First off, I really enjoyed this reading. Franz Fanon discussed the issues of identity and racism which are always interesting to read about. It’s fascinating seeing things from another person’s perspective.. and sometimes unfortunate. While reading the piece, I couldn’t help but feel bad for him– and other’s who had/have to live the way he did.

You hear a lot of things and see a lot of things over the years, but some of the items in this piece are awful. On page 112 there is a little child who says “Mama, see the Negro! I’m frightened!” WOW! That is just rediculous. What is there to be afraid of? He’s a human.. I really admired the fact that he was so calm and so accepting of everything going on around him. There was so much racist and prejudiced things being said about him and/or his race, but it seemed like he just tried not to let it affect him or his life.

After going back over my packet, I realized I underlined a lot of demeaning sentences. I just couldn’t get over the fact how mean/prejudice some people really were. On page 114 it says “A man was expected to behave like a man. I was expected to behave like a black man– .” Again, are these people serious? He’s a man too.. he shouldn’t be treated any less than a white man.

On page 116, the last paragraph, the speaker goes on to explain how white people introduce people of a different race. For example, “Oh I want you to meet my black friend. . .” I couldn’t believe that either! Why would someone feel it is necessary to introduce someone in that manner? They’re obviously face to face, they are able to see that person’s race.

On page 120 it says “The Negro is a human being.” YES, GOOD JOB! But then the man stating this goes and contradicts himself by saying, “Under no conditions did he wish any intimacy between the races, for it is a truism that ‘crossings between widely different races can lower the physical and mental level…” Oh man, need I say more?

Then on page 122 it says “Whenever you hear anyone abuse the Jews, pay attention, because he is talking about you.” That just goes to show that there is prejudice among all the races, not just one.

A couple more things to touch upon is on page 128 where it says “The white man wants the world; he wants it for himself alone. He finds himself predestined master of this world. He enslaves it.” This was obviously true back then, but very sad. Obviously, a lot of these particular men felt this way because they treated African American’s so poorly just because of the color of their skin. Then on page 129 it says “When the whites feel that they have become too mechanized, they turn to the man of color and ask the for a little human sustenance.” I find that to be true as well, and again contradictory. If the white man felt that African American’s were under them, why would they go and “steal” African American ideas/traditions?

A lot of this just really made me mad. All men and women are created equal, race shouldn’t matter..