A critical discourse analysis of racial(28)

critical discourse analysis

122R.Rogers,M.Mosley/LinguisticsandEducation19(2008)107–131

withracism.IrealizethatIhaveissuesthatIneedtosortoutabouthowIfeelaboutdiscussionsandliterature

centeredonwhiteness,whiteprivilegeandWhitealliesbeforeImakeaconclusionaboutthevalidityofthese

topics.Ihavetocometounderstandingonthesigni canceofeachofthesetopicsindiscussionsonracialissues

andwhetherornotIfeelthattheyarenecessaryandhelpfulorjustanotherindirecttoolofoppression.

Inthisjournal,Fayeevokesthematerialityofanti-racismthroughherchoiceofthelinguisticunits“burden”and

“dealwith.”Inare exivemove,sherecognizeshowhercritiqueoftheWhitecharactersinIggie’sHouseminimized

theanti-racisteffortsofotherWhiteauthorsandofherWhitecolleagueswhoaretryingtoenterintotheworkofanti-

racism.Fayeseemstoberecognizingthat,forWhitepeople,astagein“dealingwithracism”maybesynonymouswith

talkingaboutracismandanti-racism.Sheisleftwonderingaboutthepossibilitiesandtheconstraintsofdiscussions

andliteratureinthestruggleforanti-racism,apointwereturntointheconclusion.

6.Racisminthepresentday

Often,studentswhoarenewtodiscussionsofracismandanti-racismperpetuatethediscoursethatracismdoesnot

existtoday,insteadisathingofthepast(Bell,2004;Shapiro,2004).Thebookthatthisgroupread,Iggie’sHouse,

waswrittenin1970,andreadingabookwritten25yearsinthepastmayhaveperpetuatedthisdiscourse.During

theconversation,JennaandChelseyhistoricizethebook,postulatingthattheauthordidthebestshecouldatthe

time.ToddandFaye,however,bothbringracismtothepresentdayintheirconversation.Fayecontinuesherearlier

critique,thatthebookdidnothavestrongactionorsolveanything.However,sheextendsthiscritiquebypointing

outhowracismoccursthroughredliningpracticesandwhite ight.Thisthemebecamepartofthesecondbookclub

discussion.

AfterthebookclubconductedtheirmultimodalanalysisofthetwocoversofIggie’sHouse,FayeturnstoTodd

whohasbeenvirtuallysilentthroughthediscussion,forthesecondtimetryingtopullhimin,asaWhiteman,into

thediscussionaboutracismandanti-racismandasks,“Whatisthedrawingonyourbook,Todd?”Toddliftsthefront

ofhisbookand ipsthebookaroundsothegroupcanseethecoverdesignedin1970.Thereisabigsignonthecover

ofthebookthatreads“GOBACKTOWHEREYOUBELONG.”Itisthesamewordingasthesigninthe2001book.

The1970coverstandsinsharpcontrasttothe1983cover,whichhighlightstheauthor’snameoverthetitleofthe

book.ThecolorsaremoremutedthantheothertwocoversandthepicturedepictsIggie’shouse,whichhasbecomethe

Garberhouse.Thesignisintheforegroundofthispicture,whereasinthe2001versionthesignisplacedinawaythat

itissecondarytotheimage.Therearenopeoplepresentinthe1970cover,andthereforetheillustrationforegrounds

thesymbolofthesignandtheracistact.

Inadirectmanner,Fayesetsupa ctionalencounterforToddanddrawsontheracistsigninversionofthebook.

Sheasks,“Whatwouldyoudoifsomeoneputasignlikethatinyouryard?Youwouldneverexpectsomeonetodo

somethinglikethatright?”JennaandToddbothrespondatthesametime,“No!”Then,Fayepressesandasks,“How

come?Whatifyoumovedintoanall-Blackneighborhood.Doyouthinksomeonewoulddothattoyou?”

Faye’squestionscallonmaterialverbssuchas“moved”“dothattoyou”and“putasign”asshelocatesracismin

thephysicalworld.Toddrespondswithanargumentusingverbsthatlocateracismasasetofphysicalandmaterial

processes.ToddquicklysteerstheconversationawayfromFaye’squestion,whichaskshimtomakeaconnectionwith

thebookasareaderandargues“therearecertainplacesinthiscountrywheresomepeoplejustcan’tlive”(line347):

(344)IthinkthatitallgoesbacktoToddplaceshishandonhisforehead,thenextendsitoutwards,(345)then

placeshishandonthecoverofthebook.HisgazeisdirectlyatFaye.Jenna’sgazeisdownatthetable.Faye

takesadrink.ChelseyislookingatTodd.Imean//Todd’s ngertapsonthebook.therearecertainplaces(346)

inthiscountryHisgazeisonFaye.(347)wheresomepeoplejustcan’tliveChelseynodsslightly.Jennalooksat

thetable.(348)becauseoftheracistissues(349)thatstillexist.Toddmakesabeatgestureonthebook.Jenna

nodsslightly.(350)ThereisatowninArkansas(351)whereBlackpeoplearenotallowed.HegazesatFaye.

(352)Faye:There’satown(353)inalmosteverystate(354)whereBlackpeople(355)arenotallowedFaye

laughsslightlyandoverlapswithline356.

(356)Todd:Blackpeople.Blackpeople.Iknow.ToddlooksdirectlyatFaye,armscrossedwithaseriouslook

(357)IfBlackpeoplegothereThetempoofhistalkincreases.(358)theygetkilled.

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