Citizen: An American Lyric

Citizen: An American Lyric

The cover of the American softback first edition
Author Claudia Rankine
Country United States
Language English
Publisher Greywolf Press (US)/Penguin Books (UK)
Publication date
 October 7, 2014
Pages 166 (softcover)
ISBN 978-1-555-97690-3 (US sofcover)
ISBN 978-0-141-98177-2 (UK softcover)

Citizen: An American Lyric is a 2015 book by the American poet Claudia Rankine. The book has been described as both criticism and poetry, described by critic Michael Lindgren as having "boundary-bending potency...an innovative amalgam of genres".[1]

Description

The book consists of seven chapters interspersed with images and artworks. The first chapter details microagressions that have occurred to Rankine and her friends. The second chapter discusses the YouTube character Hennessy Youngman created by Jayson Musson, and discusses racial incidents in the life of Serena Williams and her public image. The third chapter features more microagressions and the nature of racist language. In the fourth chapter Rankine writes of the transition of sighs into aches, the nature of language, memory, and watching tennis matches in silence. Chapter five is a complex poem on self-identity, interspersed with more microagressions. Chapter six is a series of scripts for "situation videos" created in collaboration with John Lucas on Hurricane Katrina, the shootings of Trayvon Martin and James Craig Anderson, the Jena Six, the 2011 England riots in the wake of the death of Mark Duggan, Stop-and-frisk, Zinedine Zidane's headbutt of Marco Materazzi in the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final, and the verbal error during Barack Obama's first inauguration as President of the United States. The seventh chapter ends with "Making Room", a script for a "public fiction" about finding a seat on the subway, and a list of African-American men involved in recent police shooting incidents that concludes with the phrase "because white men can't police their imagination black men are dying". The seventh chapter is a complex meditation on race, the body, language and various incidents in the life of the author. The book is interspersed with images of various paintings, drawings, sculptures and screen grabs.

Chapter 1

Claudia Rankine’s lyric opens with an introductory paragraph that is ironically a more formal “closing” to a long day. Rankine prescribes melancholia with an overall sense of exhaustion that leads the reader directly into a very familiar place: “bed”. It is here, in the beginning of the book that Rankine masterfully weaves “prose, poetry and visual image pervasively into the daily American social and cultural life, subtly foreshadowing and boding its readers to the challenges certain citizens must overcome in order to not become invisible (National Book Award Judges’ Citation).” “Sometimes the moon is missing and beyond the windows the low, gray ceiling seems approachable. Its dark light dims in degrees depending on the density of clouds and you fall back into that which gets reconstructed as metaphor." (Citizen, pg.1) Moreover, Rankine’s first paragraph offers the oppressed citizens, Blacks, a subtle solution even before delivering her readers the very contents of her book. The book is lyrically written, in of itself, as an extended metaphor of the extreme color distinction between white and black. Only people’s perspectives regarding race allows society to identify the difference when regarding humanity and therefore equality. Throughout the lyric this racial divergence becomes more apparent as Rankine conveys each experience. The crux of the metaphor is the subsiding factor of grey; a color degree between that of white and black that implies patience and hope. These factors, subtly and metaphorically penned in the first paragraph grants these citizens a means to press forward against the subtle microaggressions, which, metaphorically speaking, is a wake for them in the very wake of the book. “There are billions of souls in the world and some of us are almost to be touching the depths of how it is and what it is to be human. On the surface we exist but just beyond is existence. I write to articulate that felt experience."(Rankine) The first chapter immediately transfers the reader into a black persona who is quickly becoming invisible by the harassment of microaggressions. The necessity of tolerance ascribed by blacks, that is, in these occurrences even are subjected to children in grade school. Still consistent with second person perspective use of you, the short narration is of a child: “You”, who experiences a microaggression by first a student who is copying her work throughout the school year, and secondly, from Sister Evelyn, who never acknowledges the blatant incidences. “...later when she tells you you smell good and have features more like a white person. You assume she thinks she is thanking you for letting her cheat and feels better cheating from an almost white person.” The microaggression described here is that, you are unworthy of a genuine acknowledgment of gratitude. “Thank you”, is unnecessary or does not apply because you are classified as an “almost” in girl students’ mind. Rankine’s verbiage utilizing the word assume, remarks the harsh reality that you have to ascribe an excuse or reasoning for another’s actions. You must enable them - her and therefore the situation, crippling it, in order to rectify your own stability, in your own personal defense, so that you do not take direct offense. Only because the offense was not a direct form of prejudice. “Sister Evelyn never figures out your arrangement perhaps because you never turn around to copy Mary Catherine's answers. Sister Evelyn must think these two girls think a lot alike or she cares less about cheating and more about humiliation or she never actually saw you sitting there.”

Chapter 2

The second chapter consists of Rankine’s meditation on Serena Williams, the tennis star, the racially motivated attacks on Serena when she competed at Indian Wells in 2001, as well as controversial calls made against her throughout her tennis career. According to Rankine, in her article, “The Meaning of Serena Williams,” she states that, “There is a belief among some African-Americans that to defeat racism, they have to work harder, be smarter, be better”.[2] This means that they have to give their 150 percent in order to show white Americans a black excellence that is supposed to perform with good manners and forgiveness in the face of any racist slights or attacks. The chapter also focuses on an on-court incident in 2009, where Serena told a linesman regarding n controversial call, “I swear to God I’m fucking going to take this fucking ball and shove it down your fucking throat, you hear that? I swear to God!’’ (Rankine 29). According to Anna Leszkiewicz, in her article, “Black Bodies in America,” she states that, “In a long essay on Serena Williams, Rankine wrote that the tennis star’s body was ‘trapped in disbelief code for being black in America’ (Leszkiewicz 26). Even John McEnroe, known as an ill-mannered and foul-mouthed player during his professional tennis days, felt moved to tell Williams that he thought she was being treated unfairly by judges who seemed determined to rule against her and by fans who considered her sometimes rude and embarrassing (Rankine 28). Rankine implies that Serena, who is admittedly vocal on the court and sometimes disparaging toward officials, has been mistreated, or at least misunderstood, because of her race. Throughout the chapter the media characterizes Serena Williams as hyper sexual, aggressive, and animalistic. When she dares to express frustration, she is stamped with the infamous “angry black woman” stereotype.

Chapter 4

Chapter 4 focuses largely on mental health and the importance of history in creating a narrative. Rankine writes, “to live through the days sometimes you moan like deer. Sometimes you sigh. The world says stop that. Another sigh. Another stop that. Moaning elicits laughter. Sighing upsets,” (59). This thought repeats the sentiment expressed in chapter 2, regarding the difference between “sellable anger” and the other, unmarketable but more genuine “..anger built up through experience and the quotidian struggles against dehumanization...” - the kind of anger, Rankine states, that makes a person appear insane (24). Later, Rankine writes “you like to think memory goes far back though remembering was never recommended. Forget all that, the world says. The world's had a lot of practice. No one should adhere to the facts that contribute to narrative, the facts that create lives,” (61). She recognizes the sentiment that one should put the past behind them, but proceeds to express the futility attempting to disregard one's narrative, by stating “the world is wrong. You can't put the past behind you. It's buried in you; it's turned your flesh into its own cupboard,” (63). This is evinced again later in the chapter in reference to Serena Williams: “The commentator wonders if the player will be able to put this incident aside. No one can get behind the feeling that caused a pause in the match, not even the player trying to put her feelings behind her, dumping ball after ball into the net,” (65).

Chapter 5

Chapter 5 reads as a satirical parody of invisibility and the constant Up and Down notion of self-doubt and identity. Rankine commands in a stand-alone “stanza”. “Stand where you are.” However, the more that is read ascribes to a concise form of uncertainty. Again, another command but just the opposite Rankine states, “Anyway, sit down. Sit here alongside.” Metaphorically, Rankine forms a transparent platform in which the reader knows is present however Rankine places you in a thick cloud of mistrust. Disguising, life as a personal roller-coaster of self-doubt. “You begin to move around in search of the steps it will take before you are thrown back into your own body, back into your own need to be found. The destination is illusory. You raise your lids, No one else is seeking. You exhaust yourself looking into the blue light. All day blue burrows the atmosphere. What doesn’t belong with you won’t be seen (Citizen, Ch. 5). The accumulative stresses come to bear on a person’s ability to speak, perform and stay alive. Our addressability is tied to the state of our belonging, Rankine argues, as are our assumptions and expectations of citizenship. “Exactly why we survive and can look back with furrowed brow is beyond me.” It is not often within the text that Rankine subjects and/or projects herself and the narrator. The reader than can interpret this subjectively or objectively depending how it is read. In an effort to gather the overall theme of chapter 5, Rankine employs these first person perspective notions to drive forward a character, any character in a means of strife. The subtle connotations barb the fragile reality of indifference. That blacks, are different than whites and society makes it apparently so that renders them invisible and likewise, without an identity. Rankine asks, “Why are you standing”? “Yes, and you do go to the gym and run in place, an entire hour running, just you and your body running off each undesired desired encounter.” (Rankine, Citizen Ch.5)

Chapter 6

Rankine narrated multiple tragedies happening to African Americans in chapter VI. These tragedies clearly showed images of micro-aggressions and macro-aggressions against African Americans around the world. Rankine started with Hurricane Katrina, Treyvon Martin, followed by James Craig Anderson - tragedies that connect to the idea of continuous aggression against black bodies. Rankine also connected this chapter with the case of the Jena Six on December 4, 2006 in Louisiana, and the passage of Stop and Frisk laws. Rankine exposed the international effects of racism with the poem to Mark Duggan, a victim of racism in London, and with the world cup poem, showing this was a global problem. Rankine used a situation video linking the passage of world cup with a scene of a second-generation Algerian soccer player playing for France (Zinedine Zidane) head-butting an Italian player in front of the world’s eyes after some racially fueled remarks from the Italian. The scene is in slow motion as if a clear remark to the eye that is trying to accommodate this type of racial aggression and ignore it. Rankine also references the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

Rankine brings the problem back to the individual with the passage called Making Room. In addition, in this passage the author gave a hidden answer to the question of racism. The author used second person as an argument and way of pointing fingers to denunciate an ongoing injustice of human segregations. Rankine used these continued passages as a reminder of the black American history that continues to exist in this century.

The priority of chapter VI was to focus on the still alive prejudice. Hurricane Katrina passage depicted the suffering of African Americans when they struggled to survive prior and after the hurricane catastrophes. CNN reporter, Anderson cooper, recalled the events during hurricane Katrina with images of people calling out for help. Hurricane Katrina impacted New Orleans and Louisiana, African American towns.

Rankine wrote, “And some said, where were the buses? And simultaneously someone else said, FEMA said it wasn’t safe to be there”(Pg 84). Rankine used the word FEMA as a clear statement that the authorities were well informed of the events. The author used FEMA as the governmental representation and the lack of mercy towards what she called black people, the poor people. “He said I don’t know what the water wanted. It wanted to show you no one would come”(Pg 85). By using metaphoric personifications, Rankine gave the sense that even water could let us know how less value were the African Americans lives to the white American eye.

The passage in Memory of James Craig narrated the death of an African American man by white young teenagers. James Craig was beaten and ran over by the pick up truck, because he was African American or a person of color. “I ran that nigger over, itself a record-breaking hot June day in twenty-first century” (Pg. 94). The white kid said after killing the black man. This statement is so powerful and embraced the continuation of African American oppression in history. Rankine used the pick up truck as a connection between the pick up truck and the white Americans culture.

December 4, 2006, Jena Six Passages and Stop and Frisk related to the injustice and prejudice in the judicial system. Teens once again got involved in beating however this time not killing anyone. These kids were just furious in regards to racial statements done by the white kids at the school. The black kids sat next to the tree where only white kids usually sit and the next day three nooses were placed as a threat or as a reminder. The African American teenagers got angry, beat the white kids, and as consequence convicted as criminals on attempted murder now waiting for 25 to 100 years in prison. This passage is followed by Stop and Frisk, which talked about a man being detained just for his skin color. He was humiliated, his clothes taken away and he was beaten just for fitting the African American description. It was easier for an African American to go to prison than a White American.

Rankine was very precise on demonstrating that this discrimination against African American was not an individualized problem, but a global problem with the passages on the world cup and Mark Dugan in London. Young men killed for fitting the description of being African American. Last but not least she individualized the problem with the passage Making Room where a white woman preferred to be standing for long periods of time in a train than sitting next to an African American man. She found the solution to racism by sitting next to that man and calling him family. Rankine finalized the chapter with “in memory of …” (Pg. 135). Different victims of racial hatred and with the statement “Because white men can’t police their imagination black men are dying”(Pg 135). And calling out for unity by just sitting next to that men that perhaps some white American sees as threat because of their skin.

Images

The cover image of a hoodie is the work of David Hammons, first exhibited in 1993. Hammons' “In the Hood is a disembodied hood from a generic dark green hoodie, mounted on a wall like a hunting trophy. Wire props up the rim of the hood, so it holds its shape as if it were covering an invisible head”.[3] Although it was exhibited over twenty years ago, it is a reminder of Trayvon Martin’s death because he was wearing a hoodie when he was killed by George Zimmerman. The "hoodie" acts as a symbol of fear; in the case that young black men wearing a hoodie are stereotyped as dangerous and suspect, a theme that Rankine covers later on in chapter 6.

J. M. W. Turner's The Slave Ship

Joseph Mallard William Turner's The Slave Ship is displayed on page 160 and the final image of the book. It is a reminder of the trips taken in the 1800s across the Atlantic which carried many black slaves. While that took place in the 1800s, the image being presented at the end of the book, showing African slaves being discarded into the ocean, Rankine seems to infer Americans have not moved forward from the days of slavery and still value black bodies as less than, or simply cargo that can be discarded. “The racial system taught Americans to associate blackness with slavery and to accept this as the “ natural ” place of African Americans”.[4] The theme of black bodies being valued as less than is presented numerous times throughout the book.

Reception

The book received enthusiastic reviews. Dan Chiasson, writing in the New Yorker, wrote that "[Citizen] is an especially vital book for this moment in time. ...The realization at the end of this book sits heavily upon the heart: 'This is how you are a citizen,' Rankine writes. 'Come on. Let it go. Move on.' As Rankine's brilliant, disabusing work, always aware of its ironies, reminds us, 'moving on' is not synonymous with 'leaving behind.'"[5] Writing for the Washington Post, Michael Lindgren desrcibed the book as "Part protest lyric, part art book, Citizen is a dazzling expression of the painful double consciousness of black life in America".[1]

Awards and honors

References

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