How does the media portray blacks in America?
How Does The Media Portray Black America?
by Andre Jones , April 26, 2006 4:00 AM PST How Does the Media Portray Black America? If you have to ask the question then the answer is obviously negative. Sadly, negativity is inferred in the very fabric of the question. What's more troubling is that the negative image that is portrayed in American media is believed on so many levels by everyone. Even many black people will make assertions about other blacks based on and grounded in myths propagated by old American stereotypes and legends. Unfortunately, much of the imagery we see and the sound clip stories we hear, tend to stem from American history and folklore. Since the history and folk stories used biggoted philosphies to promote a level of comfort and protection for the "first class" citizens, the myths, legends and stereotypes have been passed down through several generations as facts. We have to look at history as the prerequisite for the media portrayal of blacks in America because the recording of history is based largely on what was recorded in the media of past times. We could go back as far as the colonization of the continent we now know as Africa but for the purposes of this article we will just use examples starting in the nineteenth century right here in the United States. During his presidency, Thomas Jefferson made a comment to the press in regard to now reknowned poet/author Phyllis Wheatley alledging that no black person, let alone a black woman, had the capacity to write in such a manner. The statements at the time were covered as a matter of record and there was no uproar due to the fact that blacks had no legal rights. Combine that with countless portayals in newspapers and magazines through politcal cartoons and often grotesquely graphic depictions of blacks as bafoons and other beast and human combinations, and there is the recipe for a subliminal effect. The product, an inherent belief that somehow blacks are inferior. This is anathema, but it's taught through television, film, radio and even internet propaganda. Even during reconstruction, the civil rights struggle, black power struggle of, Reaganomics and the Clinton era straight through to today blacks are portrayed in three major ways that are antithetical to their growth and healing. Today most of the television shows, that have blacks as a major part of the cast, are sitcoms. This is the precedent for the first and most dangerous portrayal. Blacks are still thought of as the fools who have no better sense than to laugh at everything. Even though it is 2007, many people white, black, jewish, asian and hispanic still think of black people as "happy as a coon" to coin the phrasing of Hucklberry hound. We still see evidence of the pervasive nature of this thought process in the most recent comments of Rush Limbaugh about Donovan McNabb, Michael Richards' comments during his supposed comedy act and last week's debacle with Don Imus' comments about the Rutgers Womans Basketball team being "Nappy headed hoes." The freedom with which all three men spoke their minds makes it clear that there was an intention to not only ridicule but to harm, defame and degrade. In each case, these men took the liberty to speak freely and bastrdized it in the name of trying to be funny. They arrogantly expected that their statements would not cause any backlash. Their reality is that such statements are common conversation among those in the elite class at country clubs as wellas home. Imus, Richards and Limbaugh are a microcosm of a much lager group of priveleged individuals who may never be identified. It is eeriely dangerous that such arrogance, biggotry and predjudice still prevails in the minds of so many. The second and third dangerous portayals both use black people to solidify and co-sign in agreement with what is believed to be "superior class thinking." The second portrayal is the use of images and audio to make blacks- particularly young black men- as super aggressive, noncaring, wild beasts. The evidence of the promotion of this vile stereotype is clear in video games like Grand theft auto and todays black music. Films like get rich or die trying don't help to move blacks away from being catagorized in this fashion either. It is curious that the film, gaming and music industries are mostly owned and operated by white males representing the dominant culture. The major music labels have subverted much of the music that is heard by buying stock in major radio conglomerates. The artists who are signed to those lables are obligated by their contracts to say certain words so many times throughout their songs or run the risk of not being promoted. Words like nigger and explitves that I won't mention, are made manditory. Couple that with the pressure to "keep it real" in order to sell their product at a high level and many of the artists feel as though they have to bow down and cooperate to have successful careers. The third and final portayal is probably the most deadly. The apologist forand to black people. Whenever something political, social or entertaining happens, there is always the opportune apologist who shows up. Their role is to make white Americans feel like the stereotypical beliefs ,that they have grown to accept, are true. -That most blacks are not in control of their thoughts, emotions or actions. Typically, these people are political front runners like Michael Steele, Condoleeza Rice, Colon Powell and those of that ilk. Whenever we see them, they do damage control for either something blacks have done or for the white people they work for who have offended blacks. So they apologize either to the establishment for the actions of a limited group of blacks or they are used to head off infuriated blacks from causing problems for the white establishment, when blatant actions or remarks have stirred the perverbial pot. Evidence of this phenomina is clearly seen in the appearence of Colon Powell to present the shoty evidence of the weapons of mass distruction. It was clear that even Mr. Powell wasn't convinced that the evidence was concrete but his agreement with the establishment thrust him on the stage. Even more clear was Condoleeza's appearence after President Bush's complete and utter failure to handle the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to say that the President was under a lot of stress with the Iraq invasion and could not be expected to divide his attention. Then you have Michael Steele who is thrust forward in the faces of black people as an example of what can be acheived if blacks would just vote Republican, be quiet about race issues and pull themselves up by their own boot straps. What is in curious to note is that these apologists are often benifactors of Affirmitive action programs. So they are disqualified by their own arguement. Like I said, if you have to ask the question the answer is more than obvious. I think the more pressing and daring question is what are black people prepared and/or willing to do to change the portrayal of blacks in America? In my mind the change must be economically motivated as well as socio-political, spiritual and mental. Blacks in America must find ways to build their own business relationships, promote and market their own images/recordings and build their own historic and educational institutions to become viable and respected members of American society. Until that happens, the slave mentality will consume both the enslaved and the slave master communities.
History bolsters elitest arguement
If the history we are taught in this country was actually true much of what has been gained, as far as technology, medicine, nutrition, archetecture, carpentry etc.... would never have been acheived. There also is no doubt that the benefits of owning slaves was not an exclusively southern practice. Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin both owned slaves. It has also been documented that neither one of them was particularly kind to their enslaved counterparts. Of course there were many other white men who enjoyed the benefits of what was set aside for them through the use of racism, colonization, capitalism and cruelty. Sadly, many brilliant blacks were slaughtered and never had their opportunity to leave their mark on the world because of white priviledge.
However, there could be much to gain and even salvage from the horrors of our past. It will require a few basic, necessary and mature things. First, the unadulterated release of the thing which holds both the oppressor and the oppressed in bondage; fear. Most of the oppressed people here in the States have a perception of whites as people they couldn't possibly be equal to. That thought process alone is tremendously damaging. Add to it the arrogance of many whites because of the advatages gained by their anscestor's resources which have been set aside and the rift between the two groups grows exponentially. Second, there needs to be a truthful dialogue between the races about what is historical fact and what is fiction. There is way too much creedence given to folk legend and far too little fact known to the masses. Because many of the facts are missing from American history, the healing process is stagnated, even completely shut down. Third, there needs to be a concession made on the part of the oppressors to repair the psychological, emotional and financial breech that was created to the oppressed due to the atrocity known as "Shackle Slavery." Until there is a full atonement for the tyronnous action of slavery and colonization there will always be a rift between the races and two different societies existing under the guise of one United front.