Anti-‘Woke’ Folk Should Do a Literary Soak

Posted by

113

Colson Whitehead photo by Chris Close/Doubleday.

The Trump Administration’s countless nasty actions during its first six weeks include a crusade against DEI (Diversity/Equity/Inclusion) in the United States — a crusade that once again shows that Donald and company are white supremacists. They’re also sexist, anti-LGBTQ+, uncaring about people with disabilities, etc.

Their wrongheadedness has meant, among other things, firings of many federal employees who are not white males and crackdowns on merit-based multicultural hiring. Buttressing everything is the Trump Administration’s racist view that Caucasian men are the most competent people for any job — a view proven false time and time again, including when one looks at Trump’s grossly unqualified white male picks for Cabinet posts and other high positions.

Some on the anti-DEI bandwagon acknowledge that racism, misogyny, and homophobia once existed but contend that they’re now things of the past. Yes, things have gotten better, but true equality is still a distant goal. Also, there has of course been much recent backsliding into intolerance “thanks” to Trump, many of his fellow Republicans, some Democrats, and others.

One way people can see the very problematic nature of an anti-DEI attitude is to read novels. Many fictional works spotlight talented characters who are not white males, and often depict the challenges those characters face in a world still teeming with bias.

For instance, I’m currently reading Kate Quinn’s excellent 2021 novel The Rose Code — in which the abilities of World War II codebreakers Osla Kendall, Mab Churt, and Beth Finch are inspiring, as are the struggles of those three young Englishwomen against sexism and being underestimated.

But for the rest of this post, I’m going to only mention novels featuring impressive Black female and male characters who give the lie to alleged white male superiority as they often deal with a LOT in a society that devalues them and too often threatens them.

Just before starting The Rose Code, I read Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 2019 novel The Nickel Boys — and there’s no doubt that African-American character Elwood Curtis is smarter, nicer, and harder-working than any other teen (Black or white) we “meet” in the segregated northern Florida of the early 1960s. But a racist criminal “justice” system sends Elwood to a brutal juvenile reformatory on a charge he’s innocent of, and the results are not pretty — including what we learn in the powerful twist near the book’s conclusion.

But that was more than 60 years ago, you say? Whitehead, who also sets The Nickel Boys in more-recent times, shows how prejudice never completely goes away; it continues to reverberate. Trauma lingers across many a decade (as does a much smaller amount of intergenerational wealth among Black people compared to white people).

A few other memorable characters whose lives were at least partly affected by America’s warped racial dynamics include Joe King Oliver of Walter Mosley’s Down the River unto the Sea (2018), Starr Carter of Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give (2017), Ifemelu of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah (2013), Kiki Belsey of Zadie Smith’s On Beauty (2005), Celie of Alice Walker’s The Color Purple (1982), Dana Franklin of Octavia E. Butler’s Kindred (1979), Macon Dead III of Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon (1977), Kunta Kinte of Alex Haley’s Roots (1976), John Grimes of James Baldwin’s Go Tell It On the Mountain (1953), the unnamed narrator of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man (1952), Bigger Thomas of Richard Wright’s Native Son (1940), and Janie Crawford of Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937). I found every one of those novels well worth reading, and I wish everyone trashing DEI would read them, too.

There are of course many bias-slammed Black characters skillfully created by white authors, too. Among them are Donte Drumm, a teen who ends up on Death Row for a murder he didn’t commit in John Grisham’s The Confession (2010); and the also falsely accused Tom Robinson in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird (1960). Hmm…kind of similar story lines, 50 years apart.

Some of the characters mentioned in this post “overcome,” some do not.

Your thoughts about, and examples of, this topic?

Misty the cat says: “The grass will get greener this spring or when I buy a big can of green paint.”

My comedic 2024 book — the part-factual/part-fictional/not-a-children’s-work Misty the Cat…Unleashed — is described and can be purchased on Amazon in paperback or on Kindle. It’s feline-narrated! (And Misty says Amazon reviews are welcome. 🙂 )

This 90-second promo video for my book features a talking cat: 🙂

I’m also the author of a 2017 literary-trivia book…

…and a 2012 memoir that focuses on cartooning and more.

In addition to this weekly blog, I write the 2003-started/award-winning “Montclairvoyant” topical-humor column every Thursday for Montclair Local. The latest piece — about a newly hired township manager, bad sidewalks, and more — is here.

113 thoughts on “Anti-‘Woke’ Folk Should Do a Literary Soak”

    • Thank you, Shaharee. There’s definitely something to that. But conservatives have the nasty habit of taking the relatively few people who overdo “woke” language and falsely smearing many other liberals as being equivalent. The average “woke” person is positive in the sense of being open-minded, not (or not very) prejudiced, etc.

      Like

      Reply

      • I position myself somewhere in between the two extremes. I don’t want to ignore the blatant racism of certain law enforcement agencies, but find also the so called “positive action” a discriminatory measure. Lots of US citizens of Asiatic decent who’re outperforming all the other ethnicities are denied access to a higher education because of racially inspired quotas. That must stop. And this whole discussion about whom can go to what bathroom is a symptom of a society that has issues with sexuality (both sides of the specter). In other parts of the world (apart from most Muslim countries), governments shrug or leave it to the sport associations to determine where they draw the lines. For the army the same: the same tests and requirements for everyone, no special favors, because in the end, when Thit comes to That and a team is sent into the battlefield, they must be able to count upon each other as equals. War isn’t a sport competition where you have separate leagues for men, women, and LBTQ.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

        • I hear you, Shaharee. Merit is important, but of course all kinds of people have as much or more merit than white males. And, yes, there have been unfair quotas against Asian-Americans. As for all the bathroom stuff, that’s a deliberate effort by conservatives to divert attention from actual important problems in the U.S. — such as the control of so much by oligarchs like Musk, Bezos, Zuckerberg, etc.

          Liked by 1 person

          Reply

  2. White men should rule? Please no. And never again.

    I’m talking about South Africa, and the Apartheid regime. I would suggest reading this: My Traitor’s Heart is an autobiographical book by Rian Malan (1990).

    The book describes Malan’s experience of growing up in Apartheid-era South Africa in which he explores race relations through prominent murder cases. In addition, he reflects on the history of his family, a prominent Afrikaner clan that migrated to the Cape in the 17th century and included Daniel François Malan, the South African Prime Minister who was a principal ideological force behind Apartheid doctrine.

    Brilliant book.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thank you, Chris! I share your hope that apartheid never happens again in South Africa, though of course white men continue to have outsized power in most countries and versions of apartheid exist in some other nations (such as Israel). 😦

      Rian Malan’s “My Traitor’s Heart” sounds sobering and tremendous! I appreciate you mentioning it and describing it so well.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • I would say that the most capable should rule, but then you have to replace the democracy by a meritocracy. Up to now democracy has only brought nepotism and corruption to South Africa. It’s sinking to the same level as the rest of the continent.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

        • Shaharee, I agree that the most capable should be in leadership positions — but they can be democratically elected. The most capable, of course, include all kinds of people — not just white males, as you welcomely allude to, Chris. The reality, unfortunately, is that many in leadership positions are the richest, the most ruthless, the biggest liars, etc.

          Liked by 1 person

          Reply

  4. This is a great post, Dave. I certainly enjoyed The Hate U Give and was especially touched to see the depicted scenarios through the eyes of a young person. Unfortunately, the people who could learn the most and be made more aware through these types of books are the ones who don’t read.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Thank you, Becky! I agree — “The Hate U Give” is a great novel, and, like you, I was moved by its youth perspective. And, yes, I’m not holding my breath thinking Trump and people like him would read and appreciate the novels I mentioned. 😦

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  7. I completely agree that reading novels allows us to look through a different lens and understand different experiences. I credit novel reading with teaching me so much about things I didn’t understand all that well before. I loved the Nickle Boys – I didn’t see the movie but I loved the book. Whitehead’s Harlem Shuffle is also very, very good.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thank you, M.B.! Well said, and I totally agree! Reminds me of this quote from author George R.R. Martin: “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” (Martin should have included the female gender in that quote, or said it gender neutrally.)

      I’m definitely looking forward to reading more Colson Whitehead.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  8. Your theme Dave is very timely re the death of Gene Hackman. I was reminiscing about his role in Mississippi Burning the movie based upon the book written by Chris Gerolmo. I’ve never read the book and perhaps I should because I never got through the whole movie–it was so brutal. Diversity is a timely thing also like well it’s about time. When you consider all of those who have been overlooked for years because of race, color or gender, who deserved their place in time After all time is not linear so why should human beings be subjected to that. All of us have at some point been graded on a curve. I also want to mention Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray. It is listed as historical fiction based on first black woman to edit The Crisis, a magazine re Harlem Renaissance. Haven’t got around to reading it yet, but looks to be a good book. Thanks Dave, Susi

    “I’m so grateful to her for encouraging me to read. The characters inside books became my friends. I loved every story, even the tragic ones. Because even in tragedy, the words can make a pitiable life beyond beautiful.”
    ― Victoria Christopher Murray, Harlem Rhapsody

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Thank you, Susi! I appreciate your interesting words and thoughts. I’ve never seen “Mississippi Burning” or read the book it was based on. I remember being troubled that the film reportedly focused more on white characters (including Gene Hackman) than Black characters. Yet I imagine the movie and book still had a LOT to say about the scourge of racism in the United States.

      Powerful words about reading by Victoria Christopher Murray. Glad you posted them!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • Probably the book says more than the movie and it does have a lot of white actors in it, but then they are portrayed as typical stupid racist rednecks, like JD Vance. How do individuals like him even exist in life without having a sense of shame and/or a sense of humility. I wish we were more like animals. They don’t judge each other, other than food is food. Re Misty’s experience with green grass or lack of it– At one time, I researched whether animals saw things in color, but it seems based on the cones in their eyes, it is limited. Odd but most reptiles see infrared.

        Liked by 2 people

        Reply

        • You’re undoubtedly right, Susi, that the book was more nuanced or complex or whatever.

          Re JD Vance, don’t get me started. A nasty, amoral, opportunistic, hypocritical scoundrel.

          I’ve definitely heard that cats have a limited ability to see color.

          Liked by 1 person

          Reply

  9. A book I found entertaining and rightfully disturbing is SUCH A FUN AGE by Kiley Reid. It’s about a wealthy white woman trying to befriend a young Black woman whom she employs. It definitely belongs on this list.

    Although Geraldine Brooks is not Black, I thought her book HORSE, which I just finished, did a superb job of looking at racism in the United States, pre-Civil War and now. I highly recommend it.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Thank you, Kim! Both books sound excellent! I’ve read Geraldine Brooks’ “March” — which focuses on the father from Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” and includes a significant Black secondary character — and thought it was really good.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  10. Being against a program of increasing diversity is bad enough. Undoing the progress made is much worse. I wrote briefly about a time when I was (what many called) a victim of reverse-discrimination. I didn’t feel that way because I knew the person who got the job I wanted. That’s all it really takes, knowing the “others.” Ironically, life worked out well for both of us that day,

    Liz summed it up very well. Diversity is normal. I would add that fighting diversity goes by many names, none of them words I want associated with me.

    I don’t have a specifically diverse cast of characters in my books, (I try to let readers imaging what they like) but I have included enough of a reference to the issues to get negative comments thrown my way. I included the references because they are part of life with people – they happen and while I don’t write to focus on social issues, I do feel we can’t ignore them.

    Thanks for the list. I think I’ll add The Nickel Boys to my ever-growing TBR pile.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Thank you, Dan! That’s a great point — being against diversity is bad enough, but undoing progress is a hostile bunch of worse.

      When I was young, I also lost out on a job (a prestigious journalism internship) — in my case to a woman who had less writing experience than me. I wasn’t happy, but could understand it. And of course there are many cases where unqualified white males are chosen for jobs over more-experienced women or people of color.

      Yes, diversity in books written by you or others — and references to social issues — can be subtle or overt. Either way, that diversity is good to depict because it’s the real world.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  11. Hi Dave,

    I don’t understand the word woke or why it’s supposed to be an insult. Isn’t the opposite asleep, or unaware? We recently had a referendum in Australia about giving our Indigenous people more autonomy. The no campaign’s slogan was “If you don’t know, vote no” implying that the details were sketchy. And I just don’t get that. The default when someone asks for something is to say no until you’ve been convinced? From a purely logical point of view, why not say yes and then cancel or amend if it doesn’t work?

    Anyway, I think most of what I read is probably written by so called minorities (if we include women who make up more than half the population). Some recent reads include “American Dirt” about a family of Mexican refugees. “Of Human Bondage” written by the homosexual Maugham. “Flying with Paper Wings” written by the schizophrenic Sandy Jeffs. “Minotaur” about a blind detective. “A Bit of Fry and Laurie” co-written by the gay and Jewish Stephen Fry. All incredibly enjoyable novels in their own way, despite the ‘woke’ labels given to the authors or the characters.

    1420 days to go…

    Sue

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Thank you, Sue! Yes, the American right-wing took a very positive concept — “wokeness” — and nastily turned it into a negative. It’s the right-wing’s euphemistic way of putting its blatant racism out there.

      Great that you read many novels by women, “minorities,” and other authors with a sensitivity to diversity! Of course, most of us (myself included) also read books by conservative, straight, white-male authors, but doing that alone would mean missing out on a lot of reality and great stuff.

      Trump’s term can’t end too soon. Of course, his sycophantic fans are hoping he’ll illegally try to run for a third term in 2028… 😦

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  12. Dave,

    This is in response to your last comment back to me.

    The box was too skinny. (Wish I was, and young..young and skinny)

    30th is embarrassing.

    1937… You hit on something, aligned with your topic today. History is repeating.

    “Their Eyes Were Watching God” – I had to look that up. It sounds interesting.

    That led to “21 banned books to read to honor Black history all year”.

    You have many on your list. Here’s the link, in case you want to see the several you haven’t mentioned, so you can eat them for breakfast while you read your cereal. https://www.today.com/popculture/books/banned-books-black-authors-list-rcna193062

    Banned??? We’re moving backwards.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • You’re probably only getting emails because you’ve subscribed to something. I’d suggesting finding an unsubscribe or unfollow button in the email.

      Dave – if you are emailing people directly then where are my emails?! Given that I agree with and desire most of what you say, shouldn’t I be top of the email list? 😊

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

    • John, Susan is right. I have never personally emailed you. If you are getting emails for my posts from the WordPress blog platform, it means you (accidentally?) followed/subscribed to my blog. So, as Susan suggested, just unfollow/unsubscribe. Or, if somehow you can’t, just delete the emails for my blog posts before you open them. 🙂

      Like

      Reply

  14. I really liked Colson Whitehead’s “The Underground Railroad” and Kiese Laymon’s “Long Division” which plays with time in a way I’m still trying to figure out. I also liked Paule Marshall’s “Brown Girl, Brownstones”. (K)

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Thank you, memadtwo, for those recommendations! After reading “The Nickel Boys,” I definitely want to read “The Underground Railroad.” And I’m intrigued by the other two books you mentioned. I’m a big fan of novels that play with time.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  15. By Her Own Design by Piper G. Huguley is a novel based on the life of Ann Lowe, an African American dress designer and seamstress, who designed and made Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress and got no credit.

    Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult is about an African American nurse treating the baby of a white supremacist in hospital.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

      • Both stories made me sad and a bit angry. The Picoult book does an excellent job (in my opinion) of showing how little white people understand of the daily microaggressions black people face. The public defender, a white woman, is continually having moments of “I didn’t know that,” as she preps her client for trial.

        Liked by 2 people

        Reply

        • I can understand the sadness and anger, Madeline. Yes, so many micro-aggressions (along with macro-aggressions). I hope to read one or both of the books you mentioned if my local library has one or both.

          Liked by 1 person

          Reply

    • Thank you, Ponder Hub! You’re absolutely right that James Baldwin was masterful at both fiction and nonfiction writing.

      I’ve watched that Baldwin-William F. Buckley Jr. debate you linked to (glad you did!), and it was glorious to see Baldwin make mincemeat out of the conservative Buckley. It wasn’t even close, even though Buckley was not a dummy.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      • Yes – exactly. Buckley was a dummy. It’s amazing he was able to do it in the first place. You’d think their was DEI for WASP-y country club types. It often amazes me more generally that the failing-est of failsons can hold enormous positions of power (e.g. who would have thought that two people from the same family would be the most qualified to hold the highest office in the land).

        Liked by 2 people

        Reply

        • Actually, a typo on my part; sorry about that. I meant to write that Buckley was NOT a dummy (I fixed it), even though he wasn’t anywhere near as smart as he thought he was and was clearly not even in Baldwin’s league. And, yes, those against DEI almost never acknowledge that the biggest “Affirmative Action” program is for wealthy WASPs — and, as you note, for the children of those country-club types.

          Liked by 2 people

          Reply

  17. Great post, Dave. Ugh, there’s no excuse for not embracing diversity in this day and age. I mean, how can Trump get away with saying these things?! “The Nickel Boys” sounds like an interesting book; I’ll check it out! As for white men being the most capable at a job . . . I’m utterly speechless 😶

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Thank you, Ada! Yes, Trump and his “posse” are sadly trying to do everything possible to put a wrench into Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s theory that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

      Re your last line, I’ve worked for/worked with enough incompetent white males in my life to lose count.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  18. Respect for diversity is critical, we all deserve to be seen,to listen to stories, read books, to be respectful of all human beings. What thug DJT is doing,in short measure, on the destruction, the rampage,is being cruel,heartless to our allies, the berating of President Zelensky was an abomination, the spectacle as a reality show was repulsive.

    Rump and his complacent ,vile administration of enablers like Musky Musk want to end all ourrights, they took down Spanish language WH page,they, the dept.of Education telling colleges/universities aid will be cut if they have DEI programs, what is not clear is what are DEI programs defined, a Halal group,a womens group,someone speaking non English ++it’s really insane how sickening and dangerous Rump and his cronies truly are.

    Watch how the buyer’s remorse contagion will spread around the USA 🇺🇸.

    Michele

    E&P way back

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Thank you, Michele! Great points, and I understand how maddening and in many ways illogical Trump’s actions are. As for whether there will be “buyer’s remorse” among a significant number of his voters…I’m not sure. Trump has a cult-like hold on his supporters, backed by threats of violence from some of his more rabid fans.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  20. A very important post and follow-up conversation, Dave. I confess that I have a very difficult time reading the novels that you presented. Sometimes novels speak too deeply to me so when the conversations get too intense for me, I go to non-fiction. This has been my way of dealing with such a difficult topic. Racism is tragic, its real, and we must guard against every form that is comes in. In my teens, I read Dick Gregory’s biography (I won’t name the title because even writing is against everything that I value). I had to understand the unique struggles and triumphs faced by black individuals in America. His life story highlighted the systemic racism and social injustices that persist as well as showcasing the resilience and strength of the black community. Dick Gregory’s experiences provided me with valuable insights into the cultural and historical context of racial issues. I felt a deeper empathy and awareness for an amazing culture. Even as a young person, I recognized Dick Gregory’s life was a testament to the ongoing fight for equality and justice.

    “Every door of racial prejudice I can kick down, is one less door that my children have to kick down.” Dick Gregory

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  21. Would Uncle Tom’s Cabin (Harriet Beecher Stowe?)be an example?

    I’ve read several of the books you’ve mentioned, and Uncle Tom’s Cabin is the only other one I can think of. (right now anyway)

    (Side note)

    I have been looking at gender equality and am sad and shocked to see that Canada ranks # 30 and the USA ranks # 43.

    So, I looked up Racial Equality stats.

    This is ranked in terms of LEAST RACIST countries. I am happy to say Canada is #2 on that list.

    The USA is # 73

    (87 countries are on the list)

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Thank you, Resa! “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” definitely fits this theme with characters such as Eliza, George, and Tom himself. (I don’t think Tom’s behavior was as embarrassingly stereotypical as it’s made out to be by critics; he was more like a saint.) Also, Jim in Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” I was thinking about both of those novels when writing the post, but the piece was getting long and I decided to not go earlier than 1937. But there are no restrictions in the comments section. 🙂

      Very interesting statistics! Whether Canada is much better or somewhat better than the U.S. in the areas you mentioned, better is better!

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

      • Yes! Jim in “Huckleberry Finn”.
        I played Tom’s aunt Polly in a high school musical, and I cant sing. 🤣

        I read “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” when I was quite young. Jaw dropping!

        Yes, better is better…still #30 in female equality is SAD!

        Lol.. 1937, eh? How did that get to be the cut off? 🧐

        Liked by 2 people

        Reply

        • Yes, Resa, 30th is not that exemplary. 😦

          1937 just happened to be the year “Their Eyes Were Watching God” was published. Not exactly a round number. 🤣

          A “Tom Sawyer” musical! Perhaps Aunt Polly herself couldn’t sing either, in the novel. 🙂

          I think “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” is a great book. And few other novels had such a major sociopolitical impact.

          Liked by 2 people

          Reply

    • Thank you, Martina! A very good question. I’m rather pessimistic about whether there’ll ever be a time when there is not much prejudice. It seems hard-wired into too many humans. The future world of “Star Trek” did have a non-prejudicial dynamic on the various Starfleet spaceships, but unfortunately that was fictional…

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      • I have recently seen a very interesting documentary concerning the Inca Empire in the region of Peru. It was explained that they did not force foreigners to take over the religion of their country but they just integrated the foreign religion into their own. I consider this behaviour as very exceptionel and it gives me more hope than the one of “Star Trek, despite the fact that even a film can instigate us to change behaviour! Many thanks for your interesting answer.

        Liked by 2 people

        Reply

  23. An excellent post as usual, Dave – just a shame (a gross understatement) about the circumstances which led you to pick it. As is usual with me I’m going to have to go away and have a think -but first I’ll just mention a minor character who I love, as in Calpurnia, the black woman who runs the Finch household and raises Jem and Scout because Atticus is a widower. She’s an accepted part of the family, trusted by Atticus to do what’s right without input from him, dishing out love and discipline to the children as is necessary and taking them to her segregated church when their father is away. When she’s subjected to reverse racism – ‘What you doing bringing white children to black church?’ – she kills it stone dead with her rejoinder, ‘It’s the same God, ain’t it?’ While I’m in this text I’d like to give a mention to Dolphus Raymond, the white man who has a black partner and mixed-race children. I know he doesn’t count under the criteria for this post, but he’s found a way to be with the woman he loves, and is prepared to spend his life pretending to be a drunk to give the community an excuse for his lifestyle choice. He shouldn’t have to, but it’s the only way. Enough for now – if I find more I’ll get back to you. Thanks, Dave. 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  24. The crazy thing about this DEI-bashing is that human beings are inherently diverse. It’s a fact, not a statement. I remember in high school choosing novels to read about people different from me to learn what it’s like to be someone other than me.

    Liked by 7 people

    Reply

Leave a comment