Detailed AO3 (Social) Flashcards
Racial Passing and the Great Migration
In response to these oppressive conditions, many African Americans sought better opportunities in the North, leading to the Great Migration.
The harsh realities of segregation also led some light-skinned African Americans to “pass” as white, seeking social and economic mobility.
This act of passing, while offering certain freedoms, often resulted in profound personal and psychological conflicts, a central theme in Larsen’s Passing.
Further Background/Origins of Passing: The Creoles (refer to yt video)
Urban Racial Dynamics/Social Tensions and the Great Migration
This demographic shift significantly altered the racial dynamics of American cities, fostering cultural movements like the Harlem Renaissance.
The migration also **intensified social tensions, as African Americans faced new forms of discrimination **in the North.
In Passing, these **dynamics are evident as characters navigate complex social landscapes **influenced by migration and shifting racial identities.
The Rise of the Black Bourgeoisie and Class Divisions
The early 20th century saw the emergence of a Black middle class, particularly in urban areas like Harlem.
Leaders such as W.E.B. Du Bois advocated for the “Talented Tenth,” encouraging the top ten per cent of the African American population to pursue higher education and leadership roles to uplift the race.
The Rise of the Black Bourgeoisie and Racial Identity
This rise of a Black bourgeoisie introduced class distinctions within African American communities.
In Passing, Larsen explores these class divisions,** highlighting differing attitudes toward racial passing and assimilation.**
The novel’s characters grapple with their identities amidst societal expectations and personal desires, reflecting the complexities of class and race.
Anti-Miscegenation Laws and Racial Passing
Anti-miscegenation laws in the United States prohibited interracial marriages and relationships, reinforcing racial hierarchies and the notion of white purity (furthered by the hypodescent notion of the ‘One Drop Rule’.
These laws varied by state but were prevalent, particularly in the South.
Prior to the California Supreme Court’s ruling in Perez v. Sharp (1948), no court in the United States had ever struck down a ban on interracial marriage.
The existence of such laws underscored the** rigid boundaries between races and the severe consequences of crossing them.**
Real-Life Cases of Racial Passing
Real-life cases of racial passing, such as that of Anita Hemmings, who passed as white to attend Vassar College in the 1890s, and Belle da Costa Greene, a prominent librarian who concealed her African American heritage, highlight the lengths to which individuals went to navigate these oppressive systems.
These stories, alongside the fictional narrative of Clare Kendry in Passing, illuminate the personal costs and societal implications of passing delineated by Larsen
Gender Roles and the New Woman (1920s)
The 1920s, often referred to as the Roaring Twenties, witnessed significant shifts in gender norms.
The** ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920** granted women the right to vote, symbolising broader strides toward gender equality.
The era also saw the rise of the “New Woman,” characterised by increased independence, participation in the workforce, and a challenge to traditional gender roles post WWI
Flapper Culture
New Woman, Gender and Feminism in Passing
In Passing, Larsen portrays characters like Clare Kendry and Irene Redfield, who embody aspects of the New Woman.
Their navigation of societal expectations, marital dynamics, and personal ambitions reflects the evolving discourse on gender and feminism during the period.
One Drop Rule
Definition: The one-drop rule was a legal principle in the 20th-century U.S. that classified any person with even one ancestor of African ancestry as “black” (Negro or colored).
It is an example of hypodescent, assigning mixed-race children to the group with lower social status, regardless of their actual ancestry.
-Associated with the idea of “invisible blackness.”
-Rooted in the racial caste system of slavery and later segregation in the U.S. South.
-Early 20th century: Codified into law in some U.S. states.
-Used to enforce racial segregation, prevent interracial marriages, and uphold white supremacy.
1967: Outlawed by the U.S. Supreme Court in Loving v. Virginia, which struck down laws banning interracial marriage.
Impact: Denied rights, equal opportunities, and reinforced racial hierarchies.
The Rhinelander Case
(1925)
Parties Involved: Leonard Rhinelander (wealthy white man) and Alice Jones (working-class woman of mixed race).
Key Issue: **Leonard sued for annulment, claiming Alice concealed her “black ancestry” **(though her racial background was visibly ambiguous as was visually & humiliatingly proven in court).
Outcome: Court ruled in favor of Alice, stating Leonard knew of her racial background before marriage.
Significance: Highlighted societal anxieties about racial boundaries, interracial relationships, and the fluidity of racial identity.
Minstrel Shows and Blackface (19th Century)
1843: The Celebrated Negro Melodies by the Virginia Minstrels popularized minstrel shows.
Blackface: White performers used burnt cork, greasepaint, or shoe polish to darken their skin, exaggerating lips and wearing ragged clothes to mock African Americans.
Stereotypes: Portrayed African Americans as ignorant, lazy, buffoonish, superstitious, joyous, and musical.
Impact: Introduced racial slurs like “darky” and “coon.”
Jim Crow Character
Origin: Popularized by T.D. Rice in the 1830s.
Appearance: Dressed in rags, battered hat, and torn shoes; performed in blackface.
Song: “Jump Jim Crow” became a cultural phenomenon.
Legacy: Symbolized racial segregation laws (“Jim Crow laws”) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Sambo, Golliwog, and Pickaninny
Sambo: Stereotype of a happy, lazy, carefree black man.
-1898: The Story of Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman popularized the character.
**Golliwog: Derived from blackface minstrelsy; featured exaggerated features (black skin, red lips, frizzy hair).
**
-20th Century: Remained popular in Western nations, often as dolls.
Pickaninny: Term for black children, often depicted as ragged and comical.
-Alligator Bait: Variant stereotype of black children used as bait for alligators (no historical evidence).
Mammy Stereotype
**Mammy Stereotype
Description: African-American women as loyal, maternal house slaves.
**
Examples:
-1909: Aunt Jemima advertising campaign.
-1910: Proposal to build a monument to “Ol’ Black Mammy” in Washington, D.C.
Role: Idealized as submissive, devoted to white families.
Sapphire and Angry Black Woman
**Sapphire: Stereotype of argumentative, emasculating black women.
**
1928-1960: Popularized by the radio show Amos ‘n’ Andy (Sapphire Stevens character).
Precursor to Angry Black Woman: Modern trope portraying black women as loud, aggressive, and overbearing.
Jezebel Stereotype
Description: ‘Sexually aggressive’, ‘promiscuous’ black woman.
Origins: Rooted in slavery, where black women were sexually objectified and exploited.
Modern Impact: Pervasive in music videos and media, contributing to the sexualisation of black women and girls.
AO5: Patricia Hill Collins: “The image of jezebel originated under slavery. The jezebel whore, or ‘hoochie’-is central in this nexus of controlling images of Black womanhood”
She states it was used to ‘**provide powerful rationale for the widespread sexual assaults **by White men typically reported by Black slave women
Tragic Mulatta
Description: Light-skinned, mixed-race woman obsessed with passing as white.
Role in Media: Cautionary tale about racial identity and assimilation.
Artistic Representations
1792: Samuel Jennings’s Liberty Displaying the Arts and Sciences depicted **African Americans as passive beneficiaries **of abolition.
1813: **John Lewis Krimmel’s Quilting Frolic featured early caricatures **of black figures with exaggerated features.
