“I’m not real. I’m just like you. You don’t exist in this society. If you did, your people wouldn’t be seeking equal rights. You’re not real, if you were you’d have some status among the nations of the world. So we’re both myths. I do not come to you as the reality, I come to you as the myth because that’s what black people are..myths.” Sun Ra 24:33- 24:58
Sun Ra’s explanation of the black people being myths seems like a very negative and untruthful statement, how can a race be a myth, one might ask. However, if you break down his explanation into just looking at the symbolism that Sun Ra specifically gives black people, (weakness, oppression, dehumanization) the meaning of the word myth takes on a different, more understandable definition and connotation. Sun Ra’s definition of myth almost means lacking racial superiority. The way that Sun Ra describes black people as “not existing in this society”, “seeking equal rights”, and not having “status amongst the nations of the world”, implies that socioeconomic status, human respect, and ethnic oppression uphold the standards of what Sun Ra believes a myth is or isn’t. Looking at a the Merriam Webster definition of myth, “person or thing having only an imaginary or unverifiable existence”, his definition of myth doesn’t indicate this definition being false either. Thinking of African American history, where most of what is taught in school is the white man eradicating the people, destroying the history and culture, ethnic genocide and oppression, taking away the rights, resources, health and lives, that almost exactly lines up with African American history becoming more and more unverifiable in existence. If you destroy everything and have no way to preserve the culture, history, or information, not only does that race lose racial superiority, they also become unverifiable in existence. Maybe Sun Ra’s paralleling black people to myths was not as harsh and untruthful as it may seem. This also brings up a stylistic question on costume choice. Throughout the movie Sun Ra dresses up as some form of an Egyptian elite, whether its Ra, the sun god, or just in ancient Egyptian garb. In Ancient Egypt, Black people were definitely not myths. They held the highest ranking in verifiable existence and definitely had all of the social status, whether it was a black person being a king, god, or just a peasant. It is interesting how Sun Ra comes to Earth as “just a myth”, but is not dressed in clothing that would assume so. He could have been dressed as a slave or even from the time period he was in. Is this stylistic choice there to indicate that he is a superior amongst the black race, a leader off of Earth, or a savior??
Hi Kennedy, I love your analysis of this passage that also took me.
I guess that when Sun Ra affirms “you are a Myth”, with this definition you clarified here, it means “regarding how this society is ruled”. I think that as for every link between social groups, what is considered as the reality/the truth and what is called a myth/a utopia is simply defined by social, historical and cultural contexts.
I guess what really matters is what you decide to do when you are conscious of that, and want to change these statements.
Hi Kennedy, I thought your close reading was great and touched on a lot of questions that I had while watching the movie as well. Specifically, I like how you talk about the destruction of history of black folks as a possible explanation to how black people may exists as myths–this isn’t something I would have thought about.
In regards to the stylistic choice, I think you’re also right. Ra is dressed in this elaborate garb to show that he is in charge, that he is the superior man while being black. He is a myth because on Earth, where and when he was visiting, it couldn’t have been imagined that a black man was in such highly esteemed power.
I also found it peculiar that Sun Ra is portrayed as this godly figure. He even says that if the black folks in the room refuse to go with him he will put shackles on them and make them go, just like white people did. That phrasing evoked an odd relationship between Sun Ra and this narrative of colonization. I think Sun Ra characterizes himself as this enlightened figure who knows better than other black people. At the same time, he seems willing if not eager to share that enlightenment with other black folk. Not too sure how I feel about Sun Ra…