bell hooks: How Postmodernism Serves [My] Race

Unlike Barbara Smith, bell hooks seems to have reconciled her race with postmodernism. She makes apologies for its rejection of essentialism, dismissing the problems that Smith raises as "not really intervening in the discourse in a way that alters and transforms." The ease with which she throws out this contention makes me question whether she has fully examined all the ramifications of this tenet of postmodernism.

Instead, she sees the rejection of essentialism as positive for the black experience since it breaks down the implicit rules that occur in various sectors of the African-American population. In other words, she believes postmodernism breaks down the walls that go up when African-Americans view other African-Americans as "not black enough" or "whacko extremists."

I'm an outsider to this discourse concerning postmodernism and blackness, but I can attest to the fact that African-Americans sometimes have condescending attitudes about other African-Americans. I also think that a prevailing-- yet faulty-- idea of "black essence" exists in the minds of both the African-American community and in other racial groups. This essentialism is formed from outside, often stereotypical pressures as well as the inside pull towards conformity.

Many whites-- and other racial groups-- have at least some of these stereotypical, prejudiced assumptions about blackness:

1. They live in the 'hood. The 'hood is dangerous and undesirable.
2. They speak a weird, incorrect form of English. This shows their lack of intelligence and their refusal to take education seriously.
3. They like hip-hop. Hip-hop is bad because it's sexual and violent.
4. They belong to Pentecostal, storefront churches. This proves that they are easily swayed by their emotions and can't reason.
5. They are good at basketball. That's the only honest way they'll succeed in life.
6. They don't do well in school because they're dumb.
7. They have an attitude. This makes them intimidating and unruly.
8. They dislike-- if not hate-- whites. This means they're dangerous.
9. They commit crimes and belong to gangs. This also means they're dangerous.
10. They eat soul food: fried chicken, grits, ribs, greens, cornbread, and red velvet cake. An unbalanced diet explains their tendency to become overweight.

I agree with bell hooks when she says that postmodernism will help break apart stereotypes. I personally hope that it will help to end the tendency among other groups to label African-Americans. Obviously, this problem is detrimental to both groups. It harms the African-American community because it provides the fuel that maintains oppression, and it deprives other racial groups of meaningful relationships in addition their dignity and goodness.
(However, "true" postmodernism rejects the metanarrative of good and evil. This causes obvious issues in the realm of race relations.)

I think urban blacks and political activists sometimes accuse other African-Americans of "selling out" if they use proper grammar, wear "white" clothes, listen to classical music, or study ballet. These divisions only cause conflicts within the African-American community, and bell hooks seems to lament this. I agree with her when she states that postmodernism will theoretically help break down these artificial divisions.

bell hooks gives a thoughtful critique of postmodern academia's tendency towards inaction. From what I have seen, postmodernism often leads to self-centeredness and a deficiency of motivation and conviction. I respect bell hook's work in the African-American community and her view that engagement puts theory into practice. Again, however, I believe the conviction needed for activism can't coexist with a truly postmodern viewpoint. I think it is possible to adopt some of the products of postmodernism (inclusiveness, tolerance in the traditional sense, questioning of authority, etc.) without becoming a postmodernist.