Essay On Negroland

Negroland, written by Margo Jefferson, is a memoir about her life, as wells as others in 1947 Chicago. In the book, Negroland residents acquire “provisional privilege” and aim to live their life’s away from the shadows of their poorer, darker counterpart. What particularly stood out to me the most about Negroland was their black skin, but despite the racially charged era, Negroland members utilized the freedom of opportunities allowed that other African Americans were not afforded. Nevertheless, the privilege they acquired were restricted every time they grabbed those opportunities, and further detained black elites from supporting their middle to lower class African Americans. Jefferson writes, “Privilege is provisional…. Our people have
As Jefferson expressed, there has always been an elite black class. So, why hasn’t the African American community improved? Why are we still having racial inequality issues? The reason behind our lack of success stems from the talented tenth never showing any initiative to help other black people They didn’t want to help black people then in 1947 and they don’t want to help other black people now. For the elite class to hold on to the little privilege they possess, they refuse to identify with most African Americans. They must work harder for what they own, and to rise the ladder of success in this Eurocentric world, they must strip away their blackness to gain acceptance. Why do young girls relax their hair? why are light skins preferred over darker skins? The elevation of classes remains so important, and to keep that importance, black elites commit maintaining their status by not affiliating themselves with blackness. Jefferson wrote a magnificent piece of literature that highlights rich black people, her life show that as an elite black person, life becomes an ever-ending struggle, but worth it, however we need to make it better for every black person in America so that theirs can be worth it as