Negroland
The very title and subject of the book is symbolic. Negroland is a term that symbolizes not physical geography, but shared status. Negroland symbolizes the tenuous connection between those who inhabited that rarefied state of being black and enjoying a certain level of privilege and economic security and independence across the length and breadth of America.
Negro
It is also symbolism that puts the “Negro” in Negroland. Negro is a term for racial identification which has been out of favor for half a century. Not to mention that it has a sound which basically makes it seem like nothing more than a slightly more polite way of publicly uttering another word which had become far too loaded with controversy. The author explains that the “Negro” in Negroland is there because it symbolically represents every aspect of the long difficult history of African Americans in a way that “black” utterly fails to convey. More to the point, Negro is a term endowed simultaneously with positive and negative connotations which mirrors the experiences of being a resident of Negroland.
Amy March
An extended section of the book is devoted to a breathtaking breakdown of the characterizations of the title characters of Little Women. The aim is for the author to reveal the argument for her arrival at the decision to identify with Amy March. Ultimately, this argument moves fully into the sphere of symbolism. Amy, the author argues, symbolizes the drive to live a life on one’s own terms without fear of mockery or disapproval.
W.E.B. Du Bois
The noted author and social activist is situated as the iconic symbol of Negroland citizenship. Du Bois was one of the first African Americans to enjoy the sort of privilege and economic independence that is a necessary component for residing in Negroland. More importantly, however, is his symbolic status as a representative of another element for citizenship: the awareness of and devotion to using that privilege to facilitate the betterment of the race.
Ballet
The author’s sister, Denise, announced at the age of seven she wanted to begin taking ballet lessons. Ballet lessons in themselves for a black girl in 1951 would be a symbol of privileged status. But it becomes far more complicated as it becomes clear that Denise is actually talented and not merely one of the millions of young girls who have been struck by the ballet bug only to figure out quickly it’s not for them. The positive symbolic status of merely being able to take ballet lessons is compromised by the crushing slap of reality strongly implying that Denise could take all the lessons she desired and become the best dancer she was capable of being, but any thoughts of a serious career pursuit of becoming a black ballerina really needed to be crushed because it simply was never going to happen in America. Unlike white privilege, black privilege most definitely had its limits.
