The Fight for Legitimacy
Growing up, I was always aware of the power of rhetoric, race, and culture. I saw that each is not always guaranteed mutually exclusive experiences. As an Afro-Latina I found myself constantly trying to explain my culture and defend my race. Being raised in Texas meant that it was only permissible to speak Spanish if you were Mexican, I am Panamanian. While, on the other hand, growing up in the south meant I had to be aware of the conversation my skin was having before I even said a word. Both Fredrick Douglass and Gloria Anzaldúa, from two very different perspectives, chronicle the journey to legitimacy and equality.
Fredrick Douglass, a runaway slave, found sanctuary in the gospel and the hope of one day seeing his people free from enslavement. His approach to doing so was educating himself so that he, in turn, could educate others. Stating, “I was a graduate from a peculiar institution, Mr. Collins used to say when introducing me, ‘with my diploma written on my back” (1076). Douglass used his experiences and trauma to instigate change and liberation. As he became more educated, he was able to maneuver through psychological boundaries. Transforming people’s thoughts on what slaves should be, he introduced them to the universal truths of man; fighting for freedom and equality.
Similarly, Gloria Anzaldúa provided insight into her culture and the experience of not existing as a dominant in the western world. She allowed people of all backgrounds to identify with her need to not only defend her to identify, but to justify it. Writing, “attacks on one’s form of expression with the intent to censor are a violation of the first amendment” (1585). I too reserved speaking Spanish with my family, out in the world I pretended to only know English to protect myself from ignorance. However, when doing so I realized that if the only way to make others comfortable was to deny myself, it wasn’t worth it. While the journey to equality is long, it begins with accepting ourselves as equals and identifying the false narrative of social and systemic hierarchy. “I will no longer feel ashamed of existing… I will overcome the tradition of silence” (1588).
The culture of silence is one that every community has battled. Because we are all different, there is a struggle to bring people together in the name of civility while celebrating individual identities. Fear prevents us from crossing into the unfamiliar and working to make space for people that come from different backgrounds. Fredrick Douglass exposed people to a literate, compassionate and optimistic former slave. All things no one thought was possible and made it impossible to categorize him based on the color of his skin, or his horrific past. Anzaldúa was able to break down the exact issues that can come with the language, and how it can be used to oppress, disenfranchise, and segregate people.
Still, the fight for civility and understanding of race and culture remains a huge discussion in today’s environment. To insight change and the equal inclusion of all people, there must be an acceptance of personal responsibility. To legitimize one’s self and then by being unapologetic to address the issues both within and outside our communities, we begin to break the generational curse of silence.
