Even though on
September 8, 2016, I could not attend Dread Scott’s lecture, “The Impossibility
of Freedom In a Country Founded on Slavery and Genocide,” I was able to hear
him speak during an intimate luncheon the following day. While Scott introduced
himself at lunch, he started out by saying he was a multi media visual artist,
who wanted to use his art to initiate conversations about revolutionary change
in the United States. Also, he said that he was a communist, who considered a world
without classes of people to be a better world then the one we currently are
living in. Through his artwork, Scott wanted to display his belief that there
needs to be a radical transformation within the American society because the
current society is based on the exploitation of African American and other
minority groups. According to Scott, the capitalist ideology of the United
States of America is based on exploitation and historically it created the
various classes within society. He argued that becoming a society without
classes would pave the way from people being property owners, who are greedy
for power, to people taking care of the world and eliminating pain and
suffering. The lack of classes would ultimately eliminate divisions among
people and make the world better for everyone. As a side note, Scott shared
that a lot of his political opinions were formed when he was younger and would
listen to Malcolm X speeches and read about Mao Zedong the Chinese communist
revolutionary. For Scott, revolutionary action was the only thing that would
cause change, and he did not view our current society or system of capitalism as
being permanent or stable in the world. Scott was a revolutionary because of
the political change his art depicted. While Scott did give credit to the
accomplishments African Americans made towards gaining their community greater
freedom during the Civil Rights Movement, he grappled with the idea that since
there was no real revolution then maybe African Americans did not push the
Civil Rights Movement far enough to create the change they really needed.
Police brutality towards African Americans is a pressing problem in the United
States and Scott concluded that war is what ended slavery; therefore, war potentially
would be the next step toward the change African Americans need now – one class
overthrowing another class.
Something fun and interesting I
learned during the lunch and think the rest of the class will enjoy knowing too,
was how in 1986 he gave himself the name “Dread Scott” because his birth name was
Scott, he wanted people to think about African American history when they said
his name (the Dred Scott v. Sanford decision),
he wanted people to become fearful when they heard his name, and at the time he
had dread locks.
While I found some of what Mr. Scott said rather interesting and legitimate such his confrontational approach to art and race, I remained critical on his thoughts of revolutionary action. In the lecture, he repeatedly stated his support for a new revolution in the USA, so that a new society that incorporates and reflects the wants and desires of all the people. His thoughts reflect a desire to rectify historical wrongs, which is good. But there becomes a point where the pursuit of the righteous leads to the reign of tyrannical.
ReplyDeleteHis presentation and his art references to the Cultural Revolution and the Russian Revolution. Both these revolutions led to the formation of new societies in Russia and China, which enfranchised untold scores of people. After the succession of these two revolutions, peasants attained a respected status, but it came at a cost. These revolutions drastically altered the structure of the society and redirected the resources of the economy in such a way that led to scarcity and famine. Likewise, the nature of their changes required the suppression of deviation from the ruling body. So the question of revolution remains "are you willing to bear the cost?"
I attended both the Dread Scott lecture and the luncheon the following day- I was enthralled by his ideas and beliefs. At Rhodes we have a tendency to invite more authors than activists and it was refreshing to listen to a person who had dedicated his life to fighting the norm we so easily accept as Americans. We accept the good with the bad but Scott made clear that we don't have to accept the bad and perhaps what we deem as good isn't really all that good. His beliefs about capitalism and communism made me rethink my own political beliefs that to him would sound very mainstream and conformist. What he has chosen to do with his life is admirable and would seem to some people downright crazy. I think as college students it was incredibly beneficial to be a part of these two events as I begin to form my political beliefs, especially with this mess of an election coming up.
ReplyDeleteI second Ashley! I think it is admirable that someone has thought so deeply and is so passionate about their beliefs, even if I do not agree with all of them. In this respect, and many others, I think Scott should be used as an example of a standard to achieve. I feel that his call feelings about revolution parallel with the idea that people should act on what they are thinking and believing. If there is something they feel needs to be changed, change it. Do something about it. He also forces people to question what they think and why they think it. I think it is so important to constantly question morals and values. If they are not questioned, or at least thought about regularly, they become stagnant and rigid. Rather, they should be something that is developed and polished throughout a lifetime. I think what I like the most about Dread Scott is that he refuses to stand by and allow life to happen to him. He takes control in whatever ways he can in order to be the conductor of his own life.
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