Articulating While black:
marc Lamont hill on the o'reilly factor
Like Suli Breaks who addresses the issue of arbitrary standards of education, Dr. Marc Lamont Hill also examines contradictory issues related to education. Instead of arguing against the education system generally, Hill focuses more on standards of education pertaining to the black community.
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The Doctor is inHill came on "The O’Reilly Factor," a news/talk show hosted by Bill O’Reilly, to discuss the word ‘articulate’ in the context used by President Bush when Senator Barack Obama was running for President in his first term. At that time, Hill was a professor at Temple University in Philadelphia and dealt with both educators and young adults. These contexts already make him believable and trustworthy before he joined "The O'Reilly Factor." His title as a Doctor also indicated that he is an educated man; that along with being a university professor on a famous television episode show that he is qualified to discuss the topic with his audience. This debate brings up many issues of both social and racial issues along with certain standards.
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Being an educated black man himself, Hill feels that he can relate with what has been said about Senator Obama and is, therefore, qualified to give his opinion and insight on the matter. Though he is explicitly talking to an older more conservative audience, considering that he is on Bill O’Reilly’s show, a man known for his conservative views on a conservative, Republican network that is usually associated with an older white audience, Hill is really targeting his message towards a larger audience. As a younger and more radical black man than O'Reilly and O'Reilly's audience, Hill doesn’t identify with the audience but is trying to persuade them to understand the context of the word “articulate” as it is used to describe the senator. Such a word has a different meaning and connotation than it might usually have. One thing that would appeal to audiences would be his younger view and stance as a black man as opposed to hearing from another older white man like Bill O’Reilly. Hill's address connects more to the audience because it allows more people of different races and ages to see where someone like him is coming from and why he feels the way he does about the word.
The racial context of a word: Articulate
Hill argues that President Bush would not use the word articulate to describe a white candidate, thus, insulting the black community by implying that they are not educated and do not know how to express or present themselves in a proper and orderly fashion. Hill states: “The fact of the matter is that black intelligence is called into question, even at the highest level.” He is arguing that we have a certain standard and idea that a black man cannot be that smart and that this idea is a fact of racism. By using the word, "articulate," specifically for Obama and not a white candidate, it is implying that Obama is some exception or special case and that black people are not usually articulate.
Whether we even recognize it or not, there are certain norms and standards for different groups in society. When you think of what a typical American family looks like, the image that automatically comes to mind is a white family: mom, dad, son and daughter. We, as individuals and as a people, have certain ideas about how things are in society. Many of us associate minority communities such as Black and Latino communities with a lower level of education (issues that could have resulted from a plethora of things such as living in a poorer neighborhood and not being able to afford higher education). Thus, Hill is arguing against these norms that provoke an underlying sense of contempt for certain groups. He argues that “when someone like Barack Obama, when it becomes noteworthy that he’s able to clearly express his ideas, that is cause for people, particularly white people to reassess not just Barack Obama, but the larger masses of black people against which he’s being compared.” The white community has a certain standard for how they see the educability of the black community and when a highly educated man like Barack Obama shows up, it really does challenge these ideas.
Whether we even recognize it or not, there are certain norms and standards for different groups in society. When you think of what a typical American family looks like, the image that automatically comes to mind is a white family: mom, dad, son and daughter. We, as individuals and as a people, have certain ideas about how things are in society. Many of us associate minority communities such as Black and Latino communities with a lower level of education (issues that could have resulted from a plethora of things such as living in a poorer neighborhood and not being able to afford higher education). Thus, Hill is arguing against these norms that provoke an underlying sense of contempt for certain groups. He argues that “when someone like Barack Obama, when it becomes noteworthy that he’s able to clearly express his ideas, that is cause for people, particularly white people to reassess not just Barack Obama, but the larger masses of black people against which he’s being compared.” The white community has a certain standard for how they see the educability of the black community and when a highly educated man like Barack Obama shows up, it really does challenge these ideas.
Putting it Forwards with Social Media
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Hill was called on to the "O'Reilly Factor" to discuss his opinion on matters and took the opportunity. Though Hill's audience of mostly older, conservative white men wouldn’t really want to change their opinions, Hill still went on the show and now current internet videos allow his message to reach a greater and possibly younger audience through social media. His address works because, as an educated black man, he represents first-hand experiences of race and lower expectations. Losh and Alexander (2013) argue that “we trust certain kinds of people more than others – because they have expertise or because they are well informed about the subject at hand;” similarly, we trust Hill because his ethos comes from his title and work. He has expertise and is connected to the subject.
Hill reminds us that one, individual white person’s intelligence often has no relationship or connection with other white men whereas one black person is held as representative for the group. The speed and repetition of which he delivers this argument further persuades his audience. Like Zappen (2005) argues in relation to digital culture, “speed encourages an oral and casual style” (p. 321), which is exactly what Hill does to try to get his point across. With his position on these situations and his credibility to back himself up, we feel that Hill has the potential to persuade his intended audiences, especially through social media where many people of different races, colors, and ages, and not just Bill O’Reilly’s audience, can see, hear, and feel what Hill is putting forward. |
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