For the past couple of years, the topic of race has been popular. #BlackLivesMatter, police brutality and discrimination has buzzed through media of all forms. It is safe to say that it has everyone involved in the whole racism debate. Some, expressed their views on prejudice decently, if not effectively and clever. While others did the exact opposite, despite good intentions (looking at you, Kendall Jenner). Out of all the people who expressed their views on racism, the most creative goes to Jordan Peele and his critically acclaimed movie, “Get Out”.
It wasn’t some social justice warrior propaganda nor a conservative tirade, but pretty good horror movie that keeps you on your toes. Not only that, but it discusses race in a way I thought was smart. The true horror doesn’t lie with the twisted families, or brainwashed victims, but the phrase “Sunken Place”. What is the Sunken Place, and what makes it horrifying? Well, Jordan Peele could answer that for you in one simple quote:
“The Sunken Place means we’re marginalized. No matter how hard we scream, the system silences us.” -Jordan Peele
The Sunken Place is more than just a phrase, but an issue that is old as time, where small minority groups are always overlooked by the ones who are in charge, a.k.a the majority. Take the French Revolution for example, for you have starving and impoverished people pleading for help to an unfair social hierarchy that was the aristocracy. Fast forward to the slave/Jim Crow era, where African-Americans were constantly put down by a system that continued to silence them.
Now, let’s apply this “Sunken Place Theory” in present times. Muslim-Americans are often the victims of xenophobia, African-Americans still continue to suffer from centuries of systematic oppression, and individuals of underprivileged backgrounds still get the wrong end of the deal. The moral of this lesson isn’t to rant about cis-gendered straight white men (that’s Tumblr’s job), but to talk about how the Sunken Place applies to all of human history, past and present.
“Okay, minorities are in the Sunken Place. So how do can they get out of it?”
There are two ways to do it: to take action when needed or to assimilate. As the old saying goes, "you gotta fight for your right to party." If the system is constantly pressuring you, it wouldn’t hurt to gather knowledge, congregate with your fellow human beings, and peacefully take action. The Sunken Place is a state to which individuals can stand up against, though proven difficult at times. There is no such thing as a good revolution or clean protest. We’ve seen this during the Civil Rights Movement, to which protesters literally faced the possibility of death. So, long story short: gain knowledge and never romanticize revolutions. Or, you could skip all of that and simply be a part of the Sunken Place.
I mean, racism wouldn’t be a thing since you’ve gotten used to the prejudice. Pretend that if you work hard enough, and keep your head down, people will overcome their bias and respect you. You just have to ignore it and create the illusion of peace in the Sunken Place.
