"CONTENT OF OUR CHARACTER, THE" (SHELBY STEELE).   Term Paper ID:25134 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Reviews collection of essays on what it means to be black in U.S. & significance of self-image, public policy, laws & culture.... More...

6 Pages / 1350 Words 1 sources, 14 Citations, MLA Format $24.00 Return to List of Papers

Paper Abstract: Reviews collection of essays on what it means to be black in U.S. & significance of self-image, public policy, laws & culture. Paper Introduction: This paper examines Shelby Steele's essay collection, The Content of Our Character: A New Vision of Race in America. Steele contemplates the meaning of being black in America. He looks at the pressures that race puts on all citizens, but he is especially concerned with the black perspective. His own position as a successful, middle-class black man gives him interesting insights in the challenges of being black and some of the reasons why, in many ways, blacks in general are worse off than before the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He contemplates factors including race, class, black culture, and the effects of political policies, such as affirmative action. His book is an ultimate call to individual responsibility and acceptance of universal values in order for the individual to achieve his or her full potential. Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. He discusses a behavior he calls "race-holding," in which blacks usethe fact of being black to disguise their personal fears of inadequacy. Thewhole culture is still trying to find ways to come together for the commongood. He is also especially interested in the effects of public policies,legislation, and society on racism and discrimination. Being genuinely middle-classsometimes demands turning his back on being genuinely black. Hesuggests that, if blacks could stop defining themselves primarily by thecolor of their skin, they would be better able to see themselves first ashuman beings. Steele believes that public policies which try to dothe job for each individual simply end up doing more damage than good. Many of the daily experiences he faced caused him to take a hardlook at his life and try to understand what was really happening. . The Content of Our Character: A New Vision of Race in America. For blacks, innocence often comes from playing the role of thevictim. Steele has written a powerful and thoughtful book. Although most of American society, including some rathersignificant laws and public policies, asserts that all people are equal andentitled to equal rights and privileges, being black still keeps them apartfrom others. Heobserves, "Fewer blacks go to college today than ten years ago; more blackmales of college age are in prison or under the control of the criminaljustice system than in college. Social programsminister to people who cannot help themselves, people with disadvantageswho need society's help in order to function. He contemplates factorsincluding race, class, black culture, and the effects of politicalpolicies, such as affirmative action. Steele even sees the label "African-American" as a kindof denial: "This name denies the doubt black Americans have about theircontemporary situation in America. His age and viewpoint allow him toshow ways in which racial and social policies have changed. New York: HarperCollins, 199 .----------------------- 8 . He bringspersonal experience to the discussion; the fact that he is black himselfmake his writing effective and his perspectives credible. Affirmative action was conceived of as a way tocompensate blacks for years of separatist policies and socially sanctioneddiscrimination. He contends that public policies ought to address the real problemsthat blacks face, including teaching them to handle independence andindividuality. He writes, "I think the real troublebetween the races in America is that the races are not just races butcompeting power groups" (4). The book is structured as a series of essays, with each chapter ableto stand alone. This challenge could not be made by a white writer.Ironically, the color of Steele's own skin makes a difference in hisargument. These anecdotes give the book a sense of life. He observes, "In this book I havetried to search out the human universals that explain the racial specifics"(xi). Steele focuses one essay on the "anti-self," "the unseen agent of lowself-esteem" (41). Steele is a middle-class black man. Black human beings arelikely to spend even more time than other people with such doubts. There is no element of self-confrontation in it, no facing of real racial vulnerabilities" (47). He observes that numerous social circumstancesencourage the anti-self to sabotage black efforts. Race continues to be an explosive issue in American society. Most human beings spend atleast some time doubting their own worthiness. He is candid about his shortcomings: he recounts many episodes inwhich he reacted blindly to situations he saw as racist. This paper examines Shelby Steele's essay collection, The Content ofOur Character: A New Vision of Race in America. He is particularlycritical of affirmative action, "an escapist racial policy, I believe, thatoffers entitlements, rather than development, to blacks" (89). He sees class as anothercomplication in the issue of race. At these times, he could not hide behindhis race. Steele began writing the collection of essays that makes up the bookas a way to try to understand his feelings about the issue and his ownreactions as a middle-class black man. He talks about the issue of innocence. He encourages all blacksto become as color-blind as they wish society as a whole could be. Many blacks, faced with theterrifying challenge of making their own choices, choose easier paths andless painful challenges. Heargues that obvious racism and discrimination are no longer the mostimportant barriers that blacks face. He wonders ifhe can really be both. He argues thatpublic policy, legislation, and American culture all contribute to theproblems that blacks face in becoming fully accepted members of society.However, his book is primarily a call to action. Their blackness serves as a regular reminder that they aredifferent. For instance, he describes situations in which he suffered from whathe calls "integration shock," which he defines as "the shock of beingsuddenly accountable on strictly personal terms" (23). However, Steele points out, whoever is most innocent is also themost powerful. He looks at the pressures that raceputs on all citizens, but he is especially concerned with the blackperspective. His own position as a successful, middle-class black mangives him interesting insights in the challenges of being black and some ofthe reasons why, in many ways, blacks in general are worse off than beforethe passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He writes, "When the Civil Rights Bill was passed, we werea people with very little experience of real freedom . However, Steele argues, it implies that blacks need specialconsiderations because they cannot be successful on their own. Ablack woman who wears only the traditional dress of her African ancestorsis denying her right to look like and be accepted as every other Americanwoman around her. His book is an ultimate call toindividual responsibility and acceptance of universal values in order forthe individual to achieve his or her full potential. A person whose skin is black cannot help feeling differentand wondering if he or she is really equal. Many of thesesituations forced him to confront issues that did not always put him in thebest light. Whites, and humanbeings of all ethnicities, also face daily struggles with the anti-self.However, blacks have an especially difficult battle because the color oftheir skin sets them apart from others more strikingly than with any otherracial group. Steele was bornwell before the beginning of the civil rights movement and lived throughmuch of this turmoil as a young adult. Shelby Steele's essays are powerful contributions to the ongoingdiscussion. Work CitedSteele, Shelby. He writes, "In the deepest sense, the longstruggle of blacks in America has always been a struggle to retrieve ourfull humanity" (35). Steele contemplates themeaning of being black in America. He argues, "Affirmative action is problematic in our society becauseit tries to function like a social program" (121). He contends that blacks need toescape the crippling effects of seeing themselves as victims in order totruly succeed in society. Hisperspective is compelling. He calls being both black and middle-class "a very specific double bind that keeps two equally powerful elementsof our society at odds with each other" (95). He arguesthat affirmative action avoids really trying to help black Americans. They offerglimpses into the experience of being black in America. Each chapter deals with specific issues and concepts,usually framed by a particular incident that Steele either witnessed orwent through. Freedom isstressful, difficult, and frightening" (68). He observes, "Race is a separate reality inAmerican society, an entity that carries its own potential for power, amark of fate that class can soften considerably but not eradicate" (5). This despite racial preferences" (124).Affirmative action, in his view, is not only demeaning to blacks, it isalso not working. In thinking about these situations later, he realizes that thediscomfort he felt (being the only black person present in a room, forexample) was sometimes the result of his unconscious recognition of hisresponsibility as an individual. The title, The Content of Our Character, is drawn from Martin LutherKing, Jr.'s most famous speech and one of its best-known lines: "I have adream that one day my children will be known for the content of theircharacter, rather than the color of their skin." Steele chooses thisreference deliberately in choosing his title, and purposely turns into "ourcharacter." He is interested in examining race in ways that are stilldifficult to talk about in American society. Affirmative action does notwork, Steele contends, because it implies that those it is helping aredeficient in some way. A black manwho sees himself as a victim of white racism is denying his own power. He talks of "seeing for innocence," "a form of seeing thathas more to do with one's hidden need for innocence (and power) than withthe person or group one is looking at" (8), and he calls this twisted kindof power play the essence of racism. He notes that this"occurs most powerfully when blacks leave their familiar world and enterthe mainstream" (46), and he recognizes times when he experienced thisfeeling. Theprogram offers special dispensations to individuals simply on the basis ofthe color of their skin. For whites, innocence cancome from passing laws that try to make up for the injustices of theirancestors. Much of what Steele discusses concerns issues of denial. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.