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Keira Crocker

Professor Matheson

English 112L

10 April 2019

Critical Race Theory Analyzed in Citizen by Claudia Rankine

This paper will apply an analysis of Critical Race Theory. Within this paper there will be

an analytical review on the in-class assigned book Citizen. Claudia Rankine’s Citizen was one of

the most profounding works and pieces of literature used in this class; not only did the work

show personal reflections, but an outward look from what is happening in society today. This

book in its entirety was a story that showed and explained Rankine as an activist. Critical Race

Theory has three insights, that Claudia Rankine used within her work with publishing this book.

The first insight shows the critical legal study that she takes upon with the African American

victim instead of the polices side with many different pieces of poetry. The second insight was

the feminist study of the relationship between power and the construction of social roles. The last

insight is the civil rights movement study with correcting the wrong in history.

The critical legal studies idea explains that not every legal case has one correct outcome.

Instead, a person can decide either way, by emphasizing one line of authority over another or

interpreting one fact differently from the way another adversary does. Claudia Rankine uses this

study to show her point of view on the Black Lives Matter movement. After the death of

Trayvon Martin in 2012, the movement began and has given the black Americans a better

platform and has found justice for other police brutality cases. Rankine shows respect to those

who have been slain due to police brutality by saying “In Memory of Jordan Russell Davis, In

Memory of Eric Garner, In Memory of John Crawford, In Memory of Michael Brown,” (134).
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Throughout the book Rankine gives insight that she believes that those who have power can’t

control themselves and can’t do their job without fear of those who can’t do much. Later she

states “because white men can’t police their imagination black people are dying” (135). In

situation 6 that was titled Stop- and- Frisk (105) the video that was corresponding to it shows

two black men going into a store shopping but the video also shows red and blue lights flashing,

while police sirens are going. While reading about getting pulled over and what happened to a

person or herself in a similar situation.

The feminist idea explains the relationship between power and the construction of social

roles. The idea is built on the largely invisible collection of patterns and habits that make up

patriarchy and other types of domination. Not only does the book share about the social role

between race it goes into social roles between a black person and a white person. In part two of

the book Hennessy Youngman stated that “.. that one needs to be white to be truly successful,”

(34). He then continues with “intimating that any relationship between the white viewer and the

black artist immediately becomes one between white persons and black property.” (34) He states

those things to show how things are today the stigma of becoming famous is only a white thing

and the only way black people can become famous is to be good at sports or a rapper. Which is

why he brings up the issue with Serena and the many other white women tennis players mocking

her body. Thinking that the way she looks is the reason why she so good at what she does.

Showing another aspect to the social role of white women and black women. In the words of

civil rights activist Malcolm X, “The most disrespected woman in America is the black woman,

the most unprotected woman in America is the black woman, the most neglected woman in

America is the black woman.”

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The civil rights idea explains the redressing of historical wrongs. This idea uses the

insistence that legal and social theories lead to practical consequences. This book is a book of

warning, a book of justice, a book to show attention, and a book to give insight to the other side.

Throughout the entirety of the book Rankine gives the audience many different stories that either

shows justice or some insight of warning. This book is just one big story of the past still being

brought through in today’s light. This book amongst others was made to redress historical

wrongs. In the very end of the book there was a question and then an answer. “Did you win? he

asks… It wasn’t a match, I say. It was a lesson” (Rankine 159). With that ending it shows how

there can be growth and people can learn if they just listen and pay close attention to things. “It

was a lesson.” Was possibly the best way to redress the historical wrongs.

The book in its entirety is an overarching story that Claudia Rankine is trying to paint.

This book more like story is where Claudia Rankine had all of her freedom to demonstrate what

she sees happening in America. Even though some of the stories aren’t intimately her own, she

shows her connection to all of them. Her stance on what is happening with the justice system, her

feelings toward social construction, and her overall objective to redress America’s

history/present way of things.

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Works Cited

Rankine, Claudia. Citizen: an American Lyric. Penguin, 2015.

“Claudia Rankine.” Claudia Rankine, claudiarankine.com/.

Mambrol, Nasrullah. “Critical Race Theory.” Literary Theory and Criticism, 20 Aug. 2018,
literariness.org/2018/08/20/critical-race-theory/.