Gender Violence and the Black Female Body: The Enduring Significance of “Crazy” Mike Tyson
2013; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 24; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1080/10646175.2013.748602
ISSN1096-4649
Autores Tópico(s)Innovative Teaching Methodologies in Social Sciences
ResumoAbstract Using Black feminist thought (Collins, 2009 Collins , P. H. ( 2009 ). Black feminist thought: Knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of empowerment. () , 3rd ed. . New York , NY : Routledge . [Google Scholar]) as critical public pedagogy (Giroux, 2000 Giroux , H. A. ( 2000 ). Public pedagogy as cultural politics: Stuart Hall and the 'crisis' of culture . Cultural Studies , 14 , 341 – 360 .[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), this article confronts the everlasting public pedagogy (Giroux, 2000 Giroux , H. A. ( 2000 ). Public pedagogy as cultural politics: Stuart Hall and the 'crisis' of culture . Cultural Studies , 14 , 341 – 360 .[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) of State of Indiana v. Michael G. Tyson as a consequential wellspring of sexism and racism. As a communicative phenomena, the public pedagogy of the trial coupled with Tyson's sustained celebrity status is argued to constitute Black female survivors as deserving of gender violence and unworthy of protection. In addition, when Tyson is positioned in the public eye time and time again as a "crazy" individual, society at large is excused for ideologically perpetuating violence against Black women via dismissal and indifference. Throughout this article, the precedent set over 20 years ago by the discursive treatment of both Washington and Tyson is discussed in relation to contemporary understandings of men's violence against women. KEYTERMS: Black female survivorsBlack feminist thoughtDesiree Washingtongender violenceMike Tysonpublic pedagogy Acknowledgments I extend sincere thanks to the Editor, reviewers, and Dr. John T. Warren for providing insight that enriched this manuscript. This manuscript is dedicated to Desiree Washington in honor of her fierce courage. Notes In terms of the notoriety of the case, contextually it is important to recognize that this trial took place in the aftermath of the Clarence Thomas senate hearings (October 1991) and the Kennedy Smith rape trial (December, 1991). See E. L. Bell (2004 Bell , E. L. ( 2004 ). Myths, stereotypes, and realities of Black women . The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science , 40 , 146 – 159 .[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]), Freeman (1993 Freeman , J. (1993). The disciplinary function of rape's representation: Lesson's from the Kennedy Smith and Tyson trials. Law and Social Inquiry , 18, 517–546.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]), and Lawrence (1995 Lawrence , C. R. ( 1995 ). The message of the verdict: A three-act morality play starring Clarence Thomas, Willie Smith, and Mike Tyson . In A. F. Hill & E. C. Jordan (Eds.), Race, gender, and power in America: The legacy of the Hill-Thomas hearings (pp. 105 – 128 ). New York , NY : Oxford University Press . [Google Scholar]) for further discussion. According to Randy Roberts and J. Gregory Garrison in Heavy Justice: The Trial of Mike Tyson (1994 Roberts , R. , & Garrison , J. G. ( 1994 ). Heavy justice: The trial of Mike Tyson . Fayetteville , AR : The University of Arkansas Press . [Google Scholar]) and the documentary Tyson (Toback & Bingham, 2009), which shows a clip of this rehearsal session; the initial meeting between Washington and Tyson entailed a brief conversation and quick hug after Tyson was told by someone off camera to "play with the girls.". These two sources are relied on extensively at times because the trial transcripts provide exact testimony and Heavy Justice: The Trial of Mike Tyson (1994) was co-authored by J. Gregory Garrison who served as the special prosecutor for the trial. According to trial testimony and Roberts and Garrison (1994 Roberts , R. , & Garrison , J. G. ( 1994 ). Heavy justice: The trial of Mike Tyson . Fayetteville , AR : The University of Arkansas Press . [Google Scholar]), Washington described what happened leading up to when Tyson suddenly became forceful and violent as "no hand holding, no kissing, no signs of affection, just a friendly talk about Rhode Island, foster children, pets, pigeons, families, life" (p. 223). It is important to note that Tyson himself narrates his longstanding abuse and objectification of women in the film. It is important to recognize that racism toward Black males is prolific in contemporary U.S. American society and the U.S. American criminal justice system in particular. See Black (1997 Black , D. P. ( 1997 ). Dismantling black manhood: Studies in African American history and culture . New York , NY : Garland Publishers .[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]), Jackson (2006 Jackson , R. L. ( 2006 ). Scripting the Black male body: Identity discourse, and racial politics in popular media . New York , NY : State University of New York Press . [Google Scholar]), A. Y. Davis (2003 Davis , A. Y. ( 2003 ). Are prisons obsolete? . New York , NY : Seven Stories . [Google Scholar]), and National Urban League (2007) for further discussion. Likewise, as a critical scholar I believe without question that Tyson has endured racism as a Black male professional athlete. However, I do not believe that the merciless racism that he has endured in any way excuses his sexist behavior. Furthermore, suggestions that Tyson was "raped" by the press (Lule, 1995 Lule , J. ( 1995 ). The rape of Mike Tyson: Race, the press and symbolic types . Critical Studies in Mass Communication , 12 , 176 – 196 .[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) are exceptionally problematic in that they discursively trivialize his choice to rape Desiree Washington. Lastly, I want to acknowledge that the steady stream of high-profile cases involving Black males as the accused, tried, and/or convicted insidiously implies that White men do not hurt women, which is flagrantly untrue and rooted in the constant labor to position Whiteness as innocent and Blackness as evil. See Chancer (1998 Chancer , L. S. ( 1998 ). Playing gender against race through high-profile crime cases: The Tyson/Thomas/Simpson pattern of the 1990's . Violence Against Women , 4 , 100 – 113 .[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]), Enck-Wanzer (2009 Enck-Wanzer , S. ( 2009 ). All's fair in love and sport: Black masculinity and domestic violence in the news . Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies , 6 ( 1 ), 1 – 18 .[Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]), and Hutchinson (1996 Hutchinson , E. O. ( 1996 ). The assassination of the Black male image . New York , NY : Simon & Schuster . [Google Scholar]) for further discussion. Although the manuscript was written by O. J. Simpson with co-writer Pablo Fenjves, the Goldman family successfully acquired legal rights to the manuscript and decided not to change the content of the existing manuscript but rather "to add to the book, to make it our own and to introduce some sense of integrity to what was deemed, by almost everyone, a horrific and disgusting piece of profiteering from the double murderer" (The Goldman Family, 2007, p. xv). Also, although I am relieved as an anti-gender violence activist that Simpson did not financially profit from this book, I am sadly convinced that the book would have become a bestseller even if Simpson had maintained the copyright and the ability to profit. This example is not to minimize the importance of animal rights but rather to note that the rights of women should be considered equally as important. For the purpose of this article, I am primarily focusing on race and gender; however this is not to discount the salience of additional identities such as sexual orientation, class, ability, nationality, religion, and so on. For rich discussions of how multiple identities, history, and power impact the lives of Black women, see A. Y. Davis (1981 Davis , A. Y. ( 1981 ). Women, race, & class . New York , NY : Random House . [Google Scholar], 1985 Davis , A. Y. ( 1985 ). Violence against women and the ongoing challenge to racism . Albany , NY : Kitchen Table, Women of Color Press . [Google Scholar]), hooks (1981), Lorde (1984 Lorde , A. ( 1984 ). Sister outsider: Essays & speeches by Audre Lorde . Freedom , CA : The Crossing Press . [Google Scholar]), and Wallace (1999 Wallace , M. ( 1999 ). Black macho and the myth of the Superwoman . New York , NY : Verso Classics . [Google Scholar]). According to Sports Illustrated (1993), Donald Washington (Desiree's father) was offered $250,000, $500,000, and $1,000,000 by Reverend T. J. Jemison as payment for Desiree to drop the charges. It is important to note the strength of this support—at this time, the National Baptist Convention U.S.A. Inc. was estimated to have approximately 8.5 million members as reported in The New York Times (Berkow, 1992 Berkow , I. ( 1992 , February 25 ). Sports of the times: A champ named Desiree. Retrieved from www.nytimes.com [Google Scholar]). This point is made not to discredit the skill, intellect, strength, and endurance that boxing requires but rather to highlight the ways in which the sport is inherently violent given its premise. Interestingly, in direct contrast to his sentiments toward Tyson, Trump spent $85,000 in May 1989 on advertisements in New York newspapers to advocate for the return of the death penalty in the Central Park Jogger rape case in which the survivor was a White woman named Trisha Meili (Daughtry, 2012 Daughtry , H. ( 2012 , November 20 ). Compensation for injustice. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/11/19/justice-and-the-central-park-jogger-case/healing-from-the-central-park-jogger-case [Google Scholar]). Although this celebration was intended as a welcome home event for Tyson, there were protesters present. See Coleman (1995 Coleman , C. ( 1995 , June 9 ). Sharpton says Iron Mike's no rapist. Daily News, p. 8. [Google Scholar]) and Ransby (2001 Ransby , B. ( 2001 ). Black feminism at twenty-one: Reflections on the evolution of a national community . Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society , 25 , 1215 – 1221 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) for discussion. According to Ransby (2001 Ransby , B. ( 2001 ). Black feminism at twenty-one: Reflections on the evolution of a national community . Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society , 25 , 1215 – 1221 .[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), "Black feminist activists in Harlem took the principled but unpopular position that rape was both a feminist issue and a black community issue and that, racism within the criminal justice system notwithstanding, rapists could not be celebrated as heroes in our community" (p. 1216). For rich critiques of the Thomas-Hill hearings, see Morrison (1992). Illustrating the ongoing nature of violence against Black women, Hill was recently contacted by Virginia Thomas, the wife of Clarence Thomas, when she left a phone message in October 2010 requesting an apology and an explanation for "why you did what you did with my husband" (Savage, 2010 Savage , C. ( 2010 , October 19 ). Clarence Thomas's wife asks Anita Hill for apology. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/20/us/politics/20thomas.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print [Google Scholar]). For various accounts of how the case proceeded, see Mangum (2008 Mangum , C. , & Clark , V. ( 2008 ). The last dance for grace: The Crystal Mangum story . Los Angeles , CA : fire! Books . [Google Scholar]), S. Taylor and Johnson (2007 Taylor , S. , & Johnson , K. ( 2007 ). Until proven innocent: Political correctness and the shameful injustices of the Duke lacrosse rape case . New York , NY : Thomas Dunne Books . [Google Scholar]), Seigel (2009), and Yaeger and Pressler (2007 Yaeger , D. , & Pressler , M. ( 2007 ). It's not about the truth: The untold story of the Duke lacrosse case and the lives it shattered . New York , NY : Threshold Editions . [Google Scholar]). Several news reports provided intimate details about Mangum's life that severely undermined the likelihood that she would be taken seriously as a survivor of sexual assault including references to previous rape allegations, her mental health and sexual history, and her dissolved marriage. For examples, see Fox News (2006), Park (2007 Park , M. ( 2007 ). Crystal Gail Mangum: Profile of the Duke rape accuser. Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,265374,00.html [Google Scholar]), and Wilson and Glater (2006 Wilson , D. , & Glater , J. ( 2006 ). Files from Duke rape case give details but no answers. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/25/us/25duke.html [Google Scholar]).
Referência(s)