The Pros And Cons Of Stereotypes On African Americans

There Are many different ways black and white people can stereotype themselves and others. Some white people feel that they are not racist and some feel that deep down they are because of their background of their family. Some feel they need to be because of the society and they need to blend in. White people and black people both have stereotypes just we know most about Black peoples because “ White is normal “. We don’t focus on

Stereotypes seem to be very present in our country, especially stereotypes towards African-Americans. For the longest time, like it has been instilled as a fact in my brain, black people have been directly related to the words “ghetto” or “hood”. I don’t remember a time where I actually can remember the words “ghetto” or “hood” without the picture in my mind of an African-American person. I think that this is a big problem in today’s society because it is not true but still seems to be taught. In politics, society, and everyday life, it feels like African-American’s are being slammed for being hoodlums. This is a problem because there are millions of African-American people who do not fit this stereotype, but still get degraded and treated badly because of this age old belief.

A stereotype is a popular belief about specific types of individuals. Stereotypes are standardized and simplified conceptions of groups based on some prior assumptions. African Americans have been perceived to be someone they are not in the media, history, and in everyday life. Although some stereotypes are true, many are harmful and inaccurate.

African Americans have been oppressed ever since slavery was abolished and it seems to be a never-ending cycle. White Americans oppressed the black population because they needed a way to remind everyone of their so-called supremacy. They did this through many different ways but the most common were by theatrical performances. Ever since the minstrelsy shows the negative stereotypes of African Americans seem to keep growing. According to the book Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies, and Bucks, “in almost every American movie in which a black had appeared, filmmakers had been trying to maintain the myth that Negroes were naturally rhythmic and natural-born entertainers.”

In this world there are ideas that separate people by race, and these are the stereotypes or labels. Stereotypes are put on African Americans, Asian, and even white people, or they could get more specific and go into a certain type of person like their actions or their personality; however labels could also be on different levels such as positive,neutral, and negative.

Throughout the history of motion pictures, prejudice directors have used film to control how the general public views certain demographics of people. In particular, the black community has historically been viewed in a negative light. Stereotypes were created through literature and film that still affect African Americans. Directors and writers would create relatable stories and attach demeaning traits to black people that have qualities in common with Black Americans. This would force readers and viewers to subconsciously attach these stereotypes black people. Examples of these stereotypes can be found in Uncle Tom’s Cabin and The Birth of a Nation. Derogatory terms such as “Bucks,” “Toms,” “Coons,” and “Mulattos”, have put African

Throughout the world, society habitually puts every group into multiple categories. Those groups can vary from gender, to race, to religion, while those categories can fluctuate from what society believes each group is supposed to act by. This method is often referred to as stereotyping, which is a widely held label that each particular group follows in society’s eyes. Though many groups in society have stereotypes, the African American race has numerous. Though the way of living for African Americans have changed throughout time, the stereotypes from the past still haunt us today. Based off of societies stereotypes of the African American race, commonly known as “blacks”, each subgroup of this race reacts differently toward the stereotypes.

the officer that declared him as a burglar. As a result, colored people feel the need to take justice into their hands by protecting themselves with weapons.

African Americans are underrepresented in various aspects of American society. On television I am bombarded with commercials, cartoons and other genres of visual entertainment and one fact is prominent, there are few African Americans seen on television. When Blacks are on television it is a criminal on the news or single Black person to meet the diversity quota of the network or not at all. Though some will argue that cartoons should not be in this category for the simple fact that they are understood to not have a race I disagree. When there is a fairy with light pink skin and Caucasian features that represents a Caucasian individual. Many times there are no cartoon with brown skinned characters which, in my opinion is a tragedy. Children

Differences seem to be the only thing we see in our world today- different appearances, different ideas, different cultures and beliefs. They are what define us; what give us each a uniqueness that is the reason our species thrives. But, when we are not accepting of our differences, when we refuse to see that our outlook on life is not the only one, many conflicts can arise. Unfortunately, this happens all too often, with differences often being seen in a negative light, casting the shadow of conflict over the world. However, there is an easy fix to this problem, although simple is not always equal to easy. Yet, I believe that when we connect to those different from ourselves, we can open up a path to a more peaceful society.

“LeBron is a beast,” is a common statement his fans say after the 6’8” 250 pound world-class athlete streaks down the basketball court, powers through defenders, and viscously dunks the ball, then stares down the opponent’s bench. There is no denying LeBron James is a fantastic athlete. He considered one of the best basketball players on the planet. He became not only a savoir figure for Cleveland, but an NBA all-star sensation known worldwide for his skills and his shoes. James has been prevalent in sports media dating back to his high school years when he made the decision to skip college and go straight to the NBA. He was on an NBA cover back then, and now I would like to present you a 2008 cover that presents a blatant stereotype of African Americans.

I was a sophomore in high school when I met a black junior at my school named Jordan. She was first in her class and had been taking advanced placement classes since she was a freshman, which my school does not offer freshman. I was in awe when she offered to help me make my schedule for my junior year and advised me on what classes and teachers were the best. Whenever I need advice for school, I still call Jordan to talk about my situation with her. Through this relationship, I have learned that black people need to help other black people because only we know what is feels like to be black and successful. In my experience, success isn’t expected from black students. While applying for a black scholarships the GPA minimum for many of them was 2.5, which is below the 3.0 national average. In essence, they were expecting below average blacks to apply for their

I absolutely agree with you LaQueisha! Especially, at my work I see this happening all to often from your examples. Constantly, I see a higher expectation for Asian Americans rather than African Americans when doing their job. From what you said in your post and what I mentioned, could it be the results of negative self-image inflicting this negative stereotype being placed on these two groups? This kind of stereotyping based on the assumption that Asian Americans have more education than African Americans is inappropriate. With that said, I know a few African American co-workers who I work, with that went to college and got their masters. I sometimes think that cumulative causation may have something to do with or has

Our society is fabricated with the many stereotypes that exist regarding each and every race, ethnicity, gender, religion, etc. African American youth are among the greater numbers that are instantly judged and labeled with those stereotypes. There are a handful that may be considered positive, however, the vast majority of stereotypes are built off of the imperfections of a given group of individuals. That being said, a higher education will grant a better reputation for African American youth, compared to the reputation that has already been set for them. Education is by far, the most valuable asset that anyone can have in a lifetime, especially for groups of individuals such as African American youth.

Stereotypes are a major issue in our general public. It puts labels about how man should act or live as indicated by their gender, race, personality, and different realities. This could influence people who maybe like distinctive things or do diverse exercises, however feel embarrassed about doing as such due to stereotypes. Furthermore, stereotypes like all men like sports or ladies are not as solid as men, are among the most widely recognized in our general public. Also stereotypes have created a misrepresentation of how every individual ought to be. We as a feature of the generation Y should know how these stereotypes could influence us as people. We ought to learn not to judge and prejudge about individuals on account of what we figure they ought to resemble, and should change our perspective about the generalizations that are profoundly established in our general public.