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Culture is a major component that creates the foundation of self-actualization in many people groups along with class and influence. The identity of a person is consistently evolving with its environment. The most important form of symbolic expression is articulate speech. Articulate speech means the communication of ideas; communication means the preservation-- tradition--and preservation means accumulation and progress (Macionis and Benokraitis, 2010). I will expound on cultural identity through the lens of the film The Hate U Give. There were many layers displayed throughout the film by way of the identity of self in community, family, educationally, and through the structures of the justice system.
The idea of being trapped in a cage due to the lack of knowledge or exposure, can be crippling and render people from progressing as they should. Common in the African American community, invariably feel the need to perform to be accepted. This is how Starr the protagonist described her experience living in Garden Heights, she described it as being a different world. “Garden Heights is one world, Williamson is another. And I got to keep it separate. So when I’m here, I’m Starr version Two. That means flipping a switch in my brain. Williamson Starr doesn’t use slang. If a rapper would say it, she doesn’t, even if her white friends do. Slang makes them cool. Slang makes me hood” (The Hate U Give, 2018).
African American culture has been a complex topic for years. Having a troubled history of oppressive treatment, identity has been one that continues to evolve over time, meaning the people are trying to find their place. Culture is a word that is heavily used in the African American community and is used to spark conversation as it seems to bring camaraderie. In dealing with the uncertainty of who you are and who you identify with, many find solace in being heard through social media. This seems to make people feel seen and understood. The ambition to fit in society is seen as an equal while navigating through how a person contributes to the world and their community without being negatively viewed. 'Wherever human beings are related through their wills in an organic manner and affirm each other, we find one or another of the three types of Gemeinschaft' (Macionis and Benokraitis, 2010).
In the movie, The Hate U Give, the theme of family self-worth and justice flows throughout the film. Starr’s father was adamant in teaching his children values from the Black Panther 10-point program in addition to how to conduct themselves with law enforcement. There was an extreme range of emotions displayed in how the black community processed trauma in the midst of chaos. There echoed a sense of pride in being black but uncertain about how to fully walk in that confidence due to fear of hindering success. In the United States, Black people are stereotyped as musical and athletic, but also lazy, unintelligent, and unethical (Penner and Saperstein, 2013). This in turn had a serious effect on the influence of African Americans outside of those acceptable categories.
Cultural identity can be formed through trauma. A person's self-conception and self-perception can be tied to commonality violence. Street culture has evolved what may be called a code of the streets, which amounts to a set of informal rules governing interpersonal public behavior, including violence (Macionis and Benokraitis, 2010). In her process of dealing with her childhood friend's death for the second time in her life, the emotional trauma of her experience was deemphasized. Giving little attention to the emotional toll the incident took on her and being forced to move on with life as normal based on her mother's pushing.
Starr was called out by her mom when she wanted to avoid her school. Her mom expressed to her that she must go on with life. From this point of view, crying is not so much a matter of breaking the rules as it is playing a different set of rules (Macionis and Benokraitis, 2010). Starr's identity struggles as a high school student living in a low-income community while going to school in an elite neighborhood forced her to balance her social obligation and acceptability. This was shown in her school, community, Home, with her childhood friends, and ultimately herself. In Engendering Racial Perceptions, it was stated that this is the complicatedness of living with multiple socially marginalized identities (Penner and Saperstein, 2013).
There was a theme of loyalty and leadership throughout the film, feeling indebted to the community, family, and self by abiding by Street culture. The code of the streets it's actually a cultural adaptation to a profound lack of faith in the police and the judicial system (Macionis and Benokraitis, 2010). Starr’s entire community tried to figure out how they were going to be heard and accepted while navigating through two scenarios of what were their life and the lives of people outside of them, who had their own definition of their culture as well. When decent and street kids come together a kind of social shuffle occurs in which children have a chance to go either way( Macionis and Benokraitis, 2010). Either way is a life of violence or gaining knowledge to change behavior.
Starr dealt with being uncomfortable with being her true self in fear of being judged by others who had an idea of how they thought she should be.“Williamson Starr is approachable. No stink eyes or yelling because Williamson Starr is non-confrontational. Basically, Williamson Starr doesn’t give anyone a reason to call her ghetto. And I hate myself for doing it”(The Hate U Give, 2018). Starr’s father raised her prepared for life as well as influenced her based on his personal experiences and trauma. Although his intentions were in the right place, the movie depicted a review of the different parenting styles and the stereotypes of inner-city life. Simply mentioning the phrase “inner city” cues racial stereotypes and affects whites’ attitudes toward crime policy (Penner and Saperstein, 2013).
Outside of Starr’s family, the other characters her age were either raised by a close relative like a grandmother, had a mother who appeared to not care, or the addicted parent. The use of media was portrayed to display the momentum gained for the Garden Heights community and quickly lost with the portrayal of the media incriminating the victim. “Shamell Bell said it best. “It is impossible to be unarmed when our blackness is the weapon that they fear.” And I refuse to let our blackness be seen as a weapon or as a weakness. Division is how they win. Unity is how they crumble”(The Hate U Give, 2018).
While there are many directions and deeper rabbit holes that could be discussed. I felt it was important to reveal the countless influences and copious amounts of information thrown at this teen in this film. It has been said many times that culture determines how we view our life around us and it can also help us to shape our opinions of how we see ourselves and others. Being trapped in a cage of opinions and ideas, of who you are especially as an African American, can be disheartening and repetitive. What I enjoyed about this triggering film is the power of using your voice and standing up for what you believe in by any means necessary.
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