How Is A Problem Being Solved?
The author of Twelve Million Black Voices wrote, “We hear men talk vaguely of a government in far-away Washington, a government that stands above the people and desire the welfare of all. We do not know this government; but the men it hires execute its laws are the Lords of the Land whom we have known all our lives. We hear that the government wants to helps us, but we are too far down at the bottom of the ditch for the fingers of the government to reach us, and there are too many men—the Lords of the Land and the poor whites- with their shoulders pressing tightly together in racial solidarity, forming a wall between us and the government” (p.48). It seems to me that the author here wants to say that the government is nice and willing to help, but there is a vast gap preventing that from happening. This is a very exquisite sign from the author that commonly if one feels unjust, no one gives a hand for help, but it is that person’s responsibility to speak up, to shout, to cry for help, to let their voice be heard in order to get the injustice removed. Two weeks ago, we mentioned that oral history is an important research tool where we listen to people from the past in order to understand more about them, here it appears that the need of “speaking up” is not only associated with the past but you might speak up to let people who live during your time to hear you because apparently there are always some people trying to build barriers between you and the person you want to get help from.
Black Schools Restored as Landmarks provides a similar way of solving problems. Ms. Schumpert, the former teacher from Pine Grove says, “Local white on their own would not have built the school for us,” and, “At least if you got educated, you could fight for yourself and start applying for jobs that were reserved for whites.” This is exactly what should take place. It is always difficult to solve the problem from one side; you always need the other part to help you. (It is common for teachers to say to their students: “Help me to help you!”) Let us suppose that there is a conflict between two groups; it is extremely hard to resolve the conflict unless both groups assist you. To sum up, in the first paragraph, we agreed that the first step of solving a problem is making the voice heard, and here we say, the action should complete the mission.
Yes, making the voice heard is the way to make changes happen. The problem with the slaves and the freed men after the Civil War was that there were many more people whose interests were better served by keeping the black race's voice muted. That's why it took so many years before the collective voice became loud enough to be heard. Richard Wright, when he wrote 12 Million Voices, didn't know that in another 20 years there was going to be a huge change for the black people. I'm sure his voice was part of what made that happen.
ReplyDeleteMelissa
There's that and there's also the fact that on numerous issues whether political or societal, it does take more than one voice to be heard and to be noticed. And one other thing I can verify is that it takes people who have needed help to offer to help others. I took the reading of the government being nice and willing to help as a way to cover up how things were really being handled as far as government issues.
ReplyDeleteVery true but very complicated. In fact, Wright's work really helps us begin exploring how (potentially) complicated. It wasn't about working harder, at least not by itself. I guess we can think here again about Brandt's notion of "sponsorship." Sponsors, whatever variety they take, "gain advantage from it in some way." Wright suggests that all of America wins is we work together. No doubt. What keeps this from happening and, when it happens, what is involved with making it happen? How does change happen?
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