Jonathan Foster

Professor Gordon

Black History II

February 19, 2017

We Are Not What We Seem

Robin D. G. Kelly reveals insight to Black American lives during time of the

Jim Crow Laws in the mid 1900s. These societal trends are hidden from the

history books leaving many individuals, black and white, unaware of the lifestyle

black Americans faced. Kellys goal is to show visible forms of resistance

specifically in everyday life, work place, and political agendas.

Black Americans had to be couscous when outside in order to avoid being

targeted by the white society. However, despite incivility, minorities were able to

generate resistance within their own society. One of the places minorities could

go to escape the targeting was church or a party of some fashion. At these

events blacks had the ability to speak and share conflicts in a free environment.

Being in these arrangements gave people the freedom of being themselves in a

nation of domestic imperialism. Making blacks feel confined in a certain area

represented an informal action of protest, which was a political strategy to

alienate people from the white society.

Another popular way blacks showed resistance to the white society was

the zoot suit. The zoot suit needed to be purchased on the black market due to

the rationing of materials needed for the war effort. The long and baggy clothes

resembled the unsympathetic actions black society revealed to America. Many

whites in society would view the black community as unpatriotic simply because

they escaped or avoided the draft for the war effort. Many blacks believed
fighting for the country that promoted incivility towards their race and culture

was useless. In contrast other blacks felt if they fight for the segregated and

oppressive country, they could earn their civility.

The black community had the opportunity to resist in the workplace as

well. Blacks would revolt for multiple reasons including higher wages, reducing

hours, control of the workplace, control the pace of work, and seize more

autonomy. They would perform these actions by working slow, stealing, leaving

work early, or quitting. Kelly points out how workers on a North Carolina tabacoo

farm would help each other during rough times; such as picking up the slack

when somebody is ill, or packing the basket more loosely to make it appear more

full. Another example pointed out was how theft was popularly used for personal

enrichment. Kelly explains how tabacoo workers would keep products to sell or

barter them in local markets. A second example is how workers would steal coal

for their ovens, tap power lines with copper, turned on water mains, and use

vacant houses for firewood. All of these methods gave blacks the opportunity to

counteract the agenda of oppositions.

In conclusion Kelly explains how infrapolitics have heavily affected the

black, specifically working class, community. He explains how the resistance

blacks made hegemonizing for the white society frustrating and expensive. Kelly

describes the purpose of the white community was to have dominance over the

African American population. Page 112 shows no matter the situation, blacks

were held under an unbreakable stereotype. Kelly believes the revealing of these

hidden politics holds rich insight into 20 th century black political struggle and

strives for us to reject artificial divisions between political and social history. He

believes that if people re-examine these forms of political actions with resistance

one will be able to better understand black history.