Daniel Cohen

Mr. Bayer and Mrs. Lumley

English 11 Pd4
3/19/15

Conscience of Racism

Throughout the course of history, the treatment of those with different skin color has
always been a prominent issue. In a particular part of history, the early 1900s, the United
States of America was a hotspot of racism even 50 or so years after the American Civil War.
The African American author Zora Neal Hurston grew up around this time period, and uses
her book Their Eyes Were Watching God to examine how the lack of societys conscience
encourages or accepts racism without question of morality.
Out of nowhere white society got the notion that they were the superior race. This
created A racial hierarchy base on the belief that skin colors and cultures other than white
were wrong and inferior. Through years of genocide, slavery, and overall cruelty to other
races and cultures, white societies felt nothing immoral about the injustices they caused do
to the self-notion of superiority. Africans were the ones who experienced these immoral
injustices and were imprisoned and enslaved to work for whites for generations. Even after
the American Civil War ended, giving freedom to African Americans, the lingering effect of
racism was still around. White society continued their stride, treating blacks like lesser
beings. In the book after the hurricane; Tea Cake is sitting around talking to Janie when two
white men with guns force Tea Cake to bury the dead. Tea Cake refuses, asking Whut I got
to do wid dat? Ahm a workin man wod money in mah pocket (Hurston 170). The white
men dont care what Tea Cake has to say since they see no difference between him and
other black people; to the white people hes a lesser person. It never occurs to the two white
men that Tea Cake is his own person, a self-made man with his own free will. The white men
and their lack of morals cause them to treat Tea Cake like a slave, who must submit to their
every order, so Tea Cake acquiescently goes to bury the bodies. While the bodies are being
buried, the buriers get orders from headquarters saying they makin coffins fuh all de
white folks; while the whites get coffins, unfortunately They caint find enough of em tuh
go round for the black people, so they just bury them in the ground (Hurston 171). Only

the white dead are considered good enough to receive proper burial and be put to rest like
normal people with dignity. The blacks on the other hand are thrown into a ditch and
covered with quicklime. The black bodies were just tossed into a ditch, unable to get a
proper burial and to be put at rest like white bodies, to the whites; the blacks are just a
second though. Why waste resources on beings they believe to be inferior. As time moved
forward, racism stuck on to culture, and society as a whole leaving a mark on what is right
and wrong.
After years of being looked down upon, the though that African Americans were
inferior stuck with a few in the black communities, creating self-contempt for their own
people. These Internalized racists in black communities were conscious of the racial
hierarchy but were unconscious of its effects. They didnt want to be grouped with a
community considered inferior, which further perpetuated the racism throughout all of
society. Mrs. Turner is a prime example of an internalized racist. Shes a mix of white and
black but believes that white people are superior in every way. Mrs. Turner believes she
understands why whites discriminates against blacks, and she doesnt blame them for it,
saying If it wuznt for so many black folks it wouldnt be no race problem. De white folks
would take us in wid dem. De black ones is holdin us back" (Hurston 141). Mrs. Turner sees
no wrong in discriminating a whole race that shes a part of. She wants to be accepted into
the white community, but doesnt understand that its much deeper an issue than just
blacks goofing off. In her eyes, the darker the person, the worst the person is which in her
eyes is holding back the black communitys progress of joining white society. Mrs. Turners
hatred for blacks runs so deep that she thinks the best option is to lighten up de race
(Hurston 140). By making more light skinned blacks, it would bring blacks closer to being
white, hence bringing African American society closer to join white society. A group of people
did something very similar to what Mrs. Turner believes to be the best option for blacks. In
Nazi Germany, Hitlers ideal Aryan society was for all people to have pure white European
blood. To create this ideal society he exterminated anyone who he believed were different

or lesser beings. While Mrs. Turner is nowhere as insane as the Nazis, she believes in the
same principle of whites being superior. Just like the Nazis had no conscience with their
actions, Mrs. Turner has no conscience with her words. The hatred of those with different
skin colors is so far reaching; it spreads to those very communities and cultures. The hatred
is so potent that the oppressed start to believe that eugenics is a viable solution to the
social ills, causing them to losing touch with what is right and what is wrong.

Internalized racism is a massive issue, it will never go away, since there will always
be people who discriminate their own kind. The impacts of internalized racism have caused
a rift in right and wrong. Ms. Turner represents the prominent issues in the black
community; she is disgusted by dark skinned blacks and continually expresses her
feelings freely to Janie (Proquest). When Mrs. Turner openly speaks her thoughts to Janie
and in doing so isnt giving a single thought about her racist remarks. These racist remarks
are damaging to society because they further spread the disgusting amount of hatred to
others just because of skin color. To be aware of conscience, is to be aware of people and
things around you, those who irrationally hate do not have a sense of right or wrong and
further the hatred in society.

(Paragraph 3): (Paragraph using 2nd source): (quote: Mrs. Turner is a light skinned
black mulatto who is. She.)

Zora Neal Hurston book Their Eyes Were Watching God is used to explain how
without a conscience, society encourages racial discrimination through instances of direct
and internalized racism. The impacts of racism are still around today; blind actions and
words said centuries ago have molded a society built on racism. Even years after the Civil

Rights Movement of 1964, racism is still prominent in our society. Because of racism, todays
cops brutalize and arrest African Americans because of discrimination towards their skin
color. Today, African Americans get racially profiled when applying for jobs, living space, or a
form of higher education. Its not just African Americans who get racially profiled in todays
society; its important to remember that the world today is a melting pot of different
cultures, beliefs and ideals. All of these different cultures will have some form of
discrimination against their group, internalized racism, reverse racism, or just irrational
hatred. To people who continue to discriminate, who live in the past with a bent perception
on morals; its in societys best interest to argue with those people or to just ignore their
opposing viewpoints. Everyone is free to their own opinion, but if those opinions wish to
cause harm to people with different beliefs, thats when actions must be done to end the
senseless hate. Its important to never forget the injustices of the past, but its also
important to look past race, in the hope of creating a society where, race and culture are still
important, but doesnt cause an effect on the judgement of individuals.