Ethel Waters Show History

Racism throughout time has had a powerful negative force in society. There have been many efforts made to relieve racism. Racism is still present in America, although many people are doing their best to put a stop to racism and its somewhat devastating effects on young black males in society. “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” (Lee) The negative stereotypes and racial profiling that Americans hand down from generation to generation are damaging not only to the minorities but to those perpetuating them as well. The behaviors that are kept alive because of these negative stereotypes and the behaviors associated with them, create an emotional and social struggle as well as presenting obstacles when receiving an education and employment opportunities.

On the year of 1939, the first African American television show called "The Ethel Waters Showed." aired on NBC for the first time ever. A woman by the name, Ethel Waters along with the African Americans actresses Fredi Washington and Georgette Harvery performed a dramatic sequence from her hit play Mamba's Daughters.(African American Registry) This played a big part within the African American community being the first black television on air, because of this new start it will be the start of more African Americans appearing on air and having more television shows and series. This will also show the beginning of a start for African Americans playing a part along the whites producing

According to Tukachinsky, Mastro, and Yarchi, prior to 1930, the role of Blacks on screen were seen involving mostly in criminality and idleness (540). That role still persists until the present, with Blacks usually have to withstand to “longstanding and unfavorable media stereotypes including sexually provocative females and aggressive male thugs” (Tukachinsky 540). 1970’s movies such as The Mack, Black Caesar and Coffy have reinforced this stereotypic image of the black community. The

Television was invented in 1939; and the majority of television shows from 1939 to the 1960’s African-Americans were portrayed as servants, clowns or maids always in a negative light. These characters begin to change during the 1970’s when black sitcoms became reality based. Even though African-Americans are still portrayed negatively on television, there has been some improvement from the stereotypical images.

Grouping a specific group of people together where they are targeted for conceptions about them is widely known as, “stereotyping”, an issue that is all across the globe that can be very harmful and offensive. One of the greatest culprits for the ongoing, public display of this issue is television; millions of people across the world who are fortunate enough to be able to own a television are manipulated everyday by what they watch. Television shows can make people see things as being right that are completely absurd and incorrect. In Jennifer Pozner’s article, “Ghetto Bitches, China Dolls, and Cha Cha Divas”, she breaks down the corrupt ways that the hit reality television show, America’s Next Top Model, edits each and every episode to display the young women starring on it as polar opposites of who they actually are just because of their ethnicity. A show that can relate to America’s Next Top Model’s stereotyping being displayed is Black-ish, a show created by Kenya Barris. This show displays an African American family living in the suburbs and the father thinks the family is not “black” enough. Throughout the episodes, many stereotypes of the African American race are used for comical gratification of the audience watching. In the last episode of the most previous season, there are a plethora of different examples of the African American race being stipulated as being a certain way. Likewise, Black-ish shows the different types of stereotypes that come along with the

This is why white workers follow black customers through stores, and why white women clutch their purses when a black man walks by, why the eyes of white children widen in fear when they come across a complexion darker than their own. This fear is taught, ironically, by what is not taught. Schools do not mention the kindness, perseverance, or intelligence of black people throughout history, so white children grow up believing that these traits are exclusive to them. Since school does not teach the positives of black history, white children must turn to other sources. Unfortunately, television, movies and music all portray the black man as a subhuman, violent criminal. In Gil Scott Heron’s poem, The Revolution Will Not be Televised, he speaks on the lack of positive media coverage in black communities. “The revolution will not be right back after a message about a white tornado, white lightning, or white people.” (Scott Heron) This lack of positive media coverage as well as lack of history lead to a negative stigma around our people and a fear of anyone seeming to be of African

Caricatures have influenced the way that African Americans have been viewed throughout history. Caricatures, such as the mammy, have given a negative impression on African Americans since the end of slavery. From a young age, children are let to believe that African Americans are inferior to whites, producing a negative image upon African Americans. Even in todays world, caricatures still influence the shaping that people have upon African Americans, many in the use of cartoons, movies, or television shows.

From news coverage to entertainment, the media shapes, reflects, reinforces and defines the world in which we live. In publishing, theatre, films, television and popular music-industries largely controlled by white men--Blacks continually struggle for both a voice and representation. Many scholars write about the stereotyping of Blacks in the media (Meyers, 1999; Davis, 1989). Light skinned Black women with classic European features predominate in beauty pageants, music videos, and in the world of modeling. It is with respect

The author conducted a study that “sought to examine specific perceptions (i.e., occupational roles, negative personality characteristics, low achieving status, and positive stereotypes) of African American portrayals on television.” (Punyanunt 241). The results of the survey illustrated that viewers consider negative portrayals apply to real life and the positive portrayals associated with people of color are unrealistic. In addition, Punyanunt applies psychological evaluations of the situation by incorporating the cultivation theory. Lastly, the method of the research, a 412 students of communication studies students are given a questionnaire revolving around African American views on TV. The results a are demonstrated through

In many ways, television has portrayed a great deal of stereotypical behavior, and is distorted because it does not seem to represent the diversity or culture of certain ethnic groups, for example, Black, Hispanic, Arab, and Muslim communities etc. In my outlook, I feel that the objective of most of these television shows/media is to target certain subcultures for the reason of it being understood as amusing or entertaining, but in turn it evokes other raciest humor. At time, I do find it extremely difficult to watch television, not only is it down grading it clearly shows a misunderstanding of those communities I mentioned, but in general the misperception of Black people over all. The most frustrating and irrational thing about all of

Being black has several dynamics. There are countless skin tones, hair textures, facial features and subcultures within the black community. However, none of those variations make an individual any less black whether they have lighter skin or softer features. Being black is not described by physical characteristics, but it is about the shared ancestry, culture and values within the ethnicity. During the twentieth century, being black was shamed. The hand game that stating, “White you’re right, black get back”, was very significant within the film because that mindset is still prevalent in today’s society. Young African-Americans often struggle with their identity and embracing with their skin tone. Likewise, within the black community manhood

Will Smith’s character is a teen ager from Philadelphia whose mother made him move to Bel-Air with her rich sister in hopes to have a better life, one in which she thought she couldn’t give him on her own. In the beginning of the show you see a confused and lonely teen trying to find his way around all these people and fancy things he isn’t familiar with. Will shatters the sophisticated serenity of Bel-Air with his streetwise common sense,

In the essay “What is this ‘black’ in black popular culture?” he says that popular culture is not “the arena where we find out who we really are.” Instead, it is “where we discover and play with the identifications of ourselves, where we are imagined, where we are represented, not only to the audiences out there who do not get the message, but to ourselves for the very first time. “Black” signifies: A community in which experiences, pleasures, memories, and everyday practices of black people occur. Historical perseverance of black people in the diaspora. An aesthetic of distinctive cultural selections out of which popular depictions were made. And of the black counter narratives we have struggled to voice.

For starters, black people should be given more positive roles rather than always being portrayed negatively by playing the typical: thug, gangster, rude, or violent character. For the most part, what the public is shown on their screens stays engraved in their heads. This eventually projects in their words and actions. Therefore, seeing black people frequently act out as problematic characters can be harmful as to how society genuinely perceives African Americans in real life. It puts inaccurate notions into people’s minds which can unfortunately lead to racism. It’s

Chimamanda’s Ted Talk focused on how dangerous and powerful a single story is. By focusing on one viewpoint upon various subjects, other stories are ignored. She mentioned how her mother only told her about their house boy coming from a poor family so her viewpoint of that houseboy was based on poverty and nothing else. She was unable to see that he may have had skills, and that people in poverty stricken areas generally do have some form of skills, however little attention is given to them nor do they normally have resources that can help sharpen/put a spotlight on them. Politically this relates to historically repressed facts and mis-told/whitewashed history of various countries formation stories, and their people. Particularly following the legacy of colonization and racism/colorism, stereotypes have held power with negative repercussions for some and privileges for others across the world. Such as how mainstream society constantly paints Whites as heroes, God’s chosen people, innocence and the most intellectual race out of all humans. As being darker serves as their opposite and in a negative way, which helps to reinforce white supremacy narratives because white supremacy wouldn’t exist if a need for black to be negative wasn’t created. Blacks are painted as slaves, lazy, inferior, weak, and individuals with something inherently wrong psychologically. Today the media promotes such bias viewpoints of Blacks with the focus on/the phrase “black on black crime” in America,