Awakening Black Consciousness
Timothy Brown’s “Dear Black People” doesn’t mince words. It evokes strong emotion. Through satire and sarcasm, Brown’s writing forces readers to engage in difficult discussions. Whether you are white, or Black, Brown’s letter from an imagined white person to African Americans requires us to face issues surrounding white privilege, and Black consciousness.
Sarcasm and Satire
“After all these years and all we have done to you, we think it is appropriate for us to say thank you for all you have done for us. We have chastised, criticized, framed, punished, and killed you, but we have never publicly thanked you for your never-ending allegiance and support to our cause. This is our open letter of thanks to a people, steadfast, unique and loyal: Black People! We will always be in debt to you for your labor. You built this country and are responsible for the great wealth we still enjoy today.”
The use of rhetorical devices, such as satire and sarcasm, has a long history from Voltaire, to Toni Morrison. Sarcasm, when utilized in literature, “is usually to mock a given idea or position by almost pretending to agree with it and parrot it.” Brown uses sarcasm as a tool to critique Black America, including Black elitism, and civil rights activists. Satire is also a powerful tool for authors looking to ridicule certain behaviors. Satire “operates by taking a basic prejudice or logical inconsistency within a culture and society, and then blowing it up to such a scale that even the people of that very culture or society can no longer ignore the moral logic that is at play in their everyday lives. The purpose of satire is thus implicitly to raise consciousness; it is meant to make people aware of things in a new way.” By “blowing up” accepted African American history and culture, Brown is challenging Black communities to rethink their role in propagating white dominance. By employing the use of satire and sarcasm, Brown’s work takes a moral tone and forces Black audiences to reconcile with what he believes is their own complicity in African American subjugation.
Black Consciousness
“Now, we control 90 percent of all the resources and wealth of the World. We have Black People to thank. You protected us from those Blacks who have the audacity to speak out against our transgressions. You warned us about Nat Turner, framed Marcus Garvey; and killed Malcolm X for us. Thank you!”
At the same time Brown promotes self-sufficiency. He is calling for Black Consciousness with the hope that African Americans challenge their “attitude of mind” in order to work together towards liberation. His work is a poignant and evocative piece of writing that elicits a multitude of themes relating to the Black experience in America.
Black Consumption
“You have served us for hundreds of years, that’s amazing. Thank you for continuing to bring 95 percent of what you earn to our businesses. Thanks for buying Hilfiger, Audi, Nike and all the brands you promote for us. Your purchases of our products really makes us feel that you love us no matter what we do to you.”
Brown’s satire elicits notions of modern day enslavement brought on by the forces of capitalism. By critiquing middle-class Black culture, he highlights his belief that African Americans have been and remain in a subservient state. His argument states that continued reliance on white culture to define what Black individuals should wear, drive, and how they should look, perpetuates subjugation. He calls on Black communities to acknowledge that even in their financial success, they are contributing to white success.
By critiquing the Black communities’ role in capitalist white America, he is making the case to his audience that by contributing to white established businesses, they have denied their own economic viability. He alludes to these cultural practices as an act of modern-day slavery.
Black Elitism
“In the past, we burned our brand into your skin, today you happily wear them. Your loyalty continues! Your super-rich athletes, entertainers, intellectuals and business people bring their money to us. They spend all of it on our homes, jewelry and bogus investments
Tapping into arguments regarding Black elitism, Brown’s sarcasm promotes the idea that by contributing to the success of white capitalism, African Americans are denying themselves a prosperous future. In essence, Black elite icons are sending the wrong message to African American communities.
Black Nationalism
“Thank you for willfully spending time in our prisons. And for not doing business with your own people. You were successful at business after slavery, and you almost became self-sufficient under Garvey… that was a close one.”
Brown’s main themes relate to the ideals of Marcus Garvey and UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association). Garvey’s goal was to promote Black culture and pride and to bring communities into self-sufficiency by creating a segregated Black nation through his “Back to Africa” movement. Garvey’s brand of nationalism was bold and unapologetic. He invited Black communities to be proud of their heritage, to build autonomy, and to end Black subjugation. The goal was to embrace an identity that was distinct from white social, cultural, and political structures. As a leader, Garvey put the economic needs of African Americans in the forefront of his strategy, successfully building several businesses of his own. Brown’s writing clearly reflects the ideals of Garvey’s Black Nationalism.
The Limitations of Civil Rights
“When you feel you can not take this treatment anymore, just march for a few days. We will give your leaders (our pawns) a few dollars and promise to do better. Even when we kill some of you, just be patient. We will address your issues in the next 400 years.”
Brown questions the role of America’s civil rights leaders. In his estimation, the failure of civil rights activists to advance Black nationalism reinforced African American submission. He claims that leaders were submissive themselves and often betrayed Black communities, taking the view that the civil rights movement was another dimension of Black people serving white power structures.
In his conclusion, Brown ends his satirical message from white elites to Black People by calling out intra-racial violence as a critical component to white supremacy.
“Continue to focus on killing your brothers, snitching on your mothers and outdoing your neighbor. You have worked harder to destroy your people than we have. Be sure you let us know of those who try to stop you. We thank you, without you we could not exist!”
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