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Bringing Afrocentricity to the Funnies: An Analysis of Afrocentricity Within Aaron McGruder's "The Boondocks" Author(s): Tia C. M. Tyree and Adrian Krishnasamy Source: Journal of Black Studies, Vol. 42, No. 1 (JANUARY 2011), pp. 23-42 Published by: Sage Publications, Inc. Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/25780790 Accessed: 22-01-2020 00:06 UTC

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Bringing Afrocentricity to the Funnies: An Analysis of Afrocentricity Within Aaron McGruder's The

Journal of Black Studies 42(1) 23^2

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DOI: 10.1177/0021934709359081 http://jbs.sagepub.com

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Boondocks

Tia C. M.Tyree1 and Adrian Krishnasamy2

Abstract

Cartoonist Aaron McGruder entered the syndicated comic strip arena in 1998. As an African American, McGruder's social commentary, political criticism, and jokes have a perspective on America unlike White syndicated cartoonists. Yet one cannot assume that his comic strip is Afrocentric simply because McGruder is African American. The authors of this work attempt to determine if McGruder?through his characters?speaks from an Afrocentric perspective. More specifically, the authors analyzed McGruder's comic strips to determine if the principles and concepts of Afrocentricity, including the 10 principles of nommo, were present within the comic strip. It was determined through The Boondocks, he speaks of resistance, liberation, peace, harmony, and does so in the "language" of African Americans?Ebonics. He places African Americans at the center of his discourse and gauges the external world through the lens of his young African American characters.

Keywords Nommo, Afrocentricity, The Boondocks, comic strips, Aaron McGruder

"I think we as Black people spend way too much time worrying about what White people think of us. I don't give a (expletive) about what White people think."

?Aaron McGruder

'Howard University,Washington, D.C. 2Bowie State University, MD

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24 Journal of Black Studies 42(1)

Each day Americans open their newspapers to read comics. Some are after a quick laugh, others want to read what obstacle their favorite characters are tackling and still others are looking for the underlying political and social commentaries that lie deep within the comedic lines of three little African American boys in the comic strip The Boondocks. Cartoonist Aaron McGruder is the creator of the comic strip, and as an African American, McGruder's social commentary, political criticism, and jokes have a per spective on America unlike the White syndicated cartoonists.

Through socially constructed institutions such as slavery and segregation, African Americans faced unequal treatment in America. Hundreds of years of mistreatment at the hands of the U.S. government and White Americans caused African Americans financial, spiritual, educational and other hard ships. Nonetheless, African Americans found various outlets to express their frustrations, perseverance, and desire for social change. Negro spirituals, heroic tales of African Americans achieving success or outsmarting White Americans, and even jokes brought hope and inspiration to many. However, the most powerful force of the three perhaps may be jokes and their ability to bring laughter and transformation to the minds and situations of those in the African American community.

Humor is important to African Americans. It is referred to as "the gift of laughter" (Fauset, 1994). Laughter allows African Americans to put their desires, situations, and ideals into perspective. Throughout history, humor exposed the absurd treatment of African Americans in America, highlighted the hypocrisies and pretensions of White Americans, and helped to reveal and mock the rationalization of the mistreatment of African Americans

(Levine, 1977). Despite White Americans' insistence that African Americans were unintelligent, uncultured, and unaware of their self-worth, the manner

in which African Americans mastered the use of humor showed they com pletely understood the perversions, absurdities, and impossibilities of Ameri can social structures (Levine, 1977).

Sharing a laugh is a social experience. Whether laughter manifests itself from a joke, anecdote, gesture, or tale, an individual must understand the experiences, people, places, or ideas within the community in order to really share in a laugh. According to Levine (1977), laughter provided African Americans with a sense of their condition in America as well as an important degree of self- and group knowledge. This concept created the foundation of this research study. The authors of this work attempt to determine if McGruder?through his characters?enlighten African American readers using Afrocentrictiy. More specifically, the authors analyzed McGruder's comic strips to determine if the principles and concepts of Afrocentricity,

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Tyree and Krishnasamy 25

including the 10 principles of nommo, were present within the dialogue of McGruder's The Boondocks comic strips.

Literature Review

The History of Comic Strips and The Boondocks

A comic strip is a short strip or sequence of drawings that tells a story. Comic strips derived from the cartoon. It was widely popular in the late 19th century and originally developed as a marketing tool to attract customers to the Sun day edition of local newspapers. Richard Outcault, William Randolph Hearst, Joseph Pulitzer, James Swinnerton, and Rudolph Dirks are commonly cred ited as the creators of the modern-day comic strip. While evidence of comic strips appearing in newspapers can be traced back as early as 1892, the pub lishing of Richard Outcault's The Yellow Kid in Joseph Pulitzer's New York

World in 1886 is most widely accepted as the birth of the comic strip genre in the American press. By the early 1900s, there were more than 150 comic strips in syndication. However, it would not be until the early 1920s that daily or Sunday installments of cartoons began to introduce plotlines, which spanned more than a single day.

Today, comic strips are a staple in newspapers, and many comic strip char acters are the subject of books, movies, and television programs. However, similar to other American traditions, African Americans are not historically the main subject of comic strips, nor are their experiences chronicled in nationally recognized and respected syndicated comic strips. While there are dozens of syndicated White cartoonists, there are less than a dozen popular African American syndicated cartoonists in mainstream American newspa pers. Some of the most popular African American cartoons and cartoonists are Robb Armstrong's Jump Start, Ray Billingsley's Curtis, Stephen Bent ley's Herb and Jamaal, Jerry Craft's Mama s Boyz, and Aaron McGruder's The Boondocks.

McGruder is one of the newest and arguably the most famous and success ful African American cartoonist. The Boondocks started within the Univer

sity of Maryland's Diamondback student newspaper in 1997. After striking an agreement with Universal Press Syndicate, The Boondocks made its national debut on April 19, 1999. His comic strip is syndicated in about 350 newspapers, and an animated television show based on his popular comic strip began to air in November 2005 on Cartoon Network. McGruder's origi nally conceived his anime-style comic strip as a television show, but he felt it would be easier to have his creative work placed in newspapers than on

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26 Journal of Black Studies 42(1)

Figure I. The Boondocks main characters (left to right): Riley Freeman, Huey Freeman, and Robert Freeman

television (Owen, 2005). The cartoonist authored four best-selling books of his comic strips and coauthored another book of his work.

In the media, some called McGruder a "very dangerous Black man" and the "most dangerous Black man in America" because of the views expressed within the comic strip (Wickham, 2002, p. 11 A). McGruder is an equal opportunity critic who targets both African American and White public fig ures, including politicians, civil rights leaders, and entertainers (McGruder, 2005). He is the archrival of Blacks who have "gone astray" as well as Whites whom he believes undermine the interests of his race (Wickham, 2002, p. 11 A). His comic strip is categorized as more "in-your-face" than "tongue-in cheek" and is a mix of social commentary and comic relief (Wickham, 2002, p. 11 A). It touches on political and social issues, such as war, religion, socio economics, and racism, and it is often the subject of much controversy and public debate. In response to the comic strip's content, many publishers do not publish those with potentially controversial topics or offensive language in their daily newspapers, do not pay for the rights to publish the strip, or do not place it in the Opinion-Editorial section, instead of on the pages with other comic strips. Examples of unpublished comic strips include those cov ering the fierce attack against the war in Iraq in 1991 and the 2003 comic strips about the love life of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

An Afrocentric Approach

Since each culture has its own set of values, language, and ideologies, it is important to analyze cultural discourse using the proper lens. With McGruder

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Tyree and Krishnasamy 27

being African American, it is best and most appropriate to view his works through the lens of Afrocentricity. Karenga (1988) posits Afrocentricity is a theoretical perspective founded in the human interests and cultural images of people from African descent. According to Molefi Asante (2003), Afrocen tricity is a mode of thought and action that places Africa at the center and African interests, values, and perspectives as dominant. This is often seen as a radical approach, because usually the Eurocentric approach is reflected in the White-centered hegemonic ideology of America. In addition, to be Black and an Afrocentric is to be against all forms of oppression, including racism, classism, child abuse, homophobia, patriarchy, pedophilia, and White racial domination (Asante, 2003, p. 2). Afrocentricity is a critical component of Black studies and allows scholars to have a different perspective to under stand the intellectual works of Africans and African Americans that is not

Eurocentricity (Asante, 1998, p. 58). African Americans have a unique culture independent of mainstream White

America. Black culture is a reality (Chimezie, 1984). Therefore, it is imperative that Afrocentric methodologies are considered and connected to African Ameri can communication patterns (Jackson, 1995). To understand communication, one must understand the operative value of culture (Woodyard, 2003). Rhetoric and culture are inseparable, and any attempt to interpret or critique rhetoric must

take the influence of culture into consideration (Woodyard, 2003). In order for an Afrocentric thinker to have a well-grounded measure of

knowledge about experiences, one must understand that discourse is to be analyzed with the knowledge gained through cosmology, society, religion, medicine, and traditions (Asante, 1998). A non-Afrocentric person operates in a manner that is negatively unpredictable, disparages traditions that give people of African descent hope, and trivializes his own mobility (Asante, 1998, p. 3). Afrocentricity is the centerpiece of human regeneration; it chal lenges and takes to task the perpetuation of White racial supremacist ideas in the imagination of the African world and, by extension, the entire world (Asante, 2003, p. 2).

Language is the standard and most easily identifiable component of any culture. Charles Green and Ian Smart (1997) liken people without a sense of cultural identity as a tree without roots, and they posit Africans in the Dias pora who live in North America have embarked upon an unrelenting quest for cultural identity. Since African Americans were long denied the opportunity to learn, read, and write standard English, Whites were able to manipulate their communication. However, African Americans have long since been resistant to the pressures and desires of White Americans to speak proper English (Green & Smart, 1997). In Race Rules: Navigating the Color Line, Michael Eric Dyson posits that African Americans always sought literacy,

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28 Journal of Black Studies 42(1)

because it provided them the opportunity to reinvent themselves and to shape their identities.

Asante (1998) and other scholars believe Ebonics is the language of Afri can Americans. It was named in 1973 as a combination of the word ebony and phonics (Green & Smart, 1997). The development of a "Black vernacu lar" is an essential form of resistance (Green & Smart, 1997). While the dom inant White culture has traditionally frowned upon Ebonics as substandard English, Asante (1998) insists "Ebonics is a creative enterprise, born out of the materials of interrelationships and the energies of the African ancestral past" (p. 69). Furthermore, Asante insists it is critical for the African Ameri can protester not to use rhetoric of the established order, because the protes tor cannot master the language as skillfully as those in the established order. Instead, by using a "Black discourse" with words, tones, and sounds reflec tive of the African American protesters culture, he subverts the established order through the use of "guerrilla rhetoric tactics" (Asante, 1998, p. 128). Ultimately, Ebonics represents an intersection of identity, language, and resistance, and it is just one of the vehicles African Americans can use to liberate, cleanse, and humanize their culture in the "White supremacist con trolled and operated media" (Green & Smart, 1997).

Afrocentrists speak of liberation, harmony, and aim to raise consciousness of African Americans. Asante (1998, p. 171) posits that for the African Ameri can orator and writer, the quest for harmony is the ultimate aspiration. For Africans, attaining spiritual harmony is possible, and a person's humanity is linked to his pursuit and fulfillment of harmony (Alkebulan, 2003). From the

African American perspective, a healthy individual must be harmonized to ensure harmony within the society and one is "human only in the midst of others and the person is defined as human by performing actions that lead to harmony" (Asante, 1998, p. 200). The concepts of harmony and liberation are linked and become key components in Afrocentric discourse (Jackson, 2003). The concept of Maat brings these powerful and complex forces together. According to Karenga (1994), Maat evolves through seven virtues of truth, justice, propriety, harmony, balance, and reciprocity. In addition, Asante (1998) posits Maat applies to all Black culture, and Obenga (1995) asserts

Maat is the ruling force between good and evil and provides individuals with an understanding of their role and interdependency with the universe.

Manifestations of Nommo

In the African American community, nommo is a word that generates power to a speaker. McPhail (1996) urges people to recognize their shared humility

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"coherence" with one another, with the goal of achieving freedom from oppression and domination. Based on an oral tradition, nommo creates a sense of "sharing, giving, generative, productive and ultimately creative and full of power" (Asante, 1998, p. 105). Nommo also defines the idea of messianism

where the speaker had to believe in a special calling not in the mere sense of a religious person who believes that she or he is called to preach, but more in the classical messianic sense of someone who believes she or he is called to lead people out of physical bondage. (Asante, 1998, p. 140)

Several scholars have viewed African American discourse through the manifestations of nommo (Clarke, 2004; Cummings & Roy, 2002; Yancy, 2004). However, Afrocentric scholars recognize the generative power of language or nommo (Cummings & Roy, 2002). According to Yancy (2004, p. 290), nommo is the creative "power of the word" that identifies life as its beginning and end. Yancy (2004, pp. 293-296) adds nommo is a

means to define the Black self and lived experiences, has the power "to move Black folk toward a greater sense of community," and provides what is "fundamental to the traditional African world view." Clarke

(2004) argues the concept of nommo represents the instrumental power of speech to bring forth African American selfhood and the Black experi ence. Numerous scholars believe one of the most important reflections of nommo is to maintain communal harmony (Asante, 1998; Karenga, 2003). Karenga (1988) extends the power of nommo to transcend both time and space by asserting it allows people to move forward in history and society.

Nommo is not just about words, phrases, or linguistic conventions, but it is about how the power of language can influence and inform all aspects of

African American life (Cummings & Roy, 2002). Nommo is about using lan guage not just to define African Americans' state in America but to liberate a people through education and understanding of the power structures that maintain the status quo. Nommo can be present in interpersonal, public, group, or even mass communication events that relate to the African culture

and experiences (Cummings & Roy, 2002). Ten characteristics often mani fest themselves in the presence of nommo, which are rhythm, soundin' out, call and response, stylin', lyrical quality, improvisation, historical perspec tive, repetition, indirection, and mystification. These manifestations have been identified in many places, including speeches, closing arguments in

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30 Journal of Black Studies 42(1)

legal cases, poems, spirituals, and rap lyrics, and those manifestations essen tial to this work are discussed in the "Results and Discussion" section.

Research Questions While research on comic strips and their content is extensive, there remains little research focused on African American comic strips. In addition, the research conducted often analyzes content without situating the findings within the larger context of the African American community, which is important since the characters and creators are African American. This research attempts to do what has not been done in other research focused on

The Boondocks by taking an applied approach to Afrocentricity theory. According to Walker and Greene (2006), the Afrocentric approach is not an attempt to ignore or belittle the viewpoints of others but to bring attention to the experience of communities whose voices have not been historically heard in an oppressive system (Walker & Greene, 2006). Furthermore, one cannot assume rhetorical discourse among African Americans is Afrocentric or is a positive reflection of the African American community. In fact, it is often "polluted, distorted and dismembered by the onslaught of European images and symbols" (Asante, 2008, p. 48).

This research attempts to answer the following questions:

1. Is the content of The Boondocks comic strip Afrocentric? 2. Are the 10 principles of nommo present with The Boondocks comic

strip?

Method For the purpose of this study, McGruder's last complete book of compiled syndicated comic strips, Public Enemy #2: An All-New Boondocks Collec tion, was analyzed. Published in 2005, the book features daily and Sunday comic strips from March 13, 2003 to November 13, 2004. In total, the book

contained 164 comic strips, which were presented in the same format as orig inally published in newspapers across the country. The book is the last of five compilations of his comic strips. It followed the publications of The Boon docks: Because I Know You Don't Read the Newspaper in October 2000, Fresh for '01. . . You Suckas in July 2001, A Right to Be Hostile in October 2003, and Birth of A Nation in August 2004. While McGruder released another book in October 2007 titled All the Rage, it did not provide the same amount of rich data as his final compilation, nor did it represent the exact content of the comic strip as seen in its syndicated form in newspapers across

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Tyree and Krishnasamy 31

the country. Instead, the book incorporated reprinted daily and Sunday comic strips, banned comics strips not printed in newspapers, commentary from

Aaron McGruder concerning those comic strips, interviews, and profiles. Therefore, it was not analyzed.

A qualitative textual analysis was performed to determine if the comic strip's content represented key concepts present within Afrocentric theory, including elements such as liberation and harmony, as well as the 10 mani festations of nommo. This method is most effective, because it goes beyond simply counting instances of the presence of keywords within texts. Instead, it looks toward finding a deeper meaning within those texts. Starosta (1984, 1988) notes a qualitative textual analysis does the following: (a) explores the rich meanings embedded in texts, (b) situates text in relation to other texts that serve as a reference of the text, and (c) locates the significance of the text in cultural and historical contexts. Furthermore, this method examines cul

tural products as strong forces that shape contemporary culture (Martin & Nakayama, 2007). It is used to describe and interpret the characteristics of recorded or visual messages through the analysis of language, symbols, num bers, and nonverbal cues through rhetorical criticism and the use of content, interaction, and discourse analysis (Frey, Botan, & Kreps, 2000).

Results and Discussion After an extensive analysis of the 164 comic strips, it was determined that The Boondocks both exhibited Afrocentric thought and 5 of the 10 manifesta tions of nommo. While the characters and creator of The Boondocks are Afri

can American, this did not guarantee the comic strip did not echo dominate Eurocentric ideology present within the United States. However, through the actions of and worldview held by the cartoon characters, McGruder repre sented elements of Afrocentricity designed to liberate the consciousness of

African Americans and teach them about the American power structures

keeping them in their current state.

Displaying the Fundamentals of Afrocentricity

What Afrocentricity demands of its followers is an emic not etic perspective. Afrocentrists and Afrocentric works must be delivered from an insider's per

spective. There must be an understanding of what is the African descendant's experience in America, what challenges have been faced by the people, what has been accomplished, what still must be accomplished, and what is stand ing in the way of liberation and equality of African Americans. In the January 25, 2005, comic strip, McGruder's character Huey seems to provide insight

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32 Journal of Black Studies 42(1)

into the creator's purpose when he notes comedy should "expose the folly" of the world and that comedians should use their humor to "question the status quo."

McGruder brings his Afrocentric message to comic strip readers through the personalities, character names, plots, and dialogue. The main characters are Huey Freeman and his younger brother Riley, who were moved to the predominantly White suburb of Woodcrest, Illinois, by their grandfather (see Figure 1). On the cover of the book under study, Huey is depicted in a manner similar to a mug shot with classic references to his physical characteristics. His race is described as "Black as the Ace of Spades" and his nationality is "(Un)American." As explained in the May 4, 1999, comic strip, 10-year-old Huey is named after Black Panther Huey P. Newton. His last name can relate to the desire of African Americans to be free in America. Huey's discourse is considered to be that of a Black national and is very critical of many aspects

of modern African American culture, politics, racism, elitism, socioeconom ics, and other societal ills. The issues raised by this young African American boy could be viewed as extraordinary or peculiar, but McGruder stated, "It's always easier to use kids to get across threatening ideas in a non-threatening way" (Joy, 2005, p. C9). This speaks to a longstanding technique in Black humor called inversion. This comedic technique is referred to as "universe changing," and it defines instances in which role reversals and situations are used in jokes to inspire laughter (Levine, 1977).

Riley possesses many of the opposite characteristics of Huey. He is engulfed in Hip Hop culture, enamored by "thug life," lacks cultural knowl edge, and often represents those aspects of the African American culture his brother criticizes. Michael Caesar, Huey's best friend, is a sounding board for Huey's ideas and acts both critical and supportive of his concepts. The tragic mulatto character often represented in the U.S. media is also present in The Boondocks. Jazmine is a biracial young girl, who by Huey's account, is out of touch with her African ancestry. Her father, Thomas Dubois, is a lawyer and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People member. His name is a reference to W.E.B. DuBois and the racial stereotype Uncle Tom, who is a docile, selfless, kind, and supportive African American who panders to the needs of White Americans (Bogle, 1974).

Language McGruder not only uses Ebonics as a form of resistance, but he also speaks of resistance and the power structures that oppress African Americans. Ebon

ics was noted throughout the dialogue of the main characters. Examples of

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Tyree and Krishnasamy 33

words and phrases used are deez, sista gurl, bruh,f'real, Yo, Spit game at, I'm da bomb, F'shizzle, I got jacked, whuppins, youknowhowwedo, and Nigga, which is presented in the cartoon as "N***A." In an interview, McGruder addressed his use of nigger in his television show. "I think it makes the show sincere. At a certain point, sometimes we use bad language, and the N-word is used so commonly now, not only by myself but people I know, that I feel it's fake to write around it and not use it" (Owen, 2005, para. 17). One might assume the same holds true for the use of the word in his comic strip too.

An example of the use of Ebonics is in the January 1, 2004, comic strip. Caesar is depicted in the exercise of establishing an Ebonics nickname for the changing year. Examples of names he suggested included "the deuce-double oh-quad," "the two-k-quatro," and "the dub and four pennies." McGruder asserts that Ebonics is a part of African American dialect, regardless of socio economic status. In the July 18, 2003, comic strip, the two main characters ponder whether Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice uses Ebonics. Caesar speculates whether she speaks with her friend about having to put Donald Rumsfeld "in check" when he "started talkin' all crazy . . . umm-hmm, gurl . . . f'real.'" A victim of "pressure" from his job, the February 26, 2004, comic strip also depicts former Secretary of State Colin Powell using Ebon ics during a debate with a U.S. Congressman. The most striking example of

McGruder embracing Ebonics is his series of comic strips that ran from July 4, 2003, to July 22, 2003, in which he suggests July is "Black English" month, which was a time to celebrate the "richness and creativity" of African American language. After acknowledging it is a reason to use a dispropor tionate amount of slang in conversations, the main characters are astonished that eventually the U.S. president and a telemarketer are using Ebonics.

Resistance

Contrary to some of the docile depictions of African Americans in the 19th century, African Americans have long since had a stance of resistance, and the militant images of African Americans in the media are a more accurate depiction of their quest for African American agency and Black manhood (Forbes, 2003). In the mid-1800s, racial hostility, violence, and disfranchise

ment were the most critical issues for African Americans (Forbes, 2003). McGruder's discourse shows African Americans are still disenfranchised and

that racial hostility and violence are still a reality. Most of the targets of McGruder's anger and hostility are Whites, the White elite, and the White controlled media and government institutions. In the November 9, 2003,

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34 Journal of Black Studies 42(1)

comic strip, McGruder has Huey questioning the treatment of elites in the media. Huey notes a double standard exits in society, and when the poor people use crack, they are considered the "garbage of society," but when rich people become addicted to painkillers, they are placed on the cover of News week magazine. One example of blending Ebonics and the disenfranchise ment of African Americans was in the June 20,2003, comic strip. Huey notes

the word bling-bling was added to The New Oxford English Dictionary, and the "ultimate revenge" African Americans can have against the White man is to make him "as ignorant as he has made us." Throughout his comic strip,

McGruder chronicles of how African Americans cannot produce a winning presidential candidate, how African Americans are victims of racial profiling by the government, and how the government is spending money on a cam paign to encourage Black people to get married, instead of campaigns focus ing on education and health care.

Maat and Afrocentric Discourse

Within Aaron McGruder's comic strips, his characters frequently pursue harmony and peace. Smith (1972) posits Afrocentric rhetoric is concerned with the stability of the community, and in cases of conflict and strife in the community, Afrocentric public discourse functions to bring back harmony and stability in those problematic areas. Discourse centers on bringing light to the injustices of the Iraqi war, issues with racism in America, and the

mistreatment by and inabilities of the government to properly meet the needs of Americans, especially African Americans. An example of how McGruder deals with racism in America was present in his May 9, 2004, comic strip. In this strip, a White man speeds in a red convertible and parks in Riley's suburban neighborhood. Riley, who is standing on the curb as the

man steps out of the car, startles him. Riley says "nice car" and the White man thanks him and walks away. After the brief verbal exchange, Riley notes the White man's fear and claims he won't get any sleep after the inter action with him.

McGruder addressed an attempt to bring peace to the world on October 13, 2003, when Caesar claims to have a plan to bring peace and harmony to

world. The next day, Caesar offers his plan to find Secretary of State Condo leezza Rice a boyfriend. He stated that if a man on this earth loved her, than she would not "be so hell bent to destroy it." In the October 27, 2003, comic strip, Caesar stated they need to find her man to teach her "love is better than

war." During the next 3 to 4 weeks, Huey and Caesar plot to find Rice a man. They call the White House to see if she prefers White men or Black men;

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Tyree and Krishnasamy 35

ponder and call potential suitors, including talk-show host Montel Williams, conservative pundit Larry Elder, and self-described "pimp" Archbishop Don "Magic" Juan; and place a personal advertisement, in which they struggle to make her seem appealing to possible suitors.

Harmony and liberation are not just external forces to the African Ameri can community. Asante (2003, p. 41) posits there can be no freedom for Afri can Americans until there is a freedom of the mind. Afrocentric discourse is

a powerful tool in bringing liberation and raising consciousness in the Afri can American community. Black voices of resistance are often silenced by those in society married to maintaining the racial status quo. The dominant

White discourse in the mass media idolizes Black passivity because it allows Whites to stay in their comfort level (Forbes, 2003). McGruder forces Whites outside of their comfort level by ensuring they are aware of the inadequate treatment of African Americans and the influence of African Americans on

American culture. In the September 4,2003, comic strip, Huey's grandfather voices his frustration about Whites imitating Black culture. He claims the

White children on MTV try to look, talk, and sing like Blacks, but they are different than those of his childhood because the "wannanbes" then had talent.

Yet McGruder does not ignore African Americans. He questions their frivolous spending, inappropriate behaviors, as well as other actions deemed socially unacceptable in the African American community. As an African

American, McGruder raises questions about societal behaviors of Whites and Blacks from an Afrocentric perspective by mentioning African American fig ures and placing them within situations and contexts relevant to African Americans. McGruder uses techniques such as dressing his characters in clothing relevant to specific time periods and changing their hairstyles and language to help put situations into proper perspective. In addition, McGruder takes events and issues within American popular culture and alters them to fit

within the perspectives of African Americans. An example was McGruder's spoof of the popular television show The Apprentice. McGruder has several comic strips that chronicle the contestants on a fictitious show hosted by "business mogul Russell Simmons" titled "Can a N***A Get a Job."

In the May 18, 2003, comic strip, Huey ponders how to bring conscious ness to people. Huey claims to bring truth to the "ignorant masses" is a heavy and complicated burden. A few days later in his two-panel May 25, 2005, comic strip, Huey quotes Samuel Adams, "It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate tireless minority keen to set brushfires in the peo ple's minds." In these two comic strips, the authors of this work believe McGruder is actually pondering how he can use his skills to bring

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36 Journal of Black Studies 42(1)

consciousness to his African American readers and plant thoughts into their minds about what is and is not acceptable in their lives.

Through his characters, McGruder both directly and indirectly challenges African Americans' thoughts and level of consciousness. In the November 11, 2003, comic strip, Huey takes a more direct approach to venting frustra tions about the UPN television network's programming featuring African

Americans. He questions African Americans' taste and pride, since they are willing to accept the network's programming. Caesar's response to Huey is to assert that if the Klu Klux Klan were hiring, many African Americans

would join the organization. Using a more indirect approach, McGruder challenges African Americans by offering comic strips about the "Most Embarrassing Black People Awards." Using another approach, McGruder has Caesar place a large stack of papers in front of Huey in the February 19, 2004, comic strip. The papers represent nominations, and Caesar states that it was a busy year, because African Americans were "shaming themselves at a furious pace." In a series of comic strips, the characters offer nominations for embarrassing behavior by celebrities and offer to recognize average African Americans. Nominations for the celebrities included Janet Jackson for flash

ing her breast, R. Kelly for being himself, and Bobby Brown and James Brown for alleged spousal abuse. Everyday people were nominated for plac ing 26-inch spinning rims on a Honda Civic, having 5-inch nails or longer, and possessing a diamond two-way pager. In an attempt to put the awards into perspective for the reader, McGruder has the characters ponder giving the award a "clever name" similar to the Oscars, which are given in recogni tion of excellence in filmmaking, and the Emmys, which are given for excel lence in television. In the March 4, 2004, comic strip, Caesar offers two negative stereotypical names, Sambo and Mammy, as possible labels for the award. However, in the next day's comic strip, Caesar comes to a final reso lution. He found the "perfect name" and "even sculpted a statue." He pres ents Huey with "The Whoopi," which is a reference to the comedian and actress Whoopi Goldberg. Goldberg is a frequent butt of McGruder jokes for many reasons, including her "embarrassing and stereotypical movie roles," as referenced in his March 27, 2003, comic strip.

Manifestations of Nommo in The Boondocks

Indirection. McGruder used indirection in his comic strip, which is defined as a nondirect approach to discussing an issue, idea, or image (Woodyard, 2003). Instead, an individual uses his artistry to circumvent direct references to the topic or person being highlighted but manages to make a point. To use

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Tyree and Krishnasamy 37

a more literary explanation, it is when a person "beats around the bush." With only a few panels to convey a message to the audience, McGruder must be able to evoke ideas, events, and concepts within the minds of his readers, without having to actually state the details. Asante (1998) brings forth the Afrocentric concept of cognitive ethnocentrism, which is similar to indirec tion, and it can also be seen in the discourse of characters in The Boondocks.

Cognitive ethnocentrism is the hidden racism in discourse that is displayed when a speaker uses subtle language to present his racist ideas so it is under stood but not directly stated (Asante, 1998).

While the examples of McGruder's use of indirection and cognitive eth nocentrism are numerous, the authors of this study will only highlight a small representative sample. In an attempt to enlighten the African American com munity about frivolous spending, McGruder's character Huey proclaims African Americans do not need a flu vaccine, only one to prevent them from placing 22-inch rims on a Saturn. In the December 29, 2003, comic strip, McGruder uses a reference to the illegitimate biracial daughter of Strom Thurman to highlight how Kwanza is viewed in America. Huey states Kwanza is a shunned and forgotten holiday that operates "outside of the pub lic eye." Caesar retorts that Kwanza is the "Essie Mae Washington of holi days." McGruder uses a reference to two popular blind African American singers to make a joke about President George W. Bush by stating that Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder were the only witnesses who could verify Bush was in the Air National Guard in 1972. Many African Americans voiced their disappointment with the content of programming on Black Entertainment Television (BET), the first cable network owned and operated by African Americans. In the April 8, 2003, comic strip, Huey states that although Iraqi television was bombed several times over the last week, it was still more entertaining than BET.

Rhythm. Rhythm can manifest itself in many ways in rhetoric. Some schol ars assert patterns in speech create rhythm. A speaker can create patterns by pausing or fluctuating his pitch, rate of delivery, and loudness (Woodyard, 2003). Asante (1998) asserts rhythm is a basic measure of successful speech and effective speakers understand the need to employ some form of rhythm in their vocal expressions. In addition, rhythm is analyzed in terms of rhym ing, repetition of sounds, and fluency (Wilson, 1996). Within the text under study, McGruder used rhyming and repetition of

words to bring humor to a joke or to prove a point. In an interaction between Huey and Caesar in the July 10, 2003, comic strip, both try to outdo each other's greetings. After exchanging a "My Homie!", "My Dawg!", "Brother man!", and "My Ace!", Huey is finally outdone when Caesar adds, "My man,

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38 Journal of Black Studies 42(1)

fifty grand, pots and pans, you the man!" With little dialogue, McGruder uses rhythm in a comic strip featuring Riley. Riley is seen in three of four panels of the October 11, 2004, comic strip stating "I dunno" to his grandfather, brother, and teacher. In the final panel, Riley proclaims, "I'm a master at sticking to the message." In the July 9, 2003, strip, McGruder addresses both racism and BET using indirection, cognitive ethnocentrism, and rhythm. Huey notes that Strom Thurman teaches a powerful message, which is that someone can "really, really, really, really, really hate Black people... and it's basically ok with everyone." In response, Caesar mentioned since they were speaking of hating Black people, if Huey saw the BET Awards.

Historical Perspective

McGruder makes references to historical African American figures or refers to historical events involving African Americans in an attempt to make jokes, including bringing back slavery, the comedic genius of Moms Mabley, the fairness of affirmative action in America, media's consistent negative depic tions of African Americans, and how future generations of Americans will remember the current era of Black history. In the January 5, 2004, comic strip, Huey's grandfather voices his frustrations of the reactions of his grand son to following instructions and makes references to how African American children used to listen to instructions by their "elders" when he was a child. In one of many comic strips discussing Kobe Bryant's rape allegations, Huey asks Caesar what Emmett Till would say to Bryant about his legal troubles. Caesar replies, "You think you got it bad? All I did was whistle!" One of the most striking historical references to the treatment of African Americans in America was present in the July 8, 2003, comic strip. In this strip, the grand father explains to Huey that he met Strom Thurman once at a traffic light. The grandfather stated Thurman, or Ronald Reagan as he later recalls, said he called him a "Black Nigra slave darkie boy" and asked him where was the closest gas station.

By focusing on recent historical events, White women were used as the center of many jokes and the subject of much criticism in The Boondocks.

McGruder's strips address a plot to place White women behind the bench of the Los Angeles Lakers to distract players and former President William Clinton's desires to personally thank White women who have inundated him

with gifts and cards after his open-heart surgery. McGruder likens the high gas prices after invading Iraq to America invading Europe and running out of

White women. In the March 2,2003, comic strip, McGruder uses indirection. When Huey asks what the secret to happiness is, Caesar replies, "White women." To which Huey retorts, "Stop that."

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Tyree and Krishnasamy 39

Stylin'or Soundin'Out

Alkebulan (2003) asserts that stylin' out, soundin', playing the dozens, rep etition, and the creation of Ebonics, the language of Africans in the United States, are all important aspects of African American rhetoric. According to Asante (1998, p. 50), stylin' is the "conscious or unconscious manipulation of language or mannerisms to influence favorable the hearers of a message." Listeners are swayed by the physical movements of the speaker. Woodyard (2003) clarifies that a speaker develops a personal repertoire of stylin' that becomes unique and expected by his audience by consistently displaying cer tain movements, including gestures, postures, and facial expressions. Soun din' out is the natural vocal extension of stylin'. Woodyard (2003) defines soundin' out as vocal mannerism that speakers use as a form of rhythm in vocal expression that act as vocal cues provide emphasis or signal impor tance to the African American listener.

In the African American community, the Dozens is a longstanding oral tradition in which the players exhibit humor, stylin', and soundin out. By playing the Dozens, the average individual can gain respect and draw laugh ter from an audience of their family and friends. Levine (1977) offered two functions of the Dozens in the African American community. First, it offers a chance for the two opponents to sharpen their verbal skills. Secondly, oppo nents learn self-discipline by learning to maintain self-control even in the midst of grueling insult after insult.

In The Boondocks, the main characters frequently engage in the Dozens. In several comic strips between July 27, 2003, and September 6, 2003, Cae sar addresses Huey's mother. While some jokes took the traditional "your

mother's so ..." approach, McGruder displayed his skills by offering insults using nontraditional approaches. For example, in the August 10,2003, comic strip, Caesar questions whether Huey hates having a lot of hair in the sum

mer, and he wonders if Huey's mother's full beard and hairy back bothered her. In other exchanges, Caesar notes scientists plan to clone a woolly mam moth and how good it was for Huey's mother to donate a DNA sample.

Conclusion McGruder used his comic strips to bring the African American perspective to mainstream America. He speaks from an Afrocentric perspective and his dis course embodies many of the manifestations and themes recognized by Afro

centric scholars. Through The Boondocks, he speaks of resistance, liberation, peace, harmony, and does so in the language of African Americans?Ebonics. He places African Americans at the center of his discourse and gauges the

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40 Journal of Black Studies 42(1)

external world through the lens of his young African American characters. In an attempt to raise consciousness, he is unafraid of exposing the U.S. govern ment's frailties or those of the African American community.

Laughter is a gift within the African American community, and it can be used as a method to escape the monotony and hardships of everyday Ameri can life. He uses jokes, both directly and indirectly, as vehicles to liberate and educate African Americans from their current state in America. At times, in

as little as a two-panel comic strip, McGruder provided readers with com mentary, political satire, pop culture references, and Afrocentric thoughts about their lives in America. Many of the comic strip topics reflect issues, circumstances, or triumphs directly affecting the African American commu nity, and whether it is intentional or unintentional, McGruder utilizes Afro centric methods to help readers understand how they can improve, change, or alter their situations. Despite what could be considered crude, rude, abrasive, and low-brow humor, The Boondocks is an important part of American pop culture, and in a comic strip industry where the influence of African Ameri cans is relatively small, McGruder's characters, topics, and Afrocentric influ ences are important unique vehicles for the improvement of the African American community.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

Funding The authors received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article.

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Bios Tia C. M. Tyree, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at Howard University within the Department of Journalism. She is the Public Relations and Advertising Sequence Coordinator and teaches several public relations courses. Her research interests include hip hop, rap, pop culture, film, and African American representations in the

media.

Adrian Krishnasamy, PhD, is an assistant professor at Bowie State University. He continues his research of how media affect certain communities. His main focus is on

issues regarding race, class, gender, and feminist research in communication.

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