AlainLocke
Banned
You can read the full review here...
A Black Masculinist Review of ‘Hidden Figures’ by Dr. T. Hasan Johnson
Still, it is little more than a celebration of Black women’s middle-class sensibilities. It is:
1. a somewhat narcissistic affirmation of contemporary Black female middle-class identity, particularly in regard to notions of independence and a stoic capacity to endure White men, women, and Black men’s dehumanizing behavior (only other Black women are represented as being unproblematic),
2. a class-based re-prioritization of which Black historical periods deserve attention and thus gain acceptability,
3. a statement to Black men as to acceptable forms of Black female support and adoration (via deferment and subservience to Black women’s advancement),
4. a statement to White society about appreciating Black women’s genius (i.e. scenes regarding Johnson’s capacity to “create new math” while other, more highly educated whites stand in awe while imposing racist behavioral tropes), and
5. a reflection on the intersectionality-based notion that Black women are uniquely isolated as victims of oppression, subject to their men just as much as White society in regard to oppression.
As a colleague pointed out to me, “there’s a way where White men have the the power to impact destiny in spaces such as NASA, far removed from Black men’s “control,” yet strangely Black men are seen as being just as impactful.” This difference is at the heart of many Black masculinists’ concerns regarding Black feminism.
A Black Masculinist Review of ‘Hidden Figures’ by Dr. T. Hasan Johnson
Still, it is little more than a celebration of Black women’s middle-class sensibilities. It is:
1. a somewhat narcissistic affirmation of contemporary Black female middle-class identity, particularly in regard to notions of independence and a stoic capacity to endure White men, women, and Black men’s dehumanizing behavior (only other Black women are represented as being unproblematic),
2. a class-based re-prioritization of which Black historical periods deserve attention and thus gain acceptability,
3. a statement to Black men as to acceptable forms of Black female support and adoration (via deferment and subservience to Black women’s advancement),
4. a statement to White society about appreciating Black women’s genius (i.e. scenes regarding Johnson’s capacity to “create new math” while other, more highly educated whites stand in awe while imposing racist behavioral tropes), and
5. a reflection on the intersectionality-based notion that Black women are uniquely isolated as victims of oppression, subject to their men just as much as White society in regard to oppression.
As a colleague pointed out to me, “there’s a way where White men have the the power to impact destiny in spaces such as NASA, far removed from Black men’s “control,” yet strangely Black men are seen as being just as impactful.” This difference is at the heart of many Black masculinists’ concerns regarding Black feminism.