Race And Multiracial Societies

Introduction

The issue of class and race has dominated society for a long time. Since time immemorial, society has always been divided according to class and race. For the example, there are the rich and poor, the ruling class and the subjects, the royalty and the peasants. With regard to race, there is the white race and the black race, the Asians, Hispanics. In a multiracial society, class is normally related to race with some races occupying a higher social class than others (Mirzoeff 2014). The issue of class and race has been captured in many works of literature as well as works of art. For a long time, artists, through their work of art such as photography, drawing, and painting, have expressed various issues which affect society. For example, artists have used art to show class and racial differences and its effects (Bryson et al., 2013). In the above images, the issue of class and race emerges. Both images show the black and white race. The difference in class is also evident between the races. In this paper, the similarities and differences between the two images particularly with respect to race and class will be addressed.

Similarities

One of the similarities between the two images is that in both, two races have been represented. In the first one, there is a black woman, probably a maid, and two white children. The black woman is holding one of the children (Howells and Negreiros 2012). In the second image, there is a white man holding a black child. There is also a black woman behind the white man. She is probably the child’s mother. Both the black and white races have thereby been represented in the two images.

Another similarity between the two images is there is representation of different classes. In the first image, the black woman is probably from a lower class as compared to the white children considering that she is works as the maid. In the 1900s, black women in America worked mainly as maids for the whites (Robertson and McDaniel 2013). This practice began during slavery when black women served their masters as maids. After slavery had ended, the practice continued. Since most of the black women had little education, most of them ended up working as maids and farm hands. Due to their lower economic status and social status, black individuals, in general, came from the lower class (Irvine 2012). The second image also shows a difference in class between the two races. The white man comes from a higher social class as compared to the child or the mother.

For both cases, the issue of class is likely to have been influenced by race. In America, the white people have, for a long time, been given better opportunities to excel academically and economically (Tolia-Kelly 2012). For example, in the first image, the woman works as a maid because it was likely that she was denied the opportunity to get education. During slavery and even after slavery, few black individuals were given an opportunity to advance socially and economically. During slavery, black people were not allowed to get education because they were needed to work in the farms (Heywood and Sandywell 2017). After the end of slavery, black people began getting education. However, the education system was rigged against them. For example, schools for whites were better equipped as compared to schools for blacks. This thereby condemned black people to a lower social class as depicted in the first image.

While there has been progress over the years with respect to reducing the gap between blacks and whites in the American society, there is still a huge difference between the two races with respect to class (Berger 2010). For example, poverty level is higher in the black communities as compared to the white communities. In addition, a lower number of black students get a college education as compared to the white students even in situations where these students learn from the same class (Lindsey 2013).

Apart from the similarities of race and class in the two images, there is also the age issue. In both images, there are younger and older individuals (Streeby 2013). In the first image, the maid is the older individual who is depended on for care and protection by the two younger individuals. In the second image, there is the black toddler who is being held by the older white individual. There are also two other older individuals in the image: a white and black woman (Bryson et al., 2013).

Differences

While there are various similarities between the two images particularly with respect to class and race, there are also differences. One of the differences is in the subtlety in the difference in class. In the first image, the difference in class between the white children and the black woman is obvious (Irvine 2012). The woman is wearing in a way that reveals her position in society. In 1900’s, maids had particular clothes which they could wear that would differentiate them from other individuals and particularly their white masters. This was also extended to the general black population. There was a distinct difference in the way white and black people dressed and while this was could have been due to the difference in economic status, it was also a show of difference in class (Howells and Negreiros 2012). For the second image, the difference in class is subtler. The class difference in the second image can be inferred from finer aspects such as the pose of the white individuals and the aura of authority they exude. The class in the second image is likely due to the superior economic status of the white individuals rather than the design of society to ensure that black people remain lower in the social ladder. While there is still glaring disparities between black and white communities, most of the obstacles which had been erected in the path of success of black people have been removed through the amendment of laws and the evolution of society (Mirzoeff 2014). The disparities between black and white people in terms of education and economic status have thereby become more subtle as shown in the second image.

Another difference is the context in which the older individuals in the images are holding the babies. In the first image, the black woman is holding the white child because it is her duty. On the other hand, the white man in the second image is holding the black baby out of free will and not because he has been compelled to (Robertson and McDaniel 2013). As indicated before, majority of women in the 1900’s worked as domestic workers for white individuals. Having been provided with limited opportunities to get a decent education and having the education system rigged against them after the end of slavery, most black women did not have the right knowledge and skills to get in other forms of employment (Tolia-Kelly 2012).

The two images are also different with respect to level of interaction of between the black and white races. In the first image, the black woman is shown holding white children without the presence of white adults. For a long time in the US, whites and blacks were not allowed to interact. There were schools for whites and schools for blacks. There were transport systems for whites and those for whites (Heywood and Sandywell 2017). And even after whites and blacks began interacting more, there was still open discrimination. For example, in the public transport system, blacks could only have seats in a bus if all the white people were having seats. If it happened that a white individual entered a bus and there were no more seats, a black individual on the bus had to stand to allow the white individual to have the seat. Black people could also not seat in front of the bus even when at the back there were no more seats and there were seats in front (Berger 2010). This is the context in which the black woman in the first image is operating. During this time, the black maids were allowed to take care of their masters’ children. However, they could not interact freely with their employers (Lindsey 2013). As such, it was not possible for the black woman to be photographed together with other family members.

In the second image, there is increased interaction between blacks and whites. The interaction is also on a more equal basis. The increased interaction is a result of the persistent fight that black people have put up for a long time in the US for more equal rights (Mirzoeff 2014). In the 1940s, the black community began to aggressively fight for equal rights. In the 1960s, with leaders such as Martin Luther King, black people intensified their fight against discrimination. This resulted in many discriminatory laws being abolished and thereby allowed for black and white people to interact more. In addition, with time, white people started viewing black people differently (Lindsey 2013). They began realizing that black people were equally intelligent and could accomplish whatever a white individual can accomplish provided they are given an opportunity. This is what informs the interaction in the second image. The white individuals are interacting with the black individuals as equals rather than as lesser human beings (Robertson and McDaniel 2013). This is also the reason why the white man is fondly holding the black toddler, something that was previously not possible since black people were thought to have diseases.

The period in which the images were taken is also different. The first image is set in the early to mid-1900s. There are a number of factors which allude to this fact. One of them is the quality of the image itself. The first image is in black and white which is a common feature of photography in the early 1900s (Berger 2010). This was mainly because photography, as a field, had not been developed well. Another aspect of the image that indicates the period it was taken is the dressing mode. For example, the black woman is wearing a cap which is a common feature in the dressing of maids in the early 1900s (Howells and Negreiros 2012). The dressing of the children is also a testament to the time the image was developed. The older of the two children is wearing a cotton frock, a common fashion item for children in the 1800s and early 1900s.

The second image is set in the modern day America. This can also be deduced from the quality of the image and the dressing. The image is a colored and more clear as compared to the first one. This can be attributed to the development of photography (Tolia-Kelly 2012). Over time, there have been advancements in the field of photography with technological advancements. As a result, the quality of images has improved with time.

The dressing in the second is also different. For example, the man holding the baby is wearing a shirt and a trouser. The quality of clothes in the second image is also higher as compared to the first image (Berger 2010). The difference in the quality of clothes can also be attributed to development of the fashion industry. With technological development, the fashion industry has improved significantly and with this improvement is the increase in the quality of products.

Conclusion

Basically, the issue of class and race has dominated society for a long time. Since time immemorial, society has always been divided according to class and race. In the above images, the issue of class and race emerges. Both images show the black and white race. The difference in class is also evident between the races. One of the similarities between the two images is that in both, two races have been represented. Another similarity between the two images is there is representation of different classes. For both cases, the issue of class is likely to have been influenced by race. In America, the white people have, for a long time, been given better opportunities to excel academically and economically. While there are various similarities between the two images particularly with respect to class and race, there are also differences. One of the differences is in the subtlety in the difference in class. The two images are also different with respect to level of interaction of between the black and white races.

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References

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