Comments on: Kony 2012: An Observer’s Perspective https://contemporaryracism.org/882/kony-2012-an-observers-perspective/ An academic blog about whiteness, implicit bias, and systemic racism Sun, 12 Aug 2012 01:10:51 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Michela https://contemporaryracism.org/882/kony-2012-an-observers-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-246 Wed, 02 May 2012 21:48:57 +0000 http://www.professorwolfe.com/blog/?p=882#comment-246 I was glad Nashalys wrote about this; when I first watched the video my initial reaction appealed to my gut reaction to want to “reach down and help the needy,” the “zeitgeist” as Nashalys referred to. Then once I took a step back and talked with people, I thought about why I just had that reaction and what that represents. Similar to The Blindside, it gets at “White guilt” and the ideology that, as privileged Whites, we should be the shining White knight to step in and save the disadvantaged. However, this perspective allows us to be blinded by what’s really going on. As Nashalys indicated, a horrific event was told entirely by a White male—taking the voice and agency away from those who actually experienced it. This was especially relevant when Ugandans began talking about their own experience and how this problem was not only outdated, but also wasn’t addressing other more pressing issues. It also enables individuals to endorse the idea that oppression happens outsides the U.S to specific, essentialized cultures. At the same time the Kony video went viral, the Trayvon Martin incident was occurring, although it wasn’t picked up for at least 3 weeks. Why is it that we’re so willing to play the role of the saviors so quickly in other nations, but have a hard time identifying injustice within our own community?

]]> By: Daniel.Greenfield90 https://contemporaryracism.org/882/kony-2012-an-observers-perspective/comment-page-1/#comment-232 Wed, 02 May 2012 16:49:57 +0000 http://www.professorwolfe.com/blog/?p=882#comment-232 How do we toe this line? This is a really huge issue and a really difficult one to solve. Is there truly a problem with bringing light to a situation that many people didn’t know existed? I can honestly say I don’t have a huge problem with people becoming aware of the atrocities that Kony has committed and I don’t have much of a problem at all with people recognizing that a lot of people may be in grave danger.

What’s really interesting is thinking about this as a call for white people to reach down and help poor black people.

I’m having trouble really viewing this as a racial issue as such. What’s really causing me a sort of mental headache is that I honestly don’t know what else could be done to bring light to a situation that (at least according to the video) really needed to be illuminated. The only thing I could think of is if the videographers had made a choice to have the video narrated and have the stories told from the perpective of a Ugandan. Maybe the video could have included more of the notion that the Ugandans are a strong, joyous people who happen to be in a desperate situation. But I don’t know if either of those solutions solve the issue completely or if the these issues take away the validity or necessity of the video.

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