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The Dehumanization Of Blacks: Negative Portrayal In Mass Media

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The Dehumanization of Blacks: Negative Portrayal in Mass Media Since the establishment of this country there has always been a racial hierarchy system that is used as a basis to establish who is above one another in terms of status. The racial hierarchal system placed whites above all other races, leaving the other races who did not fit into the Eurocentric mold to flounder about at the bottom of the racial totem pole. Those with black skin in particular, especially dealt with the brunt of receiving the short end of the racial stick. Consequently, developing and cultivating a system of white privilege that aided whites in maintaining positions of power that helped control and influence the media’s portrayal of blacks. Nevertheless, the negative …show more content…

Ramifications of the Problem The preconceived notions of how blacks are perceived by whites date back to the establishment of this country. According to Joshunda Sanders (2012), a writer for the Maynard Institute, which focuses on structural inequality, “the perception of people of color as inferior to whites is embedded within the nation’s legacy of racial hierarchy, which is described as a system of stratification based on belief that skin color makes whites superior”. Due to the system of white superiority blacks are seen in a negative one-dimensional light rather than the three-dimensional light that should be afforded to every single person. As said by Sanders (2012), blacks are subjected to be viewed under this light because popular culture in America has become numb to the superficial portrayals of blacks in the media. In fact, L. …show more content…

According to Yurii Horton, Raegan Price, and Eric Brown (1999) who conducted research for the Ethics of Development in a Global Environment, the media is the force that sets the tone for the beliefs and values of our culture. This raises concern because it can be inferred, that there is are abundant amount of people do not interact with blacks on a day-to-day basis who believe that the stereotypes bombarded throughout the media are based on reality instead of fiction. This goes to show that mass media portrayal plays a key role in how blacks are perceived by whites. According to Narissra M. Punyanunt-Carter (2008), a professor for the Department of Communication Studies at Texas Tech University, whites who are exposed to the constant stream of the negative media portrayal of blacks more likely to make negative conjectures about them. Moreover, Elijah Watts (2016), a freelance videographer, reaffirmed Punyanunt-Carter’s statements by stating, “If all people ever see are negative images of blacks being killed or convicted that will soon become their impression of how blacks are”. Images of blacks that portray them as criminals, drug users, and gang members are continually bombarded in the media. According to Sanders (2012), because stereotypical depictions of blacks brings in the dollar that is why negative narratives are always

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Since the creation of media within colonial America, the images that have portrayed the black race have been created mostly from the white supremacist, patriarchal, heteronormative, capitalistic perspective on black people and black life. Under this problematic gaze, black people and black life have been portrayed through black face and minstrelsy with many negative stereotypes being constantly created and reinforced in the media. These stereotypes include coons, mammies, tragic mulattoes, jezebels, uncle Toms and Bucks. It also includes showing black people as subservient, animalistic, uncivilized, unintelligent and illiterate (Adams-Base, Stevenson and Kotzin, 2014).

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This, in turn, effects how black people are perceived and treated throughout society. These on screen biases are then projected into real life situations and interactions with non-people-of-color, including law enforcement and they become victims of perception. The article also states that television newsrooms are 80 percent white and radio newsrooms are 92 percent white. When biases come from the news media industry it sets the tone for film and television producers to transmit their racial biases into their

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This reaction reflects a changing landscape where whiteness is increasingly linked to ferocity and aggression, rather than just privilege or dominance. Exploring the origins of whiteness, its interactions with media and politics, and how white individuals respond to racial tension reveals that whiteness is not fixed but fluid, influenced by the context of history and societal shifts. As we engage in conversations about race and identity in the era, it is essential to grasp the changing nature of whiteness to facilitate meaningful discussions and advocate for racial equality and justice. Since its emergence within colonialism and slavery, the concept of whiteness has evolved significantly over time due to events, social movements, and changing beliefs. It emphasizes shifts and consistency in its interpretation and importance.

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Our country has indeed come a long way, but we still have quite a distance to go. The social construction of race perpetuates both prejudice and discrimination which is shown in the film “Detroit”, as well as incidents across the country. The events in “Detroit” may seem like they could only occur in the more racially tense times of 1967, but in reality, they still happen. Mass media helps to communicate these issues to the public, at times uniting, and at other times dividing our nation while evoking heavy emotions.

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We can clearly observe how in television shows and films, African Americans are generally viewed as house cleaners or postal workers. In addition, media often portrayed African Americans in occupational roles, such as a servant, a crook, a cook, a musician, an athlete, or a corrupt individual. Moreover, researches have shown that media, such as television and the internet can affect viewer’s thoughts and actions (Frisby 2015). Frisby found that media stories about African Americans athletes focus primarily on criminal actions while stories about white athletes are overwhelmingly positive. According to Frisby, about 66 percent of the crime stories involved black athletes while only 22 percent involved white athletes.

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Those who have a high exposure to negative television portrayals of African Americans are more inclined to make negative assumptions about African Americans. Sadly, unfavorable portrayals of this particular group of people not only influences the whites’ perception of them, but it influences the perceptions of the group as well. The perpetuation of African Americans as lazy has been embedded in American society, not only by words and images projected by journalists but also by a wide variety of other media and entertainment sources. The implicit bias has impacted the way African American communities have been and are being treated across practically all sectors of life in America, from courtrooms to doctors’ offices. Media bias not only negatively impacts this group’s relationship with law enforcement and the judicial system, but it extends to how they are perceived in society at large.

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