Books and Their Covers: Not the Whole Story

So many people are guilty of this, I know I am.  I always judge a book by its cover based on stereotypes I have learned throughout my life.  Why does this happen though?  Why am I, at sixteen, so quick to judge.  Is it because of the parents I have, the culture I live in, or the society I surround myself with? 

Wing Young Huie, We are the Other.  Minneapolis, MN (2012)

When you first glance at this photo, not reading the chalkboard signs, you see two African-American teenagers in a convenient store.  They are wearing full clothing from head to toe, each wearing a hat and red jacket. My first instinct would be to walk the other direction and avoid eye-contact. 

But, after looking at the picture in closer context their true purpose is revealed.  They are two people, wearing jackets and hats because of the weather (Minnesota), shopping in a convenience store.  Probably very similar to what I would look like if I was in this scenario.  Their messages on their chalkboards reveal that they are aware of the stereotypes placed upon them.  They are also aware of how they need to "act" in order to avoid these stereotypes from being acted upon.  This stereotyping has become a hot topic in the media, specifically with the Trayvon Martin case.  Many claim he was stereotyped as a threat, when really he was innocent, and that is what lead to his death.  We've heard and learned from early childhood that you should never judge a book by it's cover. Maybe it's time for society to practice what it preaches.  This includes me.

The people depicted in this picture are examples of the "othering" in our society.  Huie portrays stereotypes in this image through their location and clothing.  He is applying the stereotype that every African American male must be in a gang.  Having the image set in a convenience store makes the individuals seem poor and uneducated.  Their clothing makes them look like they have something to hide.  Margaret Atwood portrays stereotypes in her novel The Handmaid's Tale through location and clothing as well.  The applied stereotype is that women are inferior to men and their sole purpose in life is to produce offspring.  The women being kept in their own rooms under surveillance of the Commander and his employees makes the women seem incapable of functioning themselves.  The required clothing of the Handmaid's and the division of women based on the color of their clothing isolates the women from the rest of society.  These are examples of what creates an "other".  And this concept of an "other" is what propels stereotypes and judgments in our society.  It is what causes people to "judge a book by its cover" and miss the true story.