Letter to Rankine

 

Dear Ms. Rankine,

 

I wanted to reach out and let you know how much I enjoyed your work, Citizen: An American Lyric! And most of all I wanted to thank you for all of this valuable content that the world needs to know. Your book is extremely thought-provoking and by sharing glimpses into other peoples experiences you highlight topics and emotions that many may not have experienced due to their race but will get a sense of by reading your work. This book is not only an asset to the person reading but also an asset to the understanding and knowledge that will be able to be passed on from generation to generation. 

First, let’s talk about how you wrote this piece in the second person. I was very stumped as to why you would choose such a standing as  the author. I’m not gonna lie, at first I was a bit confused and for me, it was a little hard to follow. But then, the more I got into reading it I realised why. It's not just showing the distance between you (the author) and the personal scenario, it also in my opinion can show how black people are treated in a kind of “second person” way like a second-class citizen. I think it is really interesting how you included material that did not necessarily have to be said but rather just is understood by the reader. This in my opinion is a really creative approach and not only makes your work look and sound more appealing it is also a great audience engineer. At least for myself at many moments I felt like I was being transported into a scenario regarding social injustice. Many times I felt as though I was going through very similar if not the same emotions as the person who actually lived that story. 

You mention that “Certain moments send adrenaline to the heart, dry out the tongue, and clog the lungs. Like thunder they drown you in sound, no, like lightning, they strike you across the larynx. Cough. After it happened I was at a loss for words” ( Rankine 11). I think this is genius. When I myself am confronted by microaggressions I tend to feel these kinds of emotions almost every time. But for an author to write them down herself shows a deep connection to the reader. And also a deep understanding that this has happened to most people at one point or another. I really enjoyed this line for these reasons. 

You talk in multiple sections about mechanisms, how people like you and me deal with certain microaggressive people in our lives. And like many times in my own life you stated perfectly “The sole action is to turn on tennis matches without the sound. Yes, and though watching tennis isn’t a cure for feeling, it is a clean displacement of effort, will, and disappointment” (Rankine 57).  Although the idea of watching a tennis match isn't for everyone. We all have our own kind of “tennis match” that we watch, this can be anything from handicrafts to cooking. But it is true that nothing can help with the pain of going through a traumatic experience like this. The feeling of helplessness and not being wanted in the world can be a heavyweight for many people. It is very sad but true at the same time. Sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves is distractions from the darkness of reality. 

Although many people would have a bumpy start to understanding the true meaning and depth to your work, it is truly worth it and inspiring.  The knowledge and perspective I gained from your writing is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life, and I also hope to enlighten others with what I have learned from you, Ms. Rankine. 

Thank you so much!

 

Sincerely, 

 

Arvin Ferdows. 

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