What to Do When Your Heritage is Hateful

Authors

Christopher B. Strain, Florida Atlantic UniversityFollow

Abstract

In a National Public Radio piece aired on July 14, 2015, Gene Demby describe the “awkward mental gymnastics” involved in certain cultural preferences. A person’s musical tastes might run toward gangsta rap or outlaw country, for example, both of which can be misogynistic and reactionary, but the listener might paradoxically consider himself to be a supporter of women’s rights. Such inherent contradiction might seem hypocritical to some, but there is a certain elasticity of symbols, as cyphers meaning different things to different people. For some, the Confederate flag is a sign of racial Neanderthalism, the trademark of unreconstructed segregationists and rednecks. For others, the flag is a happy reminder of Tom Petty’s 1985 “Southern Accents” tour. Who is correct? Whose interpretation wins?

Recommended Citation

Strain, Christopher B. (2016) "What to Do When Your Heritage is Hateful," Journal of Hate Studies: Vol. 13: Iss. 1, Article 2.
DOI: 10.33972/jhs.131
Available at: https://repository.gonzaga.edu/jhs/vol13/iss1/2

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.