Talking in Color: Collision of Cultures

            In the cultural criticism piece, “Talking in Color: Collision of Cultures” by Tiffany Hendrickson, (2013), the author discusses racism in one of its many forms so that other that find themselves in similar situations can become empowered to discover their own voice and speak their truth.  Hendrickson establishes her assertions by giving us a glimpse into her personal background, her relationship with her mother, how she learned to talk, and how she was treated because of it.  Hendrickson’s essay reveals a bias prevalent in a part of our society today, how some people are judged on the way they speak when that way is associated with being African American; she highlights the fallacy of this position to encourage others to look past the judgement of people who don’t matter.  Her intended audience is aspiring young writers, young college students.

            This was a powerful piece for the group.  Code switching has been a part of the black experience forever.  We not only do it with other races, but with each other also.  It’s all a part of how we communicate with each other.  The way Hendrickson pointed out the different dialects being spoken from different parts of the country, but yet when it came to that dialect being associated with the black race its described as sounding like a nigger.  No thought was given to who the person was as whole, or the potential they contained, just judgement based on the way they sounded and preconceived notions about the connotation of that sound.

            Hendrickson’s depiction of the pain she suffered as a result of racism and her ability to push past it and find her voice validates the notion of a purpose inside of each of us.  Her quote “ Though the journey has sometimes be painful, I cherish it, but more than the journey, I value most the power of my voice”, shows that even in face of constant rejections you can still find your destiny knowing we all have value.  Sometimes it takes a while to find that voice, Hendrickson spoke of initially being ashamed of the way she spoke when she was exposed to other white college students.  Being partnered with a Big Sister for a mentor helped her to discover the power of her voice that led to her seeing herself for the writer she is.  Hendrickson appeals to our sense of compassion to understand that our differences only separate us if we chose to.

         

CONTEXT 

The personal essay “Context”, written by Dorothy Allison, (1994),  explores the importance of context when looking at different situations, and that making a presumption without proper context can lead to irrational fears that cloud our own perceptions.  Allison demonstrates this assertion by taking us down memory lane with a vivid depiction recounting the time she brought her lover to meet her family, she shares her fear, doubts, and how she assumed her lover would react to her family.  Allison’s essay purports the significance of context and its impact on our understanding of one another.  Her intended audience, members of the LGTBQ community, or the general public at large to gain a different perspective at understanding one another by placing things in their proper perspective.

          This essay elicited a variety of responses from the members of this group.  For one, the response was invoked memories of her own childhood and reminders of how she was raised.  I found it interesting how a misunderstanding in the context led the author to assume how her lover would react to her family.  She became fearful because she was basing her assumption from the perspective of her own life experiences and not her lovers.   Her fears were more revealing of her personal feelings about her family than her lovers.  Her statement, “Don’t go deaf and blind to what this feels like, remember it” (119), stood out for me in that even as a child she recognized that this behavior was wrong, and she wanted to remember so that she would not be guilty of treating someone in that manner.

          Dorothy Allison utilizes her personal experience of taking her lover to meet her family and childhood memories to asserts the relevance of context to our understanding of one another.  Fear can cause us to act irrationally, to make assumptions not based in facts.  Allison assumed that her lover would look at her differently based upon how she felt about her family, “I was afraid that she might see me through new eyes, hateful eyes, the eyes of someone who suddenly knew fully how different we were.” (118).  She was right in that her lover did see her with new eyes, just not in the way she thought.  Later, when she reflected on meeting her lovers family, she began to see that she gained an better understanding of her lover by meeting them, “ Seeing where she had grown up, meeting some of her family, I had understood her better” (119).  Allison ends the piece by reminding us that our experiences, even the shameful ones are a part of who we are, but do not define who we are, we can choose to be different from our experiences.  Placing things in the proper context encourages growth and maturity, as the author said, “Context is so little to share, and so vital.”(120).