Issa Rae’s The Struggle presents a black person’s point of view in modern society. Rae experiences stereotypes by being pressured to imitate what individuals perceive as the social standards of black people. The racism she often endures cautions her on things black people are not supposed to do. Rae wrote the book to encourage other black individuals undergoing similar struggles to learn to accept themselves.
Rae describes her perception of blackness as not just overly obnoxious, loud, and stereotypical but a powerful color in all life’s traits. She makes it clear that women of color need to be better recognized for making significant contributions to the film industry. The author also describes that others perceive blackness as being sociable and needing to please others (Rae, 2016). Rae recounts when she was an adolescent and tried to satisfy stereotypes linked to being black: to dance seductively like the women on television or know the latest rap songs.
Rae’s tone towards these descriptions is light-hearted because her past incidences are not traumatic. She can maintain an entertaining tone when elaborating on the pessimism of her experiences. She appreciates the influence of nineties television for molding her entertainment complex, which has turned her into a famous female comedian (Rae, 2016). Rae was troubled her entire life by how people viewed her blackness but decided to only concentrate on the advantages of being black.
These descriptions of the perception of blackness support her thesis that she is proud to be African American irrespective of how others regard her race. Rae writes, “I like being black. That is not an issue” (Rae, 2016, p.159). However, she states she is tired of talking about race and being the ambassador of blackness. She suggests that she is comfortably black because she has experienced enough instances of being judged as not black enough by both black and white people.
Finally, almost everyone has tried to fit in with their peers through awkward statements or actions, which might have failed. However, The Struggle enables the reader to enjoy embarrassing moments and get mental relief. Issa Rae’s work illustrates that it is a blessing or a lesson to have life misadventures despite individuals’ struggles. She also highlights that individuals should eradicate the issues surrounding race so that black people can feel more comfortable about themselves.
Reference
Rae, I. (2016). The misadventures of awkward black girl. Simon and Schuster.