Symbols in African American History

In a book Policy Paradox by Deborah Stone that I read for my public policy class we discussed the idea of symbols in politics. There was a story that was printed in the New York Times called “In Noose, Many see a New Trial on Race” where in 2007 several nooses were left anonymously around the New York area. They were left in various places such as a doorknob of a black professor’s office, a police stations locker room, a sanitation department garage, a highway department yard and a construction site. These places were where there was conflict over hiring and promoting a person of color. The nooses were a representation of terrorizing black people and trying to keep them in their place. “In the U.S., a noose is more than a piece of rope. It is a symbol that tells a story or rather different stories to different audiences” (Stone 157). To me it symbolizes that there is still an idea of racial hierarchy in America and that people struggle with the concept of blacks in power. America obviously still have not grasp the concept of equality that has evolved in present day. It is crazy to see that there is still a problem with blacks having power and status in the 20^th century. There will always be racism in America, opinions will always be different but making the racism known an seen with a symbol such as a noose on a black professor’s door in something that should never happen. Regarding class, this story relates to what we are learning about with Jim Crow laws where legal segregation lead to violence and lynching. A noose symbolizes whites wanting blacks to stay in their place, and it is just as prevalent as a threat letter or hate violence. Thus hanging it on a professor’s door or a black professionals offices is another way of saying that they do not belong in that position.

A symbol is anything that stands for something else such as a person, event, a place ect. It’s meaning depends on how people interpret the symbols. In class we have talked about many events that have stood for different ideas in the black community. For example, the black community establishing education for their race is a symbol of them rising out of slavery and giving themselves power. In slavery, singing a song while working in the fields were a symbol of community and having the African Americans come together through the hard times. Its very interesting to look at how the symbols through races haven’t changed and will continue to represent concepts and ideas.