Dear White People (2014) is a movie based on a fictional Ivy League college called Winchester. The school is predominantly white, which leads to several culture clashes that result in a “Release Your Inner Negro” party held by one of the most prestigious houses at the school. The movie explores racial identities of the diverse black cast in order to create a social commentary on issues that students still face today. The main student we follow is Sam White, a biracial film and media student who is a big advocate for black student rights and the BSU. I believe this movie is crucial and should be implemented within every school curriculum because it gives examples of racism, microaggressions, and many other race based aggressions that should
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She is very much trying to assimilate herself into white society. She accepts the microagressions her white friend makes when asking if Coco’s hair is “weaved”. This reminds me of the video we had watched in class of the children being asked “which doll is prettier”, she would have pointed to the white doll. Furthermore, Coco is like one of the little black girls who when asked “which doll is uglier” she have pointed to the black doll. Then when asked, which doll resembles her the most, again pointing to the black doll like in the video. This self hatred starts so young, like we saw in the video, and in Dear White People we see the result. By the end of the movie Coco has denounced most of her blackness by going to a party where the theme was to “Release her inner Negro” and stating how “White people want to be just like us”. She wears a blonde wig, again hoping that she will be accepted by white …show more content…
Sam (the main protagonist) states that in the cafeteria in the all black housing that: “The Armstrong Parker Dining Hall was the epicenter of black culture as it stands at Winchester. Only here can you commiserate, celebrate, and discuss everything from Kanye West to the theoretical relativism all in a sitting. Not to mention, someone who can actually do your hair” (19:43). Meaning it is important for the black students on campus to have place where they can promote black culture without it being perceived as negative. Again, in our class we talked about how segregation was the best and worst thing for the black community. This, I believe, is the film’s modern interpretation on the matter. The benefits that the president, who is white, is saying that it is better for everyone because they are able to expand outside of everyone’s comfort zones and to become a closer community. However, like the quote above shows that there is a sense of unity that they have already established in the black community that is important to promote black culture in a safe environment. Sam also implies that the reason the president wants to have different housing is because he is afraid of the black students rising up and overpowering the white college
She is very much trying to assimilate herself into white society. She accepts the microagressions her white friend makes when asking if Coco’s hair is “weaved”. This reminds me of the video we had watched in class of the children being asked “which doll is prettier”, she would have pointed to the white doll. Furthermore, Coco is like one of the little black girls who when asked “which doll is uglier” she have pointed to the black doll. Then when asked, which doll resembles her the most, again pointing to the black doll like in the video. This self hatred starts so young, like we saw in the video, and in Dear White People we see the result. By the end of the movie Coco has denounced most of her blackness by going to a party where the theme was to “Release her inner Negro” and stating how “White people want to be just like us”. She wears a blonde wig, again hoping that she will be accepted by white …show more content…
Sam (the main protagonist) states that in the cafeteria in the all black housing that: “The Armstrong Parker Dining Hall was the epicenter of black culture as it stands at Winchester. Only here can you commiserate, celebrate, and discuss everything from Kanye West to the theoretical relativism all in a sitting. Not to mention, someone who can actually do your hair” (19:43). Meaning it is important for the black students on campus to have place where they can promote black culture without it being perceived as negative. Again, in our class we talked about how segregation was the best and worst thing for the black community. This, I believe, is the film’s modern interpretation on the matter. The benefits that the president, who is white, is saying that it is better for everyone because they are able to expand outside of everyone’s comfort zones and to become a closer community. However, like the quote above shows that there is a sense of unity that they have already established in the black community that is important to promote black culture in a safe environment. Sam also implies that the reason the president wants to have different housing is because he is afraid of the black students rising up and overpowering the white college