The Mystical Magical Negro
The White Man’s Salvation
We all know about the Mystical Magical Negro.
The Mystical Magical Negro is a Black person that exists for the salvation of the White man. All of this Mystical Magical Negro’s ability is focused with a singular purpose of leading their White charge to the realization that they are indeed the superior White person.
The Mystical Magical Negro is the living embodiment of every racist stereotype disguised as racial harmony. They are not divisive. They are the Mammy, the Uncle Tom.
The Mystical Magical Negro is sublimely calm. No matter how offensive or self-sabotaging their White charge is, the Mystical Magical Negro is there to offer soothing words of wisdom and pick them up when they fall. The Mystical Magical Negro feels their pain, cries when they cry and is not complete until they have fully rescued their White charge.
The Mystical Magical Negro is wise in a way that cannot be explained. In the spiritual, mystical, magical words of this Negro, the White man finds wisdom that will lead them to the promised land. When the Mystical Magical Negro speaks, their White charge with big, wide, doe-like, tear-filled eyes looks longingly at their Mystical Magical Negro, wishing desperately that they could place this Mystical Magical Negro in their pocket and pull them out when needed.
The Mystical Magical Negro exists for the sole purpose of serving the needs of a White man.
The Mystical Magical Negro is also a master of being present only when their White charge is struggling. The Mystical Magical Negro’s presence is not desired when their White charge is accomplishing significant white people accomplishments. The Mystical Magical Negro must above all else understand their place and must always be at the ready to rescue their White charge. The Mystical Magical Negro will defend and protect their White charge with their life if necessary.
The Mystical Magical Negro is rewarded for their obedience. They are allowed to enter White spaces. They are allowed to talk to White people as a peer and, of course, offer mystical, magical negro advice. They are tokenized. They are welcomed as long as they stay in their place. They are not allowed to advance without the permission of White society.
Although Mystical Magical Negros look like other Black people, they are relatively easy to find. They are the Black person that never steps out of bounds. They are the Black person that allows White people to insult them and thank them for the opportunity to learn. They are the Black person that will patiently teach, explain, demonstrate, and educate White people. They are the Black person that will defend White honor. However, the essential characteristic is that they have bought into their Mystical Magical status. They are spiritual. They are constantly talking about love. They often write poetry and walk barefoot in the grass. They are slow in their movements and speech in an effort to not intimidate. They are the perfect white man’s version of a Black person.
So what is the big deal? If there are Black people that want to fulfill a Mystical Magical Negro role, who cares. The problem is that the Mystical Magical Negro often sabotages the efforts of Black people that challenge the racist attitudes and institutions of White people. The Mystical Magical Negro is held up as the shining example of what White people expect Black people to behave.
The Mystical Magical Negro is an idealized version of a Black person through a White lens.
The Mystical Magical Negro is not representative of a powerful Black person, but rather this stereotype is a tool of oppression and whiteness. Even in the stereotype of a Mystical Magical Negro the Black person does not even possess the power of magic, but rather the magic is generated externally, and the Black person is nothing more than a vessel through which the magic benefits White society.
If the stereotype of the Mystical Magical Negro is so harmful and offensive, why does it persist? Why do Black people continue to engage in this behavior? It exists because it is sometimes the only way for a Black person to exist in an otherwise racially violent society. It is sometimes the only role a Black person is allowed to occupy. If you come across a Mystical Magical Negro, don’t hate them. Recognize that they are doing what they felt needed to be done to survive, but you may want to ask yourself, am I a Mystical Magical Negro?
