Week 5 Reading

I really enjoyed this week’s reading, especially the DL reading. I thought that the introduction/chapter one was extremely thought provoking and I also enjoyed the observations and interviews that were a part of chapter three. Shange begins the book with a discussion of the phrase “our lives matter.” I noted some of my favorite quotes from this chapter that I thought were especially powerful and truly made me think. Shange states that when people say “our lives matter,” “Blackness is eclipsed by the more equivocal people of color” (2). When I first began reading, I was honestly confused if she was referring to this phrase with a negative connotation or not. Shange also states that “the performance of racial analogy is both cathartic and politically strategic” (3). This was confusing to me at first because I was not sure if she believed the phrase should or should not be used. One of my favorite quotes from this chapter is when Shange says, “By examining a series of successful progressive reforms, and what they cost Black communities, I critique “winning” as the dominant logic of social justice work. I ask, “Who loses when ‘we’ win?” not so much to expand the “we” of winning to an ever more inclusive list of deserving subjects, but to ask what becomes impossible when we engage in contest as the primary mode of Black politics—this is the differential between revolution and abolition” (4). I believe this concept is extremely powerful and relevant. There is an important distinction between revolution and abolition as the former entails one group struggling and defeating another group, which will never be the correct way to reform society (in all aspects and situations) because there will always be “losers” and repercussions and never-ending power struggles, and we witness this pattern repeating throughout history. Shange makes a connection to Haiti–Haiti is the first decolonial country and was able to free themselves from the constrains of colonialism, essentially through more revolutionary ways. Haiti was able to defeat both slavery and empire at the same time, but as a result they have been punished ever since. While revolution means that there is technically a “winner” and a “loser” with Haiti being a winner, Shange describes how nothing is ever so black and white–there are many gray areas. The winners and losers of revolutions are both forced to handle the consequences and repercussions of their victory and defeat and no one actually leaves the situation as a true winner. I truly enjoyed reading this chapter and believe that the ideas Shange discusses are very important, interesting, relevant, and powerful. 

I also enjoyed reading chapter three where Shange almost creates a narrative of her research and observations of Sofia Torres’ beginning Spanish class. While we have read other detailed ethnographies, Shange’s writing style quickly drew me in and the colloquial style of her writing  spoke to me as a reader. She did a wonderful job of explaining her characters/observants in a way that allowed the reader to better understand the context and connect with these individuals. Chapter three also serves as a great example of an effectively written ethnography (at least in my opinion) that we can use to make our own future research more enticing and significant. When I begin my research, I will definitely keep Shange’s work in mind and attempt to create more of a narrative that allows the reader to connect with the observants and more effectively expresses the ethnography.