July 10th, 2008 Barry Posted in Anti-racist cartoons, Barry's favorites | Comments Off on A Concise History Of Black-White Relations In The United States

This is one of my favorites of my cartoons; possibly my absolute favorite.

TRANSCRIPT OF CARTOON

This is a six-panel strip. At the bottom of the strip is a large caption, which says “A CONCISE HISTORY OF BLACK-WHITE RELATIONS IN THE U.S.A.”

Each panel shows the same scene, from the same angle: Two men, one white and one Black, and a platform that’s higher than either of their heads.

PANEL 1

The Black man has his hands in shackles, which are connected by a chain to a large metal ball. Both men are standing on the ground; the white man is looking up at the platform and has his hands on the Black man’s shoulders, as if he’s about to climb on the Black man. The Black man has turned his head and is glaring at the white man.

WHITE MAN: This is for your own good.

BLACK MEN (thought): Not!

PANEL 2

The white man clambers onto the Black man’s back, getting one hand on the platform. His weight forces the Black man down onto his knees.

WHITE MAN: Oof!

BLACK MAN: Hey!

PANEL 3

The white man has both arms on top of the platform and is now fulling standing on the Black man’s back. The Black man, on his hands and knees, yells angrily towards the white man.

WHITE MAN: Pant! Pant!

BLACK MAN: Get OFF me!

PANEL 4

The Black man has stood up; the shackles are off him. The white man, one foot still on the Black man’s head, is now mostly on the raised platform.

WHITE MAN (thought): Phew!

BLACK MAN: Enough’s ENOUGH! I’m getting up!

PANEL 5

The white man, atop the platform, leans down to talk to the Black man on the ground. The Black man looks angry, his arms crossed, as he listens.

WHITE MAN: I’m real sorry about being racist before. I know better now.

PANEL 6

The Black man lifts his hand up for the white man to pull him up. The white man leans back on one elbow, mostly lying down, obviously not about to help in any way at all.

BLACK MAN: Swell. Give me a hand up, willya?

WHITE MAN: Of COURSE not! That would be REVERSE racism.

TINY KICKER PANEL AT THE BOTTOM OF PANEL 6

The white man explains down at the Black man.

WHITE MAN: Look, if I got up here myself, why can’t YOU?