The Complex Representation of African American Trauma
In the 1977 show Roots, the pressing narrative displays most characters as either blatantly heroic protagonists or evil antagonists. This perspective further focuses more on the inhumane actions towards the slaves, rather than the severity of the entire social system’s corruption. It, to some extent, “Guides viewers to connect to the trauma as past,” (Graham, 2017, p.123) by neglecting the systemic nature of racism and instead focusing on the belief that the past does not affect the present. Graham highlights how the TV show presents prejudice as a rigid timeline and tends to simplify the existence of black history, hoping to debunk history as a simple topic. Graham then alludes to Lamar’s references to Roots on To Pimp a Butterfly, how he tries to flesh out a more authentic depiction of black trauma and its perpetual effects today. Lamar explores how “Instead of universalizing blackness, Lamar’s work calls into being a black universe of interlocked galaxies of evil and good where ‘every [black slur] is a star,’” (Graham, 2017, 124-125). Graham explores how Lamar’s opinion on the intro track “Wesley’s Theory” contrasts with the Roots message of past trauma being behind black culture by symbolizing America's parasite culture through the lens of the music industry. He emphasizes that despite slavery being abolished, America seems to encourage black individuals to succeed just so their victories can be exploited by corporations. Graham suggests that the TV show’s simplified illustration of trauma is misleading, rather Lamar’s efforts to inform others of systemic prejudice offer a greater insight into the complex nature of African American history. Graham worries that Kunta Kinte’s linear characterization could generalize the struggles and contributions of the Black identity, ignoring current abuses and the prevalent consumer culture.
Graham focuses on analyzing Lamar’s “King Kunta” which directly uses the main character from the TV show–Kunta Kinte– to spin the show’s narrative. Kunta Kinte simply represents an unyielding rebellion against the actual slavery system. Metaphorically, Lamar symbolizes this character rebelling against slavery, but more so against the slavery he believes black culture limits itself to. Graham explores how “[Lamar’s] appeal to the heroic spirit of Kunta Kinte does not remain domesticated for mainstream consumption or conform to black respectability politics, (Graham, 2017, 128-129). Graham not only interprets the song “King Kunta” as Lamar’s method of spurring the African American community to break out of the traditional American system but also to refuse the cultural boundaries many black people might set on themselves. The consumer culture and a desire to become famous with some level of status frequently play into what corporations look to exploit individuals with. Ultimately, Graham believes Lamar is warning that by adhering to a flamboyant culture and American standards, Black individuals are feeding into perpetual economic disparity and are playing into previous trauma. With this, Lamar presents power, something that represents the overarching theme of Roots and characterizes something so many black individuals seek, as both a “shield and liability,” (Graham 2017, 129). Kunta Kinte always fought to gain autonomy and power for himself, instilling this desire to become the most powerful within society in the black community. However, Lamar doesn’t agree with this simplified generalization of seeking power as he recognizes how power could provide greater freedom to his culture, but instead enslaves them even more to the limits set by the elite. Graham identifies that Kendrick’s work highlights the necessity to diversify and evolve the experiences of black individuals to truly confront perpetual trauma, not applying one simplified message to the greater picture offered by Roots.
Graham examines how Lamar challenges the mainstream representation of black trauma depicted in Roots through offering his own complex perspective on modern African American culture. I thought how the author established such a clear connection between Roots and Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly is very convincing and relevant. The concept and message of Roots is supposed to be simple. However, it is concerning how this simple morale has in some sense stunted progress from Graham’s perspective. I was fascinated by the way the author presents Kendrick as someone who very consciously recognized the issue at hand, going so far as to write a song about the main character of the show and using him to emphasize the importance of moving beyond romanticized portrayals. My favorite part was when Graham connected ideas to other Lamar projects such as “Cartoons and Cereal” and “Sing About Me”. However, I do think Graham should focus more on the relevance of the album today and the direct effects it had at the time. I believe some parts are off-topic and highlighting the direct comparison between the two I think would have been more effective. This includes the section about rapper Gucci Mane and “Vanity Slaves pt 2” that I just didn’t see much point in including. Overall though, Graham’s analysis comparing Roots and To Pimp a Butterfly does an excellent job of representing contrasting perspectives on what the black identity and trauma are, offering useful insights on the issues of simple representations of social inequality.
Works Cited
Natalie Graham. (2017). What Slaves We Are. Transition, 122-132. https://doi.org/10.2979/transition.122.1.18