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prophet 's review for:
Dark Matters: On the Surveillance of Blackness
by Simone Browne
Phew, this took me a while to get through. You'll want to spend some time in reflection after reading a section or two.
Privacy has become a privilege given solely to the rich and "normal." Browne offers a convincing case that this is how it has always been ever since the Land of the Free was first discovered. The poor and "out-of-place" must be catalogued, watched, and tracked. From the chattel slavery of the past, to the non-whites of today. And due to 9/11, any acts challenging this surveillance only further indicts you as a potential suspect.
The biggest takeaway is to consider, as she quotes Desi Cryer, what changes when her "blackness enters the frame." Who is visible/invisible? Subject/Viewer? Who may opt-in/opt-out? And so forth.
Even if you're already keen to ask such questions, this is still worth the read to get an in-depth look at the roots of this anti-black surveillance. It may be a bit dense, but Browne makes sure to clearly define the terms (Unvisible & sousveillance, for example), and the case stories are fascinating and well-researched.
Privacy has become a privilege given solely to the rich and "normal." Browne offers a convincing case that this is how it has always been ever since the Land of the Free was first discovered. The poor and "out-of-place" must be catalogued, watched, and tracked. From the chattel slavery of the past, to the non-whites of today. And due to 9/11, any acts challenging this surveillance only further indicts you as a potential suspect.
The biggest takeaway is to consider, as she quotes Desi Cryer, what changes when her "blackness enters the frame." Who is visible/invisible? Subject/Viewer? Who may opt-in/opt-out? And so forth.
Even if you're already keen to ask such questions, this is still worth the read to get an in-depth look at the roots of this anti-black surveillance. It may be a bit dense, but Browne makes sure to clearly define the terms (Unvisible & sousveillance, for example), and the case stories are fascinating and well-researched.