The Deafening Sound of Silence
In our society, silence is glorified to be a thing of serenity, like the wind on a grassy knoll, but this is a false narrative. Silence is a deafening tool that allows for systematic oppression to go unchecked. We have been learning the language of so long, it’s ingrained so deeply in our culture that some have learned to accept it as an appropriate response. In school, we were taught to stand up to bullies, but following through and idea and preaching it are two very different things. Audrey Lorde’s revelation after a near-death experience, to the impact of her silence, prompts important questions to my own words, making me reflect on my life and where have I been silent. Lorde uncovered that there is a shared belief of the negative impacts of Silence against a group is felt deeply by those who are apart of subordinate communities.
“The women who sustained me through that period were Black and white, old and young, lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual, and we all shared a war against the tyrannies of silence”(Lorde, 41).
There are many forces that make people silent but Lorde found fear as both a cause and result of silence. “Within those weeks of acute fear came the knowledge — within the war we are all waging with the forces of death, subtle and otherwise, conscious or not -I am not only a casualty, but I am also a warrior”(Lorde, 41). Reading this reminded me of how fitting the old euphemisms for war are in the modern-day fight for justice. Lorde’s main battle of physical illness exposed the other issues she had been ignoring. This made me think of what in my own life is getting in the way of seeing core issues I see an everyday day but don’t address. Fear can morph into other forms like pride and ego, both of which distort my view and immobilize me from growing. Baldwin brings up a paradoxical point of education that can either end or sustain our voice. There is also the concept of understanding the subliminal and obvious messages we get from our society. Baldwin brings up the topic of how the local government treats isolated marginalized communities in Park Street, New York City. The area was underfunded and not given due attention for years. It only started to improve when the dominate moved in did renovations begin.
“You don’t know what it means. You know — you know instinctively– that none of this is for you. You know this before you are told. And who is it for and who is paying for it? And why isn’t it for you?” (Baldwin, 2) Here Baldwin is describing how buildings and neighborhoods send subliminal messages of ingrained racism in our culture. Baldwin calls to question why did the city not invest in this area when it was predominately African American residents? This idea reminded me of the conversation in class about how our society’s viewpoint sets the ground foundation for standards of treatment. Baldwin brings in the example of geography because it can be seen easily. It gives an example of inequality that cannot be physically ignored. Further investigating the disparity of inner-city neighborhoods exposes the root problem, the system purposely ignoring people based on race to decrease speeding.
Baldwin also highlights the paradox of education and how it beings with consciousness. How what we are aware of can be limited by external factors. On one hand, education can be purposely laid out to depict and issue or people falsely. Then there is education that can liberate our minds into being critical, truth-seeking, and aware. Baldwin explains how we all have the potential for both types of education. When you are learning about perspectives you had been ignorant of then you will naturally create inner conflict. Being at war with society is a step that comes with being conscious of our societies. Baldwin brings up the point of to address a large conflict; it is crucial to be introspective in your own conflict. When I look at the most conflicted part of myself and try to understand I call it shadow work. I sit with the most hurt and parts of my soul and try to find ways to grow from it. I believe this method would be beneficial and healing if applied in a community setting. When I go to my community partner I feel like I am aiding a program that works with a community that has been cast to the shadows by society. When I learn of the complex issues my students are facing, it is my moral duty to try as well as to let my mind process and learn. It is also my duty to share the knowledge I’ve absorbed from my community partner with my friends and family. I must acknowledge the multiplicity in which these issues work. My work to listen to truly listen to my community partner, along with my goal of bridging the gap between ignorance and understanding of myself and family is my current path.
If there were more panels of people listening to root problems instead of talking louder. If we allowed the silence to break on issues pushed under the rug. Baldwin prompts his view on how he would ethically educate a school of marginalized African American children about how to understand the injustice within our society.
“I would teach him that if he intends to get to be a man, he must at once decide that he is stronger than this conspiracy, and then he must never make peace with it”(Baldwin, 6).
This ties into Lorde’s earlier message, that just because you understand and see injustice does not mean you can be silent. Because in the words of Audrey Lorde “There are so many silences to be broken”(Lorde, 44).
