Afram. Family Issues
May 16 2009
Black Families in the Spotlight
The media, is a world where everything is broad casted through televisions, radios, internet, articles, etc. People who work for the media majority of the time personally pick and choose the things that they want to be broadcasted. African Americans are usually depicted in the bad light of the media world. The portrayal of Black Families are racially biased when displayed in the media. As black and black families continued to be allowed to be exploited in the media, it gives people reasons to create negative stereotypes. Those stereotypes makes it believable that is the blueprint of all African-Americans.
Currently there is a new face of Black Families in the media. The only good family that were shown on television were, the Cosby Show and Parent Hood. Now a days we do not here or see many functioning Black Families functioning. But, this family is real, the first black family in the White House, the Obamas. President Barrack Obama was voted President in 2008, making history of the first black president and the first black family ever in the White House. Each time the Obamas are publicized, they are always smiling and working together. Their family is well off with two daughters and they have both of their parents together. Even though the Obama Family seem picture perfect it is clear that behind the lens they have issues, but the media tries their hardest to display that. Yet, continuing to try to break down somebody so powerful in a new face.
However African Americans did not always have the “Obamas” to represent them in
such a good aspect. As Dr. Noble said, “…people’s world-view is their picture of the way
Things in sheer actuality are, their concept of nature, of self, of society.” explaining that what you see is what you get theory. Other ethnicities outside of African-Americans believe that the way African Americans are represented in movies for example is the way every single African American behaves. Such as, all African American women are loud, offensive single mothers on welfare that they do not know who the father of their child(ren) are. And that the men are either thugs in the streets in gangs or incarcerated who does not take responsibility of his child(ren). That is not correct, because in actuality Black People are more than what we are perceived to be. The reality is that Blacks help build up America, by inventing so many unacknowledged things that we use every day. The media’s goal seems to be to destroy the reputation of African Americans, while they hide it in subliminal messages. Because, the media is very manipulative that you have to be very conscious of what they feed out.
The media does not act alone, it is sad to say that African Americans are unwarily and aware of spreading the exploitation disease. They are contributing by being apart of these depicting movies, TV shows, and video shows that tear down the view of African Americans. In Dr. Nobles book, understanding the Black Family, “Black family has been viewed as the white family’s ‘illegitimate soul brother’.” (37). Instead of working to create new roles, they choose to play in the few negative roles that are given. Besides sitting back and watching the movement of “Black faces entertaining” something should be done. Yet, I uphold the people standing up for righteousness such as Jet Magazine,
Ebony Magazine and black activist that promote Blacks to be seen in all aspects of life. The Media can be seen as another form of slavery towards African Americans. By chaining the brains of Blacks to live in a world of ignorance. Just like the school systems the media does not teach the history of Africans and how they came to be the African Americans today. The media rather create fools and deteriorate the face of Blacks faces to shame.
The media produces confusion of who African Americans are and other races prodominately Europeans do not understand. They constantly research the life of Blacks, but still will not understand that Black people might fall short, but stand strong. Black families biggest struggle is being lost as a people. It sad that everyday it is publicized as a reminder by the media in the news as we watch another young African American being killed by their own people. Once before African Americans were involuntarily were brought to America by the Europeans, traditional Africans were Kings and Queens united liked one big family. Yet you will not catch that as you turn to your channel 2, instead you can catch a couple arguing on Maury. It is clear as day light that African Americans families have lost sacred traditions of religion, family, unity, education, and respect they once fully upheld. As long as these negative views are not changed about African Americans. media will proceed on exploiting and glorifying the struggle of African Americans.
Black families have changed since the days of traditional Africa to now. Every day we have seen the outcome in the media of only the destructive view as a reminder the battle of African American s are having with themselves. The medias job is to spin
something positive around to something more negative to get more attention. There are people who feed into what they watch on TV about African Americans and run with it. Some people are not aware that black people have always been around to change who they are and to entertain. I feel that the media has done an excellent job on their goal.
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