What the passage says

What the passage says

The passage is derived from Fanon’s article on Black Skin, White Masks, and is precise on color as a significant prejudice on the blacks by the whites.’ You must understand that I am the biggest fan of black people’ (p. 96). From the quote, you find that there is something unique that makes this person a fan of blacks, which is the color. A fundamental understanding of the quote is that for the person to bring the perception of being a fan of blacks, others may be haters. In this passage, racism has mostly been elaborated based on color rather than other factors like origin, language, and cultural beliefs. According to the text, the black color is a symbol of hatred. ‘you see, my dear fellow, color prejudice is totally foreign to me’ (p. 93). The quote from this text shows hatred associated with the color where the person in the above quote is astonished by the prejudice related to color and calls it foreign.

Moreover, the white color is portrayed as the most acceptable in society. Despite a person’s significant education and social achievement, his or her color will always deny them, especially blacks. The last part of the passage explains that the black people are not comfortable with the perception of the whites on their color hence developed defense mechanisms on the same.

Meaning

The passage generally talks about racism and insists on color as a significant factor. Colour is seen from outside hence making the victims more vulnerable than others with language or cultural factors. My ‘speaking hands’ (p. 107) is a quote that uses the hands to portray the dark color of the blacks. The hands are dark and can be seen at a glance. Therefore, the victim is discriminated on the basis of color and perceived as a thief. In precise, blacks face more rejection among the whites due to their dark color that is an outward indicator. For example, if a black person happens to speak in a language like French, they always get the notion that they are not fit for it, but if a Russian does the same, they will be appreciated despite their culture. The message that is being portrayed by this passage is that people should not be judged by their physical appearance but rather what they can give to society, for example, their morals and skills. ‘Blacks represent a kind of insurance for humanity in the eyes of the Whites’ (p. 108). The quote illustrates how the whites view blacks as machinery, which should be used to substitute machines. The notion is wrong as the blacks are educated; hence are more useful in giving ideas than as machinery (Fanon, 2008).

Why the passage matters

The passage has a crucial message to the current society. In the present world, people are interacting globally for business, education, and marriage reasons. The knowledge portrayed by this passage will enable people to have a good relationship as they interact, especially the blacks with the whites. When blacks go for further studies in the white-dominated countries, their opinions and skills should be considered since color is not a determinant of the inner self. ‘It’s not because he’s black that he’s less intelligent than we are’ (p. 93). The quote has given more insight into the color not being a determinant of a person’s capabilities. Appreciating the dark color will enable the blacks to portray their potential hence global development. The inferiority complex is a challenge represented by the blacks due to rejection by the whites. The passage teaches whites to appreciate the contributions of the dark people since we are all human beings. The notion will help deal with the inferiority perception without protest.XXX