Genine’s Comments (group member since Jan 13, 2014)

Genine’s comments from the LMU First To Go Community group.

Cedric, accustomed to the divisions between urban black America and suburban white America, enters Brown University with a predetermined concept of race. Although he begins to question his own identity and place both on campus and at home, he remains stubborn, unable to reconcile the two worlds. When Professor James characterizes Cedric as “culturally fixed,” he means exactly that. Cedric’s ideas of what constitutes cultures reveals his ignorance. His idea of white culture comes from the sit-coms and television shows he religiously follows. He lacks perspective and proper exposure to the innate complexities of such relationships and interactions. Furthermore, Professor James juxtaposes Cedric to Franklin, a Latino star student who has managed to “intellectualize” his heritage and forge a unique identity that accommodates both cultures. Unlike Franklin, Cedric “is not accommodationist.” Unable to find a connection between his life at home and life at school, Cedric has come to believe that he must jettison one in order to adopt the other. He is caught in the middle.
I agree with Professor James’ characterization. In order to fully integrate himself into the university, Cedric believes that he must leave behind the so-called “ghetto” world of the inner city. In my opinion, he feels both pride and shame in his background. Cedric desires to prove himself worthy of attending an Ivy League institution. He takes pride in knowing that he must work harder than the rest in order to succeed, but he also finds himself greatly disadvantaged by his situation. He feels angry at his inability to compete. Unable to cope with the changes around him, he clings to what he knows, feeling safe in his own predefined world of distinct social and racial boundaries.