Episodes of Everyday Racism.
Grada Kilomba
„Plantation Memories is a compilation of
episodes exploring everyday racism.
Linking postcolonial theory and lyrical narrative,
the book provides a new and inspiring interpre-
tation of everyday racism in the form of short
stories.
From the question "Where do you come from?"
to the N-word to Hair Politics, the book is
essential for anyone interested in Black studies,
postcolonialism, critical whiteness, gender
studies and psychoanalysis"
(Unrast-Verlag, September 2008)
"The combination of these two words, ‚plantation'
and ‚memories,' describes racism as not only the
restaging of a colonial past, but also as traumatic
reality.
Everyday racism, argues Grada Kilomba, is
experienced as a violent shock which suddenly
places the Black subject in a colonial scene
where, as in a plantation scenario, one is
imprisoned as the subordinate and exotic
‚Other.' „What a beautiful N.! Look how nice
the N. looks. I want to be one too!" says a girl
to Kathleen. Kathleen is schocked, for she
didn't expect to be perceived as the inferior
‚Other.'
This moment of surprise and pain describes
everyday racism as a mise-en-scéne where
whites suddenly become symbolic masters and
Blacks, through insult and humiliation, become
figurative slaves. Unexpectedly, the past comes
to coincide with the present and the present is
experienced as if one were in that agonizing
past, as the titel Plantation Memories
announces."
(Unrast-Verlag, September 2008)
price: 14€
You can order this book at any bookstore or at:
www.amazon.com
www.unrast-verlag.de
The Mask: Remembering Slavery, Understanding Trauma
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