Marcus Stamp

Explore The Ways In which The Representation Of

Black Men and Women Has Changed Since The 1900s To
Present Day
My thesis focuses on the journey, as well as changes of black peoples
representation in film from the 1900s to present day. I will be looking at a
wide variety of reasons that have lead to the alteration of general
representation, including social, political and cultural factors, as they have
played a huge role in the changes.
The 1900s was the time of the post-slavery era, where black slaves were
being bought and sold for labour, especially in the United States. During
this time, black people were seen as the rock bottom point of the social
hierarchy. As a result of this, they were captured in countries such as
Africa and forcibly transported across the Atlantic in slave ships.1 White
males and females enslaved them. They also had no say in what task they
were required to do and no control over the length of their working day
(which was normally from sunrise to sunset).2 Slaves were especially used
for their strong physique and ability to lift heavy objects. The Fox
Searchlight film, 12 Years a Slave (2012 Steve McQueen) presents black
people as servants to society and of an ethnic minority. This is illustrated
through the main character Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor)
throughout his journey in the slave trade, obeying orders from slave
masters. This is a clear demonstration of societys stereotypical view of
the black race during the period in which the text was written. Solomon is
represented as an obedient and undervalued man, in this case, a replica
of a man who shares the same traits of an African-American slave. This is
a prime example of how black people were represented and looked upon
during the post-slavery era. The trait of having black skin was looked
down upon and belittled by society due to the opportunity of making
money in return for cheap labour. Having black skin meant that you were
a threat, due to the fact that you were different from the others, (the
white race) making you a target to be taken advantage of. A key scenario
in the film that supports this, is when Solomon is abused by a slave guard
whilst imprisoned, shortly after being captured. The guard says, Youre
just a runaway nigger from Georgia as he brutally whips and attacks
Solomon for no apparent reason. Rather than reasoning with him and
attempting to explain the whole situation to Solomon, he acts in a more
aggressive manner towards him because he is different and seen as of
lower importance. This connotes the idea that black people in the 1950s
were brainwashed into thinking that they were unequal to those of a
different skin colour. They were automatically expected to obey orders as
1http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/prosem
ockingbird/0prose_mockingbird_contrev2.shtml
2http://www.historyonthenet.com/slave_trade/work.htm

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though thats what they were initially made for as a member of the black
race. Both black men, as well as women had no authority or rights during
the 1950s due to the social impacts of slavery and oppression.
Also, during the film, Solomon engages in a physical fight with one of the
slave masters, Tibeats. This instantly provides the audience with a reverse
representation of black people as Solomon fights back the injustice of the
system. Slavery is also mentioned in the bible stating that you may
purchase male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live
among you. You may also purchase the children of such resident
foreigners, including those who have been born in your land. You may
treat them as your property, passing them on to your children as a
permanent inheritance. This supports my thesis, as slaves have always
been represented to have no power, treated like worthless objects and be
overpowered by the white race. Solomon disarms Tibeats during the
tussle. By disarming him, it portrays his character as a strong, powerful
individual. This also supports my hypothesis as it suggests that black
people were enslaved because they were seen as a physical threat as well
as a dominant force in that particular era. Black people were made to all
feel worthless through the label of the word Nigger, which degrades
black people to nothing but slaves to society. The word is used a-lot
throughout the duration of the film and is used by everyone, including
the slaves themselves. This suggests that they had been brainwashed into
thinking they are the equivalent of dirt upon someones shoe, depicting
them as having no value.
The various acts that led to the abolishment of slavery somewhat changed
the way that black people were represented in the real world as well as in
films from the 1970s onwards. Black people began to stereotypically
become the enemy, being associated with negative thoughts and events.
Although the era of slavery was over, people then began to look upon
black people negatively due to the fact that they thought revenge was on
its way. As of before (during the slavery era) they were seen as a more
powerful force. Boyz N The Hood (1991 John Singleton) is a prime example
of the change in representation of black people, primarily males. Black
characters within this particular film are represented as very violent and
reckless. This is illustrated through the subject of a gang rivalry between
two opposing gangs, The Bloods and The Crips. The members of the gangs
are separated with clothing colours; however they are all a part of the
black ethnicity. The film is located in a ghetto in Los Angeles, implying that
although the location and environment of black people has improved since
the days of slavery, it is still below the desired and expected standard.
When comparing the film to 12 Years a Slave, this shows how the
representation including the actions of black people have changed since
slavery finally concluded. The film includes a-lot of violence between the
black culture, involving weapons such as guns and knives. It appears that
from the days of slavery, the use of weapons have advanced massively,

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from whips to more damaging weaponry. As black people became more
independent they started to fend for themselves, letting out their
aggressive personality as if society owed them something. This behaviour
was a large factor that contributed to the negative image of the black
culture/ethnicity. The recovery from slavery meant that black people were
new to the scene of individuality and freedom. Therefore, to avoid slavery
from re-occurring black people became reckless and violent to show that
they are not to be messed with and will not be taken down easily. This was
to portray a warning to anyone who wanted to interfere, which has
contributed to todays stereotype of black people being scary and
menacing-looking. This is displayed throughout Boyz N The Hood, where
violence is used to strike fear into the opposition and put them in a more
dominant mental position. The gang rivalry in the production was a battle
for turf reputation and respect. This is clearly shown when Doughboy
reveals a gun when in confrontation with the Crips as he says, We got a
problem here? We got a problem, nigga? The use of repetition, his
aggressive tone and the weapon suggests he is asserting his dominance
in the situation, showing he has no fear. Also, the use of the word Nigger
brings back up the era of slavery where the word originated. This suggests
that the word was used as a sign of brother-ship, even though they are of
opposing gangs. The facial expressions support the hatred, anger and
aggressiveness of black people in the post-slavery era, as they battled for
respect.
However, in recent years, the actions and attitudes of black people have
worsened, leading to more alterations in contemporary films. Unlike Boyz
N The Hood, the short film My Murder the representation of black people,
both male and female have turned to a more scandalous perception. In
comparison to the other films I have studied and evaluated, they all follow
the same kind of setting/location, which is a poor, run-down area. The
production of My Murder (2012 Bruce Goodison) was set in an estate in
South London. This particular area of London is known to be extremely
violent and dangerous; therefore it was set here to support stereotypes of
black teenagers. The quality of the area didnt look as clean or
presentable either, which also applies to the other films. The movie was
based from real events, which overall represents black people (especially
teenagers) in a very negative light, presenting the younger generation as
fighters and violent individuals. From deeper analysis, we can see that the
younger generation appear to be represented in a more reckless manner.
This is illustrated through the characters in My Murder in comparison to
12 Years a Slave. The slaves (who were older) attempt to reason their
problems through speech. However the generation of the black race
appear to solve their problems through the use of weaponry This has led
to the social stereotype of the black race being pre-judged by everyone as
a part of these ruthless antics, due to their class and status being of a less
fortunate reputation. There are many scenes within the movie that clearly
show characters conforming to the black race typical stereotype, being
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disapprovingly portrayed. In one case, the main character Shakilus
Townsend is being chased by a gang of black youths who cover their faces
in an attempt to stay hidden. They beat him up with weapons and stab
him to death. This is a common example of how the violence that was in
older films such as Boyz N The Hood has influenced the 20th Century
generation to follow their acts, but only in a more escalated manner at
younger stages of life.
The narrative theory of Levi Strauss and his idea of binary opposites being
present within films is present in all of films I have studied. The idea of
black and white and good versus evil is clearly presented throughout the
productions. In the society of today, slave masters were looked upon as
negative and evil. Back then, it the era of slavery, it was seen as a rather
positive thing and acceptable, which is a clear sign of just how much
things have changed. The white race during this era was the more
dominant force. This was clear as slave masters owned their black
slaves, telling us that the black race was seen as worthless back in those
times. However, in todays society, the stereotype of good versus evil is
still present, but in opposing force. Due to the poor representation of the
black race due to a variety of factors, the black race is now seen as the
antagonist. This can be backed up through almost every movie ever
made. Almost every film has an antagonist who is from the black culture.
Since this is so common in todays era, we have sub-consciously become
accustomed to it, accepting it. In contrast to this, we have also become
accustomed to the white race being known for being the hero, when less
than 100 years ago, they were taking part in serious and harsh racist acts.
This proves how easily people can be influenced to believe certain things
and the negative impact that it can have on the world. The whole scenario
is an example of ethnic disadvantage and minority. Firstly the black race
were enslaved, then when they were finally free and viewed as individuals
that were equal in society, they were seen negatively. This example is
proof that the world will always be the same, ethnicity and skin colour will
always cause conflicts due to an individuals differences, which could
explain stories of racism that have broadcasted worldwide. Although we
are urged and constantly reminded that we are equal and united as one,
there are always factors that cause conflict, signifying that the world will
never be at peace. Due to the population of films and the reputation of the
media, this plays a huge contribution to this matter.
In addition to all of this, the whole subject implies that the media plays a
very large role in the representation of the black race, as it can have a
large influence upon the way somebody views a particular thing. Although
this appears to be present more than ever in todays day and age, it has
been slowly progressing from the early stages of proliferation of media to
become what it has today. For instance, in Boyz N The Hood, the two rival
gangs The Blood and The Crips were known worldwide even though they
were based in the United States. This Implies that this played a huge role

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in the negative first impression and opinion on the black race, as people
brainwashed by the media would instantly associate gang violence with
the black race. This could be a key theory that led to the degrading of the
black race, including factors such as racism. Even in todays society,
although slavery is less frequent and everyone is said to be seen as
equal we still see obvious examples of degrading through the use of
hidden messages within media such as common stereotypes. This is
present within Kidulthood (2006 Menhaj Huda). Within the film, it portrays
how the original attitudes of black characters have influenced other races
and cultures. This labels the black race as the ringleaders of this
behaviour, which suggests a reason as to why these particular stereotypes
of negativity exist.
A common factor that these films share is the genre. All of the films
studied are of the crime genre. If we look at other productions that are in
the genre of crime such as Beef (2003 Peter Spirer) and Top-boy (2011
Yann Demange) we can see that black people are naturally associated
with violence stereotypically through media which brainwashes its
audience into bringing the ideologies from the film and applying them to
real world phenomenon. This is a clear signal that racial inequalities exist,
as black people are classed in a certain category, lower down in the social
hierarchy. In todays society, we have been brainwashed and influenced
by the media that white people are associated with wealth and riches,
whereas black people are linked with violence, crime and negative
ideologies. These negative thoughts and opinions have also led to
discrimination in replacement of slavery. Physical harm has been
substituted for mental harm through the use of racial slurs and comments.
Although not every person is like this, almost everyone still has doubts or
second thoughts about a person due to the colour of their skin, and that is
down to falsely generated stereotypes that the world has become to
believe to be true.
In conclusion, we can see the change in representation of the black race
from historic films to contemporary. After deep analysis of my case study
films, it is clear how the representation has changed due to a number of
factors, mainly including slavery. From the era of slavery to now (the 20th
Century) we can see how black people have evolved from the times where
they were once owned and force to work for the white race, whilst
constantly being abused and attacked. Comparing those times to the
present, we can see that the general media has played one of the biggest
role in the change overall representation as a race of black people. This
has lead to particular views and somewhat racial opinions. The negativity
of the black race that has been presented through media into the real
world has cause many arguments and caused many conflicts between
people of different races and cultures. As long as the media (including
films) continue to present these stereotypes and send these mental
images and hidden texts, this issue of the black race being portrayed

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negatively and being at a disadvantage will never end. Proof of this
includes real world stories that we hear on the world news, for example,
police officers being too quick to pull the trigger on a black member of
society or clearly treating the differently for their skin colour. The
proliferation of social media also doesnt help the situation, as it is
constantly being discussed, highlighting all of the negativity, instead of
trying to limit it. I believe that the production of films lead to the
discrimination of the black race that is present in todays day and age.
This was due to the representation of characters within these productions.
As films became more realistic in a visual manner, the ideologies and
representations of those characters started to become implied to the real
world, which lead to the discrimination and negative representation.
Word Count: 2721
Bibliography
Boyz N The Hood (John Singleton 1951)
Kidulthood (Menhaj Huda 2006)
12 Years a Slave (Steve McQueen 2012)
My Murder (Bruce Goodison 2012)
Beef (Peter Spirer 2003)
Top-Boy (Ronan Bennett 2011)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0435680/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boyz_n_the_Hood
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101507/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uIauoMugTw
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_Years_a_Slave_(film)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2024544/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2201131/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361354/
Why Did Black People Become Slaves:
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080625134019AAxnEks
What Did Slaves Have To Do: https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?
qid=20081031111542AAysf8a