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Stereotypes In The Birth Of A Nation

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The movie a Birth of a Nation was accepted by many and rebuked by a fewer amount. The African-Americans at the time did not agree with the movie because of the antebellum stereotypes of it displayed. The movie showed acceptance for several acts that the African- American and some whites did not approve of. The way blacks stereotypes were used in the movie were not only unacceptable but the acts and the thoughts that were within the movie defiantly were displayed throughout society not only before, but even more after. Whites in that time also showed a lot about themselves based in their actions in the movie and in society on a daily bases. In the early 20th century the battle between race was inevitable. This movie reinforced the involvement …show more content…

On the contrary it also showed a lot about whites. The story line of the movie portrayed the unethical thoughts whites had for African- Americans. It also showed how strong of dislike and disgust whites had for African-Americans. For a white women to commit suicide rather than be touched or raped by a black man speaks volumes. There were little to no blacks who supported the movie. On the other hand due to the fact that the movie had such a "whites come together feel" in it, it became the first movie to be played in the White House. What is meant by having an "whites come together feel" is that whites had so much hatred and fear towards African-Americans that they were able to put aside their own standing feud to band together and defeat African- Americans. This is unbelievable and not at the same time for the reason that yes the north and south had different views and values at the time but if African-Americans are trying to endanger any whites, the whites would always band together to protect their own. This is what made it easy for Griffith to make the Ku Klux Klan the heroes in the movie due to the fact they had a common enemy. It displayed the Klan and whites in an uplifting light. Even though a group of KKK members were going to be given jail time after being belittle and paraded through …show more content…

However when they got a response back from the Secretary , which was Mary Childs Nerney at the time. The letter stated how nothing could be done because "the two scenes of really unimportant incidents." It was also stated that not one thing can be done also because "their profits were $14,000 a day and their expenses were about $400." The money was one of the reasons The Birth of a Nation was never banded or censored. Other then the NAACP protesting race riots broke out in many areas. A race riot broke out in Boston only a few blocks away from where the movie was showed. Boston was sadly not the only one riots broke out in Chicago, Philadelphia, and many other cities, including cities where the movie was banded from being displayed. The rise in the number of lynching that were happening after the movie shot up ridiculously. These events are a clear view of how the story line successfully effected race relations after in the early 20th

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