Essay Example on Exploring Change in Art & Literature Landscapes

The art and literature world, much like any other field in the same genre, is a continually changing landscape. With the coming and going of different kinds of artists in all levels of the art scene, changes in the style, content and concepts of art inevitably undergo various change over time. Artists come and go at every turn, bringing with them different ideas, techniques and genres, which they take with them with their exit from the art scene. Furthermore, art is dependent on the existing conditions and trends in the community. Weather in the form of literature, painting, modeling, and music or otherwise, art mirrors the ways of life of the people as at the moment it is created since they are intended to pass a specific message to the audience. In this chapter, we explored different genres of art to determine the transition stages from contemporary to modern styles, analyzing the nature of issues that were addressed thus.

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Art, as explained earlier, is a mirror of the current issues as experienced in society. As such, the changes in the society's focus are bound to bring along changes in the manner in which art is presented as well as the contents within. It, therefore, is inevitable that the literary scene changes with time, as the society adapts to changes in the trends that rock the community (Rankine, 2014). One of the most common topics presented through art is the political landscape that exists at the moment as such artists would adopt a different style and contents to mirror the political leanings of the people as well as the issues that are prevailing at the moment. A change in the political landscape thus is bound to bring with it changes in the art.

One prominent artist of the 20th and 21st century was the American musician 2Pac. Born Leshawn Parish in the streets of Harlem, his mother renamed him Tupac Amaru Shakur, after a prominent civil rights activist. Most of 2Pac's family members were part of the Black Panther movement that was active in the US from the 1960s up to the late 70s and early 80s. The group advocated for the rights of black people in American society after being persecuted for a long time prior. These elements thus made up most of 2Pac's poems and songs, which he illustrated in extraordinary clarity and with unrelenting passion.

In most of his songs, Tupac decried the mistreatment of black people by the authorities at a time when racial differences had taken center stage in the streets of most US cities. The 70s and 80s were tumultuous times for the black American populations, with the authorities constantly harassing youths and women. Crime rates were also on an all-time high in black neighborhoods, and drug abuse was rampant among teenagers. In the song "In my block," for instance, 2Pac explores the many ills that the average teens grew up witnessing during the time. In the classic, he artistically describes how difficult life was for the black people, with kids and young people being the most affected. Daily robberies, teenage dropouts and early pregnancies, among others, make up the central theme of the song as witnessed from the artist's perspective.

To say that black people in America have suffered a lot would be an understatement. Indeed, the African American populations have endured tremendous abuse, neglect, and injustices under the white man's system to an unimaginable proportion. From being enslaved to getting racially segregated in public transport and schools, African Americans have over the years risen from the persecution to fight for their rights to be treated as regular citizens among the other communities (Rawlings, 2010). Though the segregation issues in public utilities declined over time, segregation in schools still exists today, with some schools or at least sections being explicitly preserved for the dominant race while the rest is only accessible to members of the other ethnicity. This concept is what the author focused on in the critical race theory.

Injustices against African Americans exist in many different ways. One of the most common, albeit mild injustices that are easily forgiven by people of the minority groups is the likening of one individual to another. It is not uncommon for people to confuse one black with the other due to the lack of interest in distinguishing them. Thus one might find themselves being called someone else's name simply because they are of the same racial origin (Rawlings, 2010). Though not considered as offensive by many, the truth is that it portrays the racial dismissal that is common among members of the majority groups. Such were the cases that plagued society as narrated in 2Pac's "In my block" as well as the contents of "Reality Hunger".

The racial dismissal of African Americans by the majority of races has their impacts, though not as apparent as one might think. Sometimes, they escalate to levels that disadvantage the people of color when in competition against their white peers. In the job market, for instance, the subliminal dismissal of people of African American descent more often than not puts them at a demerit considering the corporates view them as being less capable (Bell, 1995). Even so, the candidate in question might possess more skills and competencies as compared to their white peers vying for the same position. Such trends are observed in all sectors of the market, forcing the people of black origins to take up second positions to their white peers, despite equally competent and capable of leading the rest as well.

Another instance of racial dismissal of African Americans in today's times is the stereotype that all men of black descent are criminals. 2Pac decries this notion lamenting that it is not only embarrassing but also most demeaning when both neighbors and the police harass a person for merely belonging to a minority race. Even worse is the situation when the person in question has to go through such humiliations for merely going through everyday tasks as any other person would. It doesn't help still that their peers do most of such cases without a second thought as to their actions (Rawlings, 2010).

Police brutality, even in most recent times, has always seemed more intense when dealing with people of African American descent. Even with the developments that have taken place over the ages, it is uncommon to find black people being subject to suspicion from the public and police when going through their normal daily activities (Bell, 1995). The courts do not seem to help as well, with more than half of the inmates in American jails being members of the African American race. Most of these inmates are young and productive members of the society, who unfortunately have become victims of the system, which seems to persecute them from all angles.

Even among celebrities and top-ranking community members of the African American descent, it is difficult to escape the racial injustices that the system has imposed on blacks and other minority populations. Sports stars like Serena Williams have occasionally come under attack from her white competitors with demeaning actions and comments against them being made across racial lines. Despite her success in the sporting arena, she has not been able to escape the curse of the minorities in America.

Despite the hopeless situation of black people among the white populations in America, some have stood their ground overtime to emerge as key members of the society viewed with high regard. These groups of members wield tremendous power over the community and with their influence come immense responsibility. Even so, these members would rarely have gone through life without coming face to face with the racial injustices meted out on people of color (Bell, 1995).

References

2Pac. S.,(1995). My Block . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxQ6IzBUMF0Bell, D. A. (1995). Who's afraid of critical race theory. U. Ill. L. Rev., 893. Retrieved from; https://sph.umd.edu/sites/default/files/files/Bell_Whos%20Afraid%20of%20CRT_1995U IllLRev893.pdf

Rawlings, W. (2010). Reality Hunger: A Manifesto. Fourth Genre: Explorations in Nonfiction, 12(2). Available at; https://electricliterature.com/reality-hunger-a-manifesto-hip-hop/