When I read Tracy’s poem, I think what Tracy is trying to tell his readers is that People of color have been treated unfairly in this country since its existence. Since then, we as a country have to fight back against the racism that plagues this country but for any progress we make, it’s like something holds us back. Tracy says “In every stage of these Oppressions We have petitioned for redress in the most humbled terms”. They’re two things I think Tracy means by this. One is that People of color have protested peacefully and appropriately for their equal treatment. Despite all the mistreatment people of color have faced, they have never acted out of pocket or in an inappropriate manner to the oppression they face. Another interpretation I have of this quote is that it means that this country as a whole has been slow in responding to system racism. People in this country have always found a loophole to avoid resolving the issue of system racism. One example is black codes. Quickly after slavery was abolished in the south, white southerners took it upon themselves to create laws that would restrict black people freedoms and rights that would be known as black codes. This just shows us that country is not unified in the fight of combatting racism. For the picture in the display, I think what it is supposed to portray in the case of Tracy’s poem is hypocrisy. When the founding fathers created the Declaration of Independence, they discuss everyone is liberated and has the right to pursue happiness. While reading Tracy’s poem and looking at this picture what went through my mind was how the founding fathers were lying to themselves and contradicting the foundation of a new born country. What also goes in my mind is how could’ve they convinced themselves to believe in this lie they told themselves?
4 thoughts on “Roderick’s Declaration Analysis”
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Roderick,
I loved hearing your thoughts on Declaration and all of the different ways it can be interpreted. I really like your explanation of how the country has been slow to act on racism and I also took this message from Declaration. I think this is a super important message that Tracy is trying to get across and she does a good job at making that clear throughout the piece.
Hey Roderick!
I completely agree. Smith does a great job at getting her message across. Through her short poem, she is able to communicate her dissatisfaction with the governments that seem to fall short in responding to racism. I think that all the oppression and issues surrounding it have been bottle up for so long, that the 2020 violence should have been predicted. The businesses that were destroyed during the violence were by no means a way to protest for justice, it bought forward the harsh reality of the issues at hand. I have always considered the fact that the founding fathers wrote the Declaration of Independence, especially, on lies. As you said, Smith points out the hypocrisy in such a powerful document. This is why the type of poem she uses is so perfect, she mocks the document without directly coming out and saying it.
I agree with you – national problems can never be fixed within a few days, there’s always some kind of obstacle in your path towards the real solution, and many people always just stop short in getting there. Or, to interpret in another way, people are terrified of change, and are stubborn to the point where they will defend their old ways, even if it isn’t beneficial to them in the slightest.
I think the multiple ways you read this poem were interesting and unique. I agree that it’s alluding to the slow process and response to the inequality present in our country. I think you explained your point well by giving an example. While it was not my initial comparison, I find it very interesting that you were able to picture the Declaration of Independence and the founding fathers contradicting themselves.