Recently I’ve become very aware of some factors influencing the representation of Black characters in American TV & Film. Since I moved to Florida, got involved with InterVarsity, and made some incredibly gracious Black friends who’ve worked with me to help me understand how much different much of their experience has been from mine, I’ve become much more aware of the racialization of the world around me. But I don’t watch a lot of TV or movies, so that’s one arena in which I’ve stayed blissfully unaware… until recently.
Pause for a moment. Racialization is not the same as racism. I first read the term in Divided by Faith, an incredible book that gave me so much understanding and wisdom and research and fact (to add to the personal testimony I’d gained) about the race situation in America and in the church. Racialization as I read it is not the same as racism; racism is a knowing dislike of and unfair negative approximation of a person’s worth because of their skin color, ethnicity, etc. (which in our world fall under the social construct “race.”) However, many people have told me that white people who don’t get super-involved with race issues, etc. are racist. I always clashed with that. Instead, Divided by Faith presents the concept of a racialized society–one that has distinct lines drawn along the boundaries of race. More black men in prison, segregated churches, different health rates and hiring rates and educational quality, etc. So, you can exist in your happy white world, unaware of what’s going on with people of ethnic minorities, and you can think great things about them–you’re not a racist. Yet if you aren’t actively learning about and doing things to end racialization, you’re still allowing a racialized society to persist–which isn’t any a lot better.
Back to the original point: I’ve been making some comments recently on Twitter about Black characters on TV. Essentially, I like to watch TV while I design web sites–it distracts me just enough to keep from getting bored, but it’s not stimulating enough to slow down my work. I’ve been watching a lot of normal shows recently–not advanced, award-winning shows that are on the forefront of social commentary, but plain old normal shows–and I’ve noticed a trend across all of them: Black people are accessories.
It’s sad. It’s a terrible thing to admit. And, growing up, I would’ve told the person saying what I’m saying now to stop whining. But there’s something to this. In these shows I’ve been watching, the Black characters fall into a few simple categories:
- The mean girl’s follower best friend
- The drug dealer
- The young kid from the projects who’s trying to make his way out playing basketball
- The “mammy”, the homely, simple, sweet but a little sassy mother/neighbor/grandmother/landlady
- The voodoo mystic (usually African, Haitian, or from New Orleans)
There are certainly others, but I can’t tell you the last time I saw a consistent Black character with depth that didn’t fall into some strong stereotype. Smallville had Petey, but he disappeared right quick. I know there have been others–everyone can name a show with a Black president or a Black best friend. But in general, I’ve been more and more disappointed the more I see.
Obviously, this is excepting movies and TV intended for Black audiences. From what I can gather, I once would’ve been able to point to BET, but now it seems to be shirking its original intention of giving Black Americans A) real roles for the actors/characters and B) programming that meets them where they are.
Anyway, that’s where I’ve been coming from. I find that I’ve been mentioning this a lot recently, and I decided it was time to really write something about it and see if people wanted to say anything about this, teach me more, learn from what I’ve learned, or whatever else.
*Edit*: If you’re interested in learning more about these topics, two of the best sites (in my opinion) are UrbanFaith and Racialicious. UrbanFaith looks at national issues from a Black Christian context; Racialicious is devoted to all things racially motivated/striated. One note: Racialicious contributors are very comfortable with sex and some language that might make some people uncomfortable, so visit if you can handle it.
Just completed a sociology class. Last topic was race in society. Usually I never respond to blogs, but this was such a good post. I like your observation of racialization of our society. Good point. I get the sense that you’ve probably talked to your wife about this observation you’re making (right?); and that you realize this is not new. I would say that you’re not “oversensitive” at all…Aware is more accurate. Stereotypes of black people are ALL over the place. Regarding movies, remember when Halle and Denzel won the Oscars? Recall what type of movies for which they won them and you’d probably chuckle with disbelief!!! Halle’s movie was horrendous! And Denzel’s character was probably the most obscene and vulgar one in his repertoire…. and then they received their two awards. Crazy.
To follow up your commentary, there are a line, however, of progressive Black actors/actresses that are making some headway in the TV show industry. (I understand you and I may not watch the same shows. I don’t watch TV consistently, but…) Check out Hill Harper (his website is pretty enlightening about his philosophy on Blacks in TV/entertainment/role models; the black dude on House; Jada Pinkett-Smith (will Smith’s wife) has a new show out “HawthoRNe”. Others are DL Hughley on CNN (hosting his own show. Gotta give it to CNN, I see a black person on there all-day, every-day.), and Tavis Smiley (doin his thing on PBS).
(Can’t believe I wrote so much. lol.)
Gayon,
Thanks for your comment. I guess I should definitely make some disclaimers, since people who read this aren’t all my wife so they don’t all know exactly where I’m coming from. Oh, and disclaimer 1 should be: I’m white. My wife is Black (African-American).
I’m definitely aware that most, if not all, of the content in this post is day-to-day normalcy for most of Black America. My purpose in writing it, then, is twofold:
One, to further elaborate on the subject to people who follow me on Twitter and might be wondering why I’ve been tweeting about the subject so much, and
Two, to be a bridge-builder. It’s one thing for someone to stand up for themself; it’s another for them to stand up for someone else. I hope that maybe as a white guy I might have the ability to bring this conversation to places where it isn’t just the norm.
Thanks so much for your comments. I definitely appreciate the rising force of Black actors/actresses who are doing or who have done what it takes to work their ways into positions of influence. Every time we see a Black character on a new show, movie, or whatever, it’s an exciting moment; some times, like most you mentioned (although Tereva’s not a big fan of Hill’s book… but she still loves him), they really do it well. Sometimes (see this year’s BET awards in their entirety) it’s less exciting. My lament, then, is how much my focus on those rising stars has blinded me to how bad most of TV/film still is (because, until now, my TV watching has been limited solely to the types of TV that *do* have that progressive nature.)
Thank you so much for your comment, and for breaking your rule to put your voice here.