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Ej Brown Stereotypes

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Following the police shooting in Ferguson of Michael Brown, EJ brown was inspired to show “the contrast between the perception and reality of being an African American college graduate” (Neuendorf). African Americans are frequently portrayed and stereotyped as thugs and criminals irrespective of their true identities. EJ Brown was an educated black man who did not at all fit the stereotype that is so often shown in the media and wanted to bring light to the fact that most African Americans do not fit this stereotype and that they are so much more than what society sees them as. In these pictures, Brown took pictures of his African American friends in their college graduation gear, holding booking slates with their college majors on them. He was attempting to illustrate how society sees them as criminals and show who they truly are as college graduates with futures that do not involve any type of illegal activity. These pictures are so important for everyone who holds prejudices against African Americans purely based on their race because it has the potential to change their opinions for the better. Race is one of the most publicized areas of controversy and can be heavily based on stereotypes alone without evaluating other angles or digging for the truth. EJ Brown attempted to show the truth about how stereotypes about your race define who you truly are and there are so many people who do not fit the stereotypes that are so prevalent in today’s society. The artwork that he has created was absolutely effective in what he had set out to do because he changed the life of a young boy that now wants to go to college after seeing his pictures. …show more content…

By changing the perspectives of everyone, one at a time, stereotypes can be overcome and changed to better reflect the truth and eventually lead to an eradication of the racism that plagues the world and causes such horrible

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