“You are a toy!” Could the oft-recited line from the 1995 feature film Toy Story—a beloved classic—hide a more profound meaning? The film’s portrayal of toys, which are sentient in their private world but lifeless in the presence of humans, can be interpreted as a commentary on the performative aspects of existence under oppressive systems. Moreover, it sketches a rough outline of a protective practice deployed by African Americans for centuries.
The central theme of Toy Story revolves around the life of toys, which exist in parallel to and in service of their human owners. The film introduces us to a vibrant toy community led by Woody as they navigate the uncertainties of Andy’s birthday party—a potential turning point in their toy lives. (figure 1) Woody—himself a hand-me-down character toy from a long-defunct western-themed television show—assumes the role of a long-suffering sheriff, leading the toys like townspeople. The toys’ very existence is tied to their usefulness to Andy; they are brought to life by his imagination and playtime. When Andy returns to his room, the toys fall lifelessly into place—a stasis induced by the gravity of Andy’s presence. This narrative mirrors the historical subjugation and subjection described by Saidiyah Hartman in her classic text, Scenes of Subjection: Terror, Slavery, and Self-Making in Nineteenth-Century America (1997).
[B]lacks were envisioned fundamentally as vehicles for white enjoyment, in all of its sundry and unspeakable expressions; this was as much the consequence of the chattel status of the captive as it was of the excess enjoyment imputed to the other, for those forced to dance on the decks of slave ships crossing the Middle Passage, step it up lively on the auction block, and amuse the master and his friends were seen as the purveyors of pleasure.
The toys are at once the playthings of their human owner, Andy, and sentient beings with their own complex social dynamics. Play can be defined as a negotiation and practice of power with one’s peers. The systemic imbalance created by anti-Black racism disrupts this dynamic, making actual peerage—and thus, play—impossible. In the binary of oppression, one is either an oppressor or oppressed. Applying this to play, one is either a toy or the player. It’s a dichotomy that mirrors Black individuals’ historical experiences—animated by others’ desires. While they are animated by Andy’s will when he plays with them—mimicking the characteristics of liveliness—they can only experience life once Andy has left them. However, the filmmakers carefully demonstrate that this is not a choice they can make. In Andy’s presence, they exist locked in an inanimate performance, alive to and for Andy while dead to and for themselves. The toys, like the subjugated, are animated by the desires of another, their “liveliness” represents a performance dictated by the needs of their “owner.” This subject-object relation did not end with slavery. In his 2017 article “What Feels More Than Feeling?: Theorizing the Unthinkability of Black Affect,”Tyrone S. Palmer addresses this parallel by saying:
Black sentience and Black interiority are foreclosed or heavily circumscribed, as social value lies in the Black’s status as an implement; an instrument accumulated for the pleasure, enjoyment, and feeling of the Subject; a “being for the captor?
Conversely, in Andy’s absence, the toy box and Andy’s room provided space for the toys to experience wholeness—a Hush Harbor is formed in the toybox. (Figure 2) Historically, hush harbors were secluded places where enslaved African Americans gathered in secret to practice religious traditions during antebellum America. These hidden enclaves were the birthplace of autonomy, a testament to the resilience and ingenuity. Drawing upon Sheriff Woody and the residents of Andy’s room, we find the toy box is a space where the toys enact new dynamics when alone. Likewise, when Black people assemble, they can create the closed loops of power essential to their fullest expression of personhood, also known as play. In these spaces, African Americans give themselves agency to suspend their racialized identities for community-building through social play, the development of unique These hidden gatherings have allowed for autonomy otherwise denied in their daily lives. They are the boardrooms, barbershops, and sanctuaries where Black individuals gather to weave the rich tapestry of their heritage. In these spaces, laughter rings out, wisdom is shared, and the fullest extent of humanity is embraced. In the collective breath of community lies the power to define oneself utilizing play as a path to wholeness.
The film, while a charming tale of adventure and friendship, invites viewers to ponder the complexities of identity, agency, and the role of play in our lives. Woody’s exclamation was directed toward Buzz Lightyear when he assailed the sanctity of the toy box. These spaces, whether physical or metaphorical, are crucial for marginalized communities, providing a platform for self-expression, solidarity, and the preservation of cultural heritage through play. In the context of Toy Story, the toy box symbolizes more than just a storage space for toys; it represents a hidden enclave for autonomy and cultural preservation, mirroring the historical hush harbors and their significance in African American history.