In the narrative “My Mother’s Dreams for Her Son, and All Black Children”, author Hilton Als recalls his experiences growing up, as a black American, in Brooklyn. He provides a lens into the ways black Americans have been mistreated and silenced throughout American history.
In the article, he says “Like any number of black boys in those neighborhoods, I grew up in a matrilineal society, where I had been taught the power—the necessity—of silence.” Als is showing us that growing up as an African American you have to acquire the skill of silence to survive. We know this by the talk parents have to have with their kids about to deal with police officers and how if you act out of their line it can cost their life. It is significant to the overall narrative of how African Americans are held to a different unfair standard that white people can’t understand. When Als stresses the necessity of silence it struck a nerve because it just goes to show what length people will go to try to hold the African American communities down and keep them quiet.
Als also says “The world around us was not the one we had worked hard to achieve but the quiet, degraded world that our not-country said we deserved. We couldn’t keep nothing, the elders said, not even ourselves.” He is showing how the fight for rights, during the Civil Rights Movement, had not been granted as they had expected. It is significant to the overall narrative because it continues to show how Black Americans are living in a different country than White Americans. In this, they have been granted fewer rights and freedoms.
One quote that stood out to me was “One way to control unruly, ungovernable refugees, of course, is to remind them that they are guests of a mighty police state.” This goes to show how the police are used to intimidate black Americans and not protect black Americans. This segment caught my eye because it shows the police and the people in power’s view of African Americans and how they don’t view them as any ordinary citizen, but rather they are guests who are “lucky” to live in this country. But how are they lucky when they are consistently being mistreated? We must further place a focus on equality for all and not just those who the people in power think deserve it. We must continue to fight for equal rights for all no matter who you are.
I agree with your statement about how African Americans are like guests invited to be born into this country. Society believes that rather than African Americans rioting and protesting against police brutality, they should be grateful to be living in the US. Ironically, America as the home of immigrants seems to always single out those who are a different skin color. And rather protecting those who came to American as an escape to pursue the American dream- which is advertised for everyone-society uses police force to show the power of the white administration.
I like your explanation of the last quote. I found that quote surprising and saddening when I read it in the essay as police brutality is still a method maintaining peace in our country, and is especially enforced upon black people. Black Americans still aren’t seen as equal in society as shown by police brutality and intimidation. Police are supposed to protect everyone, not one race and the quote shows how that is not the case and black people are still seen as guests in America. Good job!
I like your explaination of the first quote. A double standard is a good way of describing how African Americans have to be silent for their survival. I also liked the quote you chose to share. The idea that African Americans are guests in a police state is an interesting, but fairly accurate, way of describing the situation of African Americans of that time period, and is still relevant today.