Jermaine Doris ‘19, and French and Africana Studies Professor Nathalie Etoke took a multifaceted approach to the issues of race, emotion and progress in their presentation and conversation, Black Rage: Defined and Refined. Both Doris and Professor Etoke prompted roughly thirty-five attendees with their concerns and ideas but emphasized the importance of a dialogue rather than a lecture format. Participants sat at round tables to facilitate discussion and were frequently invited to voice their thoughts. To keep the discussion open and accessible, Doris and Professor Etoke maintained some spontaneity by keeping their plans for the event private.
“I had the general gist of what [Professor Etoke] would do,” Doris told the Voice to explain the presentation’s unscripted format. He observed that in retrospect, a video entitled “Black Rage” by Lauryn Hill was among Professor Etoke’s most essential content. Doris described is as “very moving and very raw.”
Central to the event were the power and legitimacy of the intense emotion that stems from situations of oppression, which often makes people uncomfortable, particularly those who are distanced from the issues. Doris noted that White college students, particularly at highly privileged institutions like Connecticut College, make up the “future elite” and are offered a relatively gentle approach in gaining awareness of widespread racial oppression. Adding that they then tend to end up “running away from a very low-risk situation.” Professor Etoke added that because people so often avoid acknowledging black rage, afraid and uncomfortable participants keep discussions of racism formal and “proper.”
“The matter we’re discussing is anything but proper,” noted Professor Etoke. She used quotations, photos, videos and songs to offer examples of atrocities committed against black Americans ranging from as far back as slavery to as recently as the Flint water crisis.“This is American history,” Professor Etoke emphasized, calling herself “politically incorrect” for saying so.
Regarding the importance of emotion, Doris and Professor Etoke resisted the idea that expressions of the intense feelings brought about by oppression must always be “constructive.” “Theories aren’t going to solve anything. And that’s all we do,” Doris pointed out.
Professor Etoke brought up the resonant effects of “prophetic black rage” as expressed in predominantly black churches. She referenced an incendiary sermon given by Jeremiah Wright, former pastor to President Barack Obama, in which Wright cited the expulsion of Native Americans, the internment of Japanese Americans and the ongoing oppression of black Americans as evidence that “God damns America.” She explained that media outlets took Wright’s words out of context to ignore the darkest parts of American history and condemn Wright for his impassioned speech.
“Why is okay to commit an atrocious act with poise?” Professor Etoke posed, referring to the generous portrayals of murderous White police officers and shooters in contrast to the criticism of black speeches, sermons and riots that express deserved frustration.
Doris noted that the event ended up clearly “showing that there isn’t one answer” to racism or the tendency to shy away from black rage.“I don’t think [success] is putting a racist in a jail cell…There’s no untraining” he commented.
Doris explained that he learned the how to format the presentation from attending SOAR and Umoja meetings. He noted that “some people aren’t going to stand up and talk in front of a whole audience,” and he therefore aimed to accommodate those individuals.
At the end of the event, representatives from diversity groups on campus including SOAR, Umoja and MEChA introduced themselves and invited attendees to join them “so that these things could be touched upon in their meetings,” said Doris, noting that the presentation was “not an end-all, be-all.” CCSRE, SOAR, and the Women’s Center sponsored the event.
Doris expressed hope to the Voice that members of the campus community would “feel something” and engage with their emotions. “The community is a little disjointed,” Doris added, noting that we should be “building that deeper community…then these concepts won’t be as lofty.” •
