The Charmer

The Charmer

The Charmer is a very poorly written essay that had many mixed views and opinions. Gates describes Louis Farrakhan as a wealthy, black man who moved into Elijah Muhammad's neo-Mediterranean house. Farrakhan seems to have many different views on the rights and lives of the black community. At one point in the story he talks about how white folks are now idealizing black faces and says that white supremacy is being challenged in so many ways and that gradually children are losing the idea of superiority. But then he goes to say that we need to outgrow the color and ethnic thing and see the oneness of humanity and approach divinity. He contradicts a lot of the things he says. Gates says that blacks often feel vulnerable to the changes of inauthenticity and of disloyalty to the race. He's trying to say that blacks do not get the right recognition as the other races do and often feel singled out and disrespected. Farrakhan comes off to be very paranoid and thinks there is a conspiracy with everything from racial issues to the

Jewish bankers conspiring together to maximize their own wealth. He twists around the words of the people and uses propaganda to his advantage and it can also be seen as a psychological obsession. Farrakhan also states that he is not going to support anyone just because he is black but more so for the best interest of the people of the country. He goes from being a black rights activist to someone who thinks that color should not matter or have anything to do with the good of one's country. Farrakhan is compared to Malcolm X because they both used very tough ideology but wanted public acceptance in the white community and their own communities as well. Farrakhan has his priorities and views mixed up; he also contradicts many things that he says.

The Charmer can also be compared to Understanding Afro-centrism. Both essays jumped around too much and were very poorly written. The issue of race and beliefs were the main topic of the essays and they both had a lot to do with the rights of the black community. In Understanding Afro-centrism, Early talks about the meaning and formation of identity of the black American; he also states that African Americans do not get enough respect and credit that the whites and Europeans receive. In The Charmer, Gates main points are that blacks are not appreciated either and that they do not receive the same credit as most white people. Both stories are about black nationalism and pride and honor for one's race and background. In The Charmer, Gates

...