Glory

    In our discussion of Glory we were asked to consider why Colonel Shaw volunteered the men of the 54th to lead the assault on Fort Wagner. I have wanted to come back to this question for some time as our in-class answer left me wanting.
    Our two-minute discussion centered around the idea that African-American men could not expect to be treated like human beings until they proved themselves men. As Rawlins puts it “Times coming when we gone have to ante up, ante up and kick in like men, like men!” In other words, in order to be taken seriously these African-American men had to prove themselves in battle. Unfortunately, there was a hitch to this plan, namely that in 10 months of service the black regiment had seen only one battle and they had to blackmail military officials for the privilege to fight.
    By volunteering to lead the charge on Fort Wagner the 54th showed great human dignity and courage in the face of an almost certain death sentence. They proved their dignity by accepting a noble death; by dying like men, they became men. This is, essentially, the answer we came up with in class. It is the right answer, but that makes it no less problematic for me. We have to stop accepting these kinds of answers to these kinds of situations. Why was the only way these men could be seen as men was in death? There is something inherently problematic about that idea. It seems to suggest that the only way one society will recognize the legitimacy of another is through its destruction. But that is a copout for both, because by accepting this statement as reality the latter never has to grow beyond its bigotries because the offender no longer exists, and the former doesn’t have to live in a world where reality seldom meets the ideal. Human beings have to recognize their common humanity sooner than the moment its extinguished and humanity has to stop accepting death as the price of life.
    For me this question on Glory had great resonance because it conjured up thoughts of Rwanda, Palestine, and Kosovo. I had to wonder when will we ever learn?