Thou Shall Fear The Black Man

Fear is expressed towards the black man as: a rapist, a strong force of violence, a murder and a controlling force. This fear is most directed at caucasian women-who are seen as both fearing and desiring the forbidden body. The image that is prominent is that white males, even in their lust, are seen as the default; Normal and natural. I would argue that the media constructs white-male lust as the baseline.  We use this as a measure for normality.

In Sarah Ahmed's Cultural Politics of Emotion, she explores the relationship between politics and fear. She then concludes that it results in a right to mobility for other bodies while others remain contained (and denied their rights). The dominant forces are then able to evoke fear and to validate their own actions and condemn those of others.

In lust we see fear towards the black man constructed in different ways. It is a fear based on seeing them as a threat to white masculinity. These black bodies are seen as purely effortless when it comes to sexuality. On the other hand, the white male is left with an idea of having to make an effort to counteract this African American male presence. Consider the axe commercials. The white male must employ a materialistic force in order to exert his influence on women.

Ahmed begins her work by using Frantz Fanon’s view of “the fear of the black man” to illustrate how stereotyping sticks to certain bodies and thus restricts their mobility. It is an action that brings to realization that the depiction of black men as sexual desired, rapists, criminals e.t.c is not only negatively suggested but also possesses a causal link. In other words, Ahmed infers that once all these negativity is linked together, these words establish a causal relationship. This same causal relationship then proceeds to feed existing stereotypes. 

She infers that once linked together, these words establish a causal relationship that then feeds existing stereotypes.