Analysis Of Claudia Rankine's Sister Citizen
I argue that Claudia Rankine in her book Citizen is attempting to expose the injustices African Americans suffer due to the prejudices placed on them because of their fictive kinship. Fictive kinship as defined by Melissa V. Harris-Perry in her book Sister Citizen is, “African Americans’ sense of connection to other black people” (116). She goes on to say that this connection among blacks can lead to one person’s bad actions “shaming the race” (Harris-Perry 116). This concept is most thoroughly illustrated in part six during the story Stop-and-Frisk. Rankine writes, “get on the ground now. Then I just knew. And you are not the guy and still you fit the description because there is only one guy who is always the guy fitting the description”
(105). Here Rankine is tackling the stigma of black males being criminals. This injustice being highlighted is one that has been reoccurring within the black community since the foundation of America. Rankine made the man innocent of whatever he is being accused of. However, unfortunately for him, because he looks like someone who the police have already associated with crime, he is automatically under suspicion. This is an example of fictive kinship, because by saying only one guy fits the description and the guy who is fitting the description now is black is basing his guilt off of his race and connection to other black men who have committed crimes. Basically saying the only one who fits the description of a criminal is a black man. The man is being profiled against because he is African American and he already knows that. The sense of self-awareness that Rankine gives him leads to a calm tone. The calm manner in which he speaks positions one to believe he may have experienced this before. Rankine then goes on to say, “each time it begins in the same way, it doesn’t begin the same way, each time it begins it’s the same” (107). This quote alludes to the frequency of similar instances due to the fact that there is a noticeable pattern in how he is unjustly profiled. Saying it doesn’t begin the same each time but it is the same each time is simply reiterating that the crime is not always the same but the suspect is the same, a black man.
(105). Here Rankine is tackling the stigma of black males being criminals. This injustice being highlighted is one that has been reoccurring within the black community since the foundation of America. Rankine made the man innocent of whatever he is being accused of. However, unfortunately for him, because he looks like someone who the police have already associated with crime, he is automatically under suspicion. This is an example of fictive kinship, because by saying only one guy fits the description and the guy who is fitting the description now is black is basing his guilt off of his race and connection to other black men who have committed crimes. Basically saying the only one who fits the description of a criminal is a black man. The man is being profiled against because he is African American and he already knows that. The sense of self-awareness that Rankine gives him leads to a calm tone. The calm manner in which he speaks positions one to believe he may have experienced this before. Rankine then goes on to say, “each time it begins in the same way, it doesn’t begin the same way, each time it begins it’s the same” (107). This quote alludes to the frequency of similar instances due to the fact that there is a noticeable pattern in how he is unjustly profiled. Saying it doesn’t begin the same each time but it is the same each time is simply reiterating that the crime is not always the same but the suspect is the same, a black man.