The Otherness of Black People

There are many reasons why the construct of otherness still has a lot of power in our culture. Hall points out that from the linguistic standpoint, the difference matters because it is something that helps us distinguish meaning¹. Another argument comes from the field of linguistics as well: in the 19th century, the Swiss linguist Saussure ideated that meaning is only found in the dialogue with the other. Lately, putting an emphasis on the difference makes a lot of sense anthropologically. It is safe to assume that rigid classification helps people navigate the world and make snap choices. This essay argues that sometimes the otherness is constructed from the place of hostility and discrimination, especially when it comes to the representation of Black people in media run by White people.

“Heroes and Villains:” Otherness in Sports

One example of the construct of otherness in representing Black people is the cover of 1988 The Sunday Times magazine. Someone who did not live back in that era might find the cover innocuous if not optimistic. What it depicts is several Black male runners close to the finish line, with one of them obviously winning the competition. Without the context, one might think that the photo shows Black excellence: African performers at the top of their career, yielding yet another important accomplishment.

Yet, the context matters, and a quick search for the motivation behind the cover as well as deciphering the ambiguous title “Heroes and Villains” reveals that it does not celebrate Black people. In fact, the most important material in the magazine is dedicated to the growing menace of drug use in sports². The sportsman winning the race is Ben Johnson, who was suspected of using drugs to enhance his performance. The rest of the men depicted do not have such history, but they are still in the picture. From these facts, it is easy to conclude that Black sportsmen are represented as villains: deceiving the juree and participating in competitions unjustly.

Scrutiny and Objectification

Another image that divulges the construct of otherness upon further investigation is that of the runner Linfold Christie, holding a Union Jack, after winning a gold medal in Barcelona in 1992. Again at first glance, it might seem that the image is nothing but positive: Christie is elated after his final lap of victory. However, quick research shows that his victory was bittersweet because he was not fully accepted by the country that owed him the victory in the race. In his interviews, Christie was stating that he refers to himself as British: even though he was still close to Jamaican culture, he had spent most of his life in the United Kingdom.

Despite his integration into the British culture, the UK press and tabloids could not overcome his otherness. They were employing what Steinbock-Pratt refers to as master narrative: the image of Black people constructed by White people with no regard to their actual history, personalities, and humanity ³. In particular, British tabloids were focusing on the alleged size of Christie’s genitals that were visible through his running shorts. By doing so, journalists played into the centuries-old stereotype of Black man being “well-endowed.” While debunked scientifically in recent years, this stereotype lives on and goes all the way back to racists depictions of Black men as dangerous, lustful animals. In terms of Steinbock-Pratt, White journalists devised a narrative that is built solely on harmful, outdated tropes to entertain the public.

Later, Christie admitted that he felt immense humiliation after such scrutiny. He said that he “[does not] want to go through life being known for what is in [his] pants ⁴.” Christie wanted to be seen as a “serious man” that is much more than his body. Instead, the runner was seen as the other: an object to be ogled at without care or consideration. Reynolds describes the offensive curiosity with which the first ethnographers in Africa were examining local inhabitants. They were looking for materials for new movies and desperately wanted to show the viewer something exotic. Ethnographers measured and compared Africans in the same fashion as tabloids treated Christie ⁵.

The issue can be put in a larger context: in her other work, Reynolds describes how Africa was only seen as a continent with bountiful resources to supply industrialized countries ⁶. Westerners’ interest in Africa was straightforward: they did not show any interest in building relationships and understanding thousand-year old cultures. This sentiment shows the commodification, compartmentalization, and dehumanization of Africa.

Conclusion

One of the most striking approaches to creating powerful visuals is showcasing differences and highlighting “the otherness.” To eliminate uncertainty and improve their feeling of security, individuals tend to assign labels and categories to everything around them: both animate and inanimate objects. However, sometimes, the construct of otherness is harmful: for instance, it can deprive Black people of their humanity. Despite the progress made to fight racism in Western world, Black people are still often both praised and scrutinized for their physical shape and prowess while their personalities are ignored.

References

Hall, Stuart. Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. London: Sage, 1997.

Reynolds, Glenn. “Africa Joins The World”: The Missionary Imagination And The Africa Motion Picture Project In Central Africa.” Journal of Social History 44, no. 2, (2010): 459-479.

Reynolds, Glenn. Colonial Cinema in Africa : Origins, Images, Audiences. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2015.

Steinbock-Pratt, Sarah. The Lions in the Jungle: Representations of Africa and Africans in American Cinema. Martlesham, UK: Boydell & Brewer, 2009.

Footnotes

1. Stuart Hall, Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices (London: Sage, 1997), 120.
2. Stuart Hall, Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices (London: Sage, 1997), 123.
3. Sarah Steinbock-Pratt, The Lions in the Jungle: Representations of Africa and Africans in American Cinema (Martlesham, UK: Boydell & Brewer, 2009), 214.
4. Stuart Hall, Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices (London: Sage, 1997), 123.
5. Glenn Reynolds, Colonial Cinema in Africa : Origins, Images, Audiences (Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2015), 74.
6. Glenn Reynolds, “Africa Joins The World”: The Missionary Imagination And The Africa Motion Picture Project In Central Africa,” Journal of Social History 44, no. 2, (2010): 460.