Race Relations During The Era in The Autobiography of an Ex-colored Man

Tailing the end of the Post Reconstruction era and in the wake of the Harlem Renaissance comes the emergence of literary genius. Although it would come across as an insult to neglect the musical and artistic movements of the era, for the purpose of this paper and its objective the focus will be predominantly centered around literature. The literature of this time best put the progression and the perspective of the negro into words and concepts to be understood and appreciated by all. That is to say that unlike in music and art, people who were not of color during this period were perhaps more inclined to understand the underlying concept of what it was to be colored through reading the thoughts of colored men and women. To properly analyze the time periods of Post Reconstruction and the Harlem Renaissance we must delve into the works of revolutionaries of that time. This paper will be referring specifically to James Weldon Johnson’s Autobiography of An Ex-Colored Man to better understand this era and race relations as they were. To do so, the themes of identity will be explored as well as the importance of music and location.

Initially published in 1912, Johnson wrote his novel anonymously, therefore making the audience believe it was indeed an autobiography. This in itself makes the novel unique as the audience believes they are experiencing the events through the lens of an distinct individual, thus making it easier for the reader to empathize. However, despite this, the novel was not popular with the public until it was re-published in 1927 during the Harlem Renaissance to address racial relations at a more acceptable time. The underlying themes of the novel become palpable when the unnamed protagonist comes to an abrupt and devastating realization that he is colored. Although being an inch above dramatic in modern times, during this time period such a realization forces the protagonist to not only become tremendously more keen of his surroundings but also sets him on a path of self discovery. It is easy enough to understand that during this time period people of mixed race were not necessarily common, especially in literature. This is another admirable attribute of johnson novel and is not to be confused with the concept of mixed race used in “The Octoroon”. A work we studied in the beginning of the semester but is tremendously different as the octoroon, Zoe, is less concerned with race relations and more concern with life on a plantation (Boucicault). For that reason we will refrain from comparing the two works.

As any decent analysis begins we will start with at the beginning of the ex-colored man’s memoirs, as it is these first chapters that define his descent into an identity crisis. In the first chapter we find the ‘ex-colored man’ as a young boy who does not see himself as colored at all. In fact, he is completely unaware of his heritage as he exclusively associates with other white students with the exception of ‘Shiny’. Even then the contact with students of color is at a minimum. It is not until one day that the principal asks all of the white students to rise and is told to sit that he realized his lineage. The response was so strong that he was in a trance-like state until he was able to ask his mother “...am I a nigger?” (Johnson, pg 11). The very use of this word illustrates his disconnect with those of color. It is, however, at this point that critics, such as David Burn, question the realism of the situation and his family tree (Burn). Even I myself question how it could go unnoticed that his mother was a woman of color, or how this type of relationship came to be that resulted in his character being so light in complexion that he could be considered white without the bat of an eye. Nonetheless, it is this event that causes a shift not only in the content of the novel, but also the narrative. It is at this point that the narrator becomes painfully aware of his peers and his surroundings, nearly to the point of paranoia. Despite his moments of clear misinterpretation, there are moments in which we see that the students of color see him as differently as he does himself.

Noting that the narrator had previously and continuously mentioned his affinity towards literature, I must remark upon the significance of his fixation of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The allusion to this specific work strikes a rather curious nerve as it is mentioned. It is obvious that this inclusion was purposeful on Johnson’s part; however, it is with the utmost importance that the discussion of the novel’s timeline is halted to discuss the significance of this featured work. It seemed as if Johnson is not only making parallels to the narrator and Tom himself but also defending the work as a whole. Even in modern times Uncle Tom’s Cabin is infamous for being portrayed as highly misinterpreted as well as an advocate for the subservient attitude of black people towards their white counterparts. Artists during the Harlem Renaissance such as James Baldwin and Richard Wright called actions to this and describe Tom as a “complacent” negro who receives privileges due to this dynamic. The novel allows the use of the n-word to be used freely by Topsy, a slave girl who becomes adopted by the cousin of Tom’s owner--the only goal of the latter is to make the former socially acceptable. While discussing the negative connotations behind her use of the n-word, we as the readers must recognize that although the same word is used later in Johnson novel, the context is different. It is not until the narrator lives in New York that we see that word used again, however, the exchange is between two black men and utilized in a positive manner rather than a demeaning one.. To give an example of this complacency is a quote that stood out to me, “'I looks like gwine to heaven, an't thar where white folks is gwine? S'pose they'd have me thar? I'd rather go to torment, and get away from Mas'r and Missis. I had so,” (Stowe, pg. 216). In this quote we see a hopeless desire of a slave to adhere to the will of the white man with the belief that it is the only way for a slave to go to heaven. It is, in essence, considered to be a novel that proposes the surrendering of one’s blackness to better appeal to their white counterparts, and moreover the adoption of white culture. Interestingly enough the narrator states the he sees “who and what I was and what my country considered me; in fact it gave me my bearing,” (Johnson, pg. 27). This very statement, however, can also reference the idea of double consciousness, “dual personality”, a concept proposed by W.E.B Du Bois. To further prove Johnson’s defense of Stowe, the narrator even goes to the extent of stating that he believes the novel was “a fair and truthful panorama of slavery” (p. 27).

In his appreciation of the novel, the narrator seemed to form a strong connection to his black roots by reviewing a different perspective, whether it be positive or negative, of the negro in America. This connection grew stronger upon seeing upperclassmen grow to be established young gentlemen, especially that of Shiny. The narrator had always possessed a specific admiration for Shiny and his brilliance; this admiration continues to be expressed when the narrator hears Shiny’s graduation speech. It sparks a powerful motivation for the narrator to bring “glory and honor to the Negro race” (pg. 29). As he grows and enters high school he further delves into works by colored people such as Frederick Douglass and Alexander Dumas. The novel soon makes a shift as the death of his mother causes a considerable change of both pace and scenery, moving from the North to the South, more specifically Atlanta University. It is at this point that the novel truly begins to reveal itself as one of a kind. From the beginning, the novel was already unique in that it comes from the perspective of a person of mixed race who is considered purely white. However, at this point the novel begins to transition to its most noteworthy component in its description of multiple regions and countries. This is not only unique but a particularly eye opening experience for the audience as race relations became tremendously layered as we are introduced to a plethora of environments with different climates towards race. The narrator spent little time at university, although it is worth mentioning that he was exposed to a large population of colored students. This is the first time in the novel that he notices the diversity within the black community. Jacksonville is particularly a point of interest as the narrator finds himself contemplating the race question once again, though race in the South is regarded vastly different than in the North. Additionally, there seems to be a particular emphasis on social structure and wages. From an interview with Associate Professor of History at East Tennessee State University, Andrew Slap, we can better understand the narrator's point of view and utter shock when confronting this difference. According to Slap “Reconstruction in the North was strikingly different than Reconstruction in the South. For the South, Reconstruction meant massive upheaval (including almost four million African American slaves becoming free citizens), an occupying army, and having to rebuild an economy devastated by armies fighting across the South for years. By contrast, Reconstruction in the North was more about opportunities created by the war, and these extended throughout northern society.” (Luskey). This explanation so expertly given by Slap gives us insight as to why the change between the North and South was so palpable to the narrator. While economic struggles were observed by the narrator on several different occasions during residence in the South, it was hardly a remarkable concept while he was in the North. Although this could be a result of him truly being on his own while in the South I would argue that the differences are too vast to object Slap’s points. Other points that were significant to this era also included the attitude and perspective of the Negro towards their former masters. This was hardly touched, if at all, by the narrator during his time in the South. I suspect it was due to the lack of connection to slavery that our protagonist possessed. Indeed it would seem fairly out of place had the narrator, being able to pass as white and barely holding strong connections to the black community, been able to point out significant changes brought on by Reconstruction. In an article by the Smithsonian describing A Visiting from the Old Mistress and Sunday Morning in Virginia, two paintings were featured in their Reconstruction and Post Reconstruction exhibits (Smithsonian). These paintings illustrate former slaves and their lives after the war, the first displaying the relationship between the former slave and former slave owner. The Smithsonian writers explain that the former slave owners were oftentimes distraught upon the realization that their former slaves were not akin to the past no matter how benign they may have been in some cases. The novel also seems to fall short on depicting the results of explaining the experiences from those who were freed only a few decades prior. Despite this, the novel beautifully notes the stark contrast between the North and the South economically and socially. Considering the lens we are looking through, these omissions are understandable due to both the time gap and the perspective as well.

Following the narrator's exodus from the South, the North is revisited as the narrator moves to New York city. I can only compare his description of New York with works written during the Harlem Renaissance a few years after Johnson’s novel was published. This is not to lessen the mention of New York during Post Modern works but more to highlight the absence of black culture in most works during this era that are similar to the narrator’s sentiments. During his time spent in New York the narrator because aware of the diversity and openness of black culture and music, most notably ragtime. One description of setting in particular struck me as significantly different as well as a description we would likely not have seen while he was in the South. While describing a high end club run by Chinese people, he illustrates the occupants as a mix of both black and white people of a certain class. Additionally, he pointed out that “there were pictures of Frederick Douglass and of Peter Jackson” (Johnson, pg. 63). In this setting there is far more integration than previously seen, as well as this integration is a sort of appreciation of black culture. This is the type of appreciation that draw likeness to works of the time period to follow such as “Theme for English B” and “To New York.” The first poem, written by Langston Hughes, shows that although the gap between races still very much in existence, there is recognition of being one race. In Hughes’ poem, with it written through the perspective of a young colored student.

While the American climate has been thoroughly discussed at this point in both the novel and this paper, I believe the most fascinating and riveting part of the novel comes as the narrator embarks on an adventure to Europe with a millionaire companion. This section in reintroducing the narrators passion for music, specifically ragtime while in Europe, also enters an entirely new concept. It is to the best of my knowledge that during this time period no other novel had asked the race question in a European, or any foreign, environment. The narrators falls in love with parts of Europe, specifically Paris and Holland, and finds that he is able to freely express himself through music. The narrator used ragtime music, a genre originating in the black community around 1895. Although it being identified in America as distinctively black, the novel states that while in Europe it was simply seen as American, taking away the racial origins and uniting the idea of one America. Although the narrator explained a few instances where race was discussed, there was only one instance in which it made him uncomfortable. A companion he had met hailing from Luxembourg “asked me in a tone of voice which indicated that he expected an authoritative denial of an ugly rumor, ‘Did they really burn a man alive in the United States?’” (Johnson, pg. 82). There are two interesting points occurring in this exchange, one being that it seemed Europeans genuinely seemed shocked that an atrocity such as a lynching was a reality in America. Assuming Johnson was using this singular instance to convey the general thoughts of Europeans regarding the matter. Secondly, that this was the only time during his rather long stay in Europe that he had a negative experience while speaking of race. This moment shed light on a completely contrasting tone in the novel, if that had not already been established, and also provides foreshadowing.

Despite the love the narrator possessed for Europe, the audience may begin to notice a rather sharp shift in the narrator's aspirations.”I sat amazed. I had been turning classic music into ragtime, a comparatively easy task; and this man had taken ragtime and made it classic. The thought came across me like a flash—It can be done, why can't I do it? From that moment my mind was made up. I clearly saw the way of carrying out the ambition I had formed when a boy,"(pg. 85). Once again, as we saw during Shiny’s speech at graduation, we see the narrator inspired to bring his talents back to America as a black man. He believes so strongly in his abilities to do so that he abruptly cuts his journey with the millionaire short. It is then that even the millionaire, who had no ties whatsoever to being a black, seemed to believe the narrator’s aspirations were closer to being an illusion rather than a reality.

We, the audience, are again reminded of the racial tensions so heavily present in the United States as not long after his return to the South he witnesses a lynching first hand. Throughout the struggles and desperation to connect with his lineage as a black man, the narrator ultimately decides to return to New York and live out his days as a white man. There are two ways in which his actions can be interpreted: an act of cowardice or self preservation. Some scholars view the narrator as an anti-hero because of his final decision to disown his heritage and raise his children as purely white. This is a complete rejection of his earlier stages in self exploration and literary works by black authors such as Frederick Douglass. Others can sympathize with the undeniable trauma he suffered from witnessing a horrific scene upon his return to America. Regardless of how we may deem his actions, one things remain true of his character and that is his long journey of finding himself and how he managed his identity. There were several points in the novel in which he yearned to be an openly colored man and to be at the frontier of progression. Yet he choice to forfeit everything he once desired to be as a colored man to remain hidden behind his physical appearance of a white man. In fact, the narrator seems to fall into a “color blind” phase in which he no longer ponders race relations until he is left by a white woman upon the revelation that he is colored. Despite her return and the establishment of a family, the audience is left to wonder how the narrator can live behind this lie considering his journey. In the same respect, once the narrator chooses this path, the moment in which he was clearly bias against people of color becomes more and more clear. Whether it be the moments in which we realize the extreme lack of integration into the black community throughout the novel, or his condescending thoughts of ragtime. Through this novel, the audience can collectively agree that the Post Reconstruction era was met with both derision in parts of the South, in response to economic downfall, and progression in cities like New York. Furthermore, we see an unprecedented establishment of the European perspective of American culture and its approach of the race question. In the end, we can gather from this novel that racial relation, much like identity, was a complex idea during this time period and sparked the emergence of solidified cultural identity.