A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance

Racism is depersonalizing. It strips people of their humanity and, more importantly, their individuality. In performance, this kind of erasure is literalized in the practice of blackface, which seeks to flatten an entire category of people to a one-note caricature. More subtle is the process that Whitney Houston underwent to become a star palatable to white audiences: Through careful manufacturing, Houston’s distinct identity as a Black woman was nearly erased in her early career. To reverse this process of dehumanization, Abdurraqib documents and unearths a plethora of details about his subjects, often focusing on the mundane to color their experiences and give them unique personalization in the eyes of his readers. His historical approach reclaims performers like Master Juba, whose scantly documented life Abdurraqib foregrounds by close-reading several images and descriptions—a strategy that manages to reveal individuality even against the context of racial bias and historical obscurity. Similarly, Abdurraqib’s discussion of the invisibility of background singer Merry Clayton connects her to a long history of ignored Black creators, to the horrific murder at a Rolling Stones concert, and to the expectation that Black performers be able to summon their personal trauma for the consumption of primarily white audiences. These linkages position Clayton as a highly individualized presence, undoing some of her anonymity.

Jobs become a powerful site for the mundane fight for individuality. Being the only Black person in a work setting is apt to make a person a token—a representative of all Black people in the eyes of white people. Abdurraqib connects the ability to do a job well with a sense of identity, whether that worker is Beyoncé performing at the Super Bowl or Abdurraqib himself performing his white-collar job at a hip healthcare startup. Although neither makes radical political statements, they cannot help bringing their identities to their jobs—visual distinction from their white peers marks them no matter what else they do. In response, Abdurraqib feels alienated and defeated; however, Beyoncé takes charge of her platform to embody and perform individuality, positioning herself within history by evoking the musical legacy of Michael Jackson, the political legacy of her hometown, and the Black Panthers. By being present and acknowledging their Blackness, they contribute excellence to the mundane fight because “excellence rests in the moments before the moment. Excellence, too, is showing up when it is easier for you not to be present, especially when no one would notice you being gone” (218). Repeated presence and visibility are powerful tools against the depersonalization of racism.