Postmodern Blackness

In this article, Postmodern Blackness, Bell Hooks discusses the relationship between the black experience and Postmodernism, providing the critique that postmodern discourse, despite its concern with "otherness", is conducted primarily by white males, who utilize a "coded familiarity". She describes the racism that is implied by the exclusion of the black community from Postmodernist discourse, as it is implying that they have no link to abstract thought and critical theory, only "gut level experience". Hooks describes how this alienates the black reader, causing them to question why they should be concerned with a discourse that does not consider them, especially black women. Hooks discusses how postmodernism leads to increased class differentiation, creating a sense of alienation and despair in the black community. This class division has created a black middle class, but has also contributed to the growing numbers of the black underclass, leading to insecurity and anxiety in the former, and destructive violent and addictive tendencies in the latter. In one of the many citations of Cornel West, a black scholar, West states that African-American intellectuals "diminish[es] their value to black resistance" because of their severed link to "black life". Hooks argues against this, stating that though the numbers of black intellectuals are few, they strengthen the consciousness of the collective community in order to provide meaningful resistance.

This article reminded me of an episode of 30 Rock that I watched recently, in which the two black male characters on the show, Toofer, a well spoken and educated black man, and Tracy Jordan, a wild, loud-mouthed black man, argue about the portrayal of black men on their show. Tracy wants to do a sketch in drag, stating that all the great black male actors do drag. Toofer disagrees, arguing that it emasculates black men, making them seem less threatening to white people. Later on in the episode its exposed that Toofer is concerned with Tracy's portrayal of black men in general, as his character is constantly saying ridiculous things, and acting outlandishly. This is representative of the insecurity and anxiety middle-class African Americans feel, as stated in Hooks' article. He expresses concern with the black identity as a whole and how the individual affects it, worries that this will cause society to see him as they see Tracy Jordan, a wild and often stereotypical black man.