Race and Its Representation Through Media

Racism is one of the most significant ills affecting the current society. It refers to the act of segregating people by their skin color. In spite of globalization and technological development in the recent past, humanity is yet to do away with racism. Apparently, it is affecting how people relate and interact with the victims of the vice being denied access to opportunities and recognition. According to Kiuchi (2012: 17), visual culture can alter people's perceptions and consciousness. In other words, it is a powerful tool which affects the understanding of other people. Instead of providing equal access and coverage the media has been promoting racism hence disadvantaging some communities. The American popular culture has instead taken center stage even in the African American film culture whereby the Blacks are capitalized on while being denied equal rights as their counterparts. How has the media promoted racism? The media possesses a very racist perspective as reflected in the negative depiction of African Americans. Precisely, the US television and film industry have distorted the image of African Americans while promoting that of the whites.

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Coverage of drug use is one area where the media has unfairly targeted the African Americans. According to Meyers (2004: 118), the press has linked hard drugs such as crack cocaine to black communities while at the same time disregarding the use of cocaine among the wealthy whites. Similarly, the author highlights the stereotyping of drug addicts as being a black woman also referred to as "she-devil." According to the author, the media also depicts the woman as being responsible for the birth of crack babies who suffer from a poverty of values. According to Meyers, the story as portrayed in the media fails to explain challenges facing African American women. On the contrary, it highlights a negative image which only serves to increase their discrimination. In addition to that, the author asserts that the depiction is consistent with other cultural studies indicating that film and the television industry is a representation of the ruling class' interests. In this case, the presentation of the views of those in power as natural and inevitable helps build consensus around the common ideology hence making it anchored on daily ideologies. For instance, Meyers (2004: 112) highlights how the media's depiction of racial violence tends to legitimize the criminal system. Consequently, supporting the upholding of law and order while at the same time depicting the African Americans as a threat the social order. In essence, the film and television industry has been used by those in leadership to portray the Blacks as being against the social order. These assertions reflect those of Kiuchi (2012: 17) regarding the role of media in the society. According to Kiuchi, the media has the power to alter the way people perceive or address specific issues. In the case of the Blacks, their portrayal as being against the social order has heightened the arrests and incarceration rates.

The relation of Blacks to trouble is also reflected in Giuliani Time. As highlighted by Torres (2001: 73) contemporary policing has emerged as civil rights approach of dealing with the urban poor who in most cases are the Blacks. As depicted in Giuliani Time documentary, the only aspect hindering the development of perfect cities is the existence of black people in the streets. Having realized the problem, the mayor formulates a plan of ensuring that the said group of people is eliminated from the city. The measure was achieved through criminalizing of the groups and accusing them of committing "quality of life offenses." In this way, we see the depiction of African Americans as being the cause of social ills within the New York community. Hence the determination to have them banished. According to Kiuchi (2012: 93), the African culture was the major impediment to inclusion into the mainstream society, hence the inclination to limit positive portrayal in films. In the case of Giuliani, the fact that the Blacks were located at the lowest level of the social hierarchy was reason enough to isolate them from the community.

In addition to that, the industry depicted an African American woman as a mommy or a helper. In the television show "Gimme A Break" shows an African woman providing care to a white family. According to Fuller, (2013), the black woman (Nell) highlighted in the movie, bears significant resemblance to Aunt Jemima brand of 1889 which depicted the black woman as being a voluptuous maid who invests in the happiness of the employer. Apparently, throughout history, being a nanny has often been regarded as being the most appropriate task for the African American woman. In other words, the black woman has been stereotyped as a nanny who is keen towards ensuring the employer's happiness. Further, Fuller (2013) asserts that in spite of the passage in time and the changes in people's perception regarded racism little has changed in the film and television industry. From the author's perspective, the role of Nell in Gimme a break was finetuned to suit the perceptions of the society. For instance, Nell does not play the role of a paid nanny which had been a common trend in previous years. However, she still retains the part of being a nanny as she is not married to Kanisky-the widower. According to Fuller, the directors of the TV show could not have allowed Kanisky to marry Nell -even though this could have best described the role played by the two characters- as this was considered an oddity during the period. The depiction of Nell as a humble and loving woman suits the description of Kiuchi (2012) on the qualities given to black characters. From Kiuchi's analysis, the Blacks were denied roles which could give them authority or control over the whites. In regards to "Gimme a break" Nell is submissive to Kanisky.

The film industry has often given the Blacks roles attributed to weakness. According to Kiuchi (2012: 20), Hollywood has often denied Black characters parts which would have shown them as being strong or having authority. The author indicates that such roles would have been deemed a threat to the whites. An example given by the author is that of Sydney Poiter who had played a role in Guess who is coming to dinner of 1967. Apparently, the black character got into a relationship with Katharine another character in the movie. According to kiuchi, the interracial relationship was considered normal and acceptable because Sydney possessed virtues of a white man. In the film, Sydney was neither rebellious nor dissatisfied which were virtues predominantly associated with the Blacks. Ostensibly the role played by black characters did not reflect the characteristics of the ordinary African Americans.

Negative depiction of African Americans has also resulted in the demoralization of athletes and professionals in various fields. McKay and Johnson (2008: 86) highlight how Serena Williams- one of the best tennis players- was regarded as not being sexy enough for the sports hence deemed not appropriate. According to the authors, the western society has not matured enough to dismiss the habit of heterosexual men watching women sports from an erotic perspective. Such practices which are common in the mainstream media has affected the way women participating in sports are appreciated. For instance, the fact that Serena Williams is not sexy enough has resulted in disapproval. In addition to that, it is evident that the apparent lack of sexual appeal is attributed to her African American background. This aspect as such brings to the fore the obliteration of the African image by the media. As highlighted by Kiuchi (2012: 17), the media has the power to influence people's consciousness and by extension pushing them to a new direction. The depiction of the African athletes as being less sexy as compared to the whites has made them seem less inappropriate for the games. Consequently, the victory of African athletes as often been downplayed since they are accused of being too powerful than their competitors. In other words, they are accused of having an undue advantage which gives them an easy victory.

The depiction of African Americans as being inferior to the African whites has been attributed to myriads of factors. However, the fact that whites direct most movies is the most significant contributor. According to Gray (2001:71) though several films have included black characters most of them have not included major black themes. Conversely there some films entailed black ideas and sensibilities but were directed by whites. From Gray's (2001: 71) perspective the fact that whites lead most of the said movies has resulted in the inclusion of a white angle in the stories conveyed. In other words, the white directors have often approached the white culture and themes from their perspective as opposed to that of the Blacks hence distorting the message (Kiuchi, 2012: 17). Some of the pertinent issues affecting minority groups are not captured thus leading to the decline in quality of life to the concerned. Pierson et al. (2013: 157) was the center of attention for highlighting the plight of African American women. The race was the primary reason why the women's health challenges had not been covered. The instant popularity of the TV comedy reflected the interest among members of the society to understand the problems of the black women.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is clear from that the film industry has had a significant impact on the image of African Americans. Issues such as drugs and crime, for instance, have become associated with the Blacks in spite of the fact that the other races are involved in the same vices. The negative portrayal has had an immense impact on the Blacks as they find it difficult to coexist with other races or even participate in activities such as athletics. It is therefore critical that the film industry restructures its approach of African Americans to ensure fairness and fruitful coexistence of different races.

Annotated Bibliography

Fuller, J., 2013. Gimme a Break! And the Limits of the Modern Mammy. Watching While Black: Centering the Television of Black Audiences.

This article evaluates how the television industry has depicted the African American image. Fuller highlights the role of Nell, a black woman taking care of a white family. The article established a similarity between the casting of a black woman in the current generation and the previous years. From the analysis, the author reveals that there have been minimal changes in the depiction of a black woman. Apparently, since the 19th century, the film industry has often shown an African American woman as a black maid keen on ensuring the happiness of a white family. This article provides information on how the black woman has been portrayed by the film industry which is essential for black women empowerment in the 21st century.

Gray, H., 2001. The politics of representation in network television. Media and cultural studies: Keyworks, pp.439-461.

The article focuses on the management of the media industry and how it has influenced the African American image. According to the author, in spite of the emergence of black movies and films focused on black themes, the whites are still the directors of the industry. The article concludes that the presence of white directors have ensured that the African issues are not reflected in the films as they should. The author attributes this scenario to the fact that the directors approach the African themes from a white perspective. The article provides an insight on how the film industry can provide best incorporate black topics and subsequently enhance inclusivity.

Kiuchi, Y., 2012. Struggles for Equal Voic...