Exile: Being Aware of Different Cultures and Settings
The theoretical lens of structural racism focuses on the legitimization and normalization of interpersonal, cultural, historical, and cultural advantages that favor white people while subjugating people of color. Due to President Barack Obama’s ethnic heritage and cultural background, his image was vulnerable to distortion and manipulation (Berger 46). Obama’s administration of his presidency attempted to overcome the racism Obama faced. Unlike the white male presidents who had come before him, President Obama met had to endure hate and bigotry because of the color of his skin. According to Berger (46), white supremacist and right-wing media falsified and altered Obama’s photographs to undermine his legitimacy and authority. Thus, the photos taken of Obama and his family had to focus on visualizing the first president of African-American heritage as energetic, dignified, free, intellectual, and powerful.
Structural racism has played a significant role in how African Americans portray themselves visually. Radcliffe Roye’s street photography attempts to portray African Americans as people who have dignity despite being subjected to oppression (Cadogan 123). African Americans’ desire to present themselves as dignified persons can be traced back to Douglass’s era. Loran Simpson’s and Leslie Hewitt’s compilation of Fredrick Douglass’s archival photos portrays him as a man who wants to be seen as a powerful, intellectual, and free man. For people who have endured slavery, the Jim Crow regime, segregation, and racial inequalities, photography is being used as a medium to challenge the stereotypical portrayal of African Americans.
Works Cited
Aperture. “Vision and Justice.” Issue 223. (2016).