Citizen - Initial Reactions

            One of the many themes I found most striking was that of the silencing that happens to blacks in America. Rankine captures this perfectly throughout the book, even explicitly calling it out on page 49 by saying that racist language is designed to “denigrate and erase you as a person,” to the point that no matter how you present yourself, you end up being wrong unless you keep your head down and suck it up. The language surrounding Serena Williams,  police brutality, and crimes committed by blacks vs those by whites are all called out as ways in which racist language can silence the voices of millions in America and perpetuate racism. And all of this, Rankine discusses, leads to the “disappointment” on page 24 that comes from the realization that no amount of visibility can alter these racist perceptions.

            Yet, it doesn’t simply end with the societal issues Rankine raises. It leads to the internalization of worthlessness that is projected onto an individual by our racist society. Rankine says on page 141, “The outside comes in - ,” referring to this internalization of silencing language and the struggle to fight off the weight of nonexistence, the sense that one no longer belongs to their own self. The internalization of the empty seat on page 131 exemplifies this. The push to let it go and move on, but the sense that one can’t, comes up several times throughout as well. The profound effects of racism on the individual Rankine discusses are some of the most moving, sad, and terrifying parts about this book.

            As a book of protest, several things jump out clearly. The first is the ways in which Rankine discusses police brutality. The sense that, of course they went after an innocent black man because, “there is only one guy who is always the guy fitting the description,” (page 105). Rankine also sends a message visually on page 134, showing the gradual whiting out of victims of police brutality as people forget them, and notion that black people die because white men can’t police their imagination. The narratives throughout the book also serve a purpose. They give a voice to the narratives of millions of black citizens throughout the country, breaking through the crushing silence.

            Rankine’s use of visual and literary variety to convey a message is spot on, and the message this book sends is enlightening. It truly makes racism much more personal, and sends a clear message about the world in which we actually live.