Fear Kills Pursuit
FEAR KILLS PURSUIT notes
in American society–is intricately entangled in the complex web of race, ideology, and popular culture that weave the cloth of American society.
-Black Codes adopted after the war uniformly denied access and equality to black citizens. Particularly in the South, where the effects of the Civil War were the most personally felt and where the vast majority of African Americans lived, white fear fueled hatred for blacks. Lynchings, beatings, and other forms of violent behavior were tolerated by a white society that was growing increasingly anxious about losing dominance.
-There were few places where attitudes of racial animosity were more prevalent than in the boxing ring. Fueled by the articles and writings of prominent white intellectuals and scientists, who used social Darwinism to “prove” racial inferiority, boxing became a metaphor for the inevitable conflagration that would demonstrate Anglo-Saxon superiority over all others. With their sport described as a “true test of skill, courage, intelligence and manhood, boxing champions [...] stood as symbols of national and racial superiority” (Sammons 1988:31). The strength of this culturally embraced interpretation of boxing can be seen in the staunch color-line position that was routinely employed by white boxers. In the opinion of the editor of the New Orleans Times-Democrat, it was “a mistake to match a negro and a white man, a mistake to bring the races together on any terms of equality, even in the prize ring” (in Roberts 1983:18). By investing boxing with the status of an invincible proof of superiority, whites had made the stakes impossibly high. The meeting of black and white men in the ring was a racial showdown where whites had everything to lose and little to gain. The projected fear of the black community’s “gloating” over a white man’s defeat was too much for many whites to bear. The individual white boxer thus carried the weight of two pressing concerns: his fear over his own personal safety in a deadly sport, as well as his society’s collective fear of losing racial supremacy.
Conversely, as a symbol of victory over years of oppression and indignity, the black boxer who could bring a white man to his knees would be a hero to his racial community.
Davies knew that white boxers, motivated by their fear of Jackson’s size and by their racism, would erect a color bar against Jackson.
-fear (fir)
noun
- a feeling of anxiety and agitation caused by the presence or nearness of danger, evil, pain, etc.; timidity; dread; terror; fright; apprehension
- respectful dread; awe; reverence
- a feeling of uneasiness or apprehension; concern
- a cause for fear; possibility; chance
-Black psychology, in my opinion, is the study of behavior and mental processes of African Americans as it pertains to our identity as African Americans, identity as Americans, struggle with oppression, and being able to deal with white supremacy. Black psychology wants to know how we as African Americans deal with these former issues and continue to survive.
According to John S. Mbiti, “African people behave and are motivated by what they believe, and what they believe is based on what they experience”. I agree with this statement because indeed our experiences shape our perception of the world around us and will cause us to act in a manner that will reflect such experiences. It aids in our identity development not only as African Americans, but also as Americans. Oral tradition is one way in which we are able to identify as African Americans and it helps in understanding our behavior and our cognitive processes….
Limbic System
