Preview

The Boy Who Painted Christ Black

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
461 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Boy Who Painted Christ Black
Monica Pogue

The boy who painted Christ black The Boy Who Painted Christ Black written and based on short story by John Henrik Clark, directed by Bill Duke. George Du Vaul played by Wesley Snipes, Elna Du Vaul played by Jasmine Guy, Professor Daniel played by Timothy Carhart, Aaron played by Norman D Golden II, Lara played by Rae’Ven Larrymore Kelly, and Miss Williams played by Vanessa Bell Callaway. This story is set in Georgia 1948, it’s about prejduce doing the right thing and self-esteem. How a painting caused such an uproar. George Du Vaul is the principal of Booker T. Washington school which is for colored-only school. When State Supervisor Daniels comes to the school and tells them that the students will participate in the “Pride Day”. Du Vaul, who has won the praise of his white supervisor for keeping his students well behaved and in their place. He’s about to get a promotion, until Dainels sees the painting an is outraged, and Du Vaul is confronted with losing the promotion unless he gets rid of the painting. Aaron gifts his teacher a painting for her birthday, a picture of Christ painted black. Ms. Williams had Aaron tell the class how he came to paint the picture. He tells them that his uncle who teaches Negro History was telling him about all the great black folks that had made history. And he said black folks were once powerful people on earth, and then he asked about Jesus, he said no one ever proved whether he was black or white. Somehow a feeling came over him that he was black, cause he was kind and forgiving, than any white folks had been. So when he painted his picture he painted as he thought it was. Miss Williams takes the painting the the principal’s office. When Mr. Du Vaul and Professor Daniels goes to his office and tells him about a job promotion and sees the painting he tells Du Vaul to take care of that painting, that it was sacrilegious, and ask the principal if that’s what he’s been teaching the students things

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    The painting depicts John Brown being escorted out of a building walking down a set of stairs to his execution. Behind him are a group of finely dressed white men following him out of the building. On each side of the stairs, there are two soldiers dressed in navy with weapons and a group of African Americans along with one young white girl on the right side observing the situation. John Brown is seen kissing an African American infant being held by the baby’s mother.…

    • 991 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ellen Daugherty’s article on Tuskegee’s Booker T. Washington Monument explores the life of Booker T. Washington, the history of the sculptor—Charles Keck, and the significant impact the sculpture made for the campus and on a larger scale, the African American community. Finished on April 5, 1922, Lifting the Veil of Ignorance: A Monument to Booker T. Washington honors Booker T. Washington for his commendable efforts towards Tuskegee Institute and his unparalleled dedication during the school’s origins (Daugherty, p.53). The statue has evolved into a historical marker, signifying the difference in ideals of the time between Washington and Du Bois. While Washington felt that industrial knowledge was much more preferred than higher education for…

    • 328 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The text elucidates the boy’s conformity to the wishes of white man. His acceptance of the scholarship symbolizes his acceptance of separation between the two societies as “it was a scholarship to the state college for Negroes.” Although the boy realizes that whites and blacks are restricted to societal confines that can never merge and never become equal, the boy fails to see the force exercised by the whites that lock him into this box. When he prioritizes materialistic wealth, “smelling the fresh leather” of the brief case over his own dignity, he resigns himself to the desires of society in that he blinds himself with affluence and thus becomes incapable of realizing his own visions. This is further strengthened by the boy’s quote “I felt an importance that I had never dreamed” because it implies that he no longer needs his dignity in order to achieve a feeling of success. It provides him with self-respect and happiness that prevent him from questioning the advantages of conformity. Stripped from his pride and naively reaching for wealth he contributes to his own confinement as he goes to “attend college” in order to “shape the destiny of [his] people” and thus fulfills the plans of whites. While the boy puts his destiny in the hands of white society, he conforms to the rules of white control.…

    • 933 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In this movie the authentic characters are chosen to play the role of black and white at this level. The film sketches the ideas from all aspects of life of the white and the black…

    • 1195 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    This essay that I’m going to talk about is about Ruby Bridges. She was the first black black child to cross an invisible line and enter an all-white school. She was only six years old when she went to the school in New Orleans on November 12, 1960. On her first day to the school she was escorted by three men that were white. Also on the first day of school there was a group of white people gathered by Franz Elementary school. When Ruby started walking into the school people would say mean things to her and wanted to hurt her. They would say 2,4,6,8, we don’t want to integrate. The white people would also carry signs saying “No blacks aloud in an all-white school.” She stuck through year of injustices and at the end there were more.…

    • 832 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Although not very important, I took the liberty this past month(Black History) to document my research to the age old question, "Was Jesus Black," after a small debate with my auntie Angelina Quarterman arguing that He was a Jew, and Jews are White(lol). The typical Hollywood image in which ancient Israelites look like fair-haired White Americans is way off the mark. The people of the bible were Semitic(Afro-Asiatic languages) and would have been dark- skinned. The racial emnity & equating Black with evil was an unfortunate development in later Europe, devised in part to justify African slavery.…

    • 930 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Kerry James Marshall’s Vignette#2 paintings have shown the black presence in daily life that is still very relevant in todays age. By creating an imagery which is based in conventional white romantic settings but with black lovers, he has highlighted the racist undertones that still exist today and shown how they have the right to do everything a white person can do. This is his way of standing against racism, and how love is found in all cultures and a happy couple who are so in love need not have any racist…

    • 93 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    History

    • 2687 Words
    • 11 Pages

    Unfortunately, this was not the only painting that was criticized. Other paintings like “The Janitor who Paints,” and the “Watermelon Race,” were as well criticized.…

    • 2687 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    On the narrator’s graduation day he delivered a speech that stressed, “Humility was the secret, indeed, the very essence of progress.”( ) Although he did not believe the words in his speech, it proved to be very popular among the important white citizens in the town. He was invited to give the speech at an occasion at a local smoker in front of a white audience. The occasion also included a battle royal which is a free-for-all fight in which their can only be one victor. The fighters are all African American boys. The narrator was told that he must join the fight with his schoolmates. The narrator is not particularly fond of the group he is about to…

    • 1725 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In 1895 there was discrimination everywhere. In America people of African descent had a miserable existence. Less than 40 years earlier, they were either “owned” property, known as slaves, or lived a very humble, poverty stricken life. Booker T. Washington was among a number of very few blacks that were articulate, well educated, and well informed. He was aware that his life stood as an example to both blacks and whites that his race was capable of much more. His purpose was to bring the United States together and show how everyone could benefit. In this speech, Booker T. Washington uses many rhetorical devices to promote changes in the combined community of the nation. In his opening statements he was clear that the audience as a participating element in society should recognize the “American Negro”.…

    • 744 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Lesson Before Dying Racism

    • 1030 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Throughout history and in literature, Black has always been portrayed as evil, whereas White has represented purity and light. These oversimplified stereotypes of something so abstract as skin color has plagued our culture with prejudice and hatred. Ernest E. Gaines, author of A Lesson Before Dying, tells the story of a young black boy named Jefferson who is set to die for essentially being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and a schoolteacher who is faced with the task of making him a “man”. The novel takes place in Bayonne, Louisiana in the 1940’s, a time when racism prospered. At this time in history people faced extreme prejudice based on the color of their skin. Though slavery had been abolished almost eighty years prior, the repercussions of the concept of an inferior race prevailed. Racism is arguable the biggest social issue in A Lesson Before Dying, and this racism holds down the Black people of Bayonne, and makes them believe that they are indeed inferior, and that nothing will change for them. Gaines portrays this racism through Grant’s struggles as a teacher, the way the judiciary system treats Jefferson and through the colored people of Bayonne’s daily lives.…

    • 1030 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Shelton Jackson, formally known as Spike Lee, has established himself as a well respected American film director, producer, writer, and actor known for bringing to attention the issues of identity, racism, and socialization towards the black community in his work. In the film “Do The Right Thing” we can tie in the idea of W.E.B. Du Bois’s double consciousness when examining the pivotal role of the character Mookie. Throughout the film Mookie is constantly walking on a thin line between two highly segregated social groups, which as a result leaves Mookie torn to where his place in society should stand.…

    • 2166 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In this movie, race is an issue especially for the African Americans. There was scene in the movie where the main characters were driving late at night heading to reach the next town of the debate tournament. As they were on their way, they saw two black males hung up from a tree and lynched to death.…

    • 521 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Freedom Writers

    • 370 Words
    • 2 Pages

    As part of Mrs. Gruwell’s struggle, she is faced with a group of students whose lives revolve around war, gangs, violence and protecting their own. Her racially opposing students most often choose to be a part of the epidemic which now governs the school. Yet, Mrs. Gruwell takes on the challange to defeat the odds. She realizes that these kids are looked down on because of their race and as a result they rebel and create borders among themselves. These ‘mini territories’ are created to bring a sense of equality among those of the same race. Overcoming adversity, family relationships, inequality in education, success and goal setting is what Mrs. Gruwell aims to have instilled in those around her.…

    • 370 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    American History X

    • 2286 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The movie American History X is about two brothers, Danny and Derek Vineyard who skinheads. Derek was the older of the two brothers. The movie beings as with three black men pull up trying to break into Derek’s truck, Derek comes out with a pistol and shots and kills one curb stomps the other one as the driver gets away. The effect of his actions landed himself a conviction of voluntary manslaughter and three years in prison. Danny’s history teacher had the student write a paper on a civil rights person that of their choice. Danny decided to write about Hitler and titled it Mein Kampf. The history teacher went to the principle because he believed that the paper is out of line. The principle elects that to reprimand Danny for the paper that he wrote, he instructs Danny to write a paper on his older brother Derek that was due the next day. The principle would become his new history teacher and decided to call the call American History X. Danny had to transcribe the actions that that lead to his brother’s imprisonment. He also has to embrace how those actions affected him, shaped his current perspective on concerning…

    • 2286 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays