When I initially looked over the list of passages to advocate for or critique for our class, this one immediately caught my eye as something I could boast about. Even just the title “Too dark to be angels” triggered a feeling of resonance that I felt I could advocate for. Unfortunately, in our society, “whiteness” is valued and even preferred in society. Though this passage takes place in early America, today in 2016, the subject of being “too dark” is still relevant.
In the article, Devon A. Mihesuah describes the class system implemented in female seminary schools for Cherokee and “mixed blood girls”. Mihesuah explains the stereotypes full blood Cherokee girls were pushed into, and the very classist/ racist environment in these schools. According to the argument, full blood Cherokee girls were treated pretty poorly in these schools. Because they were not as white as other students, they were looked down upon and felt isolated form the other students. Thought this is a story of a white/native issue, I felt as though this association of whiteness with greatness can be applied to other ethnic groups as well.
Throughout American history, whiteness, especially in terms of education is seen as superior to other types of education. In this passage, Mihsuah emphasizes that seminary schools were preferred over local common schools by Cherokee women, and that whiteness was a standard worth achieving. Upon reading this I was astounded at how much this idea still lives in our society today. Upon coming to Temple University, I would encounter people for the first time surprised by the way I speak, often exclaiming “wow you talk so white!!” Right there is an example of how our society STILL associates intelligence with whiteness, much like the whiter girls attending the seminary schools in the reading.
Another part of the article that struck me very hard was a quote from page 182 saying “It appears that the more Cherokee blood a girl had, or the more Indian she looked, the more she felt she had to prove herself as a scholar and as a useful member of a society that (she believed) valued only those women who were white in appearance and in attitude.”[1] This quote caught my eye again, because of how relevant it still s in today’s society. As mentioned before, whiteness is not only associated with intelligence, but beauty as well. Our society prefers European features to those of women of color, and is not afraid to plaster them all over society. From magazines to TV shows and movies, white features are a lot more likely to be showcased as the epitome of beauty. This quote also exemplifies the struggle of disproving the stereotypes people of color are often forced into. W.E.B. Dubois calls this concept “double consciousness” [2]Within it people of color are forced to deal with being both American and a person of color. When this is the case, they are forced to see themselves through the eyes of white Americans, and try their best to function in society. This means being constantly aware of stereotypes, and working whole-heartedly to disprove them, which is exactly what Mihusea writes about these young Cherokee girls. In conclusion, this passage was wonderfully written, and eye opening as the issues it explains are still very much alive in society today. One question I do have, however, would be what caused the fires that ruined the school, and when our society will stop making whiteness a goal.
-Deja Sloan
[1] Devon Mihesuah, “Too Dark to Be Angels” in Ruiz, Vicki L.., and Ellen Carol DuBois eds. Unequal Sisters: A Multicultural Reader in U.S. Womem’s History. New York: Routledge, 1994. 9 (Too dark to be angels)
[2] W.E.B.Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk: Essays and Sketches. Greenwich, CT: Fawcett Publications, 1961.