours, and I believe that having good diversity will definitely allow for some good cultural exchanges, shared experiences, and genuine learning.

Have a blessed day,
-Ben