Prejudice and Discrimination Representation in Art Paper Example

Introduction

Prejudice and discrimination is a significant problem that faces the modern American society and has been a significant problem since the era of slavery. Other forms of prejudice and discrimination in society can be viewed as gender inequality and prejudice against the minority communities such as the LGBT people. Prejudice and discrimination is an essential topic of discussion in humanities because it is a significant problem that faces society due to inequality. This paper will discuss different works how they relate to humanities in the United States of America and how they represent the real social situation of prejudice and discrimination.

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Dance Performance: Beyonce Black Panther Performance - Super Bowl 50

Beyonce is an African American singer, actress, and songwriter who is amongst the very successful artists in the history of the American popular culture. Beyonce grew up in Houston, Texas and since being a child, she has participated in many dancing and singing competitions. Beyonce music and artistic work as an actress are greatly influenced by the black culture in which she showcases the cultural aspects of the African Americans and their social problems such as prejudice and discrimination (Elgot, 2016). Beyonce contribution in championing for the issues regarding the African Americans is unchallenged especially in her super bowl performance in which she made a statement regarding the plight of the black people who are faced with prejudice and discrimination despite being American citizens (Gaines, 2017).

Beyonce black panther performance during the Super Bowl 50 relives the historical struggle of the Black Panther an African American movement that championed against the discrimination and prejudice against the black Americans. Beyonce was courageous in her support for the course of the Black Panther movement which is a protest against the current plight of the African Americans especially from the police which has left behind a trail of victims from the ethnic group. Ethnomusicology can be used to understand Beyonce's Black Panther performance from a cultural and social aspect. The choice of her costumes which marches the Black Panther trademark is a gesture of the support of the fight against discrimination and prejudice of the African Americans (Elgot, 2016). The use of Black Panther costumes and the theme implies the existence of a conflict and contest for equal representation and respect of the African Americans. The performance is in support of the recent African American Black lives matter campaign which is against police brutality towards the African Americans.

Artwork: Bar and Grill, 1941 Bequest of Henry Ward Ranger through the National Academy of Design

Bar and Grill, 1941 is a significant representation of the prejudice and discrimination in the American society today. The artwork sets an image of how social institutions can be similar, but the experience of the people are different based on the ethnic divide. The artwork is a representation of the unequal American society where one ethnic group has better access and quality regarding healthcare, education and even employment opportunities compared to the other group. In the time context of the creation of the artwork, the Black Americans lived in poverty despite their diverse interaction with the White Americans who lived in abundance. The artwork is a representation of the prejudice and discrimination against the African Americans who lived urban environments like their White American counterparts especially in the south which depicts a segregated bar where the African Americans and the White people are treated differently. The racial prejudice against blacks is the primary motivation of the artist to create the Bar and Grill, 1941 artwork. Prejudice and discrimination are represented in the different setting of the hotel as well as the services offered. The culture of prejudice theory can be used to explain the representation of discrimination in the artwork because it is founded on the premise that stereotypical images are the main cause of racism and prejudice, in this case, the segregation in the hotel in the Bar and Grill 1941 artwork which paints a picture of bias against the African Americans (Seemel, 2018). Besides, the abstract nature of the art can be used to show the indirect representation of the discrimination and prejudice against the African Americans by using a scenario in a hotel. The typical bar but different services is an image of the social discrimination and prejudice against the Blacks despite maintenance of normal interactions.

Poetry: Discrimination by Adelaide Rhead

Adelaide Rhead comes from Durban South Africa a country that underwent apartheid rule at the time the poem was written which was the primary inspiration for the poet to write the poem. Discrimination based on color was a significant apartheid policy, and the Africans were not considered in the creation of the government. The discrimination against the Africans in South Africa by the ruling white minority was based on prejudiced stereotypes by the white people who thought they are better and more deserving than the Africans (Mhlauli, Salani, & Mokotedi, 2015). The author emphasizes the similarity of different groups which were opposed to each other based on their unique characteristics. The author provides a solution to discrimination by urging people to interact and learn from each other. The apartheid rule in South Africa was driven by the separation of ethnic groups regarding services such as transport. The lack of respect on other people point of view is cited as the source of lack of peace which can be achieved through interactions. To further understand the poem, the philosophical theory can be used to understand the representation of discrimination and its solution (Mhlauli, Salani, & Mokotedi, 2015). The philosophy attracts the use of rational thinking and reasoning to think which can help to eliminate prejudices between the Blacks and the whites in South Africa. Adelaide Rhead argues that access to greater information is a significant approach to overcoming discrimination in a multicultural society.

References

Gaines, Z. (2017). A Black Girl's Song Misogynoir, Love, and Beyonce's Lemonade. Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education, 16(2), 8.

Mhlauli, M. B., Salani, E., & Mokotedi, R. (2015). Understanding apartheid in South Africa through the national contract. International Journal of Asian Social Science, 5(4), 203-219.

Elgot, J. (2016, February 08). Beyonce unleashes Black Panthers homage at Super Bowl 50. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/feb/08/beyonce-black-panthers-homage-black-lives-matter-sup er-bowl-50

Seemel, G. (2018, January 30). How Discrimination in the Arts Impacts Your Business. Retrieved from https://clarkhulingsfund.org/how-to-fight-discrimination-arts/