Initially, I was puzzled. Perplexed. I was certain
that I was experiencing an intellectual blockade. Nothing came to mind.
NONETHELESS, I was intrigued. It was as if I had a
brain freeze that left the curiosity sphere of my brain in complete numbness.
Now, that I have had a few weeks to view the photograph directly (continuous
cell phone views) and indirectly (memory conjure) I have ONLY this,
The stoic black woman appears to be at ease.
Relaxed. Unmoved. Committed to her responsibility. Additionally, I see an isolated
intensity in her eyes. There is a sense of emptiness. Her
demeanor resembles a black female slave getting raped by her slave master…devastated.
But, she does project seminal confidence in that she is serving her purpose
without blemish. Black people are
exceptionally obedient slaves.
Interestingly, after a flickering of my eyes and a refocus,
she is not a hollow soul. She is a reservoir of life. Her life substance is
providing nourishment to a white child that from my assessment is unappreciative.
Take note of the baby's hand. What do you see? I see a middle finger indicating
that the painter's intention is to perhaps tell another story.
If I am correct, that middle finger may just be the
baby's way of communicating his response to any possible judgment or
discontentment. That gesture of 'Fuck You' is the baby's first
explanation for what his life will be. It will be a life of privilege. The baby
is telling us,
'I
will grow up with the easy capability to get what I want...when I want it. How
I get what I want will go unexplained. I will not be questioned. I will be
praised because my bloodline is Caucasian. I don't have to worry about being
mistaken as an average Joe. I have blonde hair and blue eyes. I will get the job,
not some jigaboo with the name Fearless
DeAndre. My white heritage secures
me a spot on the train, on the bus, in the classroom...my life will be one of
White Privilege. All I have to do is take advantage of what's put before me.
Yeah...I have it made. Like I do now. I get the best milk. It comes from the
Black Woman. She is forte. She is passing her Strength on…to me.’
White Privilege began years ago. It has not
dissolved…it has not been unpacked. It is an ingrained institutional concept
that not only exists in the minds of numerous white people; it is an accepted
circumstance by African American men and women that reminds African American
men and women that their status is Unworthy, not United States citizen. We,
black people, have accepted White Privilege for what it is. It is a reality
that’s supported by Western Civilization’s Christianity and everything that
promotes White Supremacy e.g. Jesus Christ as a white savior, Santa Claus as a
white man, white girls as angelic and white boys as the only desirable men for
the hit reality television show, The Bachelor.
This is what I see…this is my perception.
Muata Nowe
