Racial Stereotypes

A stereotype is a group of attributes given to a group of people, most often hurtful and negative and not true.

Stereotypes are generalizations about a group of people whereby we attribute a defined set of characteristics to this group. These classifications can be positive or negative, such as when various nationalities are stereotyped as friendly or unfriendly.

In the 1800s, minstrel shows took America by storm. These shows demonstrated characteristics of African-Americans that confirmed stereotypes that many whites believed at the time. Several characteristics were over exaggerated through characters. One character in particular, Zip Coon, was an extremely dehumanizing stereotype. At first, Zip Coon was an arrogant individual who would try to be high class but was too ignorant. Ultimately, Zip Coon combined with Jim Crow to create the “coon” stereotype.

Stereotype: A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. Have you ever stereotyped someone? Something? Anything? Taking a look at a visual argument that is made up of five cartoons that have to deal with different issues. Different issues but all rely on the same thing, stereotypes. Society has a tendency to make incorrect judgments of others based on various stereotypes that have been established over time.

A "stereotype" is a social perception of an individual in terms of group membership or physical attributes. Stereotypes are generalizations made about a group and then attributed to all members of that group.

A stereotype is “...a fixed, over generalised belief about a particular group or class of people.” (Cardwell, 1996).

Blackface performances were popular in American theaters for roughly 100 years, beginning around the 1830’s. In 1950’s blackface minstrel shows, white and black performers were not able to share the stage therefore they opted to paint their faces black with polish. These “black” characters were always portrayed as either villains or comedic. Blackface had been used to make arguments for slavery and why African Americans should not be given full human rights. These are narratives created by white men that were made to oppress and dehumanize an entire race of people. The minstrel show clip titled “Cotton and Chick Watts Blackface Minstrel Show Comedy” we are shown a very degrading performance put on by two white

Different archetypes have been used to represent black people through television, live performances, and film. These stereotypes consisted of “Coon”, “Mulatto”, “Mammy”, and “Tom” (site—Johnson). Prior to films and television, African American’s were depicted by white actors wearing “blackface” in which white people entertained audiences through plots that portrayed African Americans in stereotypical ways that had prevailed since the time of slavery. “Coon” for instance, was created as a from of comedy and amusement for white individuals, as this image allowed for comic relief through idiocy. “Coons” had, in essence, a low level of intelligence with minimal common sense. Their dull-wittedness advocated the view that African American people were unintelligent beings who were incompetent and unable to formulate intelligible thoughts. This further reinforced the idea that African American people were in need of instruction and guidance from white individuals—just as they did during slavery—in order for African Americans to sustain and remain alive, or else they would be damaged by their own incapabilities. Similar to the “Coon”, Mammy was also a common character who was portrayed as an obese and grumpy woman who also provided comic relief to white folks. Mammy’s creation was

Popular caricatures of the African American community helped keep what white supremacist would call racial balance. During the time of the civil war, tensions were high when people started to get the idea that slaves did not like being slaves. To combat this the uncle and the Mammy caricatures were created. They were depicted as older slaves that enjoyed working under their master (Riggs). This new concept helped white people conform to the idea of slavery because of the need it implied on the white community to control slaves. After northern states began to make slavery illegal, they no longer needed docile characters to play a part in the segregation of the races. Instead new characters were created to fit their agenda To combat the growing presence of black men in the northern middle class the Zip coon was created

According to Dictionary.com a stereotype is something conforming to a fixed or general pattern, especially an often oversimplified or biased mental picture held to characterize the typical individual of a group (dictionary.com).

All most everyone in there lifetime has stereotyped others are have been a victim of stereotypes. A stereotype is the belief about another culture, race or a person that has no logic or evidence to support there negative thoughts. Many people believe that when a person stereotypes another it is the lack of information or ignorance

A stereotype is oftentimes used to categorize a group of people who are practically forced to act likewise in order to fit in. Throughout history, many scholars and writers have lashed out against the use of different stereotypes, Caryl Churchill and Khushwant Singh being two of them.

Little Black Sambo was a cartoon show about a black child in the deep south. It stirred a great deal of controversy due to its extreme racial stereotyping. This stereotyping is best shown through the depiction of Sambo’s mother as the conventional black “mammy”. Another scene from the show that was stereotypical and degrading, was when the tiger literally scared the black skin color out of Sambo. Closely related to these African caricatures are minstrel shows. Minstrel shows emerged from the pre industrial European traditions of masking and carnival, but began in America in 1830’s where white men would dress up as southern plantation slaves. These white men would not only dressed up like slaves, but would imitate their music and dance styles. These shows combined the savage parody of black Americans with the fondness for their culture forms. Minstrel shows were popular until the 1950’s when Africans Americans began to obtain more political power. The people involved in minstrel shows would often love slave music and culture, but not the actual slaves themselves. One interesting but terrible phenomenon that arose as a result of these minstrel shows, was the idea of

Stereotypes are deeply embedded in every society in numerous ways. The dictionary definition of a stereotype is “one that is regarded as embodying or conforming to a set image or type.” Stereotyping or Labeling is a technique that “attempts to arouse prejudices in an audience by labeling the object of the propaganda campaign

Black is ugly, Blacks are savage, Blacks are happy servants. These were stereotypes that were played up in the 19th century United States theatre/performances/literature. As the minstrel shows began to appear and become popular, showing how slavery was a good thing. Whites controlled the appearance of slavery and African Americans through these characters they created such as Black Mammy, the Happy Sambo, and the Brute. All based off of stereotypes of the time, blacks portrayed as dumb, docile, willing, or happy-go-lucky servants.