“I May Be Crackin’, But Um Fackin’”: Racial Humor in The Watsons Go To Birmingham—1963

Abstract

This article examines the utilization of racial humor in Christopher Paul Curtis' novel, The Watsons Go To Birmingham-1963. The theoretical perspectives that inform the analysis include critical race theory and humor theory. The results of the analysis reveal that the use of humor in this book is influenced to a significant degree by race and racism.

A man and his mic: Taking Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle to teacher’s college

“…Likewise, Race Comics used their comedy to make visible the hegemonic racial ideologies society had normalised, bringing tensions and paradoxical social conventions to the attention of audiences. This "pedagogy of discomfort" then not only helped to support a political rendering of a Race Comic's performance, developed with a clear aim to challenge a racist social system, but also made explicit the connection between comedy by comedians like Richard Pryor, Chris Rock, or Dave Chappelle and the ongoing anti-racist work within the field of education (Means Coleman 2000;Haggins 2007;McNair 2007;Mayo 2008).…”

Classic African American Children's Literature

“…little Black girls is "the wound too painful to actually touch" (Dance, 1998, p. xxii). McNair (2008) explained, "The humor in this book serves as a means to help readers deal with the tragic event that takes place near the end of the story as well as the other racially motivated events that are evident throughout the book" (p. 211). Curtis masterfully uses humor as a literary device to allow readers to become engaged so that they can deal with the tragic church bombing, which takes place at the end of the story.…”

“…In The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963, the author uses humor as a literary device. McNair (2008) noted four types of humor in this novel: lies or tall tales, the use of sarcasm to expose the hypocrisy of American racism, poking fun at Whites, and anticipation of racism. An example of the anticipation of racism is demonstrated by the way the Watson family jokes about the meticulous detail with which Wilona Watson (the mother) has planned the family's road trip.…”

“…Wilona Watson knew that it would be dangerous, difficult, and maybe even impossible for the family to stop and get meals in restaurants, and so she planned ahead. McNair (2008) noted, "By poking fun at her meticulous nature, readers' attention, in a non-didactic manner, is directed towards the racism that she anticipates" (p. 210).…”

Racial Identification and Audience in Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and the Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963

“…Scholars have also used critical race theory as a tool for analyzing African American children's literature (Brooks, 2009;McNair, 2008) and have researched readers' responses to multiethnic literature dealing with racism (Brooks and Hampton, 2005;Lehr and Thompson, 2000;Singer and Smith, 2003). How multiethnic audiences are reflected within literary texts addressing racism, however, has not been examined.…”