Warning: Gruesome Images are in the video
In Sula, the death of Chicken in the chapter titled “1922” was sudden and worrisome. How his body was treated after he was found reminded me of Emmett Till and how his body was found in the Tallahassee River. For those who don’t know, Emmett Till was a 14-year-old boy brutally beaten and shot for whistling at a white woman. He was so severely beaten you couldn’t even make out his face. No one was charged for his murder. But his mother made sure to publicize what those men did to her child. If you are interested, I’ve attached a video going into more detail about his case. A movie about him came out last year called Till. I recommend watching it, as it’s heartbreaking yet powerful.
Going on to read about Chicken’s funeral was heartbreaking. It had me thinking about how often black Americans see and experience death. This line, in particular, stood out to me, “Or they thought of their son newly killed and remembered his legs in short pants and wondered where the bullet went in.” (65). It made me think about gun violence in this country and police murdering black children, mothers, and fathers. I think about the recent shootings in Chicago just a couple of days ago. This article by the Chicago Sun Times gives the ages, whereabouts, wounds, and conditions of people who were shot and/or killed during this year’s Fourth of July weekend. The ages of these victims range from 5-52 years old. For centuries African Americans have been closely tied to death. From slavery to lynchings during Jim Crow to gun violence and murderous police. Just imagine the cases that don’t make national news. I’m aware that death isn’t solely tied to black Americans. However, something must be said about the rate at which death occurs in the community. To the point where Toni Morrison not only has Chicken’s death but the death of Plum as well. It’s truly mind-boggling the relationship African Americans have with death, almost to the point where we’re desensitized to it or almost tiresome of these same outcomes. It’s intensified as technology and media have advanced. Will there ever be change, or will death continue to be a plague?
Hey Melany. It is truly heartbreaking encountering these facts.
After reading your post, I was compelled to share a recent study that reveals astonishing statistics regarding the racial gap in road deaths:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/04/26/opinion/road-deaths-racial-gap.html
This article compliments your argument as it bring the awareness to an issue of a structural failure that neglects Black and Brown communities here in the US. It talks about how underfunding (like the absence of bike lanes, limited traffic lights, inadequate night lighting, and fewer signs protecting pedestrians crossing, etc) of neighborhoods where the majority of these people live affects safety of cyclists and pedestrians, leading to higher rates of death.
Additionally, I did not feel like watching the video (as I know the story and simply thinking of it hurts) but it actually takes me to another tragic incident that also started with an “assault of a White woman” and resulted in a devastating event known as the “Tulsa Race Riot” in 1921, which led to the destruction of Black Wall Street – one of the most prosperous African-American communities.
All that is to highlight how important it is for us to maintain a living connection with history in our minds as we navigate the current issues. This practice enables us to discern patterns, learn from the past, and shape the future. So thank you for your post.
Emmett Till’s story always gives me goosebumps. Chicken Little’s death shows how African American children were not actually protected, and nobody cared about them disappearing or dying. The white official does not care about returning Chicken Little’s body to his mom and does not even bother to find out what happened. Chicken Little’s death was an accident that involved Nel and Sula, but how can we blame children for not telling what happened when the white official is not moved by the situation? Even the bargeman who finds him is so racist that he thinks that the little boy was drowned by his parents and refers to African Americans as “animals.” I think Morrison includes his death to show the indifference that white people felt at the time and also to show how African American children such as Nel and Sula were exposed to death early in their lives. For this reason, I agree with you when you say, “For centuries African Americans have been closely tied to death. From slavery to lynchings during Jim Crow to gun violence and murderous police.” How African Americans are exposed to death just changes over time, but it still exists.
Your post was very educational. I didn’t know about the shooting during this year’s Fourth of July weekend. It is honestly so scary. The most shocking thing to me was when a girl who is only 5 years old was shot. It made me think about the pain her parents are going through.
In the novel “Sula” when Chicken died he was missing for a few days. No one really did anything to help. In chapter “1922” it says, “That was why Chicken Little was missing for three days and…….. he was unrecognizable to almost everybody who once knew him, and even his mother wasn’t deep down sure, except that it just had to be him since nobody could find him,” (p. 64, Morrison). All I could think about was what his mother was feeling. She was probably waiting for her son to come back home who will never arrive. This mother will never get to see her son grow up. She can’t even see her son’s face for one last time because he was unrecognizable to everyone. Furthermore, “when she saw his body her mouth flew wide open again and it was seven hours before she was able to close it and make the first sound” (p. 64, Morrison). We can imagine how shocked she was when she saw her son’s body that her mouth was open for hours and she went still. She couldn’t believe that her son was gone.
The word “desensitized” stuck out the most to me from your whole post. It seems as if every other day we hear of mass shootings in this country, or some other horror involving murder that we don’t even blink an eye anymore. There already have been too many shootings to count this year, multiple a day, to the point where many of us don’t even feel fazed by the idea of them anymore. As well, I think your topic of tying in the death of Emmett Till to the events of “Sula” was spot on and something that came to my mind as well when reading the book.
Hi Melany, i agree with your blog post and think what you said about desensitization is very important. Chicken Little’s death was tragic and definitely one of the harder parts of the books to read. I think his death is not only sad because a child lost their life but also because it causes Sula and Nel to lose their last bit of childhood innocence.
Great way of explaining and sharing your reflections on the parallels between Chicken’s death in “Sula” and the tragic case of Emmett Till. It’s a powerful reminder of the injustices and violence experienced by black Americans throughout history. Your mention of the recent shootings in Chicago further highlights the ongoing challenges our society faces. It’s disheartening to witness the disproportionate impact of violence and death on the community. The question you raise about the potential for change is thought-provoking and important to consider. I believe we need to keep talking about these issues, spread awareness, and work together to make the future fairer and more equal.
Hi Melany, I wholeheartedly agree with your words about death acting as a sort of plague with how often it comes in contact with the Black community, especially in the often violent manner that many African Americans seem to die. It’s so deeply ingrained that creatives like Toni Morrison make it a point of contention to write about it in their works. It actually made me think of a song called “Death Don’t Have No Mercy” by the Rev. Gary Davis, which is a blues song, a genre pioneered by African Americans and often used to express grief.
I believe you highlighted the most disturbing parts of these tragedies, how cruel and desensitized the people who committed these acts were. They viewed did not view the African American body as human and as such were cruel and cared not for how the body was treated. Truly disheartening.
You beautifully highlight the profound connections between the death of Chicken in “Sula” and the tragic case of Emmett Till. The comparison draws attention to the unsettling reality of violence and racial injustice experienced by black Americans throughout history. It is indeed heartbreaking to reflect on the frequency with which black individuals encounter death, from historical atrocities like lynchings to present-day issues like gun violence and police brutality.
Emmett Till’s story breaks my heart, I remember seeing a photo on the internet of him receiving the death sentence and I was in shock to see a little boy being sent to his death for a fabricated lie. I agree that Black Americans have unjustifiably been at the receiving end of gun violence and police brutality.
I recently learned about a case of police brutality that left me in shock and it was the case of Abner Louima, occurred in 1997. I have attached a link to the Stanford website that shares more about his tragic incident with NYPD. It is institutions like NYPD that have a history of racial discrimination that still have not changed or put in an meaningful changes to address systemic issues like this case. https://exhibits.stanford.edu/saytheirnames/feature/abner-louima
Thank you for your insightful and informational post!
The desensitization you’ve alluded to is something that I believe is very prevalent in society still to this day, and is something that unfortunately comes as a result of exposure to so much of this violent tragedy in our society. The comparison to Emmett Till I found very accurate, and also topical, as his name was circulating in the news just earlier this year, as Carolyn Bryant Donham had passed away in April.
Your analysis makes me think on innocence. And what could be more innocent than a child, really? And it made me think on how children are raised and taught. Taught to hate, specifically, and the day they learn to hate and take it upon themselves to hate is the day that childish innocence dies. On that note, the horribleness in that the innocence of a child is measured by the color of their skin first is … well it’s disgusting, that’s what it is. Makes me wonder if there will ever be a time when kids can just be kids, and their innocence be preserved forever.