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Katelyn Schwarz

Professor Granillo

English 103

21 May 2019

Blackkklansman: Through a Critical Race Lens and Marxist Lens

Do you think there will be another resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan? Well according to

the movie Blackkklansman believes the path America is heading down, there will be; through the

use of a critical race lens and Marxist lens. Critical race lens focuses on racism that minorities

suffer from an everyday basis; such as education, the legal system, job employment and etc.

While the Marxist lens tries to identify and reveal to the audience the setbacks of repressive

ideologies; such as classim. Combining these two lens, Blackkklansman states that the current

political system needs to re-examined. However, by use of critical race lens concepts suchs

institutionalized racism, and internalized racism, as well as the Marxist concept of classism. The

movie brings to light how America still has racism in modern times, causing the audience to get

involved with the current American politics.

The film Blackkklansman starts in the period of the 1970’s America in Colorado

Springs. The audience is introduced to the main character Ron Stallworth, a young black man

joining the police department. Ron Stallworth wants to get out of the record room where he was

placed and go undercover. At first the Captain did not seemed too pleased about this idea, but

when the Colorado College Black Students’ Union is holding a meeting for the leader of Black

Power: Stokely Carmichael. They bring in Ron Stallworth to investigate the event. After this

event investigation went successful, Stallworth was able to investigate other events, such as the

up incoming KKK in Colorado. With the help of Flip Zimmerman, they are able to infiltrate the
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KKK and expose them for their true horrible plans to take out the Black Power students. With

this plot the film is able to deliver their message to a their audience of college students.

In order to effectively deliver their message, the Blackkklansman’s audience is young

college students between the ages of 18 to 25 years old. During the film, there is close ups and

zoom ins of the members of the Colorado College Black student union listening the Stokely

Carmichael’s speech ( Spike lee-“00:16:58”). When looking at these college student members,

all of them to appear to be young within the ages of 18-25. None of them have wrinkles and

everyone is wearing leather jackets with pants, or mini skirts. According to Betty Luther Hillman

of Dressing for the Culture Wars : Style and the Politics of Self-Presentation in the 1960s and

1970s, she states during the 1960’s and 1970’s American youth wore “mini skirts and pants on

women, “Peacock” clothing styles for men, and unisex styles for both males and females,”

(Luther Hillman Chapter 1). Therefore, showing these college student members in mini skirts

and pants, reveals to the audience that they are in a younger demographic of 18-25 years old. By

purposely shifting the focus of camera on the college student members between the ages of 18-

25 years old during the speech, reveals the film wanting this same demographic to do the same

thing while they watch the film. Having the audience be open minded such as the college student

members are in the film, allows the film to deliver their message but allows them to see racism at

institutionalized levels.

The Blackkklansman displays institutionalized racism of employment of the 1970’s, that

still happens in modern time. Institutionalized racism is a concept of the Critical Race Lens.

According the Louis Tyson in Critical Theory Today, she states that institutionalized racism is

“the incorporation of racist policies and practices in the institutions by which a society operates:

for example, education; federal, state, and local governments,” (Tyson 376). Institutionalized
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racism can be polices that can give people of color unequal access to opportunities in not only

college but jobs and in the legal system. This type of racism is shown in the film when the main

protagonist Ron Stallworth getting put in the record rooms after he is hired and even after

requesting a different position, due to racist remarks, he is denied (Spike Lee -“00:08:16”). This

scene depicts clear signs of Institutionalized racism by Stallworth receiving the same

opportunities as his fellow white co-workers. By showing Institutionalized racism in 1970’s;

people of color this can remind the audience of current Institutionalized racism. According to

Cassandra Chaney in her published 2015 article Institutional Racism: Perspectives on the

Department of Justice’s Investigation of the Ferguson Police Department. Chaney states that

“Eighty-three (83) individuals (21% of the total number of respondents) used words and/or

phrases that indicated the racism demonstrated by the Ferguson Police Department is done by

other police departments in the United States,” ( Chaney 319). Since the audience is being

exposed to Institutionalized racism in modern times, seeing reminiscents of that racism in the

1970’s, can cause the audience to want to end it since it’s been going on for decades. This leads

to the audience to their only option, involvement in current American politics in order to

establish more laws that would prevent institutionalized racism when applying for jobs. Not only

does Blackkklansman depict institutionalized racism through job employment, it also shows

institutionalized racism with racial profiling, similar to modern day.

The Blackkklansman uses institutionalized racism on the basis of racist stereotypes of the

1970’s. Institutionalized racism can not only affect employment of people of color it “is often

mirrored in a society’s racist stereotypes” (Tyson 377). Racist stereotypes are racist and negative

assumptions made about an individual based on their race. These stereotypes allow for

institutionalized racism to make racist policies because many people would make policies against
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a center race, due to negative assumptions. For example, when the Colorado College Black

Student Union is pulled over and the police has them out of the car and attacked (Spike Lee-

“00:23:50”). Having the students attacked out of nowhere, can be supported by the white police

man’s racist stereotypes. These racist stereotypes causes the police to build a practice of pulling

people over just because of their skin tone, therefore institutionalized racism on the basis of

racist stereotypes. When the audience begins to see this in the movie they recognize

institutionalized racism on the basis of racist stereotypes is the same they see in modern day.

Institutionalized racism on the basis of racist stereotypes seen in modern day, allows the

audience to compare it with the Blackkklansman’s institutionalized racism. According to the

2017 article Killing Fields: Explaining Police Violence against Persons of Color By James

Jones, he states “the prevalence of racial stereotypes that link criminality and violence to race

activate these unconscious processes,” (Jones 874). Since the article was released in 2017 and

discusses the impact of racial stereotypes involved with police violence. It can be said that there

is still institutionalized racism on the basis of racial stereotypes because the policemen in modern

day still having policies and/or practices, such as violences of people of color, due to racist

stereotypes they have been taught. Once these stereotypes are taught it’s hard to break from

them. According to Critical Race Theory: The Key Writings that Formed the Movement by

Kimberlé Crenshaw, Neil Gotanda Williams, and Gary Peller, they state “predisposition to

select those data that conform with a racial stereotype may well have influence,” (Crenshaw,

Williams, and Peller 241). Therefore even when these predispositions of racist stereotype in; for

example in policemen, this can also lead them to continue to pick suspects for having different a

skin tone. Thus leading to the continuation of institutionalized racism. The audience seeing this

modern day institutionalized racism and then seeing it in the film set in the 1970’s, can cause the
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audience to see it still exists in America after all. With this new perspective the audience can see

it needs to end once and for all and the way to end it is through politics, thus causing the

audience to get involved with current politics. The Blackkklansman does not only show

institutionalized racism for comparison, but ties this with internalized racism as well.

The Blackkklansman shows internalized racism within the Colorado College Black

Students Union; to make the audience have a new perspective of racism in America. Internalized

racism is “the psychological programming by which a racist society indoctrinates people of color

to believe in white superiority,”(Tyson 378). Therefore when an individual person of color is

suffering from Internalized Racism, it is because they feel that their own skin color, facial

features, or culture is inferior because it is not of white standards. This can be seen in the movie

when looking at the Colorado College Black Students Union members faces, when Stokely

Carmichael talks about not being up to white standards (Spike Lee-“00:17:00”). When looking at

their faces you can see the tension and displeasement they have when Carmichael talks about it.

The days of them not being able to love themselves until a motivational speech that empowers

who they are and their culture. Having the audience see this tension and displeasement from the

effects of internalized racism, can make them become open minded of the true effects of this

type of racism. Now the audience becoming more open minded from having a new perspective

of the damage from internalized racism; they can now become more sympathetic when someone

feels hurt from internalized racism in modern day. This sympathy can give the audience the

courage to help stop the damage from internalized racism by advocating for change. Advocating

can then grow to getting involved with current American politics to enforce laws that make the

media not decide which race is the most beautiful. Internalized racism does not only show the
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damaging effects on the individual suffering from it; internalized racism also shows the racist

opposition that can grow from the freedom of it.

As freedom from Internalized racism depicted in Blackkklansman continues to grow; this causes

racist people opposition to grow as well, eventually occurring in modern time. In the film, when

the Colorado College Black Student Union members become free from internalized racism,

groups like the Ku Klux Klan begin to grow. For example when one of the KKK’s members’

wife shows them a picture of klan’s next target; the Union president, because the union inspired

the members to become vocal (Spike Lee-“00:50:10”). Since the Colorado College Black

Student Union are now accepting themselves and rejecting the internalized racism they felt. This

results in the KKK to become more progressive and then target them for being freed from this

suppressive mindset. Even after the KKK is successfully infiltrated by Ron Stallworth, the

ending shows the KKK still going on with their cross burnings (Spike Lee-“02:05:50”). These

scenes in the movie depict a pattern to the audience that the more people of color become freed

from internalized racism they feel, the more racist people begin to accumulate. The film also

notions hows this pattern continues by showing the director of the KKK in the 1970’s David

Duke still trying to gather more followers in 2018, when there are equality protests (Spike Lee-

“02:07:53”). Showing the audience this, they are able to see that racism such as internalized

racism still exists in America. By showing people of color breaking the chains of internalized

racism in modern times still being faced with opposition; similar to the 1970’s. Seeing this

growth of internalized racism, can encourage the audience to get involved in current American

politics; in order to stop the growth of it. The Blackkklansman does not only utilize a critical race

lens and it’s concepts, through the use of a marxist lens concept called classim, to show racism

still exist.
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The Blackkklansman uses a marxist lens concept: Classism, to show the audience how it

creates long lasting platforms for racist beliefs. Classism “is an ideology that equates one’s value

as a human being with the social class to which one belongs: the higher one’s social class, the

better one is assumed to be because quality is “in the blood,” (Tyson 74). Marxism focuses on

the repressive ideologies such as classim; because it makes those that are not in the higher social

class physically better than those below them. This ideology also long lasting According to

Babacar Camara in Marxist Theory, Black/African Specificities, and Racism, she states that the

marxist “ideology can survive long after,” (Camara 17). Therefore since it’s long lasting, this is

the ideal ideology for racist groups to base their beliefs on. For example, in the film when the

KKK is meeting for one of their initiation meeting, the Grand Wizard states that they have

superior race blood flowing through their veins, (Spike Lee-“01:34:43”). Thus, when mention a

more superior blood, it is similar to Karl Marx’s repressive ideology classism; having better

quality in blood. Not only that but to make sure the members stay the Grandmaster uses an

ideology, known for its long lasting effects; to platform his beliefs for a longer period of time. As

demonstrated when the film shows it’s still present in American by showing a clip of the August

2017 rally at the University of Virginia (Spike Lee-“02:06:23”). This shows the audience this

repressive ideology allows for long lasting racist platforms to be built off of classism. That not

only lasted in the 1970’s but lasted into modern times. This can cause a revelation to the

audience that racism still exists in America from classism. This can cause the audience to get

involved in current American politics to force this ideology stop, because the only peaceful way

to get rid of ideologies is through laws. In order to cease the long lasting platforms of racist

beliefs classism is built off of. The Blackkklansman not only focuses classism through blood but

shows the effects of classism.

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The Blackkklansman shows the audience the repercussions of 1970’s classism that causes

the growth institutionalized racism. The repressive ideology of classism depicts that those of the

higher class are have higher value; for example, their blood. With this in mind, those of lower

class become inferior and this inferiority causes repercussions. According to Karl Marx in Das

Kapital states that these lower class workers also known wage workers, “is compelled to sell

himself of his own free will,” (Marx 543). Having the those of lower class such as people of

color were in the 1970’s, resulted in them to give up their dignity to get jobs. This is also

depicted in the film when Ron Stallworth has to give up his dignity and let himself get

discriminated against other white policemen (Spike Lee -“00:06:23”). Stallworth giving up his

dignity and accepting discrimination for a job shows the audience this way a common exchange

in the 1970’s. Since this was a common exchange this lead more and more companies to get

away with more racist policies; thus creating a growth of institutionalized racism. The audience

witness the repressive ideology not have harmful and damaging effects on the individual but

create more institutionalized racism that is still seen in modern day. For example when

individuals were talking about institutionalized racism jobs at a police station they said “You

know what? I guess most police departments are a little aggressive. It somewhat comes with the

job to keep them on their toes to avoid getting killed,” (Chaney 4). The audience now seeing

classim create racism that still exists in modern days, can cause the audience to get involved with

current American politics to get rid of this repressive ideology. The Blackkklansman not only

uses institutionalized racism and classism to show the audience racism still exist in America,they

also use internalized racism.

Combining these two lens, Blackkklansman states that the current political system needs

to re-examined. However, by use of critical race lens concepts suchs institutionalized racism, and
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internalized racism; as well as the Marxist concept of classism. The movie brings to light how

America still has racism in modern times; causing the audience to get involved with the current

American politics. For example; the film shows examples of 1970’s institutionalized racism such

as job employment and getting bad placements. Reminding the audience of current day

institutionalized racism, proving America still has racism in modern times. The film also ties in

that the cause of institutionalized racism stems for the repressive ideology of classism by

showing the effects of it in the movie. Through these two lens and their concepts the

Blackkklansman causes the audience to get involved with current American politics to stop the

continuation and growth of institutionalized racism, internalized racism of the basis of classism.
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Works Cited

Camara, Babacar. Marxist Theory, Black/African Specificities, and Racism. Lanham, MD:

Lexington Books, 2008

Chaney, Cassandra. “Institutional Racism: Perspectives on the Department of Justice’s

Investigation of the Ferguson Police Department.” Western Journal of Black Studies, vol.

39, no. 4, Winter 2015, pp. 312–330. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=31h&AN=117132581&site=ehost-

live.

Crenshaw, Kimberlé Williams, Neil Gotanda, Gary Peller, and Kendall Thomas, eds. Critical

Race Theory: The Key Writings That Formed the Movement. New York: New Press,

1995.

Jones, James M. “Killing Fields: Explaining Police Violence against Persons of Color.” Journal

of Social Issues, vol. 73, no. 4, Dec. 2017, pp. 872–883. EBSCOhost,

doi:10.1111/josi.12252.

Luther Hillman, Betty. “Dressing for the Culture Wars: Style and the Politics of Self-

Presentation in the 1960s and 1970s.” American Historical Review, vol. 121, no. 3, June

2016, pp. 995–996. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1093/ahr/121.3.995a.

Marx, Karl. Capital: A Critique of Political Economy. 1867. New York: International Publishers,

1967

Tyson, Lois. “African American Criticism.” Critical Theory Today: a User-Friendly Guide.

Routledge, 2015. Pages 375-425.

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