Furo Wariboko’s Race Treason in Igoni Barrett’s Blackass

Abstract

In the realm of literature and cultural studies, the complex interplay of identity, race, and privilege has long been a subject of critical examination. Igoni Barrett’s novel Blackass (2015) provides a rich tapestry for such exploration, offering a unique narrative that weaves these themes into the character of Furo Wariboko, who undergoes a profound transformation into Frank Whyte. This article investigates race treason and its connection with ‘White Privilege’. The methodology is based on the concept carried by Noel Ignatiev, i.e., ‘Race Treason’, which opposes the presence of white skin privilege. The article demonstrates how some of the characters figuratively betray the prevalent beliefs of their own race for personal interests and social mobility. Reinforcing that racism is socially constructed, it is found that the goal of the black race traitors is to achieve social mobility and superiority and that Frank has grown to be racially terrorized by anything related to his old self.