How Theory Shapes Our Lives
In my freshman year of college, I took a Literature and Cultural Studies course. Throughout this course, I learned about various literary theories that help to shape our society. Two specific theories that come to mind are Psychoanalytic and Critical Race theory.
The psychoanalytic theory focuses on the mind and how the way er think effects our actions. This theory also focuses on mental health disorders and how that plays a part in the way interactions are made. And Critical Race theory obviously focuses on race but goes it goes into depth about how the history and concept of race shape our views on how we view and interact with people.
Psychoanalytic theory and Critical Race theory don't often go hand-in-hand with each other. But looking at the history of the United States, science was used to dehumanize people of color by saying their minds didn't have the mental capacity to understand and comprehend complex ideas or tasks. This was not true by any means but in order for white people to maintain power, they kept people dumb. In every aspect of life, there has been injustice and unfairness to people of color.
With tactics such as giving smallpox-infected blankets to Native Americans to not letting black people drink from a water fountain. White people have self-proclaimed themselves as superior and created a power dynamic to attain this status. Which poses the question of: how did white people come to the conclusion that they were superior? What provoked them to take such drastic measures over the course of hundreds of years to kill millions of people just to maintain power? What does that say about their mental state?
Within the words that I read, in my young adult books of fantasy and romance to my history books of heroes and brilliant minds all I've ever known was white. Something that was great, something to be attained.
Now as I grow older and learn to not whitewash my name, heritage or culture I realize that the world isn't as it seems. Everything that I've ever been taught had been a lie or alternative fact. The world isn't as white as it seems, so many people of color have been an integral part of this country's history. Many of their talents and contributions have gone unnoticed.
Within various communities of color, there is an aspiration to be white or importance to assimilate. This generational trauma caused by years of whitewashing has had a huge impact on communities of color. But with every new generation, people continue to fight stereotypes and negative narratives that are being projected onto them. With each generation comes new waves of empowerment to the people and enlightenment for those left in the dark.
These lenses have been very present as I continue to look at the news outlets, social media, books, movies, tv shows etc. I see the mental toll that has been imposed on many but also the knowledge and learning that is happening by various movements. I think that mental health is a very important thing that many communities of color should be addressing move because it is affecting more people than they think. Especially living in a whitewashed society it is important to address these issues head-on.
