Beltran 1

BriannaBeltran
ProfessorJackie
English114b
March14,2015
IntheEndWereAlltheSame
MalcomX,MichaelBrown,TreyvonMartin,etc.arealldeathscommittedby
racialprofiling.AccordingtostatementsmadeonanInternetdebateracialprofilingno
longerexists.Statedanonymously,Areyouallinsane?Lookatthewhitehouse,if
racialprofilingstillexistedwewouldnthaveablackpresident(DoesRacismStillExist
intheU.S.).InthenovelAngryBlackWhiteBoybyAdamMansbach,racismandracist
stereotypesareoftenproposedthroughoutMaconsventuresandisexpressedtorepresent
identities,createcommentary,andisexaggeratedtogeneratetheideathatracismstill
existstoday.Mansbachconstructsachaoticstoryofayoungwhitemanwhohasmoved
toBrooklyn,NYbecauseofhisfascinationwiththeblackculture.Maconperforms
negativedoingsinordertograbsocietysattentionandshowthatweareallcapableof
committingsuchactsregardlessofourrace.
AccordingtoMacon,youreanignorantwhitedevilassholeandyouand
everyonelikeyoudeservestoberobbedeverydayofyourlife.Thiswaslashedout
towardsthetwowhitemenMaconfirstrobbed.Thecauseofcommittingtheserobberies
sentoutamanhuntforablackmanbecausesocietywouldnthavebelievedthatawhite
folkcoulddosuchathing.Societyautomaticallythoughtthatablackmanwas
responsiblefortheserobberiesalthoughitwasMaconthewholetime.Thenews

Beltran 2
describesMaconas,somekindofmilitantwacko(Mansbach108).Beingtrainedbyhis
twoclosefriendsAndreandNiquetobecomeasocialicon,heperformsactionsthatare
attemptedtocreatechangeintheblacksociety.Hestatesthatheisdoingthisforblack
people,hispeople.Heseestheneglectandjudgmentthatblacksreceiveinthissociety.
Heclaimsthatheisoneofthemandwillfightwiththeminsteadofhisownrace.Racism
isbeingidentifiedinthissceneofthenovelbecausesocietyautomaticallyidentifiesthis
crimeisbeingcommittedbyablackman.ThisisMaconsgoal,toprovethatactions
suchasthiscanbecommittedbyanyone,evenawhiteyoungmalewhoattends
ColombiaUniversity.Societyclaimsthatthemancommittingthesecrimesis
automaticallyablackmanandthatiswhatMaconistryingtopointout,thattheirfirst
assumptionaboutacriminalisthatheisblack.Maconseesthisthroughbothraceseyes.
Henoticesthatblacksautomaticallyhavebadreputationsandthatwhitescantreatthem
thiswaywhilegettingawaywithit.Forexample,theRodneyKingtrialthatupsetthe
blacksocietycausedriotsthroughoutLosAngeles.Thistrulyupsettheblackcommunity
andtheylashedoutwiththeriotsthathurtinnocentpeople.Theblackswereattacking
anyonewhowasntoftheirraceandtheybelievedthattheiractionswerejustified.
Maconreflectsatmomentssuchasthisandthesepushhimfurtherfromhiswhite
community.Afterbeingbailedoutbyhisclosefriends,Macongetsinvolvedinapress
conferenceinordertostatehisculturalchange.
Claimingthathiphophaschangedhispersona,Maconcommenceshissocial
project,DayofApology.Thisprojectissubjectedtohavewhitesconfrontblacksand
stateasimpleapologyforallthathasbeenassumedandsaidabouttheirrace.This

Beltran 3
projectwasaimedtowardsmovingforwardbetweenbothraces.AsstatedinMacons
speech,youreheretotakeatinyfirststepinthemarathontowardchange.Duringthis
sectionofthenovel,racismwasstronglyexaggeratedduetotheactionscommittedand
wordsspokenfromwhites.Manywhitesfeelthisprojectisunnecessaryandthatthey
havenoreasontobeincludedinthismovementbecausetheydontbelievetheyneedto
acknowledgeblacksandapologize.StatedbyEricLyle,Itakeumbrageatthe
suggestionthatmoral,lawabidingwhitecitizenshaveanythingtoapologizefor
(Mansbach205).RiotstakeplaceduetoMaconsDayofApologyproject.Maconis
shockedbytheoutcomeofhisprojectandhowsocietydidntappreciateorengageina
positivematter.Whitepeopleareragingandspeakingnothingbutvulgarandexpletive
wordswhilecarryinggunsinthebackoftrucks.Chaosisspreadingthroughoutthe
streetsofBrooklyn.Racedifferencestookplaceduringthissectionofthenovelbecause
Maconisjudginganddowngradingwhitepeopleforactionsthatheiscommittingagainst
hisownrace.Heiscriticizingothersforstatementssaidandactionsmadewhenheisalso
contributingtoitinordertomakewhitesapologize.Maconiscontributingtothewhite
racismactionsbyhisassumptionsabouttheGorillaTheatreandthehomelessmanhe
comesacross.Macondecidestodrophismovementandplacehimselfinasafestate
whenhechoosestostophisact.Hedecidestoexcludetheblackcultureheisperforming
andstartactingwhite,orhisownraceagain.DoingthisshowsMaconsweaknessand
showshowtoughitistobeacertainraceandnotbeaccepted.Hegivesuponbeing
someoneheisntandthiscausesshockbecauseheischoosingtogobacktotherace
wherehetalkedsonegativelyabout.Maconhasracialprofiledagainsthisownraceand

Beltran 4
others.Portrayingwhathefeltwasblackcreatesracismwithinhimselfbecausehe
assumedthatthesepeopleactedacertainwayandcontributedtoit.
AccordingtothearticleRacialProfiling:DefinitionRacialprofilingrefersto
thediscriminatorypracticebylawenforcementofficialsoftargetingindividualsfor
suspicionofcrimebasedontheindividual'srace,ethnicity,religionornationalorigin.
Asstatedabove,MalcomX,MichaelBrown,TreyvonMartin,etc.areexamplesofracial
profilingthatendedinmurder.Manypeoplebelievesegregationandracismarethesame
althoughsegregationwasdestroyedduringtheCivilRightsmovementof1964racism
stillexists.Throughoutthisnovel,racismisexpressedinexaggeratedwayswhilein
realitytheyareoverlooked.Thecasesabovearetrueexamplesofhowracismis
overlooked.Ifthesemurdersinvolvedanalternativeethnicitysuchaswhite,thesewould
havecreatedabiggersceneorinfactmighthavenothappenedatall.Regardlessof
Maconsbadboybehavior,hehimselfracialprofilesindividualshecomesacross.The
funnythingisthough,whoamIexposingwhitefolksto?Itaintnewstoblackfolksthat
whitefolksarestillracist.IguessImexposingwhitepeopletothemselves.Wevegotten
sogoodatpretendingwerenotracistthatwevestartedtobelieveit(Mansbach141).
Maconbelievesthatheisdefendingblacksbystandingbytheminsteadofhisownrace
butwhenheisalone,hiswhiteattitudeunleashesandheautomaticallyhasnegative
thoughtsaboutblacks.Thisattitudeisexpressedwhilehewastakingawalkthroughthe
park.DuringMaconswalkhefeelsuneasy,verynervousbecauseheisalone.Although
hefeelsthisway,hebelievesthatyoucantbeafraidtowalkinyourowncity.Thatsthe
firststeptowardsselfsegregation.Theareaisdescribedaslonelyanddark,withagroup

Beltran 5
ofmencloseby.MaconisbeingcalledbyatallAfricanAmericanmanwhoistryingto
getMaconsattention.Yo,Cmere,Iaintgonnahurtyou.Maconfollowedhis
demandsandwastooscaredtorun.Hispalmssweatywithfearinhiseyes,thetallman
turnedaroundandgaveMaconanenthusiastictone,Werecruitrandomlyanddont
takenoforananswer.WewouldbehonoredtohaveyouplaytheroleofNora.Areyou
familiarwiththeplay?Macon,completelyrelievedisshockedbyhowthesituationhe
wasinwasntdangerousatall.Duringthissceneinthenovel,thisprovesthatMacon
himselfmisjudgeshisownbeliefsandwhatheclaimstostandagainstduringthewhole
novel.Hewouldnthavebeenafraidifhewerentracialprofilingthismanwhohadno
intentionsonhurtinghim.ThissceneexpressesasecondarysidetoMacon,onethat
contradictshisbeliefs.Althoughhismaingoalistostopracism,hehimselfmuststopit
first.Inthiscase,racialstereotypeswereusedtodefinethisperson.
Racismistheprimefactorinthisnovel.Mansbachcreatedsuchastrongmessage
statingthatanyonecancommitsuchactionsbutintheend,somethingthisstrongwill
alwaysexist.Maconwasatfaultforthenegativeactionscreatedinthisnovel.He
portrayedhimselftobesomeoneheisntinordertocreateamovementthatpotentially
failed.DuringhistriptoAlabama,hewastrickedandshotfortheattempttochange
society.Ironically,awhitemantookMaconslife.Hisownracebetrayedhimand
Maconswordsaboutwhitepeoplebecametrueinthissenseandendedterribly.Racism
isastrongandsensitivesubjectthatwillalwaysbeapartofthisworld.Manyattemptto
makemovementssuchasMaconinordertochangesocietysviews.Accordingto
JamelleBouie,Thesimplefactisthatracismpersonal,institutional,andstructural

Beltran 6
remainsaforceinAmericanlife.Itimpactsthelivesofeveryone,whitesincluded,and
shapesthebroadmaterialcircumstancesofminoritiesincountlessnegativeways.This
novelhelpssupportthesocialissuesthatmanybypass.

Beltran 7
WorksCited
Bouie,Jamelle."RacismNotaProblemAnymore?Don'tBeRidiculous,ItStillExists."
TheDailyBeast.Newsweek/DailyBeast,3Dec.2013.Web.17Mar.2015.
MansbachAdam.AngryBlackWhiteBoy,Or,TheMiscenegationofMaconDetornay:a
novel.NewYork:ThreeRivers,2004.Print.
"DoesRacismStillExistintheU.S.?"DoesRacismStillExistintheU.S.?Debate.org,
n.d.Web.21Mar.2015
"RacialProfiling:Definition."AmericanCivilLibertiesUnion.Web.21Mar.2015.