Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Quality Rating: 5 of 5

“Don’t wait for your school to teach you, my uncle says, about the revolution. It’s happening in the streets… The revolution is always going to be happening.” (Woodson 308-309)

Summary:

This collection of poems illustrates Woodson’s life growing up as an African American in the 1960s and 70s. Even though Jim Crow laws were abolished when she was a child, the novel illustrates the author coming to terms with the Civil Rights movement and where she fits in a society torn by racial discrimination. There is self-discovery in her love for writing and family heritage. Though the poems within this novel illustrate life 50-60 years ago, the messages and emotions present in the text are still tangible in society today.

Assumptions/ Biases challenged in the text:

1. African Americans can’t hold a position of power.

Going from an era of denying African Americans basic human rights to one where black people can now hold positions of power was a shock to many white people during the Civil Rights Movement. This went against the norms of the time and the ideals and traditions that both communities had grown up with. Woodson experienced the repercussions of this unwillingness to accept black people and black leadership firsthand while spending part of her childhood in South Carolina during a time just after Jim Crow laws were abolished and the Civil Rights Movement ended.

2. Racial segregation within cities doesn’t happen anymore.

People's socioeconomic status has a factor in where they live. So does their skin tone. African Americans moved into cities to find work during the Great Migration (1912-1970) and ended up staying there due to finances. Racial segregation is still prominent, and unfortunately black neighborhoods are often stigmatized as having higher rates of poverty and crime. Though some black neighborhoods may struggle with these challenges-- challenges born of centuries of oppression-- it is unacceptable to assume that all black neighborhoods are impoverished and crime-ridden. Living in Manhattan, Woodson is able to travel to different parts of the city to experience this racial segregation firsthand.

3. African Americans (or all southerners) don’t speak correctly.

Often people consider African American Vernacular English (AAVE) to be ‘improper’ English and is labeled as ‘incomprehensible;’ this is a form of linguistic discrimination because it insinuates that this form of language is less than or inferior to standard American English. People often assume that Standard English is the “proper” form of the language, and even assume that those who speak Standard English are more educated or equipped to interact in professional settings.Standard English is just a form of English-- it is not any better or worse than any other dialect or language. Woodson recalls in the book that her sister, Dell, got smacked by her mother for not speaking "properly." It was ingrained in her brain from an early age that there was a right and wrong way to talk. If you wanted to be respected and taken seriously, you would talk in Standard English.

4. Equality between races has been achieved and the whole issue of racism has been resolved.

Two quotes stuck out to me here: “We were supposed to be free but we weren’t. And that’s why people are so mad (pg. 72),” and “We all have the same dream, my grandfather says. To live equal in a country that’s supposed to be the land of the free (pg. 89)." The modern-day Black Lives Matter Movement evidences the reality that equality for African American communities has still not been achieved. Systemic racism plays a part in the current lack of racial equality in our country. Woodson illuminated the fact that if we want equality for everyone, we need to identify the problems within our society and enact change. We can't settle for less than total equality for all, not matter how long it takes to achieve.

5. All African American people are bad.

The actions of a few members of a community do not represent or portray the intentions of the entire community. The actions of Rosa Parks, the Black Panthers, Martin Luther King Jr., and many other activists during the Civil Rights movement were criticized for standing up for equality. Because Rosa refused to move from her seat, because the Black Panthers were doing good for African Americans in the community and voicing opinions that were not aligned with the social norm, because peaceful protests occurred-- “acting out” against the mainstream ideals of the Jim Crow-era cast the entire African American community in a negative light. Jacqueline Woodson didn’t understand the “revolution” as it was unfolding before her because she didn’t see the “bad” in her community.

Misconceptions I realized I was carrying:

1. All African Americans are proud of their skin tone and embrace it.

Jacqueline Woodson noted that she was bullied for her hair, clothes, names, and skin by kids in her neighborhood. Conflicting messages surrounded Woodson, as she internalized this shame while being fed the words that the Black Panthers would chant: “Say it loud: I’m Black and I’m proud (304).” Children get bullied because of their hair and skin tone (among numerous things) often. Because of the bullying, shame can become associated with these characteristics. Shame alone is enough to lose pride and want to hide the things that make these individuals unique instead of embracing them. Having positive role models helps children truly take pride in what makes them unique. Without them and without the positive messages they share, shame and a loss of pride will perpetuate throughout an individual’s life.