AMERICAN POLITICS:

RACISM AND STEREOTYPING OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN MEDIA

Jaylan A. Snaith
College Writing 102: Argumentation and Research
December 3rd, 2018
 For Decades, media has been censured for their imaging and representation of African

Americans. Since the inception of the United States, African Americans have always been viewed

as third class citizens. Both African American women and men have always been stereotyped and

still are today. Media portrays an image of African Americans that is misrepresented and biased.

Arguably, the media changes how society treats and views African men and women in their social

endeavors of life. This raises the question: Does the media correctly represent African Americans

in our country? Does the media portray an image that is discriminating and skewed?

There are various television shows, music entertainment, cinemas and social media that

proves that the representation of African Americans are very much discriminating and racist. The

bias of media has not only negatively affected African Americans’ relationship with the law and

judicial system but also, the way that they are viewed in society. This social mechanism is allowing

for African Americans to struggle in society through socialism, being denied rights and social

privileges. It could be argued that, there is a cyclic pattern between African Americans and

criminality, especially in the news where African Americans are not only represented and imaged

as criminals but violent and threatening to the social environment.

During the 19th century, African Americans in media were stereotyped as “dirty and

useless”. 1However, these stereotypes in media have gotten inferior in American society. For

example, today African Americans in media are seen as violent, drug traffickers, ghetto, poor,

uneducated, and thieves. Evidently, the general public chooses not to view African Americans as

who they really are because of what the media has labeled them. Arguably, this emphasizes

Durkheim’s Labeling theory. Labeling theory is an act when an individual pre-judges another

1 Monica T Williams, “African Americans and Pathological Stereotypes”, American Psychological Association 2011
individual based off what they see, hear, and sometimes interpret. Sociologically speaking, this

allowed many other racial groups other than the whites to start to draw conclusive observations

that are inconclusive about African Americans. “Irish, Hispanics, Italian, Jewish, and Middle

Easterners make up 12% of the individuals who stereotype African Americans”2. Emblematically,

African Americans are constantly discriminated against in America today because they must fit a

specific criteria in the social environment. Meaning, African Americans are forced to represent

themselves under another racial groups’ approval whether discriminative or non-discriminative.

Media represents African Americans in ways that are erroneous. For example, the hip-hop

industry. African American men are viewed as thugs or being a murderer. Likewise, African

American women are viewed as “gold diggers” and a “ride or die chick”. Evidently, African

American women in these music videos play multiple sex roles. Studies have shown that “African

American women are represented in music as voluptuous and disparaging”. 3Then again, studies

have further shown that since females are treated poorly in music videos, they tend to be more

tolerant to sexual abuse and sexism. Arguably, this engenders a misogynic on African American

women. How? Because in a music video with multiple African American women, men are

“respected” or “commended” to having multiple women being seen as a player while the African

American women are seen as promiscuous and desperate. Clearly, this is normalizing sexism

towards black women which is both demoralizing and inhumane. Because this is seen in so many

music videos this is effortlessly displaying to men that sexually objectifying a woman is okay

which it is not.

2 John Hersey, “Gender, Race and Media”, Penn State, 2015

3
Karen Shandon, “The Problem of African Americans”, Desmos, 2017
 Another way that media represents African Americans in a negative way is reality

television. Reality television for African American women has worsened. There is a plethora of

reality television sitcoms that are lensed around African Americans; However, these television

shows image and represent African Americans in a dehumanizing way. For instance, the reality

television show “Love and Hip-Hop”. Arguably, this reality television show mirrors African

American women as high-tempered, violent and licentious. According to the Sociologist Steven F

Gray, there are four forms of stereotypes of African American on television. The four forms of

stereotypes are the “black best friend, ghetto thug, and the arrogant woman”4. The two common

stereotypes seen is the black best friend and arrogant woman. Evidently, the black best friend is

the individual whom helps a white individual out of a criminating situation and the arrogant woman

is represented as the sassy and eye-rolling individual. Based on a study found in the Dualism and

Functionalism journal, “African American women found these stereotypes false representations

and illustrations, and that these stereotypes are making women as a whole struggle socially”. 5

Likewise, African American men. It could be argued that there is a disproportionate amount

of African American men acting roles on television that fuels the racial stereotype that African

Americans are faced with. Such as, African Americans being violent and having no respect for the

law. Isn’t sad that this is what the media feeds the general public? Arguably, this has caused society

to develop an interest for these shows that represent discriminating images and we do not realize

how damaging and toxic these television sitcoms can be but it’s what sparks the drama, right? For

instance, in “Love and Hip-Hop” they display disrespectful acts and conduct of African American

men and forcibly accept that African American men power is only seen sexually. Looking at the

4
Steven F. Gray, “African Americana”, 2015
5 Laura Green, “Negative Racial Stereotypes and Their Effect on media Toward African-Americans”, VCU, 2016
network from these Reality television shows, VH1 is based on the concept of “high-tempered

African American women”.6 For example, the television show “Bad Girls Club’. Theoretically

speaking, the “Bad Girls Club” was just another way to belittle women. “The majority

demographic of the BGC was African American women”7. In this television show the “baddest”

girls were always African American. The criteria of a “bad girl” was hyper-sexualized, extremely

violent, and loud. What does this say about African American women? Although, African

American women in reality television shows are professional actors, they are characterized and

brought down by the familiarized stereotypes we see of African American women.

Figure 1: Museum of Racist Memorabilia, Accessed on December 1st, 2018

Historically, African Americans actresses were being represented as jezebels, sexual

restrained women, highly-tempered, and extremely violent. The most impactful female

stereotype was the Jezebel. (see figure 1) The jezebel stereotype is a promiscuous woman with

6
Ibid
7 Laura Green, “Negative Racial Stereotypes and Their Effect on media Toward African-Americans”, VCU, 2016
an urging sex appeal. The image of Jezebel in fact in early cinemas was justified as a sexual

affiliation which in theory was rape and sex abuse between white males and African American

females. The degrading, disgusting, and dehumanizing stereotypes that are acted by African

American women are what have structured and framed society the view of them in the United

States today. The More African American women continue to create films with stereotypical

leads the more discriminating views they will get. Doesn’t society think that women especially

African American women go through enough? “African American women face segregation,

wage gaps, and low economic and social stratification”.8

Figure 2: Pintrest.com, Accessed on December 1st , 2018

Tenure in media is what helps control what is being leaked to the public. African

Americans have always been unrepresented when having a strong and influential role in the

media. Especially, on news broadcasts. Without an individual representing African Americans

8
William M. Rodgers, “Black-white wage gaps expand with rising wage inequality”, Economic Policy Institute
2011
the media can “spoon feed” what they believe based on their intuition and not actual facts to the

public. According to William Chambliss, “the media is a vital source of information about

African Americans and their social representation9”. The image that the media filtrates

influences publicity that is capable of augmenting perceptions of African Americans. According

to CNN News, “African Americans has the highest crime rates than any other racial group”10.

This begs the question: Does the media correctly represent African Americans in our country?

No! Arguably, the media “hand picks” and chooses what to feed to the audience. Because there

are so many stereotypes and microaggressions of African Americans, it will result in more of a

popularized moral panic.

African Americans are misrepresented on the scope of racist entertainment. There needs

to be more African Americans in media. When the media images African American men and

women in a discriminating way, the aftermaths are acted in reality. Due to these discriminatory

actions, African Americans are denied jobs because they are not the “right fit”. Secondly,

African Americans are treated as suspicious and suspects by police officers on the street. The

media creates a portrait of stereotypes that puts African Americans in an unnatural and

inescapable social dilemma. For example, the George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin case.

Zimmerman a white police officer shot a seventeen-year-old black male- Trayvon Martin. Why?

According to Zimmerman’s interview “Trayvon was alone making him suspicious and armed, so

he shot him because he saw it in a movie once”11. See how these stereotypes are causing people

to react violently? Arguably, this murder case emphasizes how the power of media forces us to

indulge in these stereotypical and discriminating acts. Additionally, there are multiple incidents

9
William Chambliss, “Sociological Imagination”, 2011
10 CBS News, George Zimmerman Trial & Trayvon Martin Case, 2015
11 Ibid
similar to this one because of stereotypes of African Americans. Such as the killing of Michael

Brown and Eric Garner.

Currently in 2018, African Americans experience violence from other racial groups

because of stereotyping. The study that is being introduced are individuals who have experienced

both psychological and somatic aftermaths of stereotyping. The information and data are

collected from 15 African American individuals from the low, middle, and high social class. The

data consists of personal experiences of these individuals and how they were affected. The

Interviewee had to answer the following questions:

1. Have you ever experienced any racial stereotyping? if so, explain.

2. Following question #1 how did it make you feel? How did it affect you?

However, only two responses were taken as measures for the study due to biasness.

If ANY of these responses are copied or posted there will be a PENALTY due to

Ethical Dilemmas ***NOTE: ALL responses are verbatim***

Interviewee 1: “This day was entirely the worst day of my life. I still can’t believe they did that

to me. I went to Cheektowaga Central high school and I was the only black girl in my AP

Biology Class; every day the white kids would just look at me like I disgust them, and I really

felt unhappy there I did not know to do. One day I was sitting there completing a unit test and

this girl named Barbara came to me and she told me that a dumb ass nigga doesn’t belong in this

class. After she said that I honestly didn’t know what to do. I didn’t tell the teacher because I did

not want to be known as the snitch or teachers pet. Til this day I never forgot how fucking broke

I was. Uhhh later that day I went to swim. I never really talked to no one in my class, ok so

during swim I began to get a weird feeling like someone was out to get me but maybe I was just
a little aggravated or something, I don’t know! Next thing I know that Bitch Barbara tries to

fucking drown me while I’m not paying attention, I was trying with all my efforts to get up all I

can hear her say is “drown you black piece of shit” I thought then and near my life was over... I

.... I ...I just can’t talk about this no more... I know I said I would help you ... I just can’t ... I

almost killed myself because .... you know I have to go {......}

Due to personal emotional complications the rest of the response was never completed

Interviewee 2:

“I went to Sweet home High school and I encountered a racist student, I don’t know why

she ain’t like me.... she called me a nigger in front of the class and told me my parents

weren’t shit...sorry to go off on a tangent ...but I thought... you should know that.... she

never got in trouble and every day of my sophomore it was bloody hell.... she always

made racist remarks about how it’s my fault that trump is president and me and my poor

people should go back and pick cotton and get butt fucked. All I remember her saying to

me is your mother on crack your father sells hoe’s and your grandmother sucks

cock....true story man.....I really hate to relive this past...I was institutionalized for 4 years

in a psychiatric clinic because of her.....I tries to kill myself 4 times because all I could

think about is people judging me on my skin eventually others kept copying her and it

began to get very draining especially mentally....I started to hate myself and who I was I

was very angry that I was black ......ok...let me get straight to the point I don’t want to

keep you here all day....basically she made a fake facebook page and all I can say is this

she fucking humiliated me she did exactly what I was afraid of....she made posts saying

that I’m black and gay and that my mama sold me for a piece of crack...it was absolutely,

terrible.....I eventually attempted to kill myself but I wasn’t effective, my mum walked in
 on me with the knife at my neck and quickly I thrusted it in my pelvix ....all I remember

is me waking up in a mental hospital...mum said I was in a traumatic coma for 8 months

beforehand....

End of Interviewee’s 2 response

In conclusion, numerous theories and studies indicate that African Americans are the top

1% of being the most racially stereotyped and discriminated. African Americans have been

affected both socially and psychologically there is one thing that needs to be done and that is

social reform. Society needs to take a stand to engender more of a racial interdependent

mechanism in the United States rather than a superiority one before the political and social

environment are pollute with complete injustices.

 Annotated Bibliography

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2018. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/culturally-speaking/201112/african-

americans-and-pathological-stereotypes.

Aya5472. "Gender, Race, and Media." SiOWfa15 Science in Our World Certainty and

Controversy. 2015. Accessed December 04, 2018.

https://sites.psu.edu/adelineartenie/2015/09/.

"The Problem of African American Underrepresentation in City Councils." Demos. Accessed

December 04, 2018. https://www.demos.org/publication/problem-african-american-

underrepresentation-city-councils.

"Negative Racial Stereotypes and Their Effect on Attitudes Toward African-Americans." Ferris

State University: Michigan College Campuses in Big Rapids MI, Grand Rapids MI, Off

Campus Locations Across Michigan. Accessed December 04, 2018.

https://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/jimcrow/links/essays/vcu.htm.

"Black-white Wage Gaps Expand with Rising Wage Inequality." Economic Policy Institute.

Accessed December 04, 2018. https://www.epi.org/publication/black-white-wage-gaps-

expand-with-rising-wage-inequality/.